AVR for Movies only

Hi,

In short

1.For movies - Yamaha,Onkyo

2.For both - Denon
(mov & music)

You can see speci. & decide.

That is funny Mridul. making fun of my misery!!!
Nevertheless, " Fight shall I, out of this confusion;
Out from this hordes of brands and
scores of receivers
And, emerge victorious with a
receiver to kill for"
I aplogise for my immature poetry skills. Now, I know there are more than one person who does not think highly of my poetry- other is my wife!!!

Coming back to the discussion at hand-

Bro, Kindly explain the difference b/w movie effects and surround sound?
I thought movies effects = surround sound.

Do you think 2809 will sufice my quest for movies compared to Yam?

Thanks.

Sumit

So now we have a poet in out midst. Hmmmm. And I feel you are unhappy with the way this post is going.

Sumit, let me give you a very brief update. Yes, movie sound is the same as surround sound. But that is not all.

A movie comes encoded with various sound formats such as Dolby, Dolby Digital, DTS, and THX. With extensions, there are some 40 odd formats. These sound formats are amplified and played by your AVR. An AVR can play sound into three formats - 2.1, 5.1, and 7.1.

As I had mentioned somewhere before, Yamaha has been involved in professional and cinema electronics for a very long time. Some of the surround sound formats and their extensions have been designed by Yamaha. The same capability and knowledge is what Yamaha brings to its AVRs. All Yamaha AVRs have DSP chips that are proprietary to Yamaha. The Yamaha Digital Sound Field Processor (DSP-1) was introduced in 1985 that was capable of converting a 2-channel stereo into 6-channel surround sound. The DSP-1 offered offered sixteen "sound fields" such as concert hall, rock concert, disco, TV Sports, Movie Theater, etc. In a way you can say Yamaha invented and popularised surround sound for homes. Yamaha has added technologies such as Dolby, and DTS, and refined it's own technologies to offer advanced surround sound formats in it's receiver today.

Technologies such as Dolby, DTS, THX etc., are external to a AVR manufacturer. This ensures that all of them have these technologies and can offer them in their systems. Even Digital Signal Processing is done by external chips such as those made by TI, Cirrus, Analog Devices. Thus, between Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo and maybe even Marantz, the technologies for surround sound decoding and other capabilities needed for an AVR are very very close. What you should do is make a list of what do you need. It will then become easy for you to have a number of AVRs that you can audition. During the audition you should focus on the sound which is where the AVRs will differ.

You are moving away from a Marantz and are looking at an AVR that will give you better sound for movies.

1. SOUND - You want better sound for movies. The Denon and Maranatz are close to each other is terms of their market acceptability for musicality. So you may find the Denon sounding very similar to the Marantz. It may be better to look at the other brands.

2. VIDEO - Do you need 1080p upscaling? You the have to look for models with that specifications.

3. 5.1 or 7.1? Again this will help you narrow down some models.

4. BUDGET. This is the most important. Today for example, I was able to configure a system for a friend of mine for a total of 70K including AVR, 51. speakers, and speaker cables. You have a budget of 60K for the AVR. The Yamaha 863, 1800 and 1900 will all fit in around this price. So will the Onkyo 606, and the 705. As will the Denon 1909, and the 2309. Don't look for higher models. They will only give your heart burns.

When it comes to sound, to say which sounds better will be incorrect, and definitely a very personal opinion. It is better for you look at the specs of the 6 or so models and work with us to shortlist according to specs to meet your criteria. You will then be left with a few models that you can audition and pick up the winner.

Cheers

hi sumit
always yamaha is better for movies but if seen one movie on yamaha you get tired.not in denon .if u can aford 3808 go for that that is best receiver with GUI .even 2809 doesnt have GUI .3808 will cost you in gray market 70k approx and 2808 will cost 50

hi
venkat i will like to call you ' SIR '

Hi Venkat!!! Thanks for the valuable post. It sure clears a lot of things. I appreciate you taking time out for this post. Abhijit thanks for your views.

