2 channel receiver - Denon or Integra or ?

L

lucid

New Member
I'm looking for a stereo receiver to replace my ailing 10 year old NAD (it's been ailing for a while). I've narrowed it down to two models. Outlaw, Marantz, Yamaha, Elite and HK have all be ruled out.

Denon DRA-697CI and Integra DTM-5.9 are the two front runners.

Must Have:
- RS232 controllable
- 12v triggers
- Pre outs
- Tuner

Very nice to have:
- 2nd Zone Pre outs
- Sub pre out

Right now I'm leaning towards the Integra because I like the front panel way better (discrete buttons for inputs and tuner presets). I'm open to suggestions for other receivers or a Pre/Pro with the same feature set as above. I have a few different power amps that I can use if need be. I don't really have a budget, but keeping it under $500 means more money for music and wine.

I've never used or owned Integra (or Onkyo) so I don't really know anything about their reliability or performance.
 
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I prefer separate power amp and preamp/processor as a rule. Integras are OK but not my preferred choice for music. I like Marantz gear better than any of the Denon line in sonics, warranty, build quality, and reliability. Much better after sales support. I had a client who bought a $3500 Denon receiver new. 2 months later it died. It took 15 months to get it back from Denon. Inexcusable for the price.
 
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Thanks for the response.

I've been looking for a pre/pro off and on for the last year. Every once in a while an Anthem AVM20 or something similar shows up on the used market locally, but I never get there in time.

As for Marantz, I have an SR5200 AVR and the tuner section is terrible which is one reason I haven't considered something like the Marantz SR4023. The other reasons are the lack of 12v triggers and no 2nd zone.

I spent some time with my brother's new Onkyo AVR yesterday and I basically like everything about it which is why I'll likely pick up the Integra once the dealer gets a demo unit it and I can have a listen.

I know separates are the way to go, but the WAF just doesn't work for me. Believe me, I've tried.
 
I have an Onkyo TX-SV909Pro AV Receiver with older Dolby Pro-Logic which is still going strong after about 17 years. Tuner sounds better than its specs. Discrete amps. 7 analog channels plus subwoofer predating discrete digital 7.1. Great for movies and not disappointing for music. I bought and expected it to be my last big purchase for years to come. That's still true and it's because of the well thought out design and features. And quality build and specs.

I also have an Onkyo TA-2090 tape deck which has been compared to Naks. Still works after pulling it out of storage and after cleaning -- works like new. Although not all models fair as well.

Also a 6 disc Onkyo DX-C909 which is built like a tank. No problems with it like some Sonys. So I bought used the next model down, a DX-C606, when I saw it at Goodwill for $19.99. Bought a single disc DX-706 from eBay which sounds very smooth and tends toward warm. None have any mechanical problems.

A 1055FII direct drive turntable which still holds speed.

So I have been very impressed with Onkyo quality over the years and as you say, user friendly control layouts and looks are very important as well.

The only thing I might add is if you are looking for a 2 channel receiver then you might look at a Sherwood RX-5502 or above but not sure it has all the tech requirements for you. If you hadn't eliminated HK I might have recommended looking there as well.
 
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I have previously had, and liked: Onkyo TX-SV909pro and TX-SV919THX - they were both great for music and movies. The 919 was labelled as an Onkyo Integra, I don't remember the 909 labelling. The 919 had discrete multichannel inputs for external surround decoders - but ultimately I replaced it with a single unit (after about 10 years of daily use).

I now have, and am very happy with the TX-SR805 which is comparable to one of the higher Integra DTR lines (8.x?), but with a lower line video chip. It has plenty of power, sounds great, looks good. . .

I also have a tx-sr703 which works perfectly as a HT receiver for TV and movie duty.

My only complaint with the my current onkyo gear is that it is a long journey to change bass/treble/balance, etc. Perfect for movies and TV, but I prefer knobs on my 2 channel music gear. And they do run hot - if it is going to be in a cabinet airflow is a must.

I have not looked at any of the competition because I have always been so happy with Onkyo. In addition to the 4 units mentioned above, I also have an Integra A-8087 and another 2 channel receiver whose model number I don't remember (TX-802?) Every time I am ready to buy, I am quickly drawn back to onkyo.
 
Your best tuners are generally vintage ones. There's a few good new ones but generally very high dollar. I would go entirely separate to get a better tuner due to that issue.
 
Lucid:

My upstair's system is jamed into the dinning room's cornor. Therefore, sound is not that important, but a good tuner is. I was leaning towards the HK models. I am currious as to why you elminated these models.
 
I'm well aware that vintage tuners are the way to get the best FM performance, I was the one that started this thread http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=242571 and was promptly educated. :thmbsp:

I don't remember specifically why I ruled out HK, but it was eliminated because it lacked something on my "must have" list. I was looking at the 3490 which seems to be their flagship stereo receiver.

Looks like it was missing RS232:
http://www.studio-22.com/harman-kardon/images/HK3490back.jpg


cbrworm: The integra I'm looking at has discrete bass/treble. http://www.gspr.com/integra/images/dtm_59_front_300.jpg
 
cbrworm said:
I have previously had, and liked: Onkyo TX-SV909pro and TX-SV919THX - they were both great for music and movies. The 919 was labelled as an Onkyo Integra, I don't remember the 909 labelling. The 919 had discrete multichannel inputs for external surround decoders - but ultimately I replaced it with a single unit (after about 10 years of daily use).
Click to expand...

