Advice needed: Sony 2400ES or Onkyo 607??

[admin_exported]

Hi Folks,
Seems like the Sony 2400ES is back again in some stores and online. And having read several reviews (from what I could find and of course using these great forums!) I gather its a pretty decent buy or choice for my budget (£400 -450). As I went down to my local RS store to make my purchase, a sells rep suggested the Onkyo 607 as a better or newer choice to go for, which confused me even further! Looking at the spec's and options availble I am now stumped! Its surtainly had a few options I would find useful, such as the front HDMI ports etc, but As I had my heart set on making my purchase and finally setting up a desent home cinema system once and for all! I wasn't sure what I should do!??
So after pausing in freeze frame for what seemed like ages, I was given the option to make my purchase and if I did not open the box I could exchange my Sony for the Onkyo within 7 days (for a mere £25 difference).SO since then I have been scawering the internet for some opinons, reviews and feedback as to the performance of the Onkyo compared to the sony and to be honest its been a bit of a pain finding any useful info. So please if anyone could share their experiences or thought I would be extremely grateful.
Kind Regards

 

[Anonymous]

I'll be intrested to see the thoughts on this, I'm pretty sure i'm set to also pick up the Sony amp, again from RS so there is a good chance they proabably try and sell me the Oko instead (are they being helpful or just trying to get rid of bad stock?)

 

[Anonymous]

Both of them are good at this price range and will give you a decent sound for the price. but if i were you...i would go with the sony 2400ES! and since it,s belong to the ES Family i would say ther,s better over all control and a quality hardware parts in the sony. but at the end it realy all depend on what is best suited to your speakers.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Well it's not an answer in 7 days - more like 11 - but we've a Group Test of @£400-£500 receivers in our forthcoming issue(with subscribers from 24th; in shops by 29th).

The test includes previously tested receivers including the Sony (which goes on into 2010 in Sony's range, BTW) and Onkyo plus two new Yamahas, new Pioneer and new Denon AVR-1910.

It's a corker of a battle...

 

[Anonymous]

Clare Newsome:
Well it's not an answer in 7 days - more like 11 - but we've a Group Test of @£400-£500 receivers in our forthcoming issue(with subscribers from 24th; in shops by 29th).

The test includes previously tested receivers including the Sony (which goes on into 2010 in Sony's range, BTW) and Onkyo plus two new Yamahas, new Pioneer and new Denon AVR-1910.

It's a corker of a battle...

I look forward to the outcome of this one as these receivers are in my price range. Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

Last week RS advised me to buy the Sony or wait for the new Denon to come out.

 

[Anonymous]

Really! Did they mention the onkyo to you? What did u go for in the end?

Marco_1:

Thank for your reply. I'm defiantly favoring the Sony too.

Clare:

Can I be so bold as to ask your opinion on your choice of receiver? (after all I only have 7 days!)

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

I purchased the 607 after much deliberation and getting it for a good price. It was the reviews that clinched it for me which can be found online. In fact the WHF review is the most negative one I've read. If you want this for mainly movie soundtracks then it wont disappoint, it has plenty of grunt. I would recommend.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the response.

Yea, its sure not easy. Some people have mentioned that it can run pretty hot, have you found that to be the case? have you tried the extra 'high' feature with the pro logic IIz yet?

 

[Anonymous]

If you have enough clearance round the unit then it running hot isn't a problem. I've not tried the pro logic llz feature yet as not sure whether its worth the expense/extra speakers. They're are differing opinions on it's merit but I'm glad to know it's there should I need it. Do you have speakers in mind yet?

 

[Clare Newsome]

A four-star review for the Onkyo isn't negative! We praised it for its exciting, dynamic sound - as you said, if you just want all-out movie action fun, it should definitely be one to consider.

However, given the choice just between the two - if I had to choose in the next few days - I'd go with the Sony, which in our opinion is a better all-rounder.

But, as I said, if you DON'T have to buy before our test comes out, I'd wait to read it

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry Clare, head hanging in shame.

 

[Pistol Pete1]

Hmmmmm.......sounds like there might be a new winner in town, judging by Clare's comments above.

Place your bets everyone........my money is on the Denon AVR1910!!!!!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice Clare. An 'all-round' is what I'm really after with no holds bared. Being so pressed for time, as much guidance and advice is very welcomed and pretty essentia really . Ideally would have loved to see what the newer batch would also bring to the table but I've gone and put my foot in it (so to speak!) so need to make the wisest decision from whats available.

What are your thoughts on the Denon 1910???, slightly pricer but is it a better option over the sony?? or should I stick to the plot??

Thanks again

 

[lobby]

Loving my 606 for the price of £360 new when they first came out, and if i had to purchase one now it would be the Sony, but remember that some speakers sound better when correctly paired with certain amps, just something to bear in mind.

 

[Anonymous]

This was over a week ago now but.........