If Denon and Marantz sound similar then I think I should steer clear of Denon. Sorry Abhijit, I am only interested in Movie-Watching at present. And, what do you mean by "Get tired after watching one movie vide Yamaha"?

Venkat> Let us discuss in the same chronological order as suggested by you:

1. Sound> Lets look at other brands : Onkyo and Yamaha

2. Upscaling> I don't need upscaling. I leave that to the projector or DVD player. But, AVR should have 1080p Pass through. I need minimum two HDMI 1080p pass-through. And, pre-out are a must.

3. 7.1 as I own 7+1 speakers and sub repectively.

4. Budget: I think from Yamaha> I can afford 863 or 1800
Onkyo> I can afford 705 or 805 ( 606 does not have pre-out)

So, Venkat I have shorlited 2 brands and 4 models amongst them repectively.

Let me know your views about the above 4 models.

Thanks a lot.

Sumit.

P.S> Have your heard the CA Azur 640R?

First let us clear your PS. If you don't like the Marantz, you will certainly not like the Azur 640R. The Azur has been made to be a musical amplifier and gives equal importance to both music ad movies, and because of the CA background, leans more towards music.

I think ultimately you have to choose between Yamaha and Onkyo. But here you have made my job very difficult. You want me to choose from 4 very good receivers? Give me a break !!

In the Yamaha, though it has less power, the 863 seems to have more features such as Dolby Digital EX, Neural Sound, HD Radio, DTS Neo, and Bluetooth compatibility. The 1800 does not provide anything greatly esciting to justify its additional price.

In Onkyo, it is much more difficult. The main difference is power. Other wise both are very capable amps.

So we have eliminated the 1800. You have to choose between the 863, the 805, and the 705. A lot also depends upon the budget. If you can afford it, I would go for the Onkyo 805. On a more budgetary scale, you have to choose between the 705 and the 863. The 863 is not THX Certified, and that is an advantage the 705 has. Other than this both have superb sound processing capabilities.

What I am going to do is to help you in your choice by showing you some professional reviews. Read them and then we will see which one you want. Each is followed by a paragraph of conclusions. If this helps you decide, please do let me know what factors you used to decide.

Yamaha 863

Home Theater: Yamaha RX-V863 A/V Receiver

Yamaha has long excelled in the $999 receiver category, and the RX-V863 is no exception. This receiver has a smart new feature set that combines original ideas (scene), rarities (Bluetooth), and new things we must all have (Dolby TrueHD, et al.). The graphic user interface could use an overhaul, but apart from that, this receiver is right up to date.

Yamaha RX-V863 7.2 Channel Home Theater Receiver Review & Information

For about $1,000, you get an awful lot of features and performance with the Yamaha V863. Don’t be put off by its modest looks, as the V863 sounds every bit as good as its similarly-priced rivals and even better than some home theater receivers costing twice as much. It’s a good value and a terrific receiver, highly recommended.

Onkyo 805

Onkyo TX-SR805 Multi-channel Home Theater Receiver Review & Information

For close to $1,000, the Onkyo 805 is one of my favorite receivers available today. Sure, it doesn’t up-convert everything to 1080p, but that’s about all it lacks in terms of features when stacking it up against the competition. However, that little “cheat” so many enthusiasts like to spew out at you will cost you more and, if you already have the HD sources like a Blu-ray, HD DVD or DVR player, then save your money and rest assured that the Onkyo 805 is probably all the receiver you’re going to need for a long time.

Onkyo TX-SR805 AV Receiver Review — Reviews and News from Audioholics

The design approach applied to the TX-SR805 is clearly geared more for audio performance. All of the audio processing is cutting edge and the amplifier section walks all over the competition. Video processing is adequate, but is not by any stretch cutting edge. As I previously stated, if one wants or needs the additional video performance, the TX-SR875 is looks to be everything that the TX-SR805 is with the addition of HQV 1080p video processing.

The good news with the TX-SR805, while the video processing is limited, it conforms to the latest enhancements that HDMI 1.3a offers, so it will not bottleneck system performance as 1080p and high bit Deep Color become the norm.

