I am working on building my HT with a "Grand Opening" of April 1st. I have the TV and Speakers so far, but I am looking at short listing the receiver choices. (Sony 42" LCD HPTV and Klipsch 35 Series Speakers w/RW-12 sub) There are soooo many on the market, all with their unique pros, cons and issues. Here is the short list I have so far and would appreciate some feedback. Keep in mind I am running Klipsch speakers, which are very true and natural sounding (some would refer to bringht) that create a very realistic soundstage. The Klipsch are also very efficient! Some of the things that are important are Mulit-Room/Multi-source with hardwired IR control, R323 for upgradability and a detatchable power cord. Of course Sound Quality is equally inportant as features!
Yamaha 2400 - Like the YPAO feature. THX Select is also an added bonus on this receiver.
Denon 3803 - Have heard much great feedback, but there are no "Unique" feature that stand-out on this.
Onkyo TX-NR801 - Like Net-Tune feature!
NAD T763 - Esthetically pleasing and have all the feature I am looking for... but more pricey!
I would recommend either the Onkyo or NAD (I have an NAD T762 and absolutely love it). Klipsh speakers are known for being fairly bright sounding (not a flaw, just a unique charachteristic). Therefore, for best results, you should pair it with a more mellow sounding receiver. Of the four you listed, the Onkyo and NAD are the mellower (is that a word?) of the group. Yamaha and Denon are both known as being bright themselves, so in my opinion, they would sound very harsh with your speakers. If you are not in any way tied to these four brands, I would also recommend that you take a look at HK, Pioneer Elite, and Marantz. All three are known as being very warm sounding and all have wonderful receivers in this price range. All would be wonderful combinations with your speakers. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!!
Thanks for the feedback! I did a bit more homework and I think I have chosen the Integra DTR-7.4. ANy feedback you or anyone else can provide would be great! It appears to have everything I am looking for and more!!!
Stevie, Have you checked out the Elite line? I find that my 43TX blends beautifully with my Klipsch Reference. I run Klipsch RF-7's as fronts, and they match up awsomely. Try looking at the 55TXi. That is, if you are interested in the Elite.
Thanks for the posting. I have flipped-flopped so many times between what seems to be an endless number of AVR choices. I narrowed it down to a couple and then looked at the features that were important for me personally. The Net-Tune feature is what swayed my decision toward Onkyo, then I decided to look at the Integra for component and build quality. The Integra is also extremely flexible for my Whole-Home set-up with multiple whole-house audio options. Yes, Integra is a bit more money then some of the others that I first considered, but when I will probably only buy an AVR once every 10 years, best to do it right!
One more thing for consideration. I have had the NAD T762 and NAD T763 and don't see a big difference. If there are any NAD T762 available you could probably get it for a price that would put it in the ballpark.
Steve, Glad to see you are not going to pair your Klipsch with a Yamaha or Denon. That would be a disaster. While I think sonically there are better matches than Integra I understand your needs and Integra would be ok sonically. Let us know what you think about this combo when you get it put together.
Thanks for your input. I will guess that you would recommend the Elite series to match-up with Klipsch...!?
From the shortlist indicated above, Onkyo and NAD were indicated as better choices over the Yamaha or Denon. On the Klipsch Forum (on the Klipsch website) there is a VERY strong Denon following for Klipsch owners. Yes the AVR-3803 is very appealing and I am sure it would be a good match, the Integra has eveything I would love to have... especially net-tune. Part of the basement will include a Media-Nook which will have room for 2 PC's, on which music files will be save and accessed via Net-Tune. I will even be considering the Net-Tune Media Server and then convert my CD collection to hard-drive.
I am sure the Integra will sound wonderful if most feel that the Onkyo would sound great!
I have heard the Denon/Klipsch match many times over the years with different models and have always thought it was a very bright combination. I had a 3803 and hated it. Very, very bright and sibilant. Yes, I would say the Elite is a better match than Denon or Integra with Klipsch but I would also say the Integra would be better than theDenon by a long shot IMO. Good luck.