Good entry to mid level Receiver?

jparker

I am getting a new receiver and am wondering which company to buy from. The Denon avr-589 seems to have a lot of good features. Would this be a good buy?

jparker

BTW this would be with energy speakers, the C series and the Take Classic satellites.

apphd

Not familiar with the Energy speakers but I don't think they are tough loads to drive and I guess the Denon would do it, but it looks kind of weak to me. I just have a problem ever recommending any AVR that does not have pre-outs. It's not a lot of added cost, and you may never use them, or even plan on ever using them, but just when you make that decision, something changes and you wish you had them. What's your budget, and what price are you looking at for the 589? As I indicated that AVR looks a little light in features and amp section for the MSRP. I have seen a lot about some really good prices on Pioneer AVRs lately. Mostly the upper tier, but there may be some good deals on the entry level as well.

jparker

For the denon avr-589 I am looking at a price of around 240. The most I am willing to spend on a receiver is 300. I heard that HK is a good match for Energy's. Is HK a reliable receiver company?

jparker

For the denon avr-589 I am looking at a price of around 240. The most I am willing to spend on a receiver is 300. I heard that HK is a good match for Energy's. Is HK a reliable receiver company?

kneedragger37

I picked up an Onk TX-SR606 refurb from Accessories4Less for $299, and I'm extremely happy with it. With the advent of the 607, the 606's may be dropping in price soon....

Marty913

jparker wrote: »

For the denon avr-589 I am looking at a price of around 240. The most I am willing to spend on a receiver is 300. I heard that HK is a good match for Energy's. Is HK a reliable receiver company?

If I recall the Energy Take 5 series is a much better than average home theater in a box type package. The Denon 589 would be great for them. I'm not sure you could get the features (HDMI and Audyssey) in an HK receiver for near that price unless you buy used / refurbed. You would be looking at the starter receivers from Sony or perhaps Onkyo to even come close. The warmer souding Denon would be a good choice. As long as you stay with the Energy's, the Denon should be great.

And yes, HK is a reliable receiver and would be a good match. I just think the Denon would do just as well with the Energy's and probably at a lower price.

jparker

I am looking at the Pioneer VSX-818V for 240. Would This be comparable to the Denon AVR-589?

comfortablycurt

kneedragger37 wrote: »

I picked up an Onk TX-SR606 refurb from Accessories4Less for $299, and I'm extremely happy with it. With the advent of the 607, the 606's may be dropping in price soon....

The Onkyo TX-SR606 is a fine choice in that price range. I have one, and I love it.

A few things to keep in mind though...I'm not familiar with the Energy speakers you mentioned. What's the ohm rating on them? The 606 is rated for 6 ohm loads...but ideally 8 ohm speakers would be better with it.

Also, the 606 lacks pre-amp outputs. This is a huge drawback for a lot of people. This makes the connection of an external power amp impossible...so if you're ever wanting to get external amplification in your system, I'd look elsewhere.

The 606 does have a lot of great features for it's price point though. All of the newest sound codecs...4 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output, Audyssey auto calibration, which works very well IMO. There are plenty of options in that price range though. Make sure you research your different options before you buy.:)

Mike21

Hi j -

I would go with the Yamaha over the Denon.

The Yami has 100w x 5, while the Denon has 75w x 5.

The Yami has a USB input - the Denon does not.

The Yami will be easier to set up. The Denon User Manuals are notoriously horrible.

However, it is possible that you might like the sound of the Denon over the Yamy. If at all possible, try to audition both recievers with speakers the same or similar to the Energys.

Mike

jparker

What speaker cables would you recommend to use with these speakers

shack

Get the Denon.

apphd

That looks like a decent price on the Denon. The Pioneer might have a few more features than the Denon but they are pretty close to the same. One thing that I do not like about the Denon is that it only has Dolby Pro LogicII and DTS Nero:6, while the Pioneer has Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro LogicII. Again just like pre-outs this is a personal preference.

