[mmhaskar]

Hi,


I'm ready to upgrade my a/v receiver but I'm a novice when it comes to this topic. I have an Onkyo tx-sr674 (specs below) but have never been as happy with it's sound quality (movies or music) as compared to an even older Sony str-db940 I still have in service (specs below). They were both paired with the same 5.1 speaker setup - Definitive ProCinema 60's and ProCenter 100 (old stuff, I know!).


I'm looking at the new Denon 2113 or the Pioneer Elite VSX-60 (something close to the $600-$800 range) to take advantage of more HDMI connectivity and in the case of the Denon, the 4K pass-through/upscaling. But...I don't want to make the same mistake I made with the Onkyo in terms of sound quality. I'm by no means an audiophile but my ears notice a distinct difference between the Sony and the Onkyo I've owned but no idea what to expect with these newer receivers.


In particular, I've always felt that the clarity of music (whether from streaming sites like Pandora or Last.fm or CD's) seems less clear than what the Sony produced. Movies also seemed more muted, particularly voices and dialogue - not sure how else to describe it. In comparison, the Sony felt like the speakers were more "full" and the sound field more robust and good separation of distinct elements.


I went into a Best Buy (only place near me where I could compare different things) and Pioneer sounded brighter and crisper with movies, but the Denon 2312 and a Marantz 6006 they had sounded better with music. Since none were really optimized for the room or my listening preferences, I'm really just confused about how to determine the right receiver.


After reading through many of the threads on this forum, I'm sort of beginning to wonder if I need to invest in new speakers v. a new receiver. Any help or guidance is much appreciated!!


Thanks in advance


::Onkyo::

- 95 watts per channel minimum into 8 ohms, 20 hz-20khz, 0.08%, FTC

- HDMI 2 Input / 1 Output, 1080p bandwith - ready for next generation DVD players

- VLSC - Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry for all channels

- Video Upconversion to HDMI with deinterlacing - ensuring your video looks the best on the newest TV's

- Auto Speaker Calibration with Audyssey 2EQ creates an optimal listening area - perfect for families


::Sony::

- Dolby Digital, DTS, and Pro Logic decoding

- 110 watts x 5 into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.09% THD

 

[jdsmoothie]

Neither your old Onkyo (2EQ) or the Pioneer can EQ the sub, whereas all but the lowest Denon models (1312,1513) can. Review posts 1 and 2 in each of the Denon AVR Owner threads linked in my sig for a comparison of the various models. It's generally going to always be better to upgrade speakers before the AVR with the general rule of thumb being the speaker 5.1 setup should cost about 2x-3x more than the AVR.

 

[mmhaskar]

Thanks jdsmoothie -


I've actually been stalking both the Denon owner's threads which is what led me to the 2113 as my first choice until I listened to the Pioneer in the store. I also read the Audyssey FAQ but I'm still lost on what to expect between these newer models and my old gear.


I think it might even have been one of your posts that helped me confirm that I probably wouldn't notice any significant audio quality difference between the 2313/3313 and the 2113.


With the newer Audyssey XT config, and (I'm assuming) better quality components in the Denon v. my Onkyo, I should expect better audio quality, right?

 

[jdsmoothie]

Yes, as XT not only has 16x more speaker filters than does 2EQ, but as I said, it can also EQ the sub.