SoundOfSound
Super Member
I have one of these. They are kinda ugly but they have a very unique sound. Dark and funky but in a good way.
High-End AVRs for Stereo?
- Thread starter ScottFan355
- Start date
I have one of these. They are kinda ugly but they have a very unique sound. Dark and funky but in a good way.
Just read through this entire thread! It got a little off track but it ultimately made the same point I wanted to make. An older high end AVR in 2 channel mode can outperform some of the vintage stuff that we cherish so much and brings such a high price.
My experience.....I ended up with 3 Harman Kardon A-402 integrated amplifiers. I gave very little for any of them and I always considered them some of the better vintage amps available. They are bringing around $450 on Ebay currently. I always had one of them hooked up in my living room system. The only thing was they would get a little corroded and they would have dropouts and static. I would continuously be pulling them out and trying to figure out what was wrong.
I decided to just try something different. I had a JVC RX-815V AVR in storage that I knew was a nice piece but I hadn't used just because it wasn't vintage. It is from 1994 (is that vintage too?) with 120 watts X 2 in stereo with class A amplification Sanken outputs with .007 % distortion at rated power. It is an old Prologic unit with the rear channels having less power than the front.
I hooked it up to the KLH Model 5's and the Dynaco A-25XL's and it sounded amazing! Much cleaner and more dynamic than the HK's. I think I gave about $20 for the JVC at a thrift store. This proves the point of this thread for me. You can get a great sound from an old AVR in stereo mode for a very modest cost! You just have to get over the bond you may have with the vintage stuff. To me the sound is the most important thing in my system. I have a couple of systems that are all vintage and I will keep them in that form if for nothing else but collectible value and looks. But as for power and sound for $$$ invested look for these first generation Pro Logic AVR's high power and great sound low price!
My experience.....I ended up with 3 Harman Kardon A-402 integrated amplifiers. I gave very little for any of them and I always considered them some of the better vintage amps available. They are bringing around $450 on Ebay currently. I always had one of them hooked up in my living room system. The only thing was they would get a little corroded and they would have dropouts and static. I would continuously be pulling them out and trying to figure out what was wrong.
I decided to just try something different. I had a JVC RX-815V AVR in storage that I knew was a nice piece but I hadn't used just because it wasn't vintage. It is from 1994 (is that vintage too?) with 120 watts X 2 in stereo with class A amplification Sanken outputs with .007 % distortion at rated power. It is an old Prologic unit with the rear channels having less power than the front.
I hooked it up to the KLH Model 5's and the Dynaco A-25XL's and it sounded amazing! Much cleaner and more dynamic than the HK's. I think I gave about $20 for the JVC at a thrift store. This proves the point of this thread for me. You can get a great sound from an old AVR in stereo mode for a very modest cost! You just have to get over the bond you may have with the vintage stuff. To me the sound is the most important thing in my system. I have a couple of systems that are all vintage and I will keep them in that form if for nothing else but collectible value and looks. But as for power and sound for $$$ invested look for these first generation Pro Logic AVR's high power and great sound low price!
Markoneswift
Quartz locked n ready to rock
Markoneswift
Quartz locked n ready to rock
Oh and the NAD cost me $10 lol.
MannyE
Exterminate!
A/V Receivers are just another example of how audiophile nonsense gets in the way of good ol' enjoyment of music. Did everyone suddenly invent a new form of amplification? Nope. Did HT need gobs of power? Does it still? Yes indeed it does. That is now and has always been a recipe for good sound. Lots and lots of clean power. That's exactly what you find in any high end HT receiver. I see multichannel amps and receivers as 5 or 7 good or great mono amps in one small package. I use 4 of them to bi-amp with one amp as a spare.
You still gotta be careful when driving lower than standard impedance speakers (i.e. less than 8 ohm nominal). Even good AVRs show stress (serious heat and x10 distortion specs) at 6 ohms on all channels and many entirely swear off 4 ohms on ANY channel. For those applications, a quality multichannel outboard amp serving the AVR is the ticket.
MannyE
Exterminate!
Unless you luck into one of the B&K AVR monsters which can pretty much handle anything. But they are a rare find. Especially the AVR-707
Still better off with your setup: a sweet Ref 50 and a quality outboard SS amp like your ATI (Outlaw).
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TomBig58
Super Member
I upgraded my surround setup to HDMI with a Yamaha RX765 and love it. Best HT receiver remote EVER! Even though I have my big Kef's in the set-up it still really doesn't do it for me on 2CH, even pure direct mode. Loud and extremely clean it seems to lose some warmth to my older receivers and even to "very clean and unaltering" Adcom amps. Maybe it's psychological but I still prefer the warmer vintage sound over the clinical sound of most AVR receivers.
MannyE
Exterminate!
For sure. The Outlaw has handled anything I can throw at it, even the Def Techs which were supposed to occasionally venture down into 2 ohm territory. Those BP2002 towers love power. The more you give them the better they sound. They are now in the garage as part of the "ultimate gaming computer" and holy cow... Skyrim never sounded so good.
TomBig58
Super Member
I recently picked up a Yamaha R-9 receiver which is 2CH but similar to their AVR units. With auto class A amplification up to 30-35 watts I'm going to leave it in my main setup for awhile. Worried about some of my low impedance speakers I will rotate in I noted in the owners manual that impedance protection is built in and others have run 3 sets with no problems. I think most quality AVR receivers have impedance protection circuitry.
Actually the B&K avr’s Are going for pretty cheap on eBay I’ve seen quite a few on there recently and I agree they have an excellent amp section and preamp that has no problem dipping down on the 2ohm territory. I had the 507s2 and it was a toss up with that and the Yamaha RX-Z1.
Audiofreak71
MannyE
Exterminate!
Actually they are going cheap, but the reason is that most of them at this point are experiencing some power supply issues. Turns out the caps on a lot of the PS for both the AVR and the Reference preamps are all going bad. The result is not just that they wont turn on, but the IC chips for some reason (bad power?) get fried. It requires about $200 worth of work by the only shop that still has the replacement parts "Stargate Electronics" in New York. They are out on the Island somewhere. But for the average $100 asking price plus the $200 and figure another $100 in shipping, it's still a bargain.
Yeah I think it would still be worth it at those prices especially for somebody just getting into this and wanting good quality and sound, the peace of mind would it being serviced and old parts replaced .
Audiofreak71
superdog
AK Member
The more modern TOTL AVRs have a way better pre section than the vintage I knew.Therefore way more control over the speakers.I used an analogy before that its like going from a mids 70s Camaro to a mid 2000s BMW.Just a way better and versatile experience.IMO with that level of control you have a way better control of the speakers.Fantastic amp sections for a receiver.I had a Pioneer SX838 and I thought the amp section was very good.It was the controls I felt were primitive compared to my good AVRs.
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Good to know, was wondering why a lot of them show stuck in reset at power up. I figured somebody just bricked them with a firmware update along the way. If you can find a working one they are fantastic deals for the money.
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