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New receivers?? With phono section??

sideways2

sideways2

Where the heck is S'toon?
Morning!!

I've been doing some searching this morning for a new receiver and there are a few offerings with phono sections. Does anyone have any experience with the phono section on any of these??

Yamaha RX-397\RX-497
Marantz SR-4023
Onkyo TX-8555
Pioneer Elite SX-A6-J
Harmon Kardon HK-3390
Denon DRA-397

Thanks!!
 
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The Outlaw Audio RR2150 has been very well reviewed and nice things have been said about its phono section. Same with the Rotel RX-1052.
 
Thanks!! And yes I do know about the Outlaw and the Rotel...both are out of my price range not to mention getting them here...I'm up in Saskatchewan Canada...not much around here unfortunately :(
 
Look up the Denon DRA-825R and 1025R on Ebay. The sell very inexpensivly at $75-$150 considering they were Denon's TOTL and ran ~$800 back in 1990, they're relative power houses at 90 or 135WPC into 8 ohms, and they've got a great Denon Phono stage, which is switchable for Moving Coil, or Magnet, something you wont find on many receivers.

I only know about them because a buddy gave me his 825 for free when he got his HT reciever, its not going to oust my seperates anytime soon, but its a good sounding little bugger with great build quality and nice features.
 
I have an Onkyo TX-8522, which I think is last year's version of the TX-8555. I use it in my office system. I was shocked at how good the phono section performs! I would recommend it!
 
I believe that any of the newer denons and yamahas all have a good phono section, and can't vary much from other newer gear out there, besides the high current power supply design, unlike the 'sherwood', that just plain lacks balls!
My buddy had one of those, and believe me, it was really weak and overheated a lot, mostly due to the single heatsink (without fins). The yamaha RX series is great and built well, and the before mentioned denon DRA series is very high quality. IMO
 
It's not really difficult to design a fairly decent phono stage, and integrated ones are pretty often not any worse than priceworthy external ones (like the NAD PP2 et cetera). However, especially over here in Europe, these integrated phono sections often enough suffer from very high input capacity - then one can either circumvent the problem by using an MCHO (or an MI with low inductance) or cure it by modifying the caps on the input.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
Thanks guys!!

Now that I have the Marantz, my phono sounds really good...running a Grado Black on my SL-1700 now :)

**Edited by Moderators- NO discussions of intent to seel anything is allowed** ...the one I did buy is a real cheapie...ART DJ Pro II...definitely just as a starter.

I like the idea of a receiver just because of space restrictions.

**Editeed- see above comment**. The Yamaha, Pioneer and Onkyo are the top of my list.

Anyone hear an old Marantz section and can compare to a newer one??

Thanks again!!!
 
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I have two TEAC AV-G receivers (modern 5.1) and the phono is as good as most of the vintage stuff I have (and yes, my vintage gear goes through a full tune to spec). I have a few vintage receivers that sound better and different. Most just sound different, and not by too much. The TEAC is all modern and sounds very neutral.

I suspect any of these would sound similar. The vintage equipment all sounds a bit "warmer" with the exception if the Mitsubishi DA-r20. That one has a fine phono section, but is very dry and clinical compered to my other gear.

Loved the phono section on the Yamaha r700 I had for a while (out on loan). It's a transitional piece with a lot of modern digital bits, but not current state of the art production. I'd say that those that are still marketing units with phono sections have the designs down pretty well. Lini may have better insight on total capacitive loading. Some cartridges like more cap, some less. The current Shure M97eX like a bit more cap, so it may get along with new receivers pretty well :)
 
I have been using an HK 3480 in my main system for the past couple of years. Phono section is certainly adequate for my listening needs.
 
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