[stgatev]

Hello,

I am looking to buy a quality receiver and looking for a recommendation. I will be using it exclusively for music. I have a pair of MB Quart Vera VS05 speakers and a Mordaunt-Short Aviano 7 sub. The features I need are:

- HDMI inputs (3 will be plenty)

- HDMI output (1 is enough)

- Networking (wired is OK)

I will likely never add more speakers, or use multi-room capability, or have more than one display, or have a multi-component setup. In other words, I want to buy one piece that will work well with the simple 2.1 configuration I currently have.

I feel comfortable with Denon and Marantz. I read good things about Denon X4000 and Marantz 7008, and A4L currently has them at prices I am willing to pay. I am trying to understand whether the superior sound quality of these two models (compared to the other models by these manufacturers) is only noticeable in a multi-speaker setup. Will I be able to benefit from it in a 2.1 configuration, or I will get the same bang for the buck from a cheaper model, such as Denon X2000 or X3000, or Marantz 500x or 600x.

Thank you,
-Stan

 

[jdsmoothie]

When music listening is the priority, many tend to choose Marantz over the comparable Denon model, so of the two, the SR7008 would likely be your better choice. Also gives you option to expand to surround or powered 3 zones should you ever want to do that.

 

[stgatev]

When music listening is the priority, many tend to choose Marantz over the comparable Denon model, so of the two, the SR7008 would likely be your better choice. Also gives you option to expand to surround or powered 3 zones should you ever want to do that.

Thanks JD.

That is my impression, too, that most people recommend Marantz over Denon for music.

But can you compare Marantz 5008 and 6008 to the 7008 in a 2.1 configuration? Will a simple stereo setup benefit from Audyssey MultEQ XT32 on the 7008, or it is only for multi-speaker configuration?

 

[jdsmoothie]

Some would say even more critical for two channel listening as you are more attuned to the corrected audio as opposed to multi channel surround in which you're focused on the video and less so on the audio.

 

[stgatev]

Some would say even more critical for two channel listening as you are more attuned to the corrected audio as opposed to multi channel surround in which you're focused on the video and less so on the audio.

Thanks JD.

 

[jdsmoothie]

Also, if interested in a brand new unit with full 3 year warranty. we have one SR7008 left which also comes with a free Denon HEOS Link ($349 MSRP) if you have any interest in streaming to a non-networking AVR or streaming sources from the SR7008 to HEOS wireless speakers in the house.

http://usa.denon.com/us/heos-link

 

[stgatev]

Also, if interested in a brand new unit with full 3 year warranty. we have one SR7008 left which also comes with a free Denon HEOS Link ($349 MSRP) if you have any interest in streaming to a non-networking AVR or streaming sources from the SR7008 to HEOS wireless speakers in the house.

http://usa.denon.com/us/heos-link

Thanks. I will keep your offer in mind.