# Best AVR for music and movies?



## k_paramesh82 (Jul 16, 2012)

HI All,

I am new to HT system,suggest me best and good AVR for music and movie?

Thanks in advance.


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## phreak (Aug 16, 2010)

k_paramesh82 said:


> HI All,
> 
> I am new to HT system,suggest me best and good AVR for music and movie?
> 
> Thanks in advance.


Your question sounds like "I need to buy a car. Which one is best?"
More info is needed. If you are setting up a 30 seat basement theater on a $50,000 budget, I would recommend a different system than a $500 budget for a single user bedroom system in an apartment.


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## phreak (Aug 16, 2010)

Sorry, I forgot my manners. Welcome to HTS. We do look forward to hearing about your goals for your system and helping you achieve them.


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## k_paramesh82 (Jul 16, 2012)

phreak said:


> Sorry, I forgot my manners. Welcome to HTS. We do look forward to hearing about your goals for your system and helping you achieve them.


Hi,
my budget around $500.it good in both music and movie.


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

Marantz and Yamaha have some good offerings around that price. Marantz has always been a "music first" philosophy, as has Yamaha.

Onkyo is another good brand that gets good reviews and they have receivers at just about every price point from $300 to $2000.

Good luck and welcome to the Shack!


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## k_paramesh82 (Jul 16, 2012)

I have alos hear Marantz is good for music,but some peoples said like it is not good for movie. That is the I am looking for some other one.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Most quality AVR's are going to handle both duties just fine. It's the speakers you choose that will have the most impact on your experience. Good AVR + good speakers = good music/movies. It's really that simple. I would look at Onkyo or Denon for the AVR.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

I've had a ton of luck with Pioneer and Elite. You may want to give them a look. I think they make great AVRs.


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## pharoah (Jul 21, 2012)

i must say this aspect is very important to me as well.sounding good for music.


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## ambesolman (Apr 25, 2011)

Sony receivers agave always treated me well with no problems. My first is over 10yrs old and still going strong.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

The big challenge with receivers in the $500 range is to find one the lives up to its specifications. most fail poorly at outputting anything close to its rated output. Onkyo is about the only receiver manufacturer that has proven in bench tests over and over that it comes much closer. 
The Onkyo 709 here at accessories4less is a great receiver for the money or this Onkyo 809 is even better if you can push your budget a little.


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## pharoah (Jul 21, 2012)

arent those onkyo models on a recall list?

yup they are.
onkyo recall


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

pharoah said:


> arent those onkyo models on a recall list?
> 
> yup they are.
> onkyo recall


That is a very small window of affected units (Nov 2011-Jan 2012). Granted a few members here were affected by the recall most Onkyo owners on this forum have outstanding trouble free AVR's. I also think most here would not be hesitant to purchase Onkyo in the future.


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## pharoah (Jul 21, 2012)

JBrax said:


> That is a very small window of affected units (Nov 2011-Jan 2012). Granted a few members here were affected by the recall most Onkyo owners on this forum have outstanding trouble free AVR's. I also think most here would not be hesitant to purchase Onkyo in the future.


ok i guess maybe i should have read more of that recall thread.finding that recall kinda turned me off to onkyo.maybe that was not a correct assessment then.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

pharoah said:


> ok i guess maybe i should have read more of that recall thread.finding that recall kinda turned me off to onkyo.maybe that was not a correct assessment then.


It's ok. I can certainly see where someone could be turned off by their initial purchase being on a recall list. I most likely would be soured by that experience but my 809 has been flawless and I couldn't be happier.


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## pharoah (Jul 21, 2012)

yeah i found that recall in my research.i havent purchased one yet.i had slashed onkyo off my list.i guess its back on the list now.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

pharoah said:


> yeah i found that recall in my research.i havent purchased one yet.i had slashed onkyo off my list.i guess its back on the list now.