When I first went into RS they said the Onkyo 607 was the best amp in that price range that they had in store that day. They thought the Sony was a beter amp but wouldn't be available for a week (it was due back into the warehouse in a few days) and if I could wait a week or so to go for that.

However the guy in store said he was a Denon fan and therefore his (self confessed biased) opinion would be to wait for them to get that in and then audition all three as he hoped it would be better that both the Onkyo or Sony.

What did I do?

I left feeling frustrated that I had yet again failed to make a decision (lol) as I wanted to wait for the Denon. The only thing is I know once I do that I will probably wait for the amps in the £700 price area to be released and reviewed and then take the plunge as I can't put it off forever.

 

[Anonymous]

Thats sound so familiar! Why do we put ourselves through so much stress! I know exactly how you feel, im in exactly the same boat.

Ive been trying to grab as much info about Denon too as a few people have hinted at that. But its gona be a hard slog to get to audition them realistically. So what conclusion have you come too (if any?) RS seem to have a right mixed bag of opinions!

 

[Anonymous]

x2Mickey

Don,t stress your self too much , try to accept the idea that there will allways be something better coming out just around the corner and for the same price , i mean realy i know it my self 2 , i have just bought my sony str-da5400es for just about one month now, which,s 2008-2009 winner here at whf. and eisa awards , maybe in a couple of month there will be another winner at this price which,s even offer more , but that dosn,t mean my 5400es is not up to the standrad anymore ...you know what i mean

 

[Anonymous]

I guess I have reached a number of conclusions TBH x2Mickey......

The results you get does depend on how the individual components work together.

All three of these amps are good products and that is before you even look at the Yamaha ones.

To a degree it all comes down to personal taste and that is why opinions are mixed. If you have a look around you will find differing verdicts on the same amp and people look for different things in an amp (dedicated AV, best all rounder, musically strong, features etc) and watch different types of films.

People also have preferences for brands (I for example prefer Pioneer TV's and car audio) and this affects my purchasing decisions.

Finally, if you don't commit to a decision and stick to it you will either never make a decision or will spend the months afterwards looking at what you could/should have bought instead!!!

 

[Anonymous]

I haven't decided on an amp yet, except that I will give it a couple of weeks until the new ones are released.

Pity you can't do the same....

 

[ear]

i'd go for the sony for 2 reasons.music and reliability.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

JUST registered a few moments ago after stumbling on this thread, since I just went through an experience involving the very two AV receivers in your original subject line.

I'm VERY new to the world of HD and surround sound, having lived with a 27" standard definition tube TV with one built-in speaker below the screen, NTSC, no less, since I'm from the US and have moved here full time as of a couple of weeks ago. Since I want to give myself all the toys I can, having to be far away from all of my friends back home, etc., I thought "I'm going to finally go full-on HD, surround, etc. I saw the new Samsung Series 7 LED backlit LCD TVs and so bought the big one (since it fit!) and then had to figure out speakers, receiver and Blu Ray player.

I was introduced to the fantastic What HiFi magazine and website by a coworker over here, bought the latest issue and looked into the buying guide after talking to lots of people, both friends and Richer Sounds people.

Okay, back story over (sorry for the length). I read the review of the Jamo A102 speakers and they were small, which I wanted, so I bought a set after finding some on Tottenham Court Road in the second place I went for £250. Great. Now I had to get a receiver, so off to Richer Sounds in Holborn I went. I decided on the Panasonic DMP-BD80 (this was the easy choice for me, other than the TV).

The person I dealt with at RS also talked me into Onkyo, saying it was their favorite brand in the store. I had heard great things about Onkyo receivers, so I said sure. I picked the model below the 607, but he disappeared for a few minutes, then came back and said they were out of that one, how about the 607? It was more money, but he said he'd give it to me for only £25 above the lower model price. I said great, bought it and lugged both that and the Panasonic Blu Ray player home, left them all boxed up waiting for the TV to arrive (which should arrive here in the next few hours!).

When I got back home and kept flipping through the WHF issue I bought I thought, I should see if they have a review of the Onkyo 607, since I hadn't even researched it (I know, I shouldn't impulse buy on a £400 receiver, but go easy on me, it was my first HD experience and I was nervous!). Well, after finding it in the buyer's guide at the back of the magazine, I discovered that the Onkyo 607 does NOT upscale to 1080P, only 1080i. Well, this being my first all around HD experience, with Blu Ray and surround sound, etc., I wanted 1080P. I didn't buy a 55" LCD for 1080i! So after seeing the 5 stars for the Sony and the fact that it upscaled to 1080P, I went back the day after and swapped out the Onkyo for the Sony 2400ES, never having heard either one, mind you! But even though the Blu Ray player probably upscales to 1080P and the Samsung itself probably upscales to 1080P, I just didn't want something in the chain that was limited to 1080i, even though I'm sure it wouldn't have been a problem, just wanted peace of mind.

So to feebly make a way too long story short, if you want a receiver that upscales picture to full 1080P, then of the two, go with the Sony. The WHF review even said the Faroudja inside the Sony does a fantastic job of upscaling picture, which I had always heard about Faroudja.

