Home Theater

Its been along time since Ive been down this road.
It used to be quite simple finding a receiver that would deliver pounding stereo and 5channel audio bliss.
But boy the times have changed.
Why ..does somebody need their cell phone attached to their home audio??!!??:no:

Given all the techno garb and bling ..that really only takes up space..for I dunno ..better power supplies and audio components!!
Heck at the Future Shop.. Onkyo was the only manufacturer that used a shielded Transformer,Nichicon and Elna caps
Sony had a mesh mash of capacitors ,that included everything..even CapOnX..really..
Yamaha was decked out respectably with Nichicon..then a whole bunch of Audio Capacitors ..but no brand name.
Pioneer..To be honest ..I didn't bother looking further after the high power light weight ...very light weight..

The current palette of audio gear on the market seems to do everything except audio.

Brass tacks.. Does anybody produce an AVR that does home theater, and does it with authority anymore.

Im upgrading from Denon AVR. ..I don't need or want the Bling.
HDMI, DTS,Yess these are must have's.
Who does home stereo and theater anymore?
Who does it well?
Who does it great?

To be honest.. I'm really leaning towards mono blocks and a processor pre-amp..Im not going to get what I want I don't believe.
 
I think you are on the right track. A friend invested in a TOTL 9.2 channel Onkyo with 140 per channel, but when we used a separate 120 watt stereo amp, it sounded better than even the Onkyo strapped into 280 watts.

I have a Oppo dvd/cd player which has 7.1 analogue outputs, built in processor, multiple (digital) inputs and a volume control. I'm planning to get a seven channel amp and run them together without any pre-amp/processor. I'm looking for a used McIntosh 207, 200 watts into seven channels.
 
Why not buy a surround processor and add it to a "decent" two channel system that you already have?

Outlaw and Emotive both offer surround processors that are relatively reasonably priced.
 
I have an emotiva pre amp/DAC. I really like it and couldnt recommend it more. It think it would be very very hard to beat for the price. I think if you went the Emotiva route you would be a happy camper.

Surround processor/ pre amp along with a 5 channel amplifier if you want that. I knwo they have at least a 5 channel amp. Probably a 7 channel depedning on the budget. I'm more in stereo right now so I not sure what they have for HT options.
 
Its been along time since Ive been down this road.
It used to be quite simple finding a receiver that would deliver pounding stereo and 5channel audio bliss.
But boy the times have changed.
Why ..does somebody need their cell phone attached to their home audio??!!??:no:

Given all the techno garb and bling ..that really only takes up space..for I dunno ..better power supplies and audio components!!
Heck at the Future Shop.. Onkyo was the only manufacturer that used a shielded Transformer,Nichicon and Elna caps
Sony had a mesh mash of capacitors ,that included everything..even CapOnX..really..
Yamaha was decked out respectably with Nichicon..then a whole bunch of Audio Capacitors ..but no brand name.
Pioneer..To be honest ..I didn't bother looking further after the high power light weight ...very light weight..

The current palette of audio gear on the market seems to do everything except audio.

Brass tacks.. Does anybody produce an AVR that does home theater, and does it with authority anymore.

Im upgrading from Denon AVR. ..I don't need or want the Bling.
HDMI, DTS,Yess these are must have's.
Who does home stereo and theater anymore?
Who does it well?
Who does it great?

To be honest.. I'm really leaning towards mono blocks and a processor pre-amp..Im not going to get what I want I don't believe.

I got an older Harman Kardon which I picked up for $100... Has Analog in and Pre outs for external amplification.

I hooked it up to my soundcard on my PC (Which has lossless Flac files, blu-ray player etc) using the analog outs from the soundcard. I get TrueHD, 5.1 from Netflix etc... Don't see the need to ever buy a newer AVR with this kind of setup. Plus I can control everything from my PC.
 
The newer surround receivers bring HDMI switching which is very handy. I too don't care for the iPod connectivity and such. For that I use an Apple TV anyway.

If you don't need HDMI switching then an old Marantz SR7500 or even better SR9600 will give you more than you need IMO.
 
I use a digital converter from Radio Shack ($40, others can be found for less online) that allows the PC's s/pdif digital or optical outs to connect the converter, which then converts to analog RCA. In Win7, I have the sample rate at 24 bit 192khz and the converter, which is spec'd for those values, performs great and brings today's technology to 35 year old amplifiers. I'm content with stereo, so the PCM signal works perfectly.
 
I use a B&K Pro10 preamplifier for inputs. That signal goes to my SSI 4000 to process analog audio, such as VHS taped movies. (I use the pass-through for signals from the B&K I don't want to process.) That output goes into a Marantz 870 digital processor (again, I pass-through analog signals) and DVDs (and computer sourced AV) are processed and the output of the Marantz goes into my five Crown DC-300 series II amps. I have no need for a subwoofer. My mains go lower than I can hear (three Emilars). (Flat down to 26Hz.) Advent Legacys and Yamahas for surround sound.
 
Its been along time since Ive been down this road.
It used to be quite simple finding a receiver that would deliver pounding stereo and 5channel audio bliss.
But boy the times have changed.

Pioneer..To be honest ..I didn't bother looking further after the high power light weight ...very light weight..

May want to reconsider. Some of the Pioneers use pretty well regarded digital/switching amps. Light, relatively speaking, compared to old school big iron. The days of weight being a top consideration and key indicator of potential sound quality and high output are over.
 
