homeskizzle Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 Hey yall, I'm trying to decide whether an AVR with Pre-outs or a dedicated Preamp would be better suited for my HT system. Music is not an issue...however it sounds, it sounds. Unless an amazing deal comes up, I won't be buying until late this year or early next year...just to give a time frame. I wanted to get input so I can watch for deals or adjust my thinking. A little background shall we? Currently, I'm using a Yamaha RVX-465 (rated at 105 watts into 2, and tested closer to 80ish into 5) to power my system. I've got 3 La Scalas across the front and 2 Sony SSF-5000s for surrounds. Ultimately (not sure how long it will take), I plan on getting 4 Heresies for surrounds to take me to a 7 channel system. The Yamaha will definitely help me blow my hearing, but I get some hum from my LS (when there is a pause in the action in a movie). I've got a brand new Sherbourn 7X150 amp sitting in the box with all the packing. To me personally, I really believe that having a dedicated amp is better than using the integrated amp in an AVR. I could be persuaded to sell the Sherbourn and get a higher end AVR, but that "what if" would still be in my mind. You'd have to make a really persuasive argument to me to sell the Sherbourn. So....in the 700ish and less range, what would you recommend for an AVR or a Preamp? A tempting option is the UMC-200, which is currently on sale for $500. However, another option is the Sherwood Newcastle R-972 for $600 on accessories4less. The room correction software on the Sherwood seems vastly superior to the Emotiva. However, in my price range, it seems like a Marantz or something else might be a solid option too. I want to get some opinions and thoughts from yall to see what might work for me. I've used Pioneer electronics in my truck and love them, so I'm open to Pioneer as well. I don't particularly care about 4K, but 3D is necessary. I don't use 3D a lot, but enough that I want something compatible. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/975.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted November 3, 2013 Moderators Share Posted November 3, 2013 I think the Sherbourn would best most AVR's so IMO. Last night, I just installed my Sherbourn 72100 (200 x 7) amp and me and another forum member ran it through it's paces and it sounded fantastic. Incredible power and extremely quiet. The only Emo gear I've owned was the UMC-1. It was pretty good but I always wondered if I had made the wrong decision by purchasing it vs the HK AVR3600. The EMOQ was pretty useless in my setup. It didn't sound good at all and thus there was a lot of tweeking involved that I am not necessarily good at. In the end, I sold it and purchased the HK AVR3600 and could not be happier. Love it for HT and for 2ch which is what I have always felt with HK Receivers. Personally, I would consider the Outlaw over the Emo based on my experience with the UMC-1. It wasn't a bad unit, it just wasn't what I was looking for in a Pre/Pro. Great deals happen all the time, especially if you are ok buying in the used market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappydue Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 How about an anthem mrx-300 with top shelf ARC room correction. I know it's a receiver and bottom of the line but if you have an amp you only need it to do processing and anthem gear is high end enough that even their "bottom" of the line receiver has 7.1 preouts. And I think they have a new lineup (the 310) coming out so the 300's should be discounted if it's what you are looking for in a unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allgonoshow Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 The Sherbourn stuff is on sale. Looks like a fire sale. http://www.sherbourn.com/collections/theater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted November 3, 2013 Moderators Share Posted November 3, 2013 The Sherbourn stuff is on sale. Looks like a fire sale. http://www.sherbourn.com/collections/theater All of those items say "Sorry, this product is unavailable." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allgonoshow Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 (edited) The Sherbourn stuff is on sale. Looks like a fire sale. http://www.sherbourn.com/collections/theater All of those items say "Sorry, this product is unavailable." woops, must have been a good sale if they sold them all... I went to the last stage of the cart without seeing "Sorry, this product is unavailable." Where did I miss it? Edited November 3, 2013 by allgonoshow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeskizzle Posted November 3, 2013 Author Share Posted November 3, 2013 How about an anthem mrx-300 with top shelf ARC room correction. I know it's a receiver and bottom of the line but if you have an amp you only need it to do processing and anthem gear is high end enough that even their "bottom" of the line receiver has 7.1 preouts. And I think they have a new lineup (the 310) coming out so the 300's should be discounted if it's what you are looking for in a unit. I remember you mentioning anthem stuff in another thread. I'll definitely look around for some deals on them. I've honestly never used any room correction stuff before. The YPAO on my Yammy was underwhelming to say the least. The only Sherbourn that is still available is the PT-7030...at least that I can tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allgonoshow Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 How about an anthem mrx-300 with top shelf ARC room correction. I know it's a receiver and bottom of the line but if you have an amp you only need it to do processing and anthem gear is high end enough that even their "bottom" of the line receiver has 7.1 preouts. And I think they have a new lineup (the 310) coming out so the 300's should be discounted if it's what you are looking for in a unit. I remember you mentioning anthem stuff in another thread. I'll definitely look around for some deals on them. I've honestly never used any room correction stuff before. The YPAO on my Yammy was underwhelming to say the least. The only Sherbourn that is still available is the PT-7030...at least that I can tell. I have an Anthem MRX300, It is 5.1 channel, the 500 and 700 are 7.1 I use it as a pre/pro with an Anthem MCA5 power amp with RF7ii's and surrounds etc. Killer combo imho As Scrappy said, there is a new series out, so there may be some deals on the 300/500/700 series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 X-mas is coming and people will be getting new gear and out with the old. Some great deals are sure to surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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