Hi all, I have bought a pair of Def Tech BP-8040STs which I thought the best I could get for $700 for a pair (any comments there?). I am looking for an AVR below $500. I have audition AVRs in many stores (all paired to BP9040s). Marantz SR1606 sounded better than all on that price range in one store. All receivers was on the direct sound mode. They told me I like warm sound. But in another store new Pioneer VSXLX101 and 301 left all behind Yamaha Aventage(s), Marantz SR1606 and SR5000 series to my ears, more detailed, rich and natural. I also want to try Yamaha RX-V679BL but could not find it anywhere. I also read about the differences between A/B and D classes, and I do not know which would work best for me and which receiver has which class mainly. Can you please help?
Your questions cannot be answered. Obviously, each product appeals to some listeners and some buyers. Suggesting you should like any one specific product is absurd.
What you hear in an unfamiliar demo room is not what you will experience in your own room.
Once you've selected any system, it's fair to say what you will perceive from the music will be strongly influenced by your room and the set up of the system within that enclosure. The electrical match between components will affect the sound quality though you have a difficult time knowing exactly how without very complete specifications for each component.
An AV receiver is a collection of individual parts, each of which will influence the final product.
All AVR's are now built around large scale integrated circuits which are the heart of the reproduction chain. To be fair to each model, you need to assess each circuit as a stand alone component and then decide which receiver has the most advantageous collection of positives. That's an arduous task for any buyer.
What you have been told, that you prefer a warm sound, is BS. So too is saying you like a detailed sound. Who wants a cold, muddled sound?
This is sales-speak for they have nothing else to say. They, and you, are operating on a superficial level of observation. This is not the fault of either party. The sales staff is not well trained and they are not familiar with the real values of live music. They have no clear idea of what they are selling other than to say to the client they preferred a warm sound.
What you will experience in our own listening room has nothing - really nothing - to do with what you hear in a demo room.
Not until you are listening beyond the superficial values of sound. I would often suggest to my clients they needed to become more familiar with the actual sounds and perceptions of real, live music before they made their investment in a system.
Lacking that, the best you can hope for, IMO, is to make the most of what you have once you have purchased everything. With this in mind, it is fair to say most AVR's will perform equally well once the A-B comparator has been eliminated from the process.
A-B comparators have been the bane of audio sales for decades. They continue to exist because they pretend to make a buying decision appear to be realistic when it is not.
It is not an exaggeration to say what you perceive from a sound system is 90% determined by the room and the set up you have executed within that space.
Therefore, selecting an AVR is mostly a matter of personal taste more than real world determinations of performance. Personally, I'd go with the Marantz out of the group you have considered but that is only my opinion.
The class of operation for an amplifier can be studied from any search engine.
Class A/B is a mode of design which has existed for over half a century. Class D is a more modern take on how to design a more energy efficient power supply.
Class D and class A/B treat the music signal in identical fashion.
The difference is mostly a matter of the power supply with the class D amps being somewhat less expensive and lighter weight for the same output wattage.
If you are considering a class D amp, you need to research your speakers for their minimum - not their nominal - lowest impedance and the electrical phase shift created at that frequency.
Definitive Technology speakers have a reputation for rather wide swings in their loading of an amp. If your speakers are true to this reputation, you should avoid a class D amp if you find they present a load beneath 6 Ohms. A stout power supply is best for such speakers and will almost always be found only in an AVR running in class A/B.
In General, class 'D' amps are of higher efficiency and generate less heat as a result. More of your electricity is turned into music. HT receiver manufacturers buy OFF THE SHELF solutions and do not try to do a clean sheet design.
Jan is not quite right about Power Supply. The 2 main types are 'switch mode' and 'linear'. Linear consists of a large transformer, rectifier and capacitor bank. They can be fairly heavy. Switchers, OTOH, operate a higher than line frequency. Typically in the 100+ kilohertz range. This improves efficiency AND decreaes weight, since no large transformer is used. I can design a reasonable linear supply but a switcher requires more than casual DIY knowledge.
Many 'D' amps from the likes of B&O have the power supply and amp ON A SINGLE BOARD. This means you simply wire in the mains power and speaker. Their 'ya go! Other 'D' amps are amp-only and require a sepereate PS. They Hypex nCore are of this type. And well regarded.
HT receiver makers like 'D' amps since they generate less heat and are availble with as many as 7 channels of amplification ON A SINGLE BOARD. While a largeish board, it still takes up less room than most other solutions.
I owned a 'D' amp for several years. Even driving VERY power hungry speakers, I could not make it get warm. And don't worry about low impedance, usually. My B&O 'ICE' amps were good to below 3 ohms.
And to top it off, you can find a conventional 'A/B' amp with a switching PS. The new Emotiva amps feature switchers. Their conventional amps, in a single channel, were beginning to crest 100lb at the highest powers. Shipping was, in short, a nightmare.
Here's a good and serious one. Check out the OUTLAW RR2150 a STEREO receiver, since you have a PAIR of speakers. Good reviews from BOTH Stereophile AND Audioholics. Plenty of functionality. This includes tone defeat switch. USB input for digital / computer. Phono input. Sub output with bass management. No features you WON'T use, that you'll find in an HT receiver. Dollar for dollar? MUCH better than what you are considering. AND, OutLaw doesn't mess with the design every 6 months so you are buying a stable, well thought out and manufactured product of good value. 600$ new
"thank you both! anyone with suggestions but not lectures?"
I gave you a suggestion. You may have stopped reading long before that point. I find there are far too many people - particularly you "young'uns" - with attention spans far too short for their own good.
Unfortunately, you too have the right to vote.
If you prefer to spend your money on a product you do not comprehend, that's your privilege.
Other forums will tell you specifically which receiver they would own.
IMO that's BS.
We do our best to give a reason why you might buy this and not that and then leave the actual listening up to you.
Attention spans have been conditioned by the averge time between TV commercials. Shorter and shorter, if I'm any judge. OP wanted a recommendation? I game him one. And not bad, for all it does right, either.