Which one do you consider to be the best in this price range? Once it use to be considered Outlaw 1050. Is not produced anymore unfortunatelly. Do you think that is any receiver in the market comparable with the old Outlaw 1050?
As I say to everyone who asks this question...it depends. Each receiver has its own unique sonic charachteristics, and each set of speakers has unique sonic charachteristics. Matching receivers and speakers is one of the most important things to "get right" in order to have a set up that sounds good. So, if you let us know what type of speakers you have, we can recommend some receivers that fit your budget.
Anonymous
Posted on
Sorry, but I don't think the whole problem is only about the speakers. Still there should be a receiver out there that it will be by far the best performer - regardless the speakers. Good sound is good sound and good pre-amp and amp sections will power any speakers in a pleasent way. As I said - there has to be a receiver out there that will perform better than others and having a remarcable musicallity. I didn't ask about a system, I asked about a receiver. Of course your are right. Certain receiver fit better with certain speakers. But this was not the question.
I would agree with you to a certain point. There are certain receiver brands that consistently perform better than others, but that really makes no difference if you don't match the speakers well. A superb receiver will sound like total crap if you pair it with the wrong speakers.
Then you also have to think about features. You said that the Outlaw 1050 was once the "best" receiver under $500, but it is only a 5.1 setup. There are plenty of receivers out there in this price range that offer 6.1. If a person wanted 6.1, then the Outlaw would not work, no matter how good it was.
I think you are looking for an answer that no one can give you. Which receiver is the "best" can change greatly from person to person. It depends on so many different things that it is nearly impossible to say that one receiver is the best in all situations. Audio is a very subjective thing. What sounds good to one person may sound horrible to another. Therefore, there is no way to put a "best receiver under $500" label on anything. Anyone who claims that they can put that label on a receiver is missing something.
I think the NAD T742 receiver is a wonderful buy under $500. It is very well built and has a great power supply...but that is all null and void when paired with the wrong speakers. Put that NAD on some bright speakers and that great sounding receiver will suddenly sound very poor.
Anonymous
Posted on
I definitelly agree with you, but I didnt wanted to enter in such details. I posted rather with the sentiment of helping others to decide between couple of receivers. So, definitelly we cannot label a receiver in this way. But if the newbies will see couple of models discussed, each one with its one advantages and disadvantages, there will be much more easy for them to make a informed selection. And that why I didnt wnated to relate my question with the speakers. Because there are people whom already have their own speakers and would rather prefer to stay with them.
I can understand your reasoning a little better now, thanks. Because of my arguments above, I don't feel comfortable proclaiming a "best" receiver, but I can recommend some brands that consistently perform very well. In general, IN THIS PRICE RANGE, I would stay away from the "mass market" brands that one would see in a typical Best Buy or Circuit City (Sony, Yamaha, Panasonic, JVC, Pioneer (not Pioneer Elite), etc.) They generally do not offer the same level of performance that some of the "salon" brands do. I would put brands such as NAD, Denon, HK, Marantz, and Onkyo/Integra (to some extent) in this category. Although HK and Onkyo are sold in Circuit City, because of their performance, I would still classify them as a "salon" brand.
Once again, kind of as a diclaimer, it is very difficult to categorize receiver brands in this manner. MUCH depends upon the needs of any given customer. The above is just my opinion, please take it as such. If you disagree with me, please refrain from flamming me and instead offer your own views.
If you like the Outlaw (I certainly did--it was very nice), then there is only one receiver that has a similar sound. Only reservation for some people is that it is only 5.1--so if you want 6.1 or 7.1 (the extra channels are unnecessary, IMO), it won't work for you.
For under $500, you can still find the NAD T742. I recently saw it offered at Saturday Audio for $449. I have heard rumors of it being available somewhere on the web for $399. The sound is almost identical to the sound of the old Outlaw and it is a superb receiver, IMO. If you want the newer T743, I am aware of it being offered at Kiefs for $560, which is just above your budget. Either one is a great value and easily the best sounding receiver in the $500 range.
Grayson73
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Take a look at the Panasonic SA-XR50. The Panasonic digital receivers are getting rave reviews on avsforum.
There's a contingent who rave about the Panny XR45 and now the XR50, but I'm not sure why. These digital receivers have terrible specs and are underpowered (despite Panny's optimistic power rating). For example, the XR50 has a Total Harmonic Distortion rating of 0.9% in surround mode. That is really high considering the NAD T742 has a THD rating of 0.08%. IMHO digital receivers are a still-evolving breed. Better to stick to the tried and tested models such as the NAD T742 which can be bought for 400-450 these days.
The THD number means nothing. I have a Sony STR-DA2000ES digital receiver and I love the sound of it, even though it also has a .9% THD rating. I've run it side by side with highly regarded tube amps and it holds it's own.
The Panny units on the other hand were horrible in my system (I tried the XR45). The treble was so harsh I could only listen to it for about 10 minutes.
As with everything else in this hobby, you need to try the receivers in your home with your setup.
My vote goes to the NAD T742, but one you may consider also which can be acquired at less than 300USD is the Panasonic SA-HE100. This is their "non-digital" receiver, and originally started its life as a Technics brand. However, Panasonic eliminated its Technics Division, and now the SA-HE100 is marketed as a Panasonic (both of course are (were) manufactured by the parent company Matshushita). It is a very well respected, albeit more of a consumer-grade product. However, it has excellent 5-channel continuously driven power output into either 8 ohms or 6 ohms. It is not suited for 4 ohm speakers. Its continuously-driven power output is much higher than many of the more expensive "salon" A/V receivers as it uses a similar amplifier design as some of the earlier NAD units. Rather than a single positive voltage rail, it uses two much higher positive and negative voltage rails in the power amp stages. This not only improves the continuous power output capability, but headroom as well. I may be wrong, but I think this amp is classified as a Class H design, as compared to the classic Class A or Class AB audio power amp designs.
For all of us who love NAD, and use some of the more salon-types of receivers, one shouldn't laugh at the SA-HE100. It is a wolf in sheep's clothing, at an almost give-away price at Circuit City or other stores. I've seen it at $229 at Circuit City, and less than $200 online.
It too has higher than normal THD specs, I believe 0.9% THD. But, I defy you to hear the difference in normal operations with typical speaker systems. Don't buy on specs. Buy on sound . . .
Try it at Circuit City . . . if you don't like it (given their liberal return policy), you can always return it for a full refund.