Kudos to you for researching and doing your due diligence before spending your hard earned money. This forum will provide you a wealth of knowledge as there are many outstanding members to guide you along the way.


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## pharoah (Jul 21, 2012)

yeah ive been reading forums and manuals for days now.got to a question i felt needed asking so i joined up.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I know for a fact that accessories4less has checked all there units and none of them are on the recall list so no worries now.


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

Yes Pioneer Elite and Sony ES for quality and performance....Onkyo is last place for reliability....check the forums here for recent Onkyo recalls ..... Dont mind me Im just an installer who has replaced 12 Onkyo's this year with Pioneer Elite or Denon and I no longer sell Onkyo.....


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## richmag (Jan 17, 2012)

Arcam AVR 400/600. Anthem MRX 300/500/700. 

All very good with music.


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## Viggen (Dec 31, 2008)

In that price range I would get a Denon receiver

My two integra pre/pro have been great...... but like Sony es and pioneer elite, out of your price range

Possibly even get a used one that has the options you are looking for.


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## jmy2469 (Nov 24, 2009)

My Arcam AVR 600 does a great job for movies and music. Not in your $500 price range though


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## Gregr (Nov 2, 2010)

Hello paramesh Welcome to HTS. You have come to the right place. 

Arcam is beautiful equipment and worth every penny. When I save enough penny's...

Onkyo is popular and a good dollar to quality ratio but I've been hearing of issues. No matter because I have found that Denon has a very nice sound and quality. With every upgrade to my older 3805 the sound stage deepens and the details are so musical. 
In any case I found this bargain recently. This Denon AVR 991 is a great buy from B&H Photo and it has it all. 125watts, 7.2 channel, Auto levels set-up, etc and a fantastic price. Take a look: 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/800854207-USE/Denon_AVR991P_AVR_991P_Network_A_V_Receiver.html

If this doesn't work try Audio Advisor.com
If I had any cash this 991 AVR would be in my system right now.

Best of luck with your Home Theater


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## gmahon (Jun 1, 2012)

I second (or third) the recommendation for the NAD receivers.


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## pharoah (Jul 21, 2012)

i went 2.1 i got an nad integrated amplifier.its great with music,and decent with ht duty.


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## MikeL (Jun 18, 2006)

The Arcam units are not that far off if the OP is willing to dabble in the used market. That would be my direction.


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

I have had Denon, Yamaha and Pioneer Elite... My fav was the Pioneer Elite. Each had their own pluses. The Pioneer Elite was by far the best looking of the bunch and sounded great. The Yamaha had a ton of sound modes and sounded good. The Denon was the perfect one for me at the time of purchase and is still chugging along giving me good performance. My next update will most likely be a multi channel power amp and a new av receiver.


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## Gregr (Nov 2, 2010)

I have been buying Denon many times over because of the technology they include in their mid to higher priced models. Denon has a high sound/build quality at an affordable price. Denon has held up well for me as Pioneer Elite, Onkyo, Yamaha, Marantz and several others will also I am sure. 

Today my focus is more toward sound quality first, build quality second. Because the availability of technology is everywhere this is not an issue until I look for the specific model to buy. 

With that in mind I have been looking for a possible next buy. The first companies I am already aware of are NAD, Rotel, Arcam (Arcam is pricey but doable used). Maybe someday "Krell"..., it can happen.

Good luck in your search.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

My take on this question is that your speaker choice will make a much more drastic difference on sound differences than "what receiver is best for movies and music". Given most low to mid priced receivers dont have a large enough power supply to drive all channels even close to the rated output with the exception of Onkyo if your not going to get external amplification you need to seriously consider them. 
Distortion and clipping of the amps is going to change the sound of what you hear drastically and in many cases is the reason people hear differences in the sound.


