I just purchased a AVR-3805 to replace my ailing Onkyo Pro Logic receiver. I currently have crappy Bose speakers and am looking to upgrade into something that will last a few years until I get the itch to upgrade again. I am currently looking at either the B&W 602 S3's (4) or the Axiom M80's with QS8's. I welcome any and all opinions on what you think would match best with this Denon reciever.
Find a warm, full sounding speaker like Paradigm or PSB. Denon has a very detailed but thin and a bit bright sound that needs that type of speaker. I can only imagine how bad it sounds with Bose. Get on this ASAP! Seriously Denon's have very good processing so find a speaker you like and you should be happy for years to come. The Paradigm Monitor and Studio series should fit your needs perfectly. Two speaker brands I know Idislike with Denon are Klipsch and Monitor Audio so I would stay away from them. I own and love MA's but not with Denon. Good luck.
Thanks for the reply Elite. Would you not be too inclined to put Axiom's with this receiver ?? I have heard the Axiom's thru a Pioneer Elite and they sounded pretty good. I like the Axiom's and I know that the B&W's are quality speakers, I have heard them many times... I do not have the benefit of listening to the Denon with different speakers. As far as Klipsch goes, not my type of sound .Good speaker, just not for me.
Have you listened to either one of these speakers? If you listened to the M80s, I believe they perform better than the B&W 6 series. That's only my opinion, as I've tried them both using Outlaw Audio gear. The Axioms staged better with better detail and clarity than the B&W. It would be best if you can hear them yourself as there are folks that love the 6 series.
Yes, I have listened to the M80's thru a Pioneer Elite. But I have not listened to the B&W's, I am very familiar with their reputation. After reading another post on this forum, I am convinced the Axiom's will more than suffice for the 3805. Thanks for your two cents Berny. Well received and appreciated.
I must defer to others about Axiom's since I have not heard them. I get the impression that they are a tad on the bright side but there are some that like the Denon/Axiom combo. I don't think I would from what I have read here but that's just conjecture. I know I would buy Paradigm's in a heartbeat if I was ever to own another Denon.[not likely]
I previously had the Denon AVR 2805 and recently uprgraded to the 3805. My speakers are all Axiom (M22ti,VPC 150 center, EP175 sub and QS4 surrounds) There was a noticeable difference in these two recievers. The 3805 has higher end DACs and Power Supplies. Denon/Axiom is a great combination. Some people may find it too bright for their tastes, but I do not share that view, I hear no excessive or shrill highs, no thin regions, just clean, smooth highs and and nice rich overall sound. I had borrowed a reciever that retails for $2000 and noted for slightly rolled off highs while I waited for Cruthcfield to execute the excahnge. It was not for me.
The Denon clearly holds its own and outperforms receivers that cost twice as much - just read the reviews, which are all stellar for the 3805.
From what I can gather from the Axiom message boards, Denon is a preferred receiver as is H/K.
I am elated with my set up. I have had owned 7 recievers (Denon, Yamaha, H/K and Onkyo) and 6 pairs of speakers (energy, paradigm, polk, Cambridge Audio,and Axiom) in the last 3 years. This is the best combo I have had in my living room yet.
now just one question i am curious from your slection it does not seem that u care for money. why did you go for smaller m22 as opposed to say M60 or M80? and for rears will you recommend traditonal speakers like M22 or quads or dipole i do not like the fact that sound travels in 45 deg so what is your take on this.
this one is for rob so you mentioned that you heard B&w and Axioms so what is your take on that i owned B&W 603 601 an lcr 600 i love them for music but in HT i find the centre muffled so do you recommend Axiom as i am leaning on trying them out
Sorry my mistake it was Berny so Berny please accept my apologies and elaborate on your experiment and just for info how much watts per channel did your Outlaw put out into these all the juicy details please
Baldev - I have heard/read more than once that the B&W speakers with Denon produces great music but lacks in the Home Theatre department. I started this thread because I wanted to know if anyone had good better luck with B&W/Denon vs Axiom/Denon, and I see clearly that Axiom/Denon is , IMHO, a better choice for my Home Theatre needs. I have enjoyed the responses and now am ready to move forward with the Axioms.
Baldev, I test drove the same speakers you mentioned, the 603 towers up front with the 600 as a center using the 601s as rear surrounds.
Compared them to the Axiom M22 for rear, M60 up front and vp150 as centers.
Tried all speakers in 5.1 surround and stereo mode.
Used Kenwood KRF9070D with Outlaw Audio 7100 power amp, specs going at 100w/channel at 8 ohms all 7 channels driven. The 950 pre/pro came too late for the comparison.
Test materials included, SACDs and DVD Audio, by Pink Floyd DSOTM, Fleetwood Mac Rumours, Eagles Hotel California, Queen Night at the Opera. DVDs, LOTR all the DTS extended editions.
The listening sessions were pretty extensive and in the end the Axioms outshined the B&W. Listened in surround mode and stereo. Vocal clarity was phenomenal in the M22 in stereo mode, clearly the best of the lot. Followed by its older sibling the M60, then the 601s, and then the 603, which staged poorly and quite lacking in the upper frequencies. I thought Stevie Nicks caught a cold. The 601 sounded better than the 603.The 603s did not stage as well as the M60s but the M22 staged better than the M60 and any of the B&W.
I had to bump up the center channel on the B&W to hear dialog in the movies. It showed off Don Henley's vocals very well in the Hotel California recordings, but it was outperformed by the VP150 when it came to all the vocal ranges.