Denon 6700 - Suggestions needed

[ashambasta]

Dear FMs

i am looking at upgrading from Denon 2500 to Denon 4800/6700. I will use it in 5.1 config only. I have following speakers S55 F, S35C, PolK TL 2 surrounds and HTS 12 Sub. 2500 works great for Movie but I am not fully satisfied in music.

4800/6700 will provide better Audessey and also more power. what do you suggest?

where in Bangalore can I purchase at best rates? I will also be selling my Denon 2500 which is performing quite well.

Thanks for your help

 

[Nitin K]

Dear FMs

i am looking at upgrading from Denon 2500 to Denon 4800/6700. I will use it in 5.1 config only. I have following speakers S55 F, S35C, PolK TL 2 surrounds and HTS 12 Sub. 2500 works great for Movie but I am not fully satisfied in music.

4800/6700 will provide better Audessey and also more power. what do you suggest?

where in Bangalore can I purchase at best rates? I will also be selling my Denon 2500 which is performing quite well.

Thanks for your help

If you are using the avr only in 5.1 mode then anything above Denon 4xxx would be a waste as you won't need that many channels. Just make sure you have preouts in the avr in case if you need a power amp depending on your room size which is not mentioned.
In most cases if the room is smaller or around 11ft X 14ft then you may not even require a power amp for 5.1channels with the 4xxx series.
For music , Marantz avr will do a decent job. Audyssey phone app will give you more options and control over the avr's software.
Since you are happy with movies, would suggest to borrow qacoustics or wharfedale speakers if possible to check it out for music.

 

[ashambasta]

If you are using the avr only in 5.1 mode then anything above Denon 4xxx would be a waste as you won't need that many channels. Just make sure you have preouts in the avr in case if you need a power amp depending on your room size which is not mentioned.
In most cases if the room is smaller or around 11ft X 14ft then you may not even require a power amp for 5.1channels with the 4xxx series.
For music , Marantz avr will do a decent job. Audyssey phone app will give you more options and control over the avr's software.
Since you are happy with movies, would suggest to borrow qacoustics or wharfedale speakers if possible to check it out for music.

Thanks Nitin. My HT set up is in an L shaped Living-Dining room which is 500 Sq Ft area. I was looking for a bit more powerful AVR and not an amp due to space constraints!! I have been quoted 2.3 L and 1.8L respectively for 6700 and 4800 including exchange. Was not sure if I should go ahead with 6700 as its an incremental expense to get a better AVR. if there will be un-noticeable difference in SQ then will possibly go ahead with 4800. I will not use Dirac or 4 subs so featurewise 6700 is good enough.

do you think I can get a better deal than above which includes exchange?

 

[caspian1985]

Thanks Nitin. My HT set up is in an L shaped Living-Dining room which is 500 Sq Ft area. I was looking for a bit more powerful AVR and not an amp due to space constraints!! I have been quoted 2.3 L and 1.8L respectively for 6700 and 4800 including exchange. Was not sure if I should go ahead with 6700 as its an incremental expense to get a better AVR. if there will be un-noticeable difference in SQ then will possibly go ahead with 4800. I will not use Dirac or 4 subs so featurewise 6700 is good enough.

do you think I can get a better deal than above which includes exchange?

If you’re not using Dirac or 4 subs, I’d go for the 6700H. You get much more power and therefore more headroom, the 6xxx and above series sound wise are heads and shoulders above the 4xxx and lower. You also get 2 more channels of amplification and 2 more processing.

The only limitation is 8K/HDMI 2.1. The 6700H had only one 8K input, the 4800H has 6 or 7. If you’re using a TV with eARC then that’s not an issue

 

[ashambasta]

If you’re not using Dirac or 4 subs, I’d go for the 6700H. You get much more power and therefore more headroom, the 6xxx and above series sound wise are heads and shoulders above the 4xxx and lower. You also get 2 more channels of amplification and 2 more processing.

The only limitation is 8K/HDMI 2.1. The 6700H had only one 8K input, the 4800H has 6 or 7. If you’re using a TV with eARC then that’s not an issue

I will use it with a 1080 projector. HDMI 2.0. No Immediate plan to upgrade the projector. any idea what should be the best price for 6700 given 6800 is announced now and globally there are many offers.

 

[Nitin K]

Thanks Nitin. My HT set up is in an L shaped Living-Dining room which is 500 Sq Ft area. I was looking for a bit more powerful AVR and not an amp due to space constraints!! I have been quoted 2.3 L and 1.8L respectively for 6700 and 4800 including exchange. Was not sure if I should go ahead with 6700 as its an incremental expense to get a better AVR. if there will be un-noticeable difference in SQ then will possibly go ahead with 4800. I will not use Dirac or 4 subs so featurewise 6700 is good enough.

do you think I can get a better deal than above which includes exchange?