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## pharoah (Jul 21, 2012)

tonyvdb said:


> My take on this question is that your speaker choice will make a much more drastic difference on sound differences than "what receiver is best for movies and music". Given most low to mid priced receivers dont have a large enough power supply to drive all channels even close to the rated output with the exception of Onkyo if your not going to get external amplification you need to seriously consider them.
> Distortion and clipping of the amps is going to change the sound of what you hear drastically and in many cases is the reason people hear differences in the sound.


i think that is what turned me off to avr's.i had a cheap yamaha a few years back.it was great with movies and games.when i played music on it,it just didnt sound right.


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

My Pics for a modest budget:

Anthem (top pick)
NAD 
Marantz
Adcom (high end american hifi on a budget)
Pioneer Elite (cant go too wrong with Elite) Note Pioneer uses different amp technologies in its various elite models. Its a bit like picking a car, gasoline, electric, hybrid, or diesel?

Worth Consideration 
Emotiva (Chinese Made HiFi, compared to McIntosh)


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

pharoah said:


> i think that is what turned me off to avr's.i had a cheap yamaha a few years back.it was great with movies and games.when i played music on it,it just didnt sound right.


I think the keyword there was Cheap. You get what you pay for. Higher end Yamaha's and Pioneers will perform much better.


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## pharoah (Jul 21, 2012)

8086 said:


> I think the keyword there was Cheap. You get what you pay for. Higher end Yamaha's and Pioneers will perform much better.


i think the dac in that unit is what was cheap.at the time i had a cd player that didnt have analog outputs.also my pc was hooked up via fiber optic.at low volume there was still a major sound quality difference .when i swapped it out for a preamp,and amp combo.everything hooked up via analog rca cables.it was a major difference in sound quality.i sold that yamaha and never looked back.


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## richmag (Jan 17, 2012)

+1 to Anthem. Very good with music.


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

pharoah said:


> i think the dac in that unit is what was cheap.at the time i had a cd player that didnt have analog outputs.also my pc was hooked up via fiber optic.at low volume there was still a major sound quality difference .when i swapped it out for a preamp,and amp combo.everything hooked up via analog rca cables.it was a major difference in sound quality.i sold that yamaha and never looked back.


I had a cheap low budget Pioneer some one gave to me that was bought at Best Buy for a few hundred $$. Compared to my Integra with the same speakers (and peripherals), it sounded coarse, gritty, and harsh. I used to prove the point to people who told me there was no difference in the sound of amplification or receivers.


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

ambesolman said:


> Sony receivers agave always treated me well with no problems. My first is over 10yrs old and still going strong.



Congrats on the logevity!

Personally I find the sound from most Sony receivers (excluding the ES line) to be muddied, too mid-bassy. The DSP modes are usually horrible and screw up the integrity of the recording.


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## pharoah (Jul 21, 2012)

8086 said:


> I had a cheap low budget Pioneer some one gave to me that was bought at Best Buy for a few hundred $$. Compared to my Integra with the same speakers (and peripherals), it sounded coarse, gritty, and harsh. I used to prove the point to people who told me there was no difference in the sound of amplification or receivers.



now ive owned some decent vintage units in my day as well.all stereo only recievers,and amps.seems like all the older 70's units.didnt have the sound quality issues.that the cheaper newer units have.thats really another discussion in itself.


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## 8086 (Aug 4, 2009)

pharoah said:


> now ive owned some decent vintage units in my day as well.all stereo only recievers,and amps.seems like all the older 70's units.didnt have the sound quality issues.that the cheaper newer units have.thats really another discussion in itself.


I agree with you that a lot of the Late 70s and Early 80s Pioneers were amazing. The Pioneer I had was around $500 new, back around 2001. Total piece of junk. Elites of the modern era are comparable to some of the Earlier models from the 70s.


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## pharoah (Jul 21, 2012)

yeah a pioneer sx-1980 was a fantastic,and extremely powerful receiver.other units of that era that i really liked.was the sansui 9090db great sound.not as powerful as the pioneer.i had a marantz 2285 i think the model was another great monster.the yamaha 3020 that thing was power with finesse.


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