High End Receiver Or Separates

[comeup]

I recently went into a Frys Electronics and went in their home theatre room to discover how good a receiver can sound in a dedicated home theatre room. I kind of wonder did I waste money on separates. The system they had was a high end Harmon kardon receiver with high end Polk Audio speakers and the sound was amazing.This room was extremly large and the receiver handled it easily I didn't measure the room, but say its apprx 30 by 35. they were playing Top Gun in a 7.1 setup. About a 10 grand system My is double that price but not in a dedicated room I have it in a family room with open nook & kitchen.


Does anyone think high end receivers can sound as good as separates??????

that system was pretty awsome.

[Snap]

Yes and No.....

I hate to say it, but it all depends on the seperates, and everything else in the system. I have heard some nice receivers that sounded just as good or better than seperates. But I have also heard the whole Classe system that was amazing.

The question I always ask, and I ask you. The whole quaility per $$$ question. Is the difference in quaility worth the extra 10K? Do you notice that much of a difference? You heard a 10K system, you have a 20K system. Do you like your system 10K more than what you heard?

NOTE: Your system is not in a dedicated room. It opens to a nook and kitchen. The store right off the get go has an advantage....they have a dedicated room. Probably 3 walls, with only one enterance. Probably some sound panels on the wall that you did not notice. Kind of puts a different spin on things.

[aud19]

I bet you the room was about 99% of the reason you liked the sound

[Pieter]

I bet you the room was about 99% of the reason you liked the sound

Glad you said that. Akin to looking at a high quality print in daylight and then under UV. No, it's actually worse.

[DL86]

The room is definatly the main factor here. I read somewhere in an audio magazine that system A can easily beat system B given that system B costs twice as much system A and that system A is in a perfectly designed sound room. Where system B is in a poorly designed room. I find this freighteningly true. When I went to audition the speakers I bought the room was specially designed for sound listening. They had my speakers running off a onkyo tx-sr701 (in stereo) and a cheaper sony dvd player, I asked them if they had any better means of amplification, they said no. So I listened to them and thought they sounded excellent in my opinion and I was sure they would sound even better with my RB-1080, RX-v657 pre and marantz dv6400 only to find out they sounded about the same or maby a bit less!

[Karma]

HI,
Your question, at face value, has an easy answer: SEPARATES. But nothing can be taken at face value. If you could go out and listen to all the great separate amp products your ears will give the answer.

There is no intrinsic reason why separates sound better. If a receiver were designed and manufactured with the same care they would sound as good. But they would cost a fortune. This has been attempted in the past and no one wanted to spend the money.

Let's talk about the great amp manufacturers as an example. Consider Audio Research (tubes), VTL (tubes), Sonic Frontiers (tubes), Krell, Levinson, Rowland, etc. These companys specialize in amplifiers and they build great ones. Guess what? They cost a fortune, some a little more than others. Just for an amp and nothing else. One could easily spend their entire budget on just a stereo amp. They should be better.

Separates offer some user advantages. One can pick and choose each individual component. And when upgrade time comes each can be replaced individually.

Shall we talk about space for a moment? Consider that a receiver consists of a tuner, a sound processor, a preamp, up to 7 channels of power amplification and video display and setup electronics. What would the space requirements be for an equivalent system of separates? A lot. This is not even considering a whole host of expensive cables and power cords to hook things up. The word "expensive" again comes to mind. Think about the speakers one would have to purchase to justify such a system.

Would a system made up of carefully considered separates sound better. Yes, no doubt. Are you willing to pay for it. Don't know-your call.

Sparky

[PewterTA]

If you want to find the answer, take and buy the HK/Polk system, set it up in your room and listen to it. I bet it won't sound as good in your house. The room has soo much to do with how things sound. I'll bet you'd take the HK/Polk system back over your current system.

But you might also be surprised to find out how good it does sound compared to your system, not necessarily better, but still a decent set up.

When it comes down to it, there's no way to fit a huge amp, processor, tuner and the like into a receive along with all other components needed and get the same sound... hence why there's seperates. Though with Digital analog switching amps, this is much closer to being possible...since the size and heat factors are more removed from the equation.