Most welcome. You can also try Marantz cinema 60 which if I am not mistaken is 100 watts rms 2 channels driven. All channels won't be using equal amounts of power at the same time.
If you still feel inclined towards Denon 6xxx series then that's fine .
If cinema is my main criteria then a good subwoofer is also very important. Don't worry about 8k as proper 4k content itself will be here for a while.

 

[ajuvignesh]

Did you check about anthem, arcam range of AVRs? Those, if Im not mistaken, will be good for both movies and music.

 

[Gvtpraj]

Hi,
I upgraded from Denon X1600 to X4500 a couple of years back. Apart from few extra features (mainly Audessey XT32 and Auro 3D which I used a lot) and some extra power, sound quality wise it didn’t bring me much.
If you are not fully satisfied with Denon 2500, I would recommend you to look at some other brand than Denon or Marantz.
As @ajuvignesh mentioned above look at basic 5.1 versions from Anthem or Arcam. Yamaha is also good, but you get better room correction with Anthem or Arcam.
Hope it helps.

 

[ashambasta]

Most welcome. You can also try Marantz cinema 60 which if I am not mistaken is 100 watts rms 2 channels driven. All channels won't be using equal amounts of power at the same time.
If you still feel inclined towards Denon 6xxx series then that's fine .
If cinema is my main criteria then a good subwoofer is also very important. Don't worry about 8k as proper 4k content itself will be here for a while.

Thanks Nitin. Will check the C series as well.

 

[ashambasta]

Hi,
I upgraded from Denon X1600 to X4500 a couple of years back. Apart from few extra features (mainly Audessey XT32 and Auro 3D which I used a lot) and some extra power, sound quality wise it didn’t bring me much.
If you are not fully satisfied with Denon 2500, I would recommend you to look at some other brand than Denon or Marantz.
As @ajuvignesh mentioned above look at basic 5.1 versions from Anthem or Arcam. Yamaha is also good, but you get better room correction with Anthem or Arcam.
Hope it helps.

I thought of checking but little apprehensive about long term reliability and support in India. are there authorized dealers for these brands in India who also provide warranty and support. Denon has a proven reliability and service network hence was keen on that.

 

[caspian1985]

if you’re looking at other brands in the Anthem/Arcam category look at Integra too. The DRX 3.4 and 5.4 are both good 9/11 channel models with great features and they offer 18 month warranty versus Denon’s 12 months

 

[sandeepmohan]

I will also be selling my Denon 2500 which is performing quite well.

I hope I am reading this right.
You want to spend >4 lacs on a new AV receiver upgrade just because Music ain't sounding right!
Spend a little time re-calibrating your existing AVR-X2500 for Stereo and I am pretty sure, you can get it to sound right. Its possible that the Audyssey calibration for Movies isn't working well for Music.
Have a play with the Graphic Equalizer and Sound Modes.
Borrow a power amplifier from someone and try using the pre outs from Zone 2 and check if this improves Stereo performance.

If nothing works, then go buy the 6700. You'll also want to set aside another 4 lacs for a speaker upgrade cause your existing Polks may not do justice to what the 6700 can do.

 

[Amarendra]

Dear FMs

i am looking at upgrading from Denon 2500 to Denon 4800/6700. I will use it in 5.1 config only. I have following speakers S55 F, S35C, PolK TL 2 surrounds and HTS 12 Sub. 2500 works great for Movie but I am not fully satisfied in music.

4800/6700 will provide better Audessey and also more power. what do you suggest?

where in Bangalore can I purchase at best rates? I will also be selling my Denon 2500 which is performing quite well.

Thanks for your help

I have been using the Denon 2500 for last 4+ years. Try using Pure Direct for stereo and check- disable Audyssey. Use better speaker cables for fronts (see thread on Belden). Another option is build a separate stereo setup- spend on good speakers + DAC and a stereo amp + minidsp (if required)- much cheaper and reliable than the fancy AVRs.

 

[ashambasta]

I hope I am reading this right.
You want to spend >4 lacs on a new AV receiver upgrade just because Music ain't sounding right!
Spend a little time re-calibrating your existing AVR-X2500 for Stereo and I am pretty sure, you can get it to sound right. Its possible that the Audyssey calibration for Movies isn't working well for Music.
Have a play with the Graphic Equalizer and Sound Modes.
Borrow a power amplifier from someone and try using the pre outs from Zone 2 and check if this improves Stereo performance.

