denon 1312xp and onkyo 3400 review

[prosenjit]

dear all very first thing i want to mantion the points written is my thought and my thought only.

i do have a onkyo 3400,yesterday one of my freind got a denon 1312xp.i was very exicted to run it and comapre it.my review is very small...pardon my noobness
denon 1312xp---the avr build is just good.anyday better than the onkyo avr
however onkyo has a lot of input options but that really is of no use.

the supplied speajkers--onkyo 3400 do have a real good centre compared to the denon 1312xp supplied speakers...its just double heavy.

while runnning SD channels and 2 channel pcm from tatasky..the denon did a fantastic job over onkyo.in my onkyo the stereo is never so good.in denon i felt it was so good..sometimes you really wont need so many spakers...really nice stereo sound was there.
2 channel stereo is much better in 1312xp than 3400

now comes the DD signals...to my surprise...I felt my onkyo 3400 is much better than denon 1312xp...i run at 20 (zero to 70)...and with a bigger room like 20*12..room is filled nicely..but here we had to go upto 90(absolute)..for a theater like loud.(in onk its 40)..maybe the absolute scale is not linear in denon(no idea)...also the centre..yes the centre is better in onkyo 3400..and in movie centre is boss...i felt the centre in onkyo is delivering much heavy sound..here it was little hollow..

have not tested dts dvds or blu rays in denon as my friend did not have player or material...


so coclusion is strictly speaking for those who just want an htib....just an htib...onkyo 3400 is good as its cheaper also....for those who want separates thats well a completly different scenario...amp spaker sound signature,loudness,many factors are thetre...
I am just considering onkyo 3400 and denon 1312xp only and only these 2.

thank you friends.

 

[hemantwaghe]

Please test with HD material with HD sound -IT WILL BE A GOOD USEFUL REVIEW!!!

 

[prosenjit]

my friend was trynig to buy a samsung or lg home theater....as they have a fantastic look within 20k range..
i convinced him to get denon/yama/onkyo type...explaining the goodness etc...ignoring the samsung/lg looks
now if right now i again explain him the goodness of blu ray player,br disks etc....he will kill me..
waiting..

 

[jaivelu]

Its a very good comparison done prosenjit....

Above all what matters is the Sound Quality and satisfaction. Many people don't understand this...

 

[devilwearsprada]

Amazing comparison done. :clapping:
And its great to push people away for the 'good looking' to the 'great sounding' :lol:
The Onkyo is much better considering the "budget". And my vote would anytime go for the onkyo, considering that you can add-on a blu ray for the same budget as other sets( YHT-296/Denon 1312XP)

 

[jaivelu]

Please clarify FMs.... I have heard about & seen the heat generated by Onkyo Receivers? Whether its creating a problem in day to day usage? Please clarify....

 

[devilwearsprada]

Please clarify FMs.... I have heard about & seen the heat generated by Onkyo Receivers? Whether its creating a problem in day to day usage? Please clarify....

Sir, the problem comes when people generally cover the Reciever with a cloth for dust protection. I have a plain mesh-cotton(Muslin) Cloth as the cover and I haven't had overheating problems as of yet. Also, overheating is generally prevalent in all new parts. If there is a significant overheating check for voltage fluctuations and go for a good Surge Protector (Belkin/Huntkey). :indifferent14:

 

[jaivelu]

@devilwearsprada, thanks a lot for the clarification. So, its not a big problem if good ventilation is provided to the Receiver. Great.....

 

[prosenjit]

i keep the avr in fully open space just above a table top.keep a hand towel over it while not runnnig.never felt overheating.i am aware of onkyo avr overheatting and am over protective so i keep it open.if heat is a concern in any equipment...a simple 230 volt fan like this
http://www.ebay.in/itm/120mm-AC-220...4?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_203&hash=item256f6dd4aa

can be used with some diy attachment.
one thing... what brand avr you buy....keep it properly ventilated.those enclosed racks may look fine...but your avr should breathe....open ht rack is best

 

[jaivelu]

Thanks prosenjit. I have inquired because a lot of new members are being concern about the heat generated by the Onkyo Receiver and a bit hesitant.

So, it will be quite useful if add this information to alley their fears in your comparison review of Onkyo 3400. By the way its a very good review done by you.:clapping:

 

[devilwearsprada]

i keep the avr in fully open space just above a table top.keep a hand towel over it while not runnnig.never felt overheating.i am aware of onkyo avr overheatting and am over protective so i keep it open.if heat is a concern in any equipment...a simple 230 volt fan like this
120mm AC 220V Sleeve Bearing Cool Case Cooling Fan 2PIN | eBay

can be used with some diy attachment.
one thing... what brand avr you buy....keep it properly ventilated.those enclosed racks may look fine...but your avr should breathe....open ht rack is best

@devilwearsprada, thanks a lot for the clarification. So, its not a big problem if good ventilation is provided to the Receiver. Great.....

@Jaivelu, not a problem brother. And yes, ventilation is the key to overheating problems.

@Prosenjit - Exactly my point. Never had these problems of over-heating with my set. It is only because of over protective mothers who put fancy clothes on top of your avr to protect it from heap of dust :lol:
Any AVR, does require some form of ventilation and if that space is covered it will overheat.

 

[devilwearsprada]

Would also like to add a simple comparison between the YHT-196/296 and the Onky-3400 here.

The Onkyo-3400 is available for 27.5k(Free LG-BDP550)
The YHT-296 for 29k and YHT-196 for around 21k.

Another correction the Onkyo-3400 does not have a USB Port, the 3500 Does(available at the same price as 3400 but without the BD Player)

I would strongly suggest to go for the Onkyo-3400 as:
1. You would play downloaded music, considering the fact its gonna majorly be mp3, there is not gonna be much difference in the 3 sets.

2. In case you download better quality music(Flac etc.) or play 5.1 Videos of songs, the real difference would come out for music. I would give the YHT-296 a point above the Onkyo on this aspect.

3. The Onkyo-3400 pitches the other two down because of its Movie Performance. If you are a movie buff, and want an amazing experience out of your set for both movies and music. I would suggest you the 3400. You could save the money on 3500 and buy add-on's(BDP/ 14 Gauge Wire)

4. Considering the fact that I have also demo'ed the three sets together with the same quality files(mp3's) and a Blu Ray of the same movie.

The Onkyo 3400 seemed to be the versatile performer imho. The YHT-296/298 is pretty good for music but the Onkyo-3400 simply beats it on the movie front. Also, the real music sense would come off only with better files and not on downloaded music. Also, it does not only depend if speakers are of more watts or they are stylish, but yes the YHT-196 is outdated. If you are looking for a budget Htib, The Onkyo -3400 is what you should buy right away.

 

[prosenjit]

who put fancy clothes on top of your avr to protect it from heap of dust :lol:

i have seen people covering their large lcd tvs with transparent covers(that side zipper wala)....and runnning with it.
keeping aside..... the picture ka 12 baj gaya point....i could not establish my point to them that... thats in fact harmful to thier tvs....ventilation case...:lol:

 

[bpranay]

While using electronic items like LCD,LEDs, Hifi system or AVRs, it is must for the items to have proper ventilation. As over a period of time, with the lack of ventilation there it is going to have a burnout issue especially with LCDS & LEDs which causes the picture quality to deter with color fading. I have seen so many people in the name of best interiors put home theatres and TVs in large cases or make a very expensive wall unit which do not provide the proper ventilation. Beware.

 

[rohitpuri]

And dont forget when mobiles used to be laminated !