There are a couple of good reviews on 659. One of them
(audioholics or hometheatermag) said the older 657 still
has a better sound quality than 659. I cant get 657 any longer
so I am considering 659.
My main interest is 2ch music. But I still prefer a AV receiver as I also
watch movies but sound quality in a movie is not very important to me.
So I want to preemp any discussion on 5.1 sound.
I had 661 briefly. I didnt like the sound quality (2ch music) compared to my
old RX-V795a. I tried both digital and analog connection on 661. I use
OPPO 980H to play my CD's. 661 was just not as sharp as my old 795a,
though 661 boats a burr-brown dac. The mids were also a bit forward.
No I didnt use any EQ (I dont want to, so no discussion about EQ please).
I was using the 2ch mode. I tried the pure direct mode but I dont think
it makes a difference in sound quality. It just uses minimum circuitry
as the manual says.
It doesnt matter what speakers I have as I am comparing the sound on
the same speakers. suffice it to say that I have good speakers.
I sold 661 though for a loss. I am now considering 659 (I dont care about HDMI).
My question is whether 659 sound will be any better than 661.
I have a sub so bass response from 659 is not critical for me. I would like
the highs to be sharp but not bright, mid range a bit laid back.
My 6yr old RX-V795a meets my requirements but it is aging so I like to replace it.
On my 795a analog or digital connection didnt make a differecne.
May be because the DAC on 795a is as good as that on OPPO 980H.
If the main difference between 659 and 661 is HDMI, then I may not notice much difference.
Any feedback is greatly appreciated, especially from people who
have had the chance to use both 661 and 659 for 2ch music.
Thanks
