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Just wondering if there are any real sonic standouts right now?
I had previously been considering a Denon or Marantz, but have noticed relatively inexpensive Onkyo receivers getting very favorable press in the likes of Stereophile and TAS, and on paper, the Onkyo TX-SR706 seems to have the features that I'm looking for, and the price is certainly right, at hundreds less than the $1100-1300 I had anticipated.
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About the Yamaha v663 though I'm unsure about 1.3a. Look into that one as well. Around $500 I believe at Best Buy and you can always return it if you don't like it.
Many of the Onkyo receivers seem to have a problem with heat. There are numerous posts at AVS Forum re: owners complaining about their receivers getting very hot vs other brands. You might want to check this out to be on the safe side and, if you decide to go with Onkyo, place the receiver in a well ventilated area.
Also, be aware that there are receivers on the market which have HDMI v1.3 connections that do not decode or process audio (in any way, shape or form) via HDMI. Yes, that's beyond retarded, but it's true.
Keep in mind that you do not need a receiver that decodes the advanced audio codecs (DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD, etc) if your Blu-ray player can handle the decoding and output multi-channel PCM. As long as the receiver can process multi-channel PCM, you'll be OK. The only catch is that not all receivers can process (not talking about decodeing here) multi-channel PCM (ie, add 2 channels to 5.1 soundtracks to make them 7.1), if that's what you want. If all you want is 5.1, then there's no concern.
I have experience with only two receivers, the Integra 5.3 and now a Pioneer SC-07. They both drove Triangle Comete and Comete es speakers well. The Pioneer has all the latest codes, HDMI, and room correction which made setup and calibration a snap and kept component clutter to a minimum.
IMO the class D Pioneer sounds much less congested and noticeably better than the already good sounding Integra before room correction. My HT space is small and irregular. After adding two more speakers for 7.1 and running the calibration the system sounds simply huge even though most of the media is still in 5.1.
I recommend a good sub, all seven matching speakers, your choice of receiver with the HDMI and room correction a must. I wouldn't be surprised if more manufactures will be offering class D amplification in their AVR designs at CES
Just curious, but how did you arrive at the SC-07 as opposed to say, the less-expensive SC-05, and do you think it has any tendency to sound lean, hard or clinical? My only real experience with Class D is the Tripath amp powering my Swans computer speakers, and those things have been delightful.
My space is tiny. So far I've purchased a pair of B&W LM1 for L+R and a B&W VM1 for center. Not ruling out the possibility of buying another set of VM1s as the fronts, and moving the LM1s to the back. As cash flow allows, I was hoping to try their PV1 woofer as well.
These latest upgrades to our HT (display, AVR, BR player, BDI cabinet) were a gift from my wife who researched and picked the components. Our space is not only small but somewhat irregular. I added two more Triangle Comete es speakers for the 7.1 and at first it seemed like overkill but it's not . Since we both enjoy the NuForce 9SE's driving our Eidolons and along with the efficiency benefits with class D amplification it seemed a logical choice.
Most switching amplifiers are incredibly dependent on the quality of their AC power, your homes wiring. IMO many switching amplifiers thrive on inexpensive large gauge copper speaker cable. Generally, I have found that switching amplifiers can be ruthlessly reveling of some speaker systems shortcomings.
In a recent TAS article Wayne Garcia is quoted as saying a switcher sounded "cold and clinical with that kind of false 'clarity' that makes us think it's transparent when it really isn't." I'm not going to criticize the critic other than to say I think Mr. Garcia would make one hell of a political speech writer. The point is, if you like the sound of tubes use tubes. If the sound of a venerable solid state design is to your liking well there you are. Switching amplifiers are not for everyone and they are not always a simple plug and play component.
We replaced a good sounding Integra 5.3 receiver with the Pioneer mainly for the modern codes, HDMI, and room correction. Even before I ran the room correction the Pioneer proved to be a substantial improvement and it hadn't even run in. Like most of the higher quality switching amplifiers we've used, they're so less fatiguing we simply get carried away with the volume and the SC-07 is no exception. The use of transient attack in a soundtrack can be very demanding and the Pioneer is simply more capable than the Integra in this situation.
The biggest surprise was the effect of room correction in this unusual space and the steering logic when playing back 5.1 material via the 7.1 system.
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