Based purely on audio quality of the receiver itself, the TX-SR805 will easily compete with any offering at or near its price. With lossless decoding and Audyssey engaged, nothing comparably priced that does not include HD audio or Audyssey will even come close.

Onkyo has clearly upped the ante with the TX-SR805. With the level of audio performance, HD audio decoding, high build quality, THX Ultra2 certification, and the myriad of cutting edge features, the TX-SR805 is highly recommended.

Onkyo TX-SR805 Receiver�-�AVRev.com

With a retail price of $999, the Onkyo TX-SR805 is a juggernaut. How Onkyo is able to pack so much performance, technology and livability into such an inexpensive package is beyond me. A year ago, a receiver boasting half of what the Onkyo TX-SR805 delivers would have run you twice as much, which speaks not only to the sheer value of the TX-SR805, but also to the efficiency and prowess of the Onkyo designers themselves.

The TX-SR805 does so many things right technologically, and sounds more high-end than any other receiver I’ve heard in recent memory, that I have no inclination to remove it from my rack any time soon. As bowled over as I was with the Yamaha RX-V861, nothing could’ve prepared me for the TX-SR805. Don’t get me wrong, there are other great receivers out there, but it’s the completeness of the TX-SR805 that astounds me most. Be it music or movies, high definition or standard definition, adding or subtracting gear or even operating another zone, the Onkyo TX-SR805 simply shines. It is the first feature-packed receiver I’ve encountered that doesn’t appear to be preoccupied with its own technology. Instead, the TX-SR805 opts to entertain and, while the latest technology may play a role in the total enjoyment of your system, tearing your hair out to get to it isn’t entertaining. The Onkyo TX-SR805 is a wonderful receiver, one Onkyo should be proud of and one you’d be silly to pass up.

Home Theater: B&W 600 Series Speaker System and Onkyo TX-SR805 A/V Receiver

Both B&W and Onkyo (and many other manufacturers) offer higher-end products that presumably do all the same stuff and do it better. In a direct comparison, I’d probably notice the difference. But if I never got another set of review samples, I’d happily live with this system forever.


Cheers

Venkat Bhai, i read somewhere on Onkyo getting too hot and some users reported sparks as well due to some chip inside it ..missing the name of it. Is it true ? ...cause only after hearing this i had made my mind to not pick an 806 ..else i would have gone for it and not been asking around still for an AVR ..which leans more towards movies to pick from Marantz, Denon or an Onkyo or even a Yamaha.

Since your post above shelved a Denon n Marantz on their musicality aspect for a Video unit, could you suggest a model upto usd1500 for an AVR ..between Yamaha & Onkyo. Or if you would prefer a short answer then pls advise in yes/no if i can go for an 806 in Onkyo? keeping in view that i will have Dali Ikon 6 HT system built around it.

brgs

Venkat bhai,
a quick update.. Contrary to what i said above, i have gone tangent to your feedback on Marantz SR7002. I shall have to see it to believe it.

I have to admit.. Marantz is also my fav brand and i hope to not be too disappointed on my pick.

Shall share my reviews on it when i can ..likely within 3 weeks from now the rack should be set to 'speak' ..

thanks for your valuable insight though.


brgs

The Onkyo's do get hot as they have massive transformers inside. In addition they have a new apmlifier technology called Push-Pull which may add to the heat. But all this talk about sparks and all is sheer hogwash. The heating issue is in the 700 and 800 series only. I have been using a 875 for close to a year now, without any issues. You need good air conditioning, though.

Sidharth, I want you to be clear on something. I do not give any general advice, and I never support any brand. The shorlisting of amplifiers/AVRs has to be done by the person who is buying it. If you piggyback on a post you may get lead in the wrong direction. In this post, Sumit started with the premise that he has heard Marantz, and he is looking for an AVR that is 'better' for movies. That is how we have arrived at the shortlisted candidates.

Off the cuff if you ask me is the 806 good? Yes it is, in terms of specifications. But there are a lots of other factors that will matter to decide if it will be good for you. These factors are sound, video, budget, room size, types of music and movies, etc. At the end I always insist that the buyer audition the system and buy what his ears and eyes like.

Cheers