AV Question - Onkyo or Yamaha?
 

We've just finished our front room and I'm thinking of swapping out my receiver. I've currently got a Harmon Kardon AVR255 with Quad Lite surround speakers.

I'm either looking at the Yamaha V671 or Onkyo 609. I'm not changing the speakers although I might replace the fronts with Quad 12L2 if I find a decent price.

Anyone know enough to tell me which would be best with my speakers? I have no means to test - unless I buy both and send one back using distance selling rules :)

It's only out of those two - or at least those brands (might go up the range). Denon build quality IMO. I bought a 1910 to replace the AVR255 and was so disgusted with the flimsy feel compared to the HK and the teletext OSD, it went back the same day.

I have tested both numerous times and the onkyo is without doubt gave the best audio performance regardless of what speakers I tested them with. It also has serious stereo potential unlike its rivals.

Unfortunately I aint heard let alone stock Quad so haven't heard them as a combo but truthfully Onkyo has destroyed the competition this year again!

I have an onkyo but the previous model the 608 and while it is pretty good sound wise some of the settings and controls can be annoying. It also keeps switching on with no sound meaning I have to switch it on and off again loads of times before the sound comes on.

With amps you need to go to a shop and demo a pair with ideally the type of speakers your using, some amps are bright which are ideal for warm speakers then some amps are warm sounding which are ideal for bright speakers as it gives a great balance to the sound.

As an example i have a pair of Monitor Audio RX6 speakers and the perfect match for those seems to be a warm Denon AVR, Yamaha or Pioneer amp, Onkyo are a bit too bright for Monitor audio.

AV forums is your best place, they have their own dedicated amp and speaker sections as well as home cinema etc.

Onkyo everytime.

I have a TX-SR608 coupled to Monitor Audio's and a Rel sub.

Onkyo :thumb: same as above I the 608, my dad has just upgraded cinema rooms system replaced a yamaha with onkyo and he's very happy with the improvement

Whats the build quality like on the Onkyo? The Denon really did feel cheap.

I'm no audiophile by any stretch but I could see and hear a difference between the two and the HK was warm and soft compared to the Denon. I think I may have even liked the Denon a bit more but the OSD was completely unacceptable compared to the HK.

I went from a Yammy DSP A1 to an Onkyo 905 no regrets at all!


DTS master audio on the Onkyo is the danglies.


Ads :thumb:

Many moons ago I took the plunge and went for seperates instead of an all in one box job

I decided on a Denon 1910 in the end
Other choices I had narrowed down to were an Onkyo and a Yamaha - both of similar prices to the Denon.
I liked the look and sound of the Denon over the others

The trouble with sound is that what sounds good to one person may sound rubbish to another. Hence the reason for trying to test as much as possible it can be such a personal thing.

When I made the jump from an all-in-one setup to a seperates set-up, I tested a few different amp and speaker setups of similar prices, I was amazed at just how different they could all be and how my friend and I had different opinions on what sounded best.

I tested Onkyo and Denon with various speakers.....ended up with the Denon.

I had an old Denon AVR-1803 (from 2003!) - upgraded it last year to a Denon 1910 - and the difference was staggering!

Just goes to show that they DO improve year on year! (I was sceptical) and a 7 year improvement was huge!

Yes the OSD is pants (seriously pants!), but after the day I set it all up I have never been back into it..... no need to...

Onkyo gets consistently good reviews and I'll certainly be having a long look at their range when I set about putting together my system later on this year.

Got one of their micro systems and that is very good :)

yamaha for me, works especially well with monitor audio. Got myself a special edition uk tuned amp (won the what hifi best cinema amp £500-£1000 in 2008) & the sound to me & all my mates is flawless, wherther in dsp, stereo or 7 channel stereo ect, all spot on, but which ever you choose Onkyo or Yamaha both will be good. Its more down to the looks an which you prefer using, doubt there will be much in it at all quality wise both really good imho

a few years ago though i was looking for amp & speakers & the shop guy said quad speakers work well with marantz gear.... how true that is im not sure

Guy at work had an Onkyo AV amp

It died, so he replaced it with the the nearest equivalent, a Yamaha.

