# Sunfire Theater Grand receiver -401 ?



## chrapladm (Jun 17, 2009)

Has anyone heard anything about these receivers?

I went to the local HT store and they didn't have much for what I was looking for but they were trying to sell me on the Sunfire receiver. Here is a link:

http://www.sunfire.com/productdetail.asp?id=1

As of now it seems the Arcam 500 will be the first choice but I wanted to keep looking because I still have to save up the rest of the money for my receiver.

The one other thing I like about the Arcam is the fact that I can buy it from the USA and have it shipped to Australia, because it has a user selectable 110/220 switch. That being said I still haven't found a price online for the Arcam 500 or 600 for that matter. 

Thanks for any info anyone can share


----------



## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

Sunfire used to be a really respected brand. Bob Carver used to design their amplifier sections until they parted ways. The company has changed design/management/products over the years, but as far as I know, they still make top quality stuff.

The better question is: what are you looking for out of the receiver? Power, video switching, video scaling, network audio, etc? There are some real diamonds out there that cost a lot less  It all depends on what you are looking for.

Some brands to research that are very good:
Marantz
Integra (Onkyo's high-end line)
Denon
Emotiva
Yamaha

Don't know what's available down under, but I'm sure some of those brands are available worldwide. Best of luck!


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

What kind of budget do you have for a receiver. The Sunfire is a great receiver and no one will fault you for wanting one however you are paying for a name and there are many other options out there.


----------



## chrapladm (Jun 17, 2009)

I want power but dont need alot as my speakers are pretty efficient. Good solid 100-120 watts is good for me. I do need video switching, upscaling, networking but for just 1 other room, internet radio(unless I use another option, room correcting software and above all latest decoding and SOUND QUALITY.

My thoughts are on the Krell and the Arcam 888 but reality is closer to the $2-3000 budget but that being said I will probably buy a receiver from Australia or a Arcam from the USA because of the selectable power input switch.

I will be using 7 channels for the HT and if I can 2 channels for a spare bedroom that will be adjacent to the HT.

I am sure there are lots of other options so thats why I started this thread. I have also found a NAD 775b that looks nice but who knows which. I can't here all of these receivers because of location.


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Your best option is to go with Onkyo 5007 for the price you get fantastic audio quality and the very best video processing available using the HQV Reon chip. This receiver normally retails for over $2500


----------



## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
The Onkyo TX-NR5007 is about impossible to beat. Newegg is selling them for an amazing price and includes a free iPod Dock. They are an Authorized Dealer as well.

I love Arcam, but the AVR-600 is around 5-6 thousand Dollars. The AVR-500 does retail for less but omits preamp outputs.

The 5007 offers truly every current feature available, a strong Amplifier Section, fantastic Video Processing, cutting edge 32 Bit Audio Processor, Audyssey MultEQ XT, and much more.

The Sunfire does not offer decoding of True HD and DTS-HD. These are the new lossless codecs available from Blu Ray Players. You can however have your BDP decode these codecs and send it to the Sunfire I believe. However, it also does not offer Room EQ like Audyssey.
Cheers,
JJ


----------



## chrapladm (Jun 17, 2009)

Onkyo seems hard to beat. Is any of the Integra stuff anybetter than the Onkyo?

I understand its their more premier line BUT it doesn't appear that way with the spec sheets.


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

They are a little bit more high end however there is virtually no difference between the Onkyo 5007 and the Integras that are the same specifications.
I can personally attest to Onkyos stellar performance as I own one and would not trade it for anything other than another Onkyo. My 805 is almost the same as the 5007 but does not have the Reon chip as I dont really need it.


----------



## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Integra is built at the same Plants and uses the same Parts. Aside from a longer Warranty, there really is no substantial advantage to the added expense. I also prefer that the corresponding Onkyo Models use a Hidden Door to hide Secondary Controls. That and the Silver Volume Knob on Integra's I am not a big fan of.
Cheers,
JJ


----------



## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

Can you get Onkyo in Australia? For features and sound, I am not sure they can be beat if you are looking solely for a receiver. I have owned quite a few setups and have ended up with an 805 and a 906... couldn't be happier at the moment.


----------



## chrapladm (Jun 17, 2009)

So since moving to Australia the one thing I notice is almost everything HT wise is about 2x's more expensive than the USA. The onkyo model 5507 is $3500....atleast thats what was advertised online. I dont know the 5507 model.

Usually somthing that costs 800 will cost more like $16-1800 here. Hence why I like the Arcam 500 because I can buy it from the USA and just select the input power to 220vac. I have know idea how much the 500 is in the USA but things would be alot easier if I still lived in the USA because I would just buy a B stock item and call it a day.

I like the 5007 just have to find a price I like here in Australia or win the lottery.


----------



## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Onkyo definitely is available in OZ. I checked out the Onkyo International Website and they have Distributors and Dealers there.
If the 5007 is too much, the 1007 and 3007 would be great too. In addition, if you can find a TX-SR876 or TX-NR906 heavily discounted, they offer all of the major features of the 5007. They are just 7.1 AVR's rather than 9.2. The 7 Channel Models might even have more power per channel and have Audyssey MultEQ XT, Reon, THX Ultra2 Plus and more.
Cheers,
JJ


----------



## chrapladm (Jun 17, 2009)

I know Onkyo is here in OZ its just a matter of swallowing the glorified price compared to the USA.

If it wasn't for the input power I would ship one over to myself for half the cost of here.


----------



## recruit (May 9, 2009)

Sunfire make some great products but the 401 is a legacy AV amp and if you require HD decoding then you must get a good BD player, the new Onkyo 5007 is getting some rave reviews atm and certainly worth looking at...


----------



## chrapladm (Jun 17, 2009)

For now my BP is my PS3.

I am starting to look more into SACD and other higher quality music formats so I might have to buy something else for BP/CD.

But with all the other things I am going to be buying in the future the budget for a receiver keeps shrinking.

That being said, I think the Onkyo stuff will be at the top of the list whatever model.


----------



## recruit (May 9, 2009)

A friend has just got the Onkyo 3007 and loves it!


----------

