I have purchased Monitor Audio Silver RS6 front speakers and matching center(lcr) and surround (FX). I am looking for a good receiver to match these. I am thinking of something in the $1000 range. I would be listening to 70% music and 30% movies. I looked at the NAD T763 and Denon AVR3806. My dealer tells me that the NAD T763 and T773 will be shipping next week with video up conversion to component video added. I would like your advice on a good receiver that will match my Monitor Audio Speakers and anything else I should consider listening to?
The NAD will probably have better music performance than the Denon but the Denon will probably have more features. However I tend to think of video upconversion as more of a selling point that just sounds good on paper than a really useful or meaningful feature.
For more optimal music SQ, get a cheap $400 AVR like a Yamaha rxv-657 and hook up a 2-channel external amp for your front mains---the NAD c272, or a pair of Outlaw Audio M200 monoblocks.
I bought a NAD 773 some 6 months ago. Absolutely fantastic. I still can't wait to finish work to go home and listen to music through this receiver. We've not had any hiss problem with ours nor have i heard of any from other people with NAD (except in archives of this forum). Have a listen to a few receivers and trust your ears.
I have Montior Audio GR10's with Pioneer Elite 59TXvi receiver. It is a great combo. If you have a universal dvd player with i-link (firewire) I would get a PE 74TXVi. If you don't have a dvd player with i-link I would get the PE 72TXv. These receivers have excellent speaker balancing and EQ, besides having a good amp section for the Monitor Audio's and a lot of extra features, from HDMI, XM radio, built-in IPOD connectivity, MCACC speaker balancing and EQ, phase control bass balancing system,2 HDMI inputs, 3 zone capable, THX Select2, transcoder properly converts 480i, 480p, 720p or 1080i signals at their native resolution, and can bi-amp using the 6th and 7th channel (if you aren't using a second pair of surrounds).
A good alternative might be the soon to be released Denon AVR 2807. It has better implemantation of HDMI than the more expensive 3806.