Does anyone agree that the Onkyo Sr701 sounds "flat" in comparison to the Pioneer 814k. In my in home trial of these receivers I feel that the Pioneer sounds far better in sound quality throughout the sound spectrum. Personal opinion or common knowledge?
My opinion is that the Onkyo is a far superior receiver. It will certainly make better on the promise of 100 wpc with all channels driven, than that Pioneer, which seems to have an inadequate power supply. I would be surprised with the Pioneer if you get half of that 100 when you are driving all channels.
Don't get me wrong, the Pioneer 814 is a good receiver. I just think the Onkyo is superior.
I am not going to argue that the Onkyo is a better receiver overall...I would probably agree. However, as far as your statements about Onkyo and power go, I would have to disagree. Onkyo has been known to artifically inflate their power ratings as well. In April 2004 Sound and Vision Magazine tested the Onkyo TX-NR901 (Onkyo's "Flagship" receiver). With all channels driven, the 901 clipped at 50 watts. That's pretty sad for a receiver billed as being 110 watts x 7. This receiver also carries the THX Select certification...which brings up a whole new argument on how legitimate THX Certification can be...
Like I said, I would probably agree that overall the Onkyo is a better receiver (depending on which speakers were being used), but Onkyo definately DOES NOT give the power it promises.
Newbie - don't worry about what's better according to specs etc. Pick the one that your ears like the most - in this case, it seems that the Pioneer is a better choice for you. You can spend weeks chasing perfection based on comments / recommendations found in these forums and reviews or you can just buy what sounds good to your ears. I just spent a few weeks trying every receiver under the sun and despite reviews and specs that indicated differently, I bought what I liked according to sound quality. Some reviews praise H/K but I didn't like the H/K units I tried etc.
These forums are incredible for information and opinions but they cannot pick out the perfect receiver for you as they don't know exactly what kind of sound you prefer etc. They CAN give you recommendations but the rest is up to you.
I agree that the Onkyo has far more superior features. I was actually doing an in home demo on the Pioneer 814k because I can not demo a Pioneer 43tx. Which granted the 43tx is far superior to the 814k, I just wanted to get an idea of what the brand sounded like, ie. bright, warm, etc. As far as power goes I was just listening to moderate levels so as not to bring into question the differences in power. I am considering the Kenwood VR5700, Onkyo SR701, and Pioneer VSX 5700TX.
The speakers I have now are Infinity Minuettes. I purchased Wharfedale Diamond 8.3 fronts, 8.1 surrounds, and Diamond 8 center. These are scheduled to arrive today, so I will test the Onkyo on the new speakers. I am leaning towards the Pioneer and the Kenwood, but like I said I can not demo either of them.
Just a heads up, in case it makes any difference. The brands of Pioneer (i.e. the 814k)and Pioneer Elite (i.e. the 43tx) are two VERY different things. The "regular" Pioneer models are more of a "mass market" type brand and are sold in many huge electonics stores (we all know the names). They sound brighter (at least to my ears) than the Elite models and are not of the same build quality either. On the other side, the Elite models are made as Pioneer's "audiophile" type brand. They are only sold at "salon" type dealers. The Elite sound is MUCH warmer and more pleasing. The build quality of the Elite line is absolutely wonderful. Those things are built like tanks.
I just wanted to make you aware of this in case it makes a difference. If you were auditioning the Pioneer 814k to try to find out how the Elite 43tx sounds...you won't get a true feel for what the 43tx sounds like...they sound VERY different.
I figured as much. I definately liked the sound of the Pioneer. I went ahead and took a chance on the Kenwood today. I just hope it sounds pleasing when it hits my door step otherwise Ebay here I come. I couldn't justify the $699 price of the Pioneer in relation to the $479 price of the Kenwood. I did get a chance to listen to the Pioneer 43tx albeit with Def Techs. That combo was certainly nice but I was not willing to spend $800 per speaker and be left without a center and surround channels for my movies.