Yamaha RX-A870 or Denon AVR-X3500H for New Signature Speaker System

syxeth

Hi everyone! I'm hoping for some assistance in picking the best receiver for my new Polk Signature 5.1 system. I have S60s in the front, S35 centre, S15s for surround, and HTS12 for Sub. This said, music quality is still the priority over home theatre.

I have my selections down to the Yamaha RX-A870 (I know the RX-A880 is released, but price-point I could match these two) or Denon AVR-X3500H.

My room is 17' long, 13' wide, and 13' high, but making it more challenging is one side opens to the dining room at 4.5' high sharing the same ceiling, making for a very imbalanced room.

I believe that in a perfect room, Yamaha is the better quality, and nicer sounding receiver. However, Denon's Audyssey XT32 may do a better job correcting the irregularities of my room than Yamaha's YPAO R.S.C. Multipoint.

Any personal experiences and thoughts are hugely appreciated!!!

cfrizz

Welcome to Club Polk! Since both of them have the all important preouts to add separate amplification, get whichever one you like best. A good many here like the Denons.

Congrats on getting the Signature series, you are going to love them!

rburgess714

Congrats on the Signature Series. I am fan of the Yamaha Aventage Series but Denon and Marantz make some nice AVRs and get kudos around here as well. As cfrizz noted having preouts is a plus as it give you the option to add a separate power amp later. Adding an amp will make those 60s sing.

rooftop59

I have owned higher end but older versions of both. I would go with the denon it’s slightly more dynamic for home theater and has a better calibration system but really, both are great avrs!

syxeth

rooftop59 wrote: »

I have owned higher end but older versions of both. I would go with the denon it’s slightly more dynamic for home theater and has a better calibration system but really, both are great avrs!

Any thoughts on music? I'm still probably a 60%/40% split for music/home theatre, and much more picky about music accuracy.

motorhead43026

You won't really discover the S60's musical chops until you get a dedicated 2 channel amp behind them. I suggest at least 200w, something you can add later. As mentioned you need an AVR with preouts.

rpf65

If music is your priority, I would look at Marantz. I also wouldn’t buy the newest series, there hasn’t been any reason to upgrade in the last few years.

If in your budget I suggest:
https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/marsr7011/marantz-sr7011-9.2-ch-x-125-watts-networking-a/v-receiver-w/heos/1.html

rooftop59

Honestly the denons are very close to marantz with music (I have a marantz in the bedroom as a pre for psb imagine Bs). I would give a slight nod to the denon over the Yamaha for music, but it’s really close.

Agreed about the amp, and both options have preouts so get the one with the best price and options and save for a 2 channel amp down the road.

jwb0007

syxeth, sent a PM.

syxeth

motorhead43026 wrote: »

You won't really discover the S60's musical chops until you get a dedicated 2 channel amp behind them. I suggest at least 200w, something you can add later. As mentioned you need an AVR with preouts.

Agreed! Both of these have pre-outs, and it was part of the reason these were finalists. I definitely plan to invest further on the 2-channel music front as future budget allows.

In the shorter-term, since I’m only going 5.1 for the HT, I had planned to bi-amp the S60s. Also supported by both. I have read mixed opinions on that. Until I add an additional outboard amp, what does everyone think of that option?

Thanks again to everyone!

rooftop59

Bi-amping from an AVR doesn’t do anything, it’s just a marketing ploy. One, there is only one power supply to draw from in those. Two, Look at the test bench measurements of those or similar AVRs. The wattage drops pretty dramatically when you move from 2 channels to 5 channels, and then usually takes another hit when you move to 7 channels. Bottom line is the main speakers are not actually getting any more power. But, it doesn’t hurt to give it a try if you feel like messing with the extra wire...

mrloren

Don't bi amp, replace the speaker brass jumpers with speaker wire. Adds wonders to the overall sound of the speaker.

Either AVR will be a nice fit. Set speakers to small and C/O of 80hz

tophatjohnny

I just picked up the Yamaha RX A1060 and although I don't use its power, the sound is amazing and the app for my android is really cool. Kills the Onkyo app. The 4k pass through is no joke. Gave my tv a kick in the but.

deronb1

I like the Yammy too, but havent had a Denon since 2011

syxeth

mrloren wrote: »

Don't bi amp, replace the speaker brass jumpers with speaker wire. Adds wonders to the overall sound of the speaker.

Either AVR will be a nice fit. Set speakers to small and C/O of 80hz

Thanks for the suggestion mrloren! I'll swap out the little plates for wires. I suspect my 12awg wire has less resistance than those brass plates.


also . . . noting your signature . . . my kids are constantly telling me to turn down my music too!

mrloren

syxeth wrote: »

mrloren wrote: »

Don't bi amp, replace the speaker brass jumpers with speaker wire. Adds wonders to the overall sound of the speaker.

Either AVR will be a nice fit. Set speakers to small and C/O of 80hz

Thanks for the suggestion mrloren! I'll swap out the little plates for wires. I suspect my 12awg wire has less resistance than those brass plates.


also . . . noting your signature . . . my kids are constantly telling me to turn down my music too!

yeah, what's up with that. I'm an adult living in a house I pay for. I should be able to blast it like I want to..

sponger

A selling point for the Denon I think would be the Mult EQ Editor app that would allow you to tweak the calibration as well as save unlimited configurations to be uploaded to the avr at your discretion.

https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/184933/tilting-towers-to-get-tweeter-ear-level#latest

CGTIII

Although your sub will take a lot of the current load off the AVR at 80Hz, that will make the sub quite directional and the towers sound somewhat thinner. The S60s have -3db at 44Hz according to one reviewer. You might experiment with the available crossover points in the AVR all the way down to 40Hz to see what balance you like best. You could also have different crossover preferences for certain source material and volume that would justify changing it often for them.