I am in the market for a receiver for about $500. I'll be using it 60% for music and 40% for movies, likely with Paradigms (either Atoms or Titans -- I've only got money for the front two for now). I am a total newby here. I've been trying to sort through Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha, HK, NAD, Pioneer Elite, etc. I do not have time to go listen to all of these. I am trying to gauge what the reputation is of each company -- both for making a product that lasts and for the quality of the listening experience -- both music and movie. It seems like folks have strong views, but they rarely explain what's behind them -- e.g., I've seen several posts that say more or less "don't even think about Onkyo," but that provide no rationale whatsoever. So, please if you can give me some advice as to what the reputation of the various brands are and any other useful thoughts, I would appreciate it. Thank you.
Mike, the Onlyo line in particular consistantly underperform with regards to their power supplies. The Integra premium line do meet specs, I believe. Rotel, Nad H/K and Outlaw all meet rated output. This has nothing to do with sound quality, just the numbers that are verifyable in print.
Thanks, Nuck. For someone who will not likely be pushing the receiver to its limits, does that matter?
What is the rep sound-wise and quality-wise of Onkyo? Some folks say of HK that it is "dark," Yamaha that it is "bright," Bose that it is "tinny." I haven't seen any characterization of Onkyo.
Mike- Onkyo to me sounds GRITTY. If that makes sense to anybody. I did a demo with an Onkyo at my place when I was looking for a new receiver, and to be honest it did not sound good to me at all. Thats just MO. Out of the receivers you mentioned, NAD and ROTEL will sound the best, but you wont find one for 500 dollars. For the 500 dollar mark I would go with the H/K or Pioneer, leaning toward the H/K. Outlaw may have one for 500, im not sure. If they do, then go Outlaw.IMO.
mike, think of the sound of sandpaper rubbing, and that is the characteristic that Onkyo receivers inflict on the sound to my ears. With revealing speakers, you can hear it plain as day.
gritty and grainy pretty much mean the same thing in this forum :-P
OK, now we're getting somewhere. How about the reputational quality/basic perceptions for Denon, HK, Pioneer Elite, Yamaha? NAD seems to be viewed as flawless, but their new line is not even advertised on their website yet and I doubt it's in my price range.
Mike, if you take the opinions of posters here to heart, then you ain't that good at listening. That is an opener, and not a jab at anyone. If I say I like brand 'X' what does that do for you? 'X' is on sale, too. It's still 'X' and doesn't play Stravinsky the way you want it to.
Mike- Nuck is right, these are opinions. My opinion is that I cant stand the sound of Onkyo, that doesn't mean the next guy doesnt love it. I had talked to people that like the sound of Onkyo. Unfortunately the world of audio is just that, an opinion. All we can do, is give you our opinions. Best thing to do, as Nuck mentioned, is go listen. If you like Onkyo better than H/K or NAD im going to slap you though.lol Kidding. Oh the new NAD line coming starts at 900 CDN. That is the T755. So for the price range of 500, I would still rec the H/K. Juussstt My Opinion.
Mike: Relax a bit. This hobby can be a bit overwhelming if you don't know how to handle it.
First of all, forget that there are 50000 different brands of speakers, receivers, amplifiers, etc. Instead, think of the sound that you want. If you have that, then you have somewhere to start.
Now, you say you've been listening to Paradigms. What has the dealer used to power the Paradigms? This would be an excellent place to start your search for receivers, as I presume the sum of the CD player/receiver/speakers is giving you the sound that you're after.
Personally... While I don't care for the sound of Onkyo, many people think they blend well with Paradigm. I can still hear the flaws as plain as day, but many like this combination.
In fact, lots of Paradigm dealers sell Onkyo, as well as the upper end Onkyo brand, Integra.
FWIW, I DO like Integra receivers
However, it is your decision, not mine :-P
I have stated in here before that my mother used to enjoy listening to my old Onkyo receiver paired with my Klipsch speakers.
