Denon AVR-E300 OR Onkyo HT-R2295 ?

Frank Reynolds

I need help guys.


Should I buy...

Denon 5.1 Channel 3D-Ready Network Receiver with AirPlay (AVR-E300) for 280$?

OR

Onkyo 560-Watt 7.1 Channel Multi-Zone Home Theatre Receiver (HT-R2295) for 300$?


Speakers are: 2 Polk RTI A1's. 2 Cerwin Vega AT-8's. and PSW10 sub. for now...


I don't care about any Airplay, or anything like that. I really do not care about streaming music or anything like that at all, no use for all those bells and whistles.

Most important thing is sound quality ! I know the Denon has Audyssey MultEQ.. and Onkyo has only the lesser 2EQ Audyssey. Based on that, and seeing as how my main objective is the best sound quality, it's the Denon, but the Onkyo appears to possible be a better deal everything considered???

It's a really tough choice. I know Denon supposedly has better reliability, but I will get the 5yr extended warranty from best buy. I don't NEED 7.1, but for 20$ more, it would be nice, and the Onkyo has a little more power to boot.

I've read some 'meh' reviews based on the sound quality it delivers though.

BTW, this is for my basement, in my 'workout/cinema' room. It's a 9feet by 10feet room, quite small.

I will mostly be interested in Music, and secondly will be Movies, etc.

With that in mind... the setup of my room is very weird. My computer is in a corner, and my front speakers are directly in front of me to the sides, then my rears.. 1 is directly behind me when I'm sitting down at my desk, the other one is off to the far left side, so it's not matched up at all, due to how small my room is and how packed it is.

With all of that in mind, should I still bother with the MultEQ? (That said, I can set it up better for when I'm actually working out, because in that position I will be central to the speakers.. but it will be for music only. Some say MultEQ isn't great for music??? Also.. Can I have different MultEQ configurations for different locations within the room???? Since I will be in the room in different locations on the comp, and working out.


Let me know which one I should go with guys!

John K.

Frank, welcome to Club Polk. You're rightly interested in sound quality, but any suggestion you might have heard someplace that either the Denon or the Onkyo has some inherent(i.e., without special processing in use)advantage in that is lacking in factual evidence to support it. Competent design of receivers these days provides audibly flat frequency response with inaudibly low noise and distortion within their designed maximum power limits. Those power limits are essentially identical for the E300 and R2295. Under the mandatory FTC(Federal Trade Commission) amplifier power regulations the numbers for the E300 are 75 watts per channel at 0.08% distortion and the R2295 80 watts per channel at 0.7% distortion. At the slightly lower 0.08% number the R2295 would be the same or slightly less than the E300's 75 watt spec. You can expect audibly transparent amplification from either at all reasonable listening levels.

All electronic components can have reliability problems surface, but most commonly that would show up relatively early within the standard warranty period. Don't spend money on an "extended" warranty.

Now, as to what can actually make a significant difference in sound quality between the two, note that the Audyssey 2EQ in the R2295 doesn't equalize the sub channel, while the MultEQ in the E300 does. Room correction in the low bass area handled by the sub is probably the area most in need in need of the correction, so this gives the E300 a significant edge. The Audyssey measurements are best made in a tight cluster(say no more than one foot from each other)around the primary listening position and attempting to measure at widely different positions in the room results in less overall accuracy.

In summation, get the E300 and forget paying for a extended warranty.