Higher-end receiver for 5.1 set-up

[Pacfanweb]

I'm still working on that portion, I figured I'd start with the receiver.....almost certainly going to have two McIntosh XR100s though.

Then you're going to want whatever their matching center channel to those speakers would be.

If you're using Mac speakers, I definitely wouldn't drive them with a receiver.. You're going to want a separate amp. A STRONG amp.

I wouldn't bother with their receivers or pre-pros....too expensive for something that'll need upgrading in short order, and IMO, everyone is pretty much using the same codecs and surround "guts" in their units, so I am very skeptical that the "high end" pre-pros actually sound any better than say, a really nice Yamaha or Pioneer unit.
I know some folks will say they do, and if I just spent $4k on a preamp I'd probably imagine it sounded better.....but in reality, I would bet some money that they really don't.

 

[Anubis]

TBH the only reason i would spend a lot of money on a high end preamp would be to get DIRAC live or Trinnov

and i actually think you can get DIRAC now without spending a fortune - Trinnov still costs a fortune

if you want separate amps, just get a good AVR with preouts, the higher end Denon's and Onkyo's will allow you to just disable the internal amps when not in use and it therefor just functions like a premap

 

[MongGrel]

I'm cheap and have a weird 7.2 setup, but I like lurking in here

 

[slashbinslashbash]

Find you a good, used 5 channel amp. I use an Anthem, have had it for years. Has more power than any living room would ever need.

Then buy the least expensive receiver that has pre-outs that you can find from Yamaha or Pioneer.

With a few exceptions, what you're paying for when you start spending thousands on a receiver is power....and if you already have a separate amp, (which no receiver's amp section will ever match) you don't need it...it's a waste.

Spending a bit over $2k on a B&K preamp back in 2004 broke me of the "expensive is better" thought process.
What really did it was a few years later, when HDMI was what you needed, and my $2k pre-pro didn't have it.
You have to just accept that whatever you buy will be obsolete in 5 years or less. So back in 04, I bought that used amp and have been plugging different processors into it ever since.
After the B&K came a used Pioneer VSX-1120K that I picked up for $175 off Craiglist. Worked great until last summer when lightning hit the house.
Then an Onkyo TX-NR708....it sucked. Sound was a huge drop off from the Pioneer, but again, used for less than $200 off Craigslist.

Now have a Yamaha Aventage RX-A1040, another Craigslist deal ($300) and it's fantastic.

Point is, if you are going to dedicate $5k to this, just get an awesome amplifier, and go less expensive on the receiver....get the least expensive one that has preamp outs on it and the other features you want. Buying a more expensive one isn't going to sound better, it's just going to have more power...for the most part.
And you'll never get your money's worth (IMO) from a $2k+ receiver that will be obsolete and you'll want to replace 5 years from now.

New features come out in a few years? Buy a new receiver, the least expensive one with those desired features, and plug it into your existing amp.

Yeah, the receiver upgrade carousel isn't fun to be on.... the silicon keeps improving (which mostly affects the video side), the amps stay the same or even get worse. "Ooh! Progressive scan! I'mna buy a receiver with component video switching!" "Ooh! HDMI!" "Ooh! HDMI upscaling!" "Ooh! 7.1!" "Oooh! 4k!" "Ooooh! wireless streaming!" and on and on and on. Seemingly every year you could make an argument that a receiver upgrade is warranted -- on the electronics/processing side of the receiver. The amps never get better, really. Pacfanweb gives good advice: buy a good solid amp (a used one from 10 years ago is still good) and the cheapest receiver you can find that has the desired electronics and pre-amp outs for all channels. I will say that one of the most important features is room-correction software such as Audyssey (there are lots of brand names for this now.... Audyssey was the first to do this in a big way).

 

[krumme]

This thread made me wondering if i should try a new reciewer.
Interesting thing is coom correction for me as i run dipole speaker with a closed sub in 5.1.
Max 38cm depth. No need for powerfull amp. I dont use video and have computer connected to projector directly using optical for sound.
I have onkyo 705 now with audessey xt and was wondering if an Anthem 310 could replace it. Have same size and the arc room correction should be good. Any thoughts? I dont bother go a lisnt to it. Just a change.

 

[boomhower]

At that price level I'd go pre/pro:

Anthem AVM60. It has top of the line room correction and excellent uncompressed music streaming over wifi. It also has excellent DAC's. Don't expect video upscaling or what not from it though. This processor can pass through the latest HDCP 2.2 and HDMI 2.0a, but it's focused on audio clarity.

For amplification I'd get a Monoprice 7x200 amp. That will give you clean power for blasting music to the levels that most car audio geeks like. It weighs 93.2 lbs.

Same thing I was going to suggest. Anthem has one of the best room correction softwares that you can get. Dirac is very good as well. The Anthem has everything you need and them some with excellent sound quality as well. The Monoprice amp will give you very clean power at a very good price. Good amps are available from many many companies with a skies the limit price range but Monoprice is very well reviewed for an excellent price for the power you are getting. Emotiva would be my next pick.

As mentioned above don't forget room treatments. $20k worth of speakers(which is what you should be spending if your dumping $5k into electronics, if not redo you resource allocation.) can sound like crap in an untreated room.

Dont skimp on subs either. Again with your budget I would go with two for more even response around the listening area. PSA, SVS, HSU, Rythmik, Seaton, and JTR are all excellent sources of quality subs.

 

[krumme]

Ok. Ordered an anthem 310 to play with. Thanx for the thread. Lol

 

[Anubis]

j

Same thing I was going to suggest. Anthem has one of the best room correction softwares that you can get. Dirac is very good as well. The Anthem has everything you need and them some with excellent sound quality as well. The Monoprice amp will give you very clean power at a very good price. Good amps are available from many many companies with a skies the limit price range but Monoprice is very well reviewed for an excellent price for the power you are getting. Emotiva would be my next pick.

As mentioned above don't forget room treatments. $20k worth of speakers(which is what you should be spending if your dumping $5k into electronics, if not redo you resource allocation.) can sound like crap in an untreated room.

Dont skimp on subs either. Again with your budget I would go with two for more even response around the listening area. PSA, SVS, HSU, Rythmik, Seaton, and JTR are all excellent sources of quality subs.

the Monoprice amps are ATI clones - which most believe are actually made by ATI and rebraded
the monolith 7 has identical specs to the ATI 1807