[jilgiljongiljing]

I am looking at upgrading my Onkyo 8222. First off, budget is 300-400, and prefereably something available on amazon since I have 150$ coupon in amazon.

I have done quite a bit of searching around but I can't quite decide on what to get. First off, I have a 2.1 setup with the Inifinity Primus 362 and Velodyne VX-10. Ideally, I would like a receiver with bass management. But the only stereo receiver with that feature is the Outlaw Audio one which is too pricey for me. The VX-10 doesnt have high pass, it only has speaker loop and a low pass for itself.

That aside, the models I have looked at so far are

Harman Kardon 3390
Harman Kardon 3490
Cambridge Azur 540A
Cambridge Azur 640A
Onkyo 9555 (priciest of the bunch, and a 2 month wait time)

First off, I wanna know if any of the following are going to offer a significant upgrade to the 50wpc Onkyo 8222 that I already have. If not, then I'll just save up for a higher end amp for later.

Secondly, I wanna know how the HK's stack up against the Cambridge. I have read a lot of good reviews on the 3490, and some who swear by CA, but no comparisons. Seeing that I use the Dacmagic as source, would it more sense to go with the brand of the source, ie 540A/640A or to go with the brand of the speaker, ie 3390/3490

The follow up to that would be how much power do I need. I really dont listen to high volumes, mid at best, the most I have ever gone on the Onkyo is halfway. But will the 120wpc 3490 sound better at same volumes compared to the 80wpc 3390? Same question for the 540A and 640A.

Lastly I read a terrific review on the Onkyo 9555 on Stereophile, if that really is better than all the others I have listed, then I'll just wait a while and order one.

Oh and if anyone has any other recommendations and advice, please help, I am primarily looking to get the best 2 channel setup with the speakers/source that I have.

 

[Headphile808]

Onkyo all the way, as I am not a big fan of Harmon Kardon & Cambridge Audio Works. The Outlaw would be the best choice IMO, though as you know they only sell direct, so that leaves out Amazon. So go with the Onkyo, and I think you'll be glad you did. Also, take a look at the NAD C720BEE Stereo Reciever $399@Amazon through Audio Advisor. Even better than the Onkyo IMO, as I've had 4 NAD Recievers and loved them all. Good Luck.
Aloha

Headphile808

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

Didnt catch the 720BEE on amazon, nice find. Is that a good price?

 

[spacemanspliff]

The new Odyssey equipped Denon receivers are the best deal going imo. I got the 589 for $250 shipped. Odyssey works. I have good surround sound in a terrible room where I previously had no luck.

 

[soundboy]

Seeing that you're using the Cambridge Audio DACMagic DAC already, I really think that the HK 3490 should be crossed off your candidate list. The DAC inside a stereo receiver is one of its appeals, but if already own a DAC....

As for power, you really can't have too much. It's good to know that the power's there when you need it.

Which leads me to the Onkyo 8555. I, too, am building a 2.1 system and is seriously considering the 8555. It has everything your 8222 has, plus a set of pre-outs, dedicated sub output (crossing over at 80hz - I confirmed it with Onkyo), and 100 watts/channel of high current power. Not to mention a relatively low price tag. Perhaps because of my previous ownership of the Onkyo 8511, the 8555's predecessor, I will always have soft spot for Onkyo gear.

As for the Onkyo 9555 integrated amp, I am sure it's excellent given all of the positive reviews from both professional reviewers and owners. However, even at the lowest price I've seen it advertised ($400.00 refurbished), is it really 2X better than the 8555?

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

I'm actually going to take the VX10 out of the equation and go purely 2 channel. I think it will be a lot more useful in my HT system rather than my stereo. There just isnt a good workable 2.1 solution without a high pass in either the receiver or the sub.

I tried 2 channel yesterday, all I had to do was change speaker location a bit (move the mains closer to the walls, some added width and angled straight) and I am getting good response all over.

Sub with a full range main without a high pass crossover is just FAIL. The 8555 doesnt have a high pass AFAIK, it only has low pass to the sub out. This is not going to work, the only way this is gonna work is if you have a powered sub with a high pass (like the higher end Velo's) and you send the full range signal to the sub and take the crossed over signal to the mains from the sub.

Trust me on this, if you have bookshelves which go down only to 50-60hz, then it might work, but for the primus 362 (or any full range that can go down to the 40's), I have to set the output gain on the sub for every song/album based on the bass frequencies and impact because the overlap is too much, its good when the bass is really low and the primus cant do it enough justice, but there are hardly enough songs in my playlist for that (no hip hop, techno, rap or bass based music). The infinities go down all the way to 37hz, the response obviously isnt as good in the 40-50 range, but the overlap is obvious when there is a bass note or hit which comes out clean on both main and sub, its just not a good solution.

So now I'm going purely 2 channel. I'm definitely still considering a better amp because I feel the Onkyo lacks tightness. It extends well and pumps out good volume without any noticeable clipping, but the sound isnt tight, I feel a better amp might be able to have more control over the speaker.

 

[soundboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jilgiljongiljing /img/forum/go_quote.gif So now I'm going purely 2 channel. I'm definitely still considering a better amp because I feel the Onkyo lacks tightness. It extends well and pumps out good volume without any noticeable clipping, but the sound isnt tight, I feel a better amp might be able to have more control over the speaker.

Since you've floorstanding speakers, I'd agree with you and go purely 2 channels. What you need is a receiver/integrated amp that will hold down the bass frequencies. In that case, you may want to try the Cambridge Audio integrated amps. I have an older CA A500 integrated amp (the series before the Azur series) and it is good with that aspect of sound quality.

 

[jilgiljongiljing]

Thanks, that definitely helps. I'm reading some issues with quality control in CA amps, and that the volume pot is terrible. Lots of reports of channel imbalance as well. Infact I found it amusing that the hifi magazine review mentioned those aspects and simply ignored it in their final verdict. It might sound awesome, but poor build quality is something hard to ignore. I wonder how widespread the issues are or if they have fixed them since these reviews came out.

Also, 100 bucks more for 640A worth it? AFAIK all it has is a bit more power, but I dont see any additional features.

I'm also wondering if the Onkyo 9555 is selling for this low a price because of the wait time. The silver version is in stock and ships immediately but costs 699. The black one is 483 right now, cheaper than what I have seen anywhere, but says ships in 1 to 2 months.

 

[Headdie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jilgiljongiljing /img/forum/go_quote.gif Didnt catch the 720BEE on amazon, nice find. Is that a good price?

It is a good price, probably because the C725BEE is arriving. I have a C720BEE. I'm very satisfied with it. It's a killer amp with my DT990, but less with my D2000. The headphone out is 220 ohms, so it may not match very well with very low impedance cans.

 

[milkweg]

My next receiver will probably be Denon. I have Onkyo SR505 now and I like it but if I want a warmer sound signature then I have read Denon is the way to go.