He said "Its better specced than the Onkyo", but needs to be driven much louder than the Onkyo to achieve the same levels of sound than the Onkyo


Mart

There is a few opinions blatently ripped clean out of the pages of AV Forums here.:lol1:

I use Monitor Audio S-6's myself, I would agree that previous generation Onkyo AVR's may have been slightly on the bright side with this combo but the current generation has cured that quite well!

The Yamaha is a good AVR, just not as good as the 609. I personally would be happy at having the Yamaha but i'd still be thinking i should have bought the 609.

The current range from Denon, its sheer ****! They are underspecced underpowered and uninteresting. I still can't believe they expect to sell the AVR-1912 for almost £500 when it has such limited digital and analogue inputs/outputs compared to the AVR-1910. Oh yes and it sounds **** too, it has the urgency and exuberance of an asthmatic ant.

And my old favourites Pioneer.....just don't bother unless you've going in at the top end of the market.

Yamaha for me too. Used with Tannoy SFX5.1 speakers sounds fantastic.

I have a Denon 1910 running Monitor Audio speakers and have no issues with it at all. It sounds pretty good to me :D

I have the Yamaha RXV 1800 with Klipsch speakers and the one thing you can do with Yamaha's is run " Presence Speakers " I find the difference is amazing especially on music (apple lossless ) And would never buy any amp again without be able to to do this. I don't like Onkyo at all , I read they have a lot of problems with overheating and over-bright sound.

Must be something wrong with my ears then.
Fcuk - I thought it sounded much more lively than the Onkyo when I listened in your store.
I'm sure its changed now, but the back then the Onkyo was quite hot in comparison to the Denon I bought.
The heat also put me off it I guess.

The 1910 was great when it was new, much better infact that the newer versions as they started cutting corners. Denon have just stood still as Onkyo and Yamaha have surpassed them.

The Onkyo still run hot but so does any really good hifi gear I've ever had, my Marantz amp even comes with a temp guage!:D

Is the temp of the Onkyo an issue? My receiver is on a shelf with shelving about it. There isn't an awful lot of room and my HK gets very hot at times. I don't want the Onkyo to cook itself - I suppose I could get 120mm case fans and put then behind it but not ideal. I have to run my PC with the lid off and it's water cooled and still gets too hot sometimes.

I was really disappointed with the 1910 - at least compared to the HK and that really didn't get great reviews. I bought it because when it first came out there was an issue over price and I got it for £450 and not the £600 it should have been.

Whats the build quality like on the Onkyo?

Naim for me :thumb:

Heat isn't a issue for me and my amp is quite enclosed been like that for 2 years.

I have an Onkyo 608 and really can not fault it, Tried a few combinations in Richer Sounds prior to buying, ended up with the Onkyo and Cambridge Audio speakers all round, really pleased with what is a budget set up in this field I guess. And yes the DTS Master audio sound awesome! :)

very nice mate :thumb:

Don't encourage him! :brickwall

When I bought my AV Receiver a couple of years ago, I did notice that the Denon I looked at was a bit cheap looking/feeling compared to the Yamaha, Sony and Onkyo equivalents.

Here we go again, same old, same old. Get a life FFS!

Your comment had no relevance to the thread, just another chance for you to try and show off, so I suggest that it's you that needs to get a life. FFS!

Jealousy is a horrible trait. :D

i have

http://www.whathifi.com/review/yamaha-yht-s400 for my front room because women hate wires and in all honesty it sounds OK.

As with all Yamaha stuff its good, but they are always behind on technology, same as their pianos i buy Roland for that reason but anyway to answer your question, yeah Onkoyo seem very good amps.

for my Cinema room i actually went Pioneer and have this

http://www.pioneer.eu/uk/products/ar...1-S/index.html

The auto setup feature has been a godsend, as we all know there is nothing worse than sitting their with Wife Bird mother and her saying i cant hear what they are saying and then u start messing with the speakers n levels

never once have i had to do that with this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol51xT8kTHI

so with your budget if personally go with

http://www.pioneer.eu/uk/products/42...FQMMtAodKHlBww

I run Mission Flat Panal FS2s with a second REL sub for LFE bass and it sounds awsome i will upgrade this year to HDMI though as i do miss this now.

Seriously though look at MCACC im unsure what Onkoyo have they may have this so apologies, but my Pioneer is 8 years old and still as good as new