I am ready to take the plunge I think. I went to Royal Audio in NYC and heard the Paradigm Studio 60 v.2's and a T743. The only complaint I could have is that there is an audible clicking through the speakers if you adjust the volume (very high I might add) and are standing 3" away. There is also a hiss if you have the volume very high and stand very close to the speakers. I think the later is normal and the former is not that troubling. The setup I heard them from was not ideal, so that could have caused hiss as well (speakers routed through a speaker selecter and cables everywhere). My issue comes down to whether I should get the 63 or the 53. I have Paradigm Studio 60's up front, 20's in the rear and a Studio CC center. The 743 was nice, but I wanted more power than it offers. Is the better power supply, an RS232 port and a HDCD worth it? I do use an optical digital to hook up my CD player and do own a few HDCD's (only find that out when I try to play them at work and it registers on the computer as HDCD). Any thoughts out there? Throw an opinion in on the hiss as well. If you wish. I saw someone else complaining about it, but don't all receivers have this issue? It is kind of hard to push that much power without some form of audible noise.
I have a T742 and notice the hiss at high volumes (starts around 0dB) depending on the input source and DSP mode (only happens in non-stereo mode). Also, there is a ticking corresponding to the dB volume changes starting around +10dB. My wiring is a mess though.
My older pro-logic H/K AVR30 also had a hiss if I went above the 3/4 volume level in a DSP mode, so I presume this sort of noise is inherent to A/V receivers or at least prone to happen if you're not real careful with wiring.
Normally I listen to music no louder than -15dB depending on the recording. For HT -10dB would be the maximum.
As a reference my speakers are rated at 95dB sensitivity and with an SPL I'm reading 75dB with the volume at +5dB for the test tones[from a distance of approx. 12 ft]. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I *think* this means with a volume setting of +5dB I should be getting a sound level of 105 decibels on a 'reference' recording.
I'm definitely not the expert that Hawk and others here are but I have a T773 and will give you my advice based on my experience and opinions.
I have never heard of any clicking through the speakers so can't speak for that.
As far as the hiss goes, some will say this is a defect. Many of who I consider experts in the field state differently and that while theoretically there should be no noise at all, that there is generally some and it varies. Especially with multi-channel receivers.
This hiss that I consider normal should not be audible from the listening position and of course absolutely not audible at quiet points in playing media.
What I have heard with my T773 is a hiss that requires me to put my ear to my speaker to hear it. If I wasn't trying to find it based on posts of some complaining hear I likely wouldn't even know it exists. My previous Yamaha RX-V2092 that this 773 replaced had much louder audible hiss when no media was playing. I distinctly recall that but I never heard anything when playing media.
There are others here who have complained about a much more audible hiss and/or humm which is definitely a defect in my opinion. That's my opinion and experience on the hiss.
As far as the 53 or 63 debate, I think this depends on the size of your room and your budget. Therefore I think this is a personal decision you need to make.
I personally think the rs-232 is worth it because this could potentially save you from a hardware upgrade requirement down the road. Who knows what may be down the road with technology and sound formats the way they are but it's certainly a possibility.
As far as more power, it never hurts to have more. I have my 773 after I tested a T763 in my home with my Paradigms. The T763 was absolutely awesome and if money was an issue I would have been happy with it.
However, I have a pretty large room and could afford it so I paid the extra bucks for the 773.
When I purchase durable goods that I plan to have several years I try to buy the most I can afford because I intend for them to be around for awhile. Also, it's easy for me sometimes when I'm shelling out some bucks initially to get some sticker shock and start cutting corners. Once the shock wears off if I was seriously considering an upgrade that I deferred from I usually end up regretting the fact later that I got cheap on myself. Again, especially for purchases that are going to be around for awhile.
So my advice to you is if you can afford a few hundred more bucks go for the 763. If you think it's absolutely wasting your money due to the size of your room and listening preferences then save some money. Of course just don't over extend yourself financially. The 753 is an awesome unit too so it's a good dillema to be in. Either way I don't think you'll be disappointed.
All this being said, my experiences above are certainly riddled with personal opinions so that's what they are. Take this as a grain of salt and make your own decisions based on your personal point of view. As with opinions I'm sure other shere may have differing ones. Good luck.
I can't really add too much to what Smitty and JDG have already said. Their thoughts on "noise" are right on. I can address the "clicking" noise you heard on volume changes. I have this present in my T762.Basically it is a slight click heard from the speakers when the volume button is pressed...one press...one click. I have always thought that it was normal. To me, it seems like it would be a logical feature to have. It even saved me some possible speaker damage in one instance. I was getting ready to play a CD and unbeknownst to me, the remote for the NAD had fallen between my couch cushions. When I sat down, the "volume up" button was accidentally pressed, and the volume shot up. If the clicking noise had not warned me to this, the CD would have started playing at some totally insane volume and my speakers would likely have been damaged. This is the first "higher end" piece of electronic equipment I have ever owned, so I just took it as normal. Maybe it is normal, maybe it isn't...I just know that I find it to be useful and it is not a problem in any way for me. The click is not really noticable when anything is playing anyway...just when there is silence (or really soft sounds) from the speakers.
I always find it amusing when someone on the forum asks the question "Is the extra money worth it to get such and such feature". There is no answer to this question. It is totally dependant on each individual situation. I was in a similar position as JDG. I was trying to choose between the T752 and T762. At the time, I was in a financial position that allowed me to easily afford the step up in price. I figured, why not? You can never have too much power. However, for many other people, it isn't quite so easy to come up with the extra cash...so the decision isn't quite so easy. It is up to you to decide how much each feature is worth to you. If you can afford it and you don't have to relegate your family to eating Ramen noodles for every meal for the next three months to do it...then go for it. But, like JDG said, if the T753 is all you can afford, don't hesitate to get it, and above all, don't regret your decision once you make it...I can think of much worse things to have to choose between. It is kind of like having to choose between a $40,000 BMW and a $60,000 BMW. You can't go wrong with either one...just pick based on your personal preferences and finances and feel satisfied either way.
Shawn, let me just add my experience. I started my home theater about 1 year ago. I have already upgraded the system. I have learned that it is better to buy the best you can unless you definitely don't need or want the extras. If you have the money and the room buy up. Otherwise, you are going to see other speakers you want and either regret not buying the extra power and think about what it is like to buy both the T753 and the T763/T773. Good luck!