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Best A/V unit (all in one, no other components)


Boxx

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If you had between $1,500 and $2,500 to spend on an A/V unit, which brand and model would you choose.  I know that many of you would never go this route, but I may be looking for one soon and I need opinions.  Thanks, Boxx

Edited by Boxx
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To me, an AVP (I recommend using external amplifiers and a preamp in order to allow you to mix-match for your own tastes in amplification) should do two things very well:

 

1) provide low noise/low jitter (below some unnamed threshold of audibility) for the DAC portion of the conversion of input signals, and

2) provide flawless conversion of incoming bit streams without issues of having to convert to PCM, etc.

 

Having said that, most AVPs will perform excellently in the first category (IMHO, below audible thresholds easily), but many older AVPs/AVRs have issues with the second category.

 

As for the second, if you're trying to find the best performing AVP, look at the results of "bus jitter" (not to be confused with "DAC jitter") tests found here (posting #7): https://www.avforums.com/threads/pioneer-51fd-jitter-measurements.1097068/

 

What I've found is that DAC jitter is inaudible below about -80 to -90 dB (Frequency Modulation Distortion, or FMD), so all the branded AVPs would work well from this standpoint. 

 

Bus jitter is inaudible in my experience since the worst it can do is reduce the effect bit depth of your DAC from 16 bits to 15 bits (worst case) or 23 bits from 24 bits (on better audio streams), but it would take about 10x-100x more jitter to produce the amount of bus error rates to effectively drop one bit of resolution.

 

Bottom line: buy your AVP for brand familiarity and/or perceived market resale value--if you are the sort of person that buys and sells equipment.  For myself, I'm really quite happy with my setup, and do not plan to sell before my AVP becomes "OBE" by newer capabilities that I can't live without--and that may be several years in the future.

 

YMMV.

 

Chris

Edited by Chris A
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You DID say all in one, no other components...this baby leaves NAD far behind.....Link here just in case....

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/23808027?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227017381227&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40330523792&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=78289760072&veh=sem

 

post-12530-0-98200000-1416166069_thumb.j

Edited by jimjimbo
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As I have posted more than a couple of times I really like the Pioneer units using their "D3" amps, so that is where I would spend my money (and have). That said, MACC, Pioneer's room correction system does a good job overall but is lacking in its ability to do much EQing with subs. From what I have read Audyssey might be better?

I am thinking of adding this to my system to help:

http://www.minidsp.com/ht-series/nanoavr-HD

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A new DENON 4520 which are starting to be seen at discontinued prices . . . an absolute beast with all the bells and whistles.

I am running its predecessor, the Denon 4311, and an all Heritage HT. I added an amp for the front k-horns only when I went to 11 channels.

No doubt in my mind that the DENON 4520 will be the best bang for the buck this month and next as long as Atmos is not important to you, which it is not to me.

I love the Denon sound mated to the Heritage speakers.

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I was always a big Yamaha person...........until recently. I am fastly becoming a Denon fan. I would either go Marantz or Denon as I have been unable to see any of the "other" high end brands due to where I live and all the big box stores. The Marantz for voice with music and dialogue, and the Denon for overall. The Audyssey on these units is also better than YPAO in my opinion. I am also more of a movie person than music at this point, so that is why I chose these. If you're more into music the Marantz in my opinion has the more warm sound and the Denon is in between that and Yamaha with Yamaha having the cooler sound of the 3. I am nowhere near being the audiophile most on here are, but for my purposes I'm enjoying the Denon more and more daily.

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If I was going to power my speakers with the av I would go with pio elite with the class D amps. They have almost the best system in macc and probably best in power. Or Denon gets a lot of love also and the top models run an even better eq system with the xt32. I think you get a little better power with the elite and a little better eq system with the Denon. I would go with the one that matters more to you. 

Edited by Pro-Cinema_Head
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If you had between $1,500 and $2,500 to spend on an A/V unit, which brand and model would you choose.  I know that many of you would never go this route, but I may be looking for one soon and I need opinions.  Thanks, Boxx

 

Boxx,

 

Are you leaning towards seperates like sound and power or are you looking for most bells and whistles?

 

Seperates like, go NAD.

 

Bells and whistles, Audyssey XT32 with SubEQ, and a pretty darn potent amp section and for around $1000.00, then the Denon 4520 may be the one.

 

Bill

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If you had between $1,500 and $2,500 to spend on an A/V unit, which brand and model would you choose.  I know that many of you would never go this route, but I may be looking for one soon and I need opinions.  Thanks, Boxx

 

Boxx,

 

Are you leaning towards seperates like sound and power or are you looking for most bells and whistles?

 

Seperates like, go NAD.

 

Bells and whistles, Audyssey XT32 with SubEQ, and a pretty darn potent amp section and for around $1000.00, then the Denon 4520 may be the one.

 

Bill

 

 

I'm trying to stay away from separates.

 

I do like bells and whistles, but what I really searching for is superior HT and 2 channel capabilities.

 

Lot's of great ideas here guy's.  I appreciate all of your input....

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A new DENON 4520 which are starting to be seen at discontinued prices . . . an absolute beast with ++++(ALMOST)+++++ all the bells and whistles.

I am running its predecessor, the Denon 4311, and an all Heritage HT. I added an amp for the front k-horns only when I went to 11 channels.

No doubt in my mind that the DENON 4520 will be the best bang for the buck this month and next as long as Atmos is not important to you, which it is not to me.

I love the Denon sound mated to the Heritage speakers.

 

It has HDMI 1.4, so without HDMI 2.0, that would be a deal breaker for me because of the lack of that one feature.

 

I don't have a recommendation at that price point, but I will go on record saying I like the convenience of all-in-one AVR's.  I'm sure someone can come out with charts and graphs showing .001298 mili-squidgions of audio superiority where separates prove better, but I still think modern AVR's are where it's at, for most of us.

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It would probably be hard to beat a Denon AVR-X5200W. I'm a Marantz fan due to the clean face and warm sound so I'd choose an SR-7009, actually I did, but the flagship Denon receivers are supposedly built in such a way that rivals a separates setup elsewhere. Atmos and Audessey XT32 on top of that.

Edited by MetropolisLakeOutfitters
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As I have posted more than a couple of times I really like the Pioneer units using their "D3" amps, so that is where I would spend my money (and have).

If I was going to power my speakers with the av I would go with pio elite with the class D amps. They have almost the best system in macc and probably best in power.

+2  :emotion-21:  ...and I'll be headed this route myself very shortly. I have frequently demo'd the latest D3 powered Elites, and every time I come away smitten with the sound. When I get one, I know I'll certainly be kicking myself for not having jumped on the bandwagon sooner.

 

If processing the subwoofer channel ever presents an issue, there's always the option to insert a MiniDSP or Antimode 8033.   

 

edit: There's also the new MCACC "Pro". Which apparently handles dual subwoofers now. 

Edited by Quiet_Hollow
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I think the brands I would not choose would be the longest list if I had ...say..$2500. Are you going for audio quality, features, OR both(which will cost more)? The last thing I would do is spend $2500 on any mass mrkt name. If however music is no big whoop just pick about anyone you like, they all do HT.

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