Not sure what Yamaha Mike21 is talking about but I whole hardily agree to try and go listen and play around with both, or all options you come up with to see which sound you like best and which one is easier to navigate through functions to your liking.

seafire

If you are going to use it as a preamp home theatre proccessor go Yamaha..if you are using it as a preamp for stereo use and home theatre now and then go Denon..far superior stereo pre outs(again IMHO);)

jparker

Is there anything wrong with the Pioneer 918? It is 230, how does it compare to Denon and Yamaha?

seafire

jparker wrote: »

Is there anything wrong with the Pioneer 918? It is 230, how does it compare to Denon and Yamaha?

I have heard some Pioneer receivers that sounded very nice but have never heard them running on preamp out so cant comment....however with regards to Denon and Yamaha Deon preamps sound warmer and more detailed with dynamics

seafire

Sorry brain fade If you are running straight of the amp speaker out the following.I found the lower range Denon products a bit dissapointing.riding the name.I have a 3805 which is very good.I would go for the Pioneer as its very close to the Deonon in sound and a lot of bang for buck.Never really liked Yamaha as a stereo Amp I find them lacking in dynamics as if the output is to linear but for home theatre use there proccessors offer a lot.Again if you are going to listen to stereo music as well look at the Pioneer as a good all rounder or check out the new Denon 3806 EU/3808 USA....VERY GOOD!

Marty913

I based my recommendation on the Energy speakers which you are using and seem to be happy with. If I recall they are a little on the bright side and like all HTIB type speakers are a little bass shy (they are excellent for the money and way above most HTIB speakers however). That would tell me that you will not need pre-outs in the forseeable future and you could use a slightly warmer sounding receiver. The Yamaha is not warm sounding and neither is the Onkyo. The above-mentioned Denon 3808 is a $900+ model so that won't fit the $300 budget. The two you have zeroed in on (918 and 589) would both meet your goals and you probably couldn't go wrong picking either one. Listening to both or similar models with HTIB-type speakers would be a really good thing. IF you can't so that, I would probably go with the Pioneer because it has a couple more features but I honestly think that either one will do fine.

As for speaker cables, any 14 or 16 gauge speaker wire will be fine assuming you aren't running wire 100+ feet. The receiver you choose, the speaker placement, and the room acoustics will all impact the sound a 1000 times more than the speaker wire choice.

seafire

@#.So the Pioneer looks more of a good deal for me as I bought one for my mother a year ago and was very surprised at the bang for buck..better than the Denon!.However if I had a better idea exactly what you are buying this for I could advice accordingly.Be carefull of all the bells and whistles of which on never really uses more than 20%!.So if you are a full blown theatre head then buy for formats decoding etc.If not..rather look at 1 or 2 years back higher model on sale.For example the Denon 3805 won numerous awards all over the world and is a brilliant all rounder...fantastic with music and home theatre.However it does not have HDMI or wireless internet like the 3808 big whoopee!I simply bought a HDMI pioneer dvd player for 120 dollars and that was it!The internet part yawn:rolleyes:old news as I have a pc on my 3805 from 2005 as a music server connected digitally and its on the net.Be carefull of bells and whistles rather upgrade a class or two as entry levels are never good.But if the budget is pressing and you need the formats my money would be on the Pioneer:D

apphd

jparker, are you willing to go with used? Seafire makes a good point, if you do not need all the latest bells and whistles a used mid level AVR would be the way to go. The 3805 maybe could be found for your $300 max, but it might take some time, but there are other possibilities with used. To be honest with you $300 is not much if looking at new, and the Denon and Pioneer models you have mentioned are entry level only. You can crack into the mid level and look at some much better AVRs in the $350-$400 range.

jparker

seafire wrote: »

However if I had a better idea exactly what you are buying this for I could advice accordingly.

I am getting this for my Energy speakers. I have two C-300 Floorstanding speakers, 2 C-R100 Rear speakers, a C-C50 as the center and an esw 8 inch downfiring subwoofer. In response to apphd I might be willing to get used but would rather get it new...

Grimster74

Jparker, not sure what your price range is maxed out at but I have a Denon 3808CI up for sale in the FS Thread.

cnh

If you're not going to upgrade and use a power amp the Onkyo 606 has your best feature set for the price it is also a warmer sounding amp than a comparable Yamaha. Harman Kardon 200 series are also good if you can get them in that 300-350 range on sale.