The 909 is also an Onkyo Integra. The 909 and 919 were top of the line offerings and you paid quite a lot to get what you got.

But yes, I would agree -- great for both music and movies. I had looked at several offerings back then and Onkyo just seemed to go that extra mile in specs, architecture, layout, and features. Had great reviews as well.
 
lucid said:
I'm looking for a stereo receiver to replace my ailing 10 year old NAD (it's been ailing for a while). I've narrowed it down to two models. Outlaw, Marantz, Yamaha, Elite and HK have all be ruled out.

Denon DRA-697CI and Integra DTM-5.9 are the two front runners.

Must Have:
- RS232 controllable
- 12v triggers
- Pre outs
- Tuner

Very nice to have:
- 2nd Zone Pre outs
- Sub pre out

Right now I'm leaning towards the Integra because I like the front panel way better (discrete buttons for inputs and tuner presets). I'm open to suggestions for other receivers or a Pre/Pro with the same feature set as above. I have a few different power amps that I can use if need be. I don't really have a budget, but keeping it under $500 means more money for music and wine.

I've never used or owned Integra (or Onkyo) so I don't really know anything about their reliability or performance.
Click to expand...

I have an Integra 5.9. It replaced a Denon that was a few years old. My main complaint is the lack of a phono input, though it has plenty of inputs for an external and still be able to hook plenty of stuff up. The tuner section is actually pretty decent. It pulls in as well as some vintage tuners I have. A nice feature is the Zone 2 can be turned off and used to biamp speakers. I've got some biamp capable speakers but haven't taken the time to set it up. I've ran it on some Paradigm Studio 40's & some Martin Logan Aerius electrostats (which I normally run on my vintage McIntosh gear.) I like the Mac setup better, but its not really a fair comparison. I do prefer the Integra over a Pioneer SX-5580 (euro version of an SX-1050) I have. When demoing it in the store, I liked it much better than some similar Marantz & Yamaha gear (don't remember models.) It has a rich sound that's not too forward and has a decent sound stage. Some day I might try it as a preamp and see what happens but I'm not that motivated right now.

Some of the things that attracted me to it were some that you mensioned...

1. nice layout with discreet input buttons vs. a wheel or up/down selector like many receivers these days have.
2. Ease of use & setup... even my wife can use it. No offense to her, but she ain't the most technological person out there.
3. preamp outs: one day I may buy separate amps and go overboard on the home theater, but no time soon
4. descreet output stages for every channel.
5. Simple, straight forward remote. The Denon I had was a nightmare, buttons on both sides of the damn thing.

Other than the lack of a phono input (most receivers I've seen in the price range lack it) complaint I would say I have is that by default it plays in 5 channel stereo on all inputs. You can turn it off and set it up to play 2 channel by default but you have to dig a little in the setup menus. On yeah, the onscreen setup is nice and MUCH easier than trying to muddle your way through the options on the receiver's display.

Its a discontinued model now, so you should be able to find a deal on one. My local hi-fi shop knocked about $300 off the price and I got the last new in box one they had.
 
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I have had both Denon and Integra, Integra all the way for me, the Denon was overpriced and had reliability issues, Onkyo really kicks ass in this department, IMHO

Cheers!
 
Second on Onkyo's quality. Based on my sample of ONE, I had terrific reliability with my Onkyo 5.1 surround receiver. Seven years and no problem.

The Outlaw Audio RR2150 might fit your bill, though I don't think it is RS232 controllable.
 
Onkyo builds some really good quality audio gear. I've had two HT receivers and a CD Player. Still have one Ht receiver and the Cd player. I think the Cd Player uses Wolfson DACs. Very nice sounding. I've never had a problem with any of it. And speaking of denon versus Onkyo,

The company started as Osaka Denki Onkyo which split and became = Denon
 
The 5.9 has an RS-232 as well as lan. I just wish it had switched outlets rather 12v triggers. I don't have anything set up for that and I'm running out of outlets. Its not the point the Fire Marshall would condemn the house, but getting there... :D
 
whoaru99 said:
I was going to suggest an Anthem TLP-1, but not sure it has RS-232 control.
Click to expand...


I ended up with an Anthem AVM 20. It's overkill for what I need, but there seems to be a glut of high-end non-HDMI pre-pro's in the used market and they're going for real cheap.
 
geode said:
The company started as Osaka Denki Onkyo which split and became = Denon
Click to expand...

Just an FYI: Denon is much older than Onkyo (although operated under other names before then like Nippon Columbia and Japan Recorders Corporation since 1910) and they were never part of the same company. They just happen to have some similar words in their names. For example, General Motors and Ford Motor are not related even though they both have 'motor' in their names.

From wikipedia:

Denon: "The Denon brand was first established in 1947 when Nippon Columbia merged with Japan Denki Onkyo."

Onkyo: "The company started under the name of Osaka Denki Onkyo K.K in 1946."

Japan Denki Onkyo and Osaka Denki Onkyo were 2 different companies.

World wars have a nasty habit of messing with the corporate world of the losing country, making things pretty complicated.

And BTW, I like both brands. :)
 
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