Give the man a prize!

Its been along time since Ive been down this road.
It used to be quite simple finding a receiver that would deliver pounding stereo and 5channel audio bliss.

Given all the techno garb and bling ..that really only takes up space..for I dunno ..better power supplies and audio components!!
http://www.audioholics.com/audio-amplifier/trading

...To be honest ..I didn't bother looking further after the high power light weight ...very light weight..

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=605988

Brass tacks.. Does anybody produce an AVR that does home theater, and does it with authority anymore.

Probably, but you are going to have to pay more and go higher up the model line-up if you want the same "authority" you had the last time you went "down this road". Those extra features had to come from somewhere.
 
While I haven't heard the new Denon AVR's, I would think they still make some good ones (like the AVR x3000) that deliver on both SQ and features, but I don't think you'll get one for $500. http://usa.denon.com/us/product/hometheater/avreceiversht/avrx3000

By most accounts this AVR, and competing models from Onkyo and Yamaha do a decent job in terms of both SQ and features for less that $1,000. Keep in mind much of the bass is handled by 1 or 2 subs, so we really don't need much more that the 105 wpc that AVR's like this deliver. Also we can always add external amplification should we feel the need for more power.
 
I can appreciate advancement of technology bringing down the size and weight. The prime factor in most of that is purification of elements used in making components , and the refinements that go into manufacturing components.
I totally get that.

My point with my original post is which manufacturer stuck with making audio gear instead of cell phones and lap tops.
 
May want to reconsider. Some of the Pioneers use pretty well regarded digital/switching amps. Light, relatively speaking, compared to old school big iron. The days of weight being a top consideration and key indicator of potential sound quality and high output are over.

In my "theater" I have a Pioneer Elite VSX-33 that has treated me well for nearly 5 years. Best part is I picked it up for just over $400 at a Best Buy that was transitioning from having a Magnolia store. It has handled everything I have thrown at it, and it has power to spare.
 
The problem with switch mode power supplies ,when they have a hiccup its often catastrophic . A blown cap and fuse on big iron is often a recoverable incident.
A blown cap on a switch mode power supply , is often the replacement of the whole supply . They can be costly depending on rail voltages and VA ratings.
I've been through this with computer power supplies, its real easy to make a brick.

Its a double edged sword .
Transformer with its inherent noise and hum ..yet powerful and durable enough to withstand some abuse and discrete component failure.

Switchmode ..its rock solid rail voltage ,high current, low noise ..yet can crumple like a pop can . while not always the case , but common ..one Mosfet fail's ,it can set of a series reaction destroying the rest..

I makes servicing easier I guess ..
The switch mode fails ..its often a fresh power supply going back in.

Maybe Im just old school ..

No Replacement for Displacement

Marantz MA-500's ..I heard them once.. was floored by them.
 
Its been along time since Ive been down this road.
It used to be quite simple finding a receiver that would deliver pounding stereo and 5channel audio bliss.
But boy the times have changed.
Why ..does somebody need their cell phone attached to their home audio??!!??:no:

The current palette of audio gear on the market seems to do everything except audio.

Brass tacks.. Does anybody produce an AVR that does home theater, and does it with authority anymore.

Im upgrading from Denon AVR. ... I don't need or want the Bling.
HDMI, DTS,Yess these are must have's.
Who does home stereo and theater anymore?
Who does it well?
Who does it great?

To be honest.. I'm really leaning towards mono blocks and a processor pre-amp..Im not going to get what I want I don't believe.

I went the Preamp/Processor route myself ... I'm currently set for 7.1 but had run it in 5.1 mode earlier
Using an (ancient) Integra DTC 9.8 as the control center for everything, and it feeds the quality sounding amps I liked.
I found a B&K AV5000 SeriesII 5 ch amp that runs Side Surrounds, Rear surrounds and center channel speakers.
(There are plenty of 3 channel amps from folks like Emotiva that would work well if you just did 5.1)
I have an old HK Citation 22 bridged to mono to run an 18" JBL sub for movies and TV. Doesn't play with music.
Don't need it or the surrounds channels running when I just want to play music.

Why wouldn't you handle a home theater that you also play music on like any other high quality music system and go with hand picked separates?

More details and pix on my system here - http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=459878
 
I'll just throw this out there. Much of the extra functionality, (soundfield modes, bluetooth connectivity, creative equalization, etc,) is built into the DSP already. The datasheets from Cirrus Logic, TI, etc are all available online. In many cases, adding bluetooth support to a receiver is trivial from a price standpoint as a bulk of the processing already existed through the DSP that they chose for that product. Same with quirky surround modes.

Anyone that is truly serious about moving into the AVR arena should really familiarize themselves with what DSPs are on the market, study some of the block diagrams of how an actual AVR works and stop judging a receiver by how much it weighs.
 
Really ..
now a flogging..

Like I said before ..I don't want jingle bells..you can have it maybe you like it..I don't.

I want audio gear.
And yes I have been through the DSP block's, ,..I understand a few discreet components..and heck I could insert one to a 1980's Yamaha. All a guy has to do is strip down an Asus Xonar to see what can be put on a small die and footprint.

Forget I asked..sorry

And as for my aforementioned comment on pioneer ..It was biased.. I don't like the brand..really don't.
 
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