[aud19]

I doubt they'd allow you, nor would you likely want to do all the work, but I bet if you took your entire system to that room, got them to adjust it all, including positioning, delays etc that you'd be that much more impressed by the room and your gear

[comeup]

Thanks for the great replies


My system consist of


B&K series one Ref 50 processor
Denon 3910 dvd player
Monster MPA3250 250x3 for fronts and center
Rotel RMB 1075 120x5 using for rears
Rotel RCD 1070 cd player
Kef 201 fronts
Kef 202 center
Kef 206 rears dipole
Rel Q201e sub
Monster hts 5100 power center



This system sounds great especially with music with warm clarity and smooth sound dosn't have to be loud to sound its best. The system at frys was played loud with Top Gun I never got a chance to hear what it sounds like with music. My room is three walls 16x14 with a open area going to nook kitchen area. For the price of frys system in that setup I would very well be satisfied. I would love to hear my system in that setup. Maybe I'll take a mortgage on the house and have a room built. Man this is an expensive hobby, but I love it. One thing I do love about separates someone mentioned above is you can upgrade a little bit at a time.

[comeup]

Yes and No.....

I hate to say it, but it all depends on the seperates, and everything else in the system. I have heard some nice receivers that sounded just as good or better than seperates. But I have also heard the whole Classe system that was amazing.

The question I always ask, and I ask you. The whole quaility per $$$ question. Is the difference in quaility worth the extra 10K? Do you notice that much of a difference? You heard a 10K system, you have a 20K system. Do you like your system 10K more than what you heard?

NOTE: Your system is not in a dedicated room. It opens to a nook and kitchen. The store right off the get go has an advantage....they have a dedicated room. Probably 3 walls, with only one enterance. Probably some sound panels on the wall that you did not notice. Kind of puts a different spin on things.

Snap I really would have to hear it in Frys setup to know if my system was worth the cost, but from what I hear now its such a different sound. My system I could hear a needle drop so clearly the sound is warm, clean and delicate. The system at frys was loud and demanding two totally different sounds. The speakers in frys were towers and mines are monitors. I don't know. The Frys room had four walls with a small door in the back with about five rows of seating with apprx. 10 seats in each row.

[bleeding ears]

comeup, as you probably already know dvd movies and concerts seem to sound good on most systems.

When you switch to music cd's things can sound worse.

A good system may sound as good with cd's as with dvd's, but an ordinary system usually sounds, well very ordinary. It does depend on the quality of the recording somewhat.


I previously owned a Marantz Sr8200 receiver which retailed for $3990 Australian and I thought this has to sound good at that price. Wrong It also weighed a ton, well maybe not quite a ton , but it was very heavy even compared to dearer or better receivers.

I could not believe how bad it sounded. Very thin sounding probably best describes the sound and I was using large bass heavy floorstanders.

I hooked the Marantz up to a seperate 5 channel amp and things improved a lot, but still was not where I thought it should be.

Since then I have gone to a true seperates system, Rotel Rsp1068 ($2399 Australian) and a 5 channel amp and now I am getting very close to what I want.

Mind you I still want more, but since the budget is not unlimited I will have to settle at this point until I win Lotto or pickup some bargain deals on ebay etc.

As for the room? well the room no doubt has a great effect and my floorboards and floor to ceiling glass outer walls dont help.

In conclusion if you can afford it, seperates are the way to go, just dont go broke in the process.

Pete

[blues651]

I agree with bleeding ears, you are comparing H/T to music. Take your favorite cd up there and then compare (keep in mind the dedicated sound room) . I bet you hear something entirely different.

[armyscout43]

receiver vs separates

<tired of separating the crap in his posts, deleted post, admin>

[kgveteran]

I have always liked the flexability of separates.I use an Outlaw 990 and (3) B&K ST-140's.

[marjen]

I have always had a receiver but I am making the move to separates shortly. Lots of entry level choices coming out soon.

[comeup]

I've been away from the sight for a while feels good to be back. I keep hearing about the Outlaw Audio, but have never heard one the price is amazing. I have much more expensive stuff but wonder was it worth it. Does anyone think Outlaw is as good as a high end receiver? I'm constantly advising folks on what to buy. Comes with being in this hobbie.