Last Night I finally managed to go through the October edition of WhatHi-Fi? Sound and Vision magazine. I had been looking forward to this edition for a month now as a long awaited shoot out between mid range AVRs was going to be featured.
The Mighty gladiators featuring in this arena were the following-
Denon 1912
Onkyo 609
Pioneer 921
Yamaha 671
They were pitted against each other through the usual tests and tortures. While it would be tough for me to type the entire process I would let you know the summary for each AVR:
Denon AVR-1912:
4 Stars
Positive:
Fine Build, Good specs. Air Play built in. Weighty, Detailed Sound.Expressive Midrange.
Negative:
Lacks the dynamic versatility and subtlety of Rivals. Could sound more immersive.
Result:
The AVR 1912 is a fine amp for the money but is bettered by the rival machines.
Onkyo TX-NR609
5 Stars
Positive:
Excellent Build, Breathtaking Sound Quality. Intuitive menus. Fine Up-scaling. Integrated Spotify Service.
Negative:
Airplay functionality would be nice.
Result:
An outrageously good Amp for the money. This is going to be tough to beat.
Pioneer VSX-921
4 Stars
Positive:
Good Looks. Air Play included. Thorough Setup. Punchy,agile sound.Good up-scaling.
Negative:
Fewer HDMI sockets than rivals.Bright,brash edge to the sound.
Result:
The Pioneer produces a rip roaring sound that lacks a little refinement in places.
Yamaha RX-V671
5 Stars
Positive:
Sensational effects steering. Immersive sound field.Timing. Good Build and specs.
Negative:
There is no integrated,wireless streaming functionality.
Result:
A seriously talented surround Amp and a real contender for class- leading status.
The winner according to the magazine was the Onkyo 609 by what it calls the smallest of margins in comparison to the Yamaha 671. The Yamaha's musical performance is worth a special mention and the loss to the Onkyo is by a whisker. The 671 is easily Yamaha's best AVR till date at this price range.
The Mighty gladiators featuring in this arena were the following-
Denon 1912
Onkyo 609
Pioneer 921
Yamaha 671
They were pitted against each other through the usual tests and tortures. While it would be tough for me to type the entire process I would let you know the summary for each AVR:
Denon AVR-1912:
4 Stars
Positive:
Fine Build, Good specs. Air Play built in. Weighty, Detailed Sound.Expressive Midrange.
Negative:
Lacks the dynamic versatility and subtlety of Rivals. Could sound more immersive.
Result:
The AVR 1912 is a fine amp for the money but is bettered by the rival machines.
Onkyo TX-NR609
5 Stars
Positive:
Excellent Build, Breathtaking Sound Quality. Intuitive menus. Fine Up-scaling. Integrated Spotify Service.
Negative:
Airplay functionality would be nice.
Result:
An outrageously good Amp for the money. This is going to be tough to beat.
Pioneer VSX-921
4 Stars
Positive:
Good Looks. Air Play included. Thorough Setup. Punchy,agile sound.Good up-scaling.
Negative:
Fewer HDMI sockets than rivals.Bright,brash edge to the sound.
Result:
The Pioneer produces a rip roaring sound that lacks a little refinement in places.
Yamaha RX-V671
5 Stars
Positive:
Sensational effects steering. Immersive sound field.Timing. Good Build and specs.
Negative:
There is no integrated,wireless streaming functionality.
Result:
A seriously talented surround Amp and a real contender for class- leading status.
The winner according to the magazine was the Onkyo 609 by what it calls the smallest of margins in comparison to the Yamaha 671. The Yamaha's musical performance is worth a special mention and the loss to the Onkyo is by a whisker. The 671 is easily Yamaha's best AVR till date at this price range.
