I'm trying to decide on an AV Receiver for my dedicated home theater room running Klipsch RF3's in the front with matching Klipsch center and (4) Surrounds. I also have a Boston Acoustics sub.
The choice is between a Yamaha RX-V1500 ($550) and an HK AVR430 ($520)? I use it about 70/30 for HT/music.
Also... can anybody tell me what (and when?) will be "upgraded" on the AVR 430? And the differences between the AVR430 and AVR435?
For your Klipsch the H/K is a much better match. I like the new Yamaha's but not with Klipsch. I would also suggest you consider the Elite vsx-52. It's priced at $539 at dynaco.com and matches as well if not better with Klipsch than anything.
Can you give me some reasons why I'd consider the Elite vsx-52 over the HK AVR 430? I haven't considered Pioneer for quality audio since I was replacing car stereos in high school... a LONG time ago!
I seriously appreciate your input since the price is comparable.
I don't know that I would say "over" the H/K really but more like as a good alternative and equal in quality both sonically and build quality. I am talking Elite here and not regular Pioneer and there is a rather large difference. Both Elite and H/K are warm and have lots of multichannel power but one reason I like the Elite's better is they have more inputs and H/K does not offer enough for my system. If you get a chance to hear a Elite I would highly suggest you do so.
On your advice, I stopped at Ultimate on the way home and tried to look at the Elite VSX-52TX, they didn't have it. But did have the VSX-54TX and they worked hard to talk me out of it... favoring the Yamaha or Denon over the Elite.
They also repeated that sound from one to the other was pretty much in your head and either could be adjusted to match.
So... having said all that, the VSX-54TX for about $125 more than the Yamaha RX-V1500. What would you say makes one better than the other?
Clowns is a pretty accurate description of the people you talked to. Every receiver has it's own characteristics and all the adjusting you do is not going to change that. Klipsch are a bright speaker that can get very tiresome to me in short order if driven by the wrong receiever and Yamaha and Denon are just not right for Klipsch IMO.I have heard both Denon and Elite with Klipsch for many years and it's just no contest to my ears. That said you should buy whichever one sounds best to you and not be swayed by me or a salesman, especially those as blatently stupid as the guys you ran into. Margains make a difference in what a saleman recommends and maybe that's the case here. Go with what your ears tell you and good luck.
I'll try again later today with someone I've gotten good advice from in the past.
Just a side thought... I've also got a pair of Boston Acoustics VR3's in another room. Would I be better off replacing the Klipsch RF3's with those in my home theater application? Would I then have to replace my Klipsch center and surrounds?
I spoke with the one person at Ultimate Electronics who I feel has been straight with me in the past. His opinion is that the Pioneer Elite series much brighter and more wearing than the Yamaha RX-V1500.
Guess I'll try and find time to stop and see what I think.
I had the time Friday afternoon to spend witht the Yamaha RX-V1500, Elite VSX-56TX and the Denon AVR-2805. Spent about a half hour (without a salesman) comparing these three units running through Klipsch RF-35 mains and here's what I found:
I concentrated on "pure, direct" sound... without any processing or tone enhancements and found that the Yamaha and Denon were nearly identical in the way they sounded. Both were much more forward and detailed in the reproduction of percussion and vocals than the Elite. In fact, the Elite while sounding very good didn't come close to either of the other two.
I used a Diana Krall CD for my main comparison. The Pioneer Elite produced a very comfortable, easy, relaxed sound. Alone, it sounded great.
However, when I switched to the Yamaha, I could suddenly hear the brushes on cymbals and vocal inflections that I hadn't noticed while listening to the Elite. Guitar chords went from simply "notes" to hearing the "bend of the strings". Don't know if that makes sense to you or not... but the bottom line was that both the Yamaha and Denon provided a much more detailed and clearer image than the Pioneer Elite.
Of course, this is one man's opinion using a selected pair of speakers because this is what I'm using in my media room.
Each of the receivers has different features... DSP modes, THX, etc., that would weigh in anyone deciding between these three fine products. But in pure, direct sound... the Yamaha or Denon win out.
Chuck, Even though I totally disagree with your conclusions about these receivers with Klipsch your post points out how important it is to listen to as many units as possible before buying. It is unusual for any store to carry these three brands so you are lucky to be able to compare like you did. I agree the Yamaha and Denon are more forward and detailed and that's one reason I don't like them with Klipsch as the Klipsch are already forward and to me very bright. I have heard Denon and Elite with Klipsch for many years in the same store and for me the Elite has always sounded far better, especially after a bit of time. Denon and Klipsch give me listener fatique in short order. My current elite 45 replaced a Denon 2802 and I hear things with the Elite I never did with the Denon, but the Elite is a much more expensive receiver. I am wondering , when you heard the Elite did you have it set to "direct" mode or stereo. There is a tremendous difference and if you didn't have it in direct you missed it at it's best. What did you end up buying anyway? Thanks for the good post and again it shows the importance of auditions.
All three were set to their version of "direct sound". I didn't want the results colored in any way.
I wanted to audition and purchase the Elite VSX-54TX, unfortunately...it wasn't hooked up properly in their sound room. So, I used the VSX-56TX instead. I thought the results would be similar.
You're right... the sound produced could get tiring after an extended listening period. But the detail produced by either the Yamaha or Denon would be well worth it. The Elite just didn't sound as clear. For now... I've got the Yamaha RX-V1500 at home. Although I'm still curious about the Harmon Kardon AVR-430
As I said last week... I also own a pair of Boston Acoustics VR3s and I'll try comparing them tonight with the Klipsch RF3s. I have a feeling I'll be swapping them out in my main room. Of course, I guess that means replacing my center and four surronds to match the BAs? We'll see.
You're right... it's really up to the person spending the $$ to decide what's best to them. And everyone's ears will hear something different so if a person can compare them, do it. Being a musician (retired), I listen to the details in instruments and the Yamaha or Denon provided a noticiably cleaner sound.
BTW.. I was able to compare these at Ultimate Electronics in Dallas.
Chuck, Thanks for the response.One difference in the direct mode between Elite and Yamaha is that the Elite sends a signal to the sub while the Yamaha does not. You use "straight" mode if you want the sub on.[I do]. I am glad you got the receiver you thought was best for you and that's what this is all about. Yamaha's improvement in the 1400/2400 and the new 1500/2500 from their previous models can't be overstated and as a old fan of Yamaha's 1970's stuff it's a great thing to see. Happy listening.