As an interesting side note to 'ear's' reply just above, the sales clerk at RS I dealt with when doing the amp exchange STILL tried to talk me out of the Sony, saying it wasn't as good with music, so every person you ask will give you a different opinion, I guess. I'm trusting What HiFi on this one and hope to get even more knowledge and experience from all of you in the forums, too!

 

[laserman16]

hereafter:

Hi all,

JUST registered a few moments ago after stumbling on this thread, since I just went through an experience involving the very two AV receivers in your original subject line.

I'm VERY new to the world of HD and surround sound, having lived with a 27" standard definition tube TV with one built-in speaker below the screen, NTSC, no less, since I'm from the US and have moved here full time as of a couple of weeks ago. Since I want to give myself all the toys I can, having to be far away from all of my friends back home, etc., I thought "I'm going to finally go full-on HD, surround, etc. I saw the new Samsung Series 7 LED backlit LCD TVs and so bought the big one (since it fit!) and then had to figure out speakers, receiver and Blu Ray player.

I was introduced to the fantastic What HiFi magazine and website by a coworker over here, bought the latest issue and looked into the buying guide after talking to lots of people, both friends and Richer Sounds people.

Okay, back story over (sorry for the length). I read the review of the Jamo A102 speakers and they were small, which I wanted, so I bought a set after finding some on Tottenham Court Road in the second place I went for £250. Great. Now I had to get a receiver, so off to Richer Sounds in Holborn I went. I decided on the Panasonic DMP-BD80 (this was the easy choice for me, other than the TV).

The person I dealt with at RS also talked me into Onkyo, saying it was their favorite brand in the store. I had heard great things about Onkyo receivers, so I said sure. I picked the model below the 607, but he disappeared for a few minutes, then came back and said they were out of that one, how about the 607? It was more money, but he said he'd give it to me for only £25 above the lower model price. I said great, bought it and lugged both that and the Panasonic Blu Ray player home, left them all boxed up waiting for the TV to arrive (which should arrive here in the next few hours!).

When I got back home and kept flipping through the WHF issue I bought I thought, I should see if they have a review of the Onkyo 607, since I hadn't even researched it (I know, I shouldn't impulse buy on a £400 receiver, but go easy on me, it was my first HD experience and I was nervous!). Well, after finding it in the buyer's guide at the back of the magazine, I discovered that the Onkyo 607 does NOT upscale to 1080P, only 1080i. Well, this being my first all around HD experience, with Blu Ray and surround sound, etc., I wanted 1080P. I didn't buy a 55" LCD for 1080i! So after seeing the 5 stars for the Sony and the fact that it upscaled to 1080P, I went back the day after and swapped out the Onkyo for the Sony 2400ES, never having heard either one, mind you! But even though the Blu Ray player probably upscales to 1080P and the Samsung itself probably upscales to 1080P, I just didn't want something in the chain that was limited to 1080i, even though I'm sure it wouldn't have been a problem, just wanted peace of mind.

So to feebly make a way too long story short, if you want a receiver that upscales picture to full 1080P, then of the two, go with the Sony. The WHF review even said the Faroudja inside the Sony does a fantastic job of upscaling picture, which I had always heard about Faroudja.

As an interesting side note to 'ear's' reply just above, the sales clerk at RS I dealt with when doing the amp exchange STILL tried to talk me out of the Sony, saying it wasn't as good with music, so every person you ask will give you a different opinion, I guess. I'm trusting What HiFi on this one and hope to get even more knowledge and experience from all of you in the forums, too!

Welcome to the Forums Hereafter. Nice long post for your first one.

Well reading the WHF reveiws they plumb for the Sony as a better all rounder when you take music into account as well. So if you want an all round solution I guess thats the one to go for.

BTW equipment I have bought based on WHF reviews have not dissapointed me.

 

[smuggs]

i listened to the sony 2400es with some montior audio Br5's and a rotel cd player and it sounded not that great. I have not heard the onkyo607 but the 606 ran hot even after 45mins of playing with it and there was a great big nosie when selecting inputs.I thought the sony may of been a touch better. But i went for the denon1909 great amp music there was pure direct for low volumes and it sounded really good with peter green head and shoulders above the other2 i would wait to see the reviews,but all id say is my amp is a 4 star my speakers are 4 star which are better than the kefs(5stars) and my cd player is a 4 star (CA 640h) and i love the lot dont just go for 5 star stuff close your eyes and go in with the view of what sounds best 4YOU i gonna buy.

 

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the forum...and making me ponder a (probably silly) question

If you have an amp that upscales only to 1080i but you feed 1080p sources into it such as X360 or blu ray (BD 60) does it mean that these sources can only be viewed (through amp) at their 1080i ...or do they keep their 1080p input?

Re your story glad hope you are enjoying it fully. Glad that you made a decision and got the equipment....I am the other extreme....continually reviewing and not purchasing as I wait for the perfect device!!