That Energy system is one of the best in its price range for a HT sat/sub system. Excellent highs, enough bass, but it could have more. The 606 gives you more HDMIs, the ability to Pass audio through those HDMI and to decode TRU-Hd sound formats on Blu-ray. If you're going to run blu-ray you have to step up to mid recievers. Yamaha 663, Harman 200s recent number?, Denon 1909/789, Pioneer 1018. I think Yamahas are a bit bright for my tastes...the Yamaha and Pioneer have pre-outs so you can add power amps in the future.

Let me say the Denon 1909 has gotten excellent reviews for sound in its range as well. You don't want to go lower than that model. I know the guys who own 3800s and 4300s love those. I have a Denon AVR 2807 and I don't hear a GREAT difference between it and the 3800 series other than POWER. Internal architecture is not VASTLY different if you see shots of it. The 3800 is better yes. But the 2807 can do everything you need it to. And mine weighed in at 31lbs. That was before Denon started to trim down the 2808 and its successor.

The 789/1909 are fine if you like that sound. It is somewhat different from the Onkyo 605 which I also own. The Onkyo is even warmer than the Denon but not as detailed..some like that, some don't like the 'softer' sound as the 2807 reveals more. You need to listen to a few of these to see what you like. Because we aren't 'you'.

Good Luck,
cnh

jparker

http://www.wwstereo.com/#/ecommerce/store/Speakers/33/144587/9_1_-1_84__0_0_0_-1/ There is the link to the system i have

apphd

jparker are you able to go someplace and listen to any of the AVRs you are interested in? My $.02 the Pioneer and the Denon are very similar and I think occupy the same spot in a very competitive market. To make the best choice it would come down to what you like. They both are capable AVRs for your speakers. Of course there are better, but not at that price point. If you are not in a hurry you may wish to look for a deal on the Pioneer 1018, Yamaha 663, or Onk 606, which are in the $400 price range, but maybe if you are lucky you will find one closer to the $300 point you are looking, and I think are a significant step up.

cnh

jparker wrote: »

http://www.wwstereo.com/#/ecommerce/store/Speakers/33/144587/9_1_-1_84__0_0_0_-1/ There is the link to the system i have

Ok,

I misunderstood a bit. Those are real towers there so I would definitely step up to the mid level that both myself and apphd suggest. Your speakers will benefit from a slightly better receiver. And certainly if you can get a CHEAP renewed Denon AVR 3800 series that would be worth it.

You can catch Harman Kardon's and Yamaha's and Pioneers at your local Best Buy...go listen first then buy online cheaper.

cnh

jparker

All these higher end seem to be 7.1. Is it necessary to get 7.1 if you want to get better quality?

jparker

What about this yamaha receiver
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882115194

cnh

Lower end Yamaha will be bright. I'd go with a 663 or 863 if I were getting a Yamaha. The new Yamahas are scaled down in weight and a bit in power.

As for 7.1, and such receiver can be configured for 5.1 if you prefer that option. That will also give you a bit more power for the 5 as opposed to 7 speaker driven. These receivers are very flexible and have dozens of adjustments and configuration possibilities.

cnh

shack

I know absolutely nothing about Energy speakers. I do know a little about various AVRs. If the Energy speakers tend to be a little on the bright side as some have said...a Yamaha is definitely not an AVR I would choose. Every one I have ever heard is too bright for my liking.

Marty913

Yes, I misread the 2nd post also. He mentioned Take Classic surrounds and I read it as a Take Classic System (the old Take 5 HTIB). Sorry, my fault. Regardless, the Take Classics are also on the bright side. They are 8 ohm, 89db efficient, and the recommended power is 20 watts to a maximum of 100 watts. I pretty much agree with everything said so far (except I do NOT recommend Yamaha for a bright speaker). Jparker, you haven't really picked a "bad" receiver yet although the $240 first two are obviously on the light weight side. $330 (your last pick) gets you into another set of choices altogether. I'm not sure anyone here is going to be able to tell you to "pick this one - it's absolutely perfect in every way". I strongly recommend you find a Best Buy or similar and listen to a few of the brands / models.