I currently have 3 receivers. Onkyo TX-DS595, Pioneer Elite VSX-21, and a Denon AVR 3200. I am about 90% movies/TV. I am running M&K S-125 mains and center, Boston 1200 sub THX, Boston VRS Pro THX rears and need advise on which receiver to use. Which one out of the 3 is the best? I am all ears.
Are you not able to figure out, which one of the three that you own, that you like more? If you can't tell the difference, what's it matter what we think?
Honestly, i know they are all great receivers, but i do not have the patience or time, to hook them all up and listen. I was hoping i could get some solid opinions here on the best features and quality to have and make my decision.
Among those rather dubious choices I'd go with the Elite...however I would more likely do what Nick and others have suggested and sell them all and buy one you do care about.
A little concerned that these will be used for your ears and you don't give a rats behind....you don't have the patience or time and I guess and assume that we should somehow care more about which of these products you should keep than you do...hmmm...something wrong with this picture.
Hope you make a choice you can live with...it's your money!
Ok look, if no one wants to give an opinion, just forget it. I thought this was a respectable forum with people that have lots experience and would like to give their opinions, but obviously not. Some people have nothing better to do than try to bash you when you ask for some opinions. I am not going to be able to tell that much difference, i thought some folks would have some input on overall ratings and features, but if not, just do not post.
Now Matt, there's no need to be like that. You said yourself that you're too lazy to put in a little bit of effort. We all have pressure on our time, and I'm afraid the rest here would rather spend that time answering questions of someone who's interested and willing to invest a little time in the exercise.
After all, you can read just as well as we can - you have the manuals. If you want to go off spec then just read them and see 'which is best'. The problem you have here is that many specs don't mean anything. That's what forums are for - to offer opinions when people have some experience of the kit, but also to just point the way.
You actually have all 3 units in your house and you're saying you're just too busy to try each one in turn over one half of an afternoon? Well, bully for you! Each one of those units has quite a different sound. How should I know which one YOU will prefer? You've got them in the house! Get off your LAZY BUTT and try them.
Plus, a new receiver would likely offer enough features to satisfy your needs for a loner time. However, all the features take away from the capitol to invest in sound quality, until you start to spend like Arcam money.
Personally I think the Arcams have lost a lot of sonic ground to the competition, particularly the Onkyos. Furthermore, since Matt uses the receiver for movies 90% of the time, it's more important for the receiver to have really good steering and soundscape abilities. The Arcam is not renowned for this whereas the Japanese brands are. Of course, the Arcam makes a very natural soundscape which I like but many people miss having the effects blown at them in a rather more obvious manner as the Japanese brands do. It depends on what Matt likes and wants.
Thanks to the few that gave opinions. I hooked them all up, but could find no major difference in sound. It is very difficult to judge unless you are in a shop that you can listen to them one after another on the same setup as i would think you guys would realize. It is not that i did not care or want to hook them all up and listen, i just knew how hard it would be to tell. Listen to one, then another 30 minutes later is hard to judge, at least for me. Looks like i am going with the ELite.
Well done for trying! That's all we ask for. To be honest, if you can't really tell a difference, then you may as well choose on the basis of feature set. It's unusual not to be able to tell a significant difference, particularly between the three brands you have there, but if you can't then you can't and any of the three is just as good as each other in your case.
First post, after alot reading what i could find, (nice speakers btw) and finding out what i could with the match up, i would have stayed with the denon. this is only speculative, i am not an audio guru or doctor, nor do i play one on tv. after a lot of "on paper" research and reading archives, the denon seemed to be the best choice. each reciever obviously has its own pros/cons etc. i have heard a few denons and onkyos at that level and liked them. no experience with the pioneer.
i have been looking to retire my old harmon kardon avr 20 mkII and thinking an arcam might just do it. (i wonder if it will like my recent bostons?) this is all in fun, (and a good hobby) even when a few grumpy eccentrics chime in lol, i am one myself. good luck with your movie set up.