If nothing works, then go buy the 6700. You'll also want to set aside another 4 lacs for a speaker upgrade cause your existing Polks may not do justice to what the 6700 can do.

I am trying to negotiate a deal for around 2.2 lakhs but yes thats also a significant amount. Its not that 2500 does not sound good.. its just my itch to have a better sound. I have not yet tried ext amps. I can try doing that.

 

[ashambasta]

I have been using the Denon 2500 for last 4+ years. Try using Pure Direct for stereo and check- disable Audyssey. Use better speaker cables for fronts (see thread on Belden). Another option is build a separate stereo setup- spend on good speakers + DAC and a stereo amp + minidsp (if required)- much cheaper and reliable than the fancy AVRs.

I can have just one set up for both movies and Music hence cannot do a separate Stereo set up.

 

[sandeepmohan]

I am trying to negotiate a deal for around 2.2 lakhs but yes thats also a significant amount. Its not that 2500 does not sound good.. its just my itch to have a better sound. I have not yet tried ext amps. I can try doing that.

What you need to spend is the least of my problems or anybody's else's here.
The point I am trying to drive is, spend time refining the setup. Its not clear if you have or what you have done to date.
The external Amplifier solution should be your next step, if system calibration isn't working or giving you desired results.
I would also ask that you feed the system a good source file first. If you have a CD or DVD player, use that. If you don't, stream lossless from the likes of Apple Music, etc. Good music and recordings also matter in terms of how the system performs.

 

[argho]

I hope I am reading this right.
You want to spend >4 lacs on a new AV receiver upgrade just because Music ain't sounding right!
Spend a little time re-calibrating your existing AVR-X2500 for Stereo and I am pretty sure, you can get it to sound right. Its possible that the Audyssey calibration for Movies isn't working well for Music.
Have a play with the Graphic Equalizer and Sound Modes.
Borrow a power amplifier from someone and try using the pre outs from Zone 2 and check if this improves Stereo performance.

If nothing works, then go buy the 6700. You'll also want to set aside another 4 lacs for a speaker upgrade cause your existing Polks may not do justice to what the 6700 can do.

Alternate option, try out a good stereo integrated amp , which also works as a power amp.

That's the setup I have.

When listening to music, I just use the stereo amp, with the speakers.
When using HT, I switch the stereo amp to power amp mode.
The Front R & L preouts of my Denon AVR are connected to the pre-amp inputs of my stereo amp.

Sounds a little complicated, but actually easy to setup , and works flawlessly.

 

[ashambasta]

Alternate option, try out a good stereo integrated amp , which also works as a power amp.

That's the setup I have.

When listening to music, I just use the stereo amp, with the speakers.
When using HT, I switch the stereo amp to power amp mode.
The Front R & L preouts of my Denon AVR are connected to the pre-amp inputs of my stereo amp.

Sounds a little complicated, but actually easy to setup , and works flawlessly.

This sound like a good option. But my Denon 2500 does not have pre-outs though this is another reason for upgrading.

 

[ashambasta]

What you need to spend is the least of my problems or anybody's else's here.
The point I am trying to drive is, spend time refining the setup. Its not clear if you have or what you have done to date.
The external Amplifier solution should be your next step, if system calibration isn't working or giving you desired results.
I would also ask that you feed the system a good source file first. If you have a CD or DVD player, use that. If you don't, stream lossless from the likes of Apple Music, etc. Good music and recordings also matter in terms of how the system performs.

My current system does not have pre-outs hence cannot use external amp with the current set up. I have played Flac through USB input and that sounds better than spotify and other apps however Clarity and separation is not there to the extent desired. Will play around a bit more with tone, equalizer etc.

 

[ShaQ.Blogs]

I hope I am reading this right.
You want to spend >4 lacs on a new AV receiver upgrade just because Music ain't sounding right!
Spend a little time re-calibrating your existing AVR-X2500 for Stereo and I am pretty sure, you can get it to sound right. Its possible that the Audyssey calibration for Movies isn't working well for Music.
Have a play with the Graphic Equalizer and Sound Modes.
Borrow a power amplifier from someone and try using the pre outs from Zone 2 and check if this improves Stereo performance.

If nothing works, then go buy the 6700. You'll also want to set aside another 4 lacs for a speaker upgrade cause your existing Polks may not do justice to what the 6700 can do.

Even better, why not get a stereo receiver dedicated for music and keep the AV receiver?
Edit: Looks like others have recommended on similar lines