If you had $2500 for an AVR?

[Duke of Timber]

I'm looking closely at the HK 7300, denon 3805, 4806, yamaha 2500.

The 7300 looks like a hell of a deal compared to other "flagships". Sound and vison were very pro 7300

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/

I go back and forth. I have a mid size (15X15') HT room with a Sony Gran Wega XBR 60". 5 Boston Bravos and a velodyne 3750 sub woofer . I plan to run a 2nd zone (larger great room, ceilings are two stories high)to power two Vienna Acoustics Mozarts (6ohms). But I could also run the Vienna's with a denon 1802 on it's own

I've got $3m to upgrade anything I need to. Sources: PrisimIQ (coax output), Motorolla HD DVR Comcast (DVI, Coax), Toshiba DVD (DVI Coax or optical) XBOX (coax think XBOX2).

I'd really appreciate anyones thoughts on AVR's first and foremost. The Bravos sound really good and I don't think I'm giving them the optimum stuff to work with, plus they address the aestetic factor my wife appreciates so much (can't see them).

[jimmyp58]

I tried sending you a PM and/or e-mail but you have those functions turned off.

Please click on my link above to e-mail me. I can certainly help you with your decision.

[aud19]

Rotel 1056 and 1070 2-ch amp

[Nick M]

I've got $3m to upgrade anything I need to.

WHOA! 3 Million can get you some killer stuff!
I'd start with an anechoic chamber... :rofl:

For $2500 You could probably get a Rotel 1068/1075 combo after standard discount.

[Shane Martin]

At $2,500 you are not likely to get a 4806. It lists for $3,500. It is the best of the bunch though. HDMI switching, a powerful amp(no doubt), Audussey Room eq(this is one of the very best around) and a feature list that is unheard of make it hard to pass up. The Rotel stuff is nice but it's long in the tooth IMHO now and doesn't feature HDMI switching or a Room EQ at all. Given that you are only powering Bravo's, You will likely not tap into that much power and really IMHO the only time you will need it is if you really crank it. While Rotel is upgradable its unlikely they will ever upgrade the 1068 to the newest formats or add the Room EQ/HDMI features.

The 7300 is nice but HK is buggy as all get out. The latest $1k AVR has a killer room eq which also affects the bass but its buggy too.

The Marantz 8500 has Dvi switching and seems quite nice. I think it lists for $1,500. The Marantz 9600 is coming out soon and will add a beefier amp and hdmi switching amongst other things and will be the same price as the Denon 4806.

Personally given the uncertainty of the future formats coming shortly for HDdvd/Blu Ray, I'd wait. Esoteric companies like Rotel(jsut because it's mentioned) usually are not the ones adding it first.

Another interesting option will be the Arcam AVR300.

What I woul do is buy the Marantz 8500 and then a 2ndary 2 channel amp to power the Mozarts.

The Sherwood R965 looks intriguing too:

http://www.sherwoodusa.com/prod_r965.html

[aud19]

Well personally Shane I think "Auto-EQ's" are mostly over-hyped. I'll give you the DVI/HDMI capabilities but I'd still rather have the added sound quality of the Rotels over DVD/HDMI. Other than that I don't see at all where the Rotel's are lacking in features?

[Andrew Pratt]

For $2500 You could probably get a Rotel 1068/1075 combo after standard discount.

That's my vote as well.

[Shane Martin]

Well personally Shane I think "Auto-EQ's" are mostly over-hyped

Some are some aren't. Which ones have you tried? The Denon uses the Odyssey EQ which is something special. This is not an ordinary auto EQ. The HK uses a differerent one too with its ability to eq the subwoofer. Saying Overhyped and propping a product(one in your avatar) that lacks this feature(one that is comman on receivers as cheap as $300) is a bit of a bias right? It's ok though we all have our biases. On top of that you would rather have the "added sound quality of what the better dacs over a ROOM EQ? Since when did ignoring the room be such a non deal? We're not talking about "auto setup". We're talking about Auto EQ. How many of us use a BFD(Behringer Feedback Destroyer) to help with a room problem with their subs? Alot now and many are claiming is one of the best bargains out there.

I'll give you the DVI/HDMI capabilities but I'd still rather have the added sound quality of the Rotels over DVD/HDMI

Have you directly compared the 1068 vs the ones listed here? If so its a reach to say "added sound quality" over the DVI/HDMI switching is so for sure, hell the 4806 isn't out yet. That's a guess at the very least. DVI HDMI will be REALLY Relevant soon when the new HD Dvd/Blu Ray formats are out and require that kind of connection to play back Lossless DD and DTS. Sure they say you can get away with standard 6 analog connections but in that case you are going to be reliant on the decoder in the dvd player you buy. I don't know about you but I sure wouldn't trust that.

I'm not saying I don't like Rotel. They make fine products(albeit with some quirks everytime I've had a chance to play with them) but feature wise they will take a backseat.. the biggest of which is the Auto ROOM EQ(not auto setup).

The best thing of course is to listen and decide which you prefer. Right now I really want to move on and get PLII but with the newest formats on the verge of coming out(DTS HD and DD), I'm worried about buying a boat anchor. I don't get to upgrade yearly(or daily like some ) but I must make sure I am buying a reciever that will do me fine for atleast the next 5-6 years. If so it needs to be able to handle the latest formats and to do so would require HDMI switching. They are alreayd saying you can't pass the audio portion of the future stuff via Optical/coax. Granted if you don't plan on upgrading your DVD player to HD DVD or Blu Ray in the next say 5 years it may not matter but with the way some of us upgrade on a whim, I'd be nice to have a reciever ready for that whim.

[tmueller]

Take A Close Look At Arcam

Duke,

No doubt you have done some homework by selecting good products. But, before you pull trigger take a very close look at the Arcam AVR300. This receiver has glowing reviews. I have not auditioned this receiver personally so I cannot attest to its performance. Next Thursday, I will be auditioning it (along with a number of other components) at Jim's home.

I have a very good feeling about the Arcam for one simple reason; I own an exclusive Rotel Home Theater (RMB-1095, RSP-1068, RDV-1060 and RCD-1072). I just recently purchased an Arcam Solo for my Bedroom/Alarm Clock with two tiny speakers. This little Solo sounds, IMHO, better than my complete theater no matter what mode (two channel, two channel bypass, 5 channel stereo, DVDA Bypass). The Arcam just sounds more musical and clear in my opinion.

Give Jimmy a shout. He is the guy you want to deal with regarding equipment. Even if you don't purchase from him he will give you honest advice and not oversell you. (He doesn't incorporate heavy pressure tactics that are so typical in the business due to his lower overhead.)

A final note-I like Rotel, I would not have purchased if it did not fit my needs at the time. I will be purchasing more Arcam (amongst other brands) in the future.

Good Luck!
Tyler