Best AVR's For Music

[Witterings]

Has anybody suggestions for the best AVR's for music, I currently have a Denon AVR 2311 with an Acoustic Energy Aegis Evo speaker package ... I've spoken to a couple of dealers who have suggested the X3700 would be quite an improvement.

I stumbled across the AVC-X6700H ... I'm not sure if that's potentially a step up again in terms of music or not, it quite appeals as it's available with a speaker package which would be a complete upgrade from what I currently have and am tempted by

Denon AVC-X6700H 11.2 AV Amplifier with Dali Oberon 5 AV Speaker System

When you buy the Denon AVC-X6700H with this speaker package, you'll make significant savings. Not only that but we also offer the option to buy on Finance. Free next working day delivery to most UK regions is also included.

petertyson.co.uk

My other option is to upgrade the main speakers initially to Monitor Audio Silver 300's (and centre when funds allow) and then maybe an Arcam AVR 11 at a later stage .... would this be a massive upgrade from the x6700 / Dali package linked above??

Apologies to others who may have seen my previous posts about speaker upgrades in case you think I was wasting your time, I've actually ordered an ex display pair of MA Silver 300's but could cancel 1st thing Monday morning if I dedided I'm better off going another route,
I also decided I wanted the least arguementative way to start a divorce and thought if I spent a load of money ona new HiFi system it'd probably have the desrired outcome

Joking aside I've negotiated a bigger budget than I thought I could (told her I wanted to spend £20k initially ) so £3/5k doesn't look nearly so bad ... that said, whilst I'd like a significant / noticeable upgrade from what I have, I'm hoping for "good" not absolute top of the range.

Any help much appreciated, especially if people have a good knowledge of which AVR's are more music orientated ... even if it's at the cost of movies and maybe the Arcam AVR 11 is a step higher than I need to go.

 

[bigboss]

Look at Marantz equivalents. Marantz is more musical oriented. The difference between the 3700 and 6700 will be minimal, because you're mainly paying for the extra channels of amplification you're not going to use.

 

[twinkletoes]

In the world of avr’s, quite simply the more you pay the better they are, its simple economics. It’s not so clear cut with stereo amps all the time, diminishing returns happen a lot earlier.

If you have a 5k budget I’d spend half that on the amp alone. Up to a good 1k on a subwoofer the rest on speakers.

Be honest with yourself though , can you truly fit in a surround system in the correct way with all the correct distances behind the speakers and so? Dont be shy many can’t , but the mistake they make is they try.

With that sort of money you could almost buy some kef ls60s. But you can certainly buy some ls50mk2 wireless with a nice subwoofer. And setup correctly you get a very convincing movie watching experience. A system like that would declutter instantly. It’s just a thought is all and might be worth an experiment at the dealer to see if you would actually miss the surround sound.

Also I wouldn’t discount the humble Sonos systems they really can put a big smile on peoples faces and “hate” to say it, sound better than many poorly setup surround systems and speaker packages. Sony also have some little speakers that can be dotted around any way you like and is meant to sound fantastic.

Just my thoughts take it or leave it.

oh the only Avr’s I’d buy at the moment are anthem.

 

[treesey]

Forgive me for saying so, and I could be wrong, but you seem to be choosing kit based ONLY on a) it has to be new BUT b) it has to be heavily discounted.... rather than choosing it how it sounds in your house. Have you even heard the MA 300s in your house?

But in any case, you need to state up front are you only interested in 'new', because many manufacturers have made excellent 'music' AVRs but at different times over the past ten years.

So Arcam, Pioneer, Marantz, Yamaha, Denon, Anthem etc etc have all made very very well reviewed AVRs that excel at music, but what you can buy now, new, is a separate question.

 

[treesey]

This is the 1st review I found on the 6700 - it's someone else's ears, but even so I wouldn't have it on my list. And have you had the Dali Ob5s on home trial?

The AVC-X6700H’s musical delivery also translates well to stereo music performance. Don’t expect anywhere near the level of playback available from a stereo integrated at this price, but considering everything on board the Denon, it is an interesting enough recital.

 

[Witterings]

Forgive me for saying so, and I could be wrong, but you seem to be choosing kit based ONLY on a) it has to be new BUT b) it has to be heavily discounted.... rather than choosing it how it sounds in your house. Have you even heard the MA 300s in your house?

But in any case, you need to state up front are you only interested in 'new', because many manufacturers have made excellent 'music' AVRs but at different times over the past ten years.

So Arcam, Pioneer, Marantz, Yamaha, Denon, Anthem etc etc have all made very very well reviewed AVRs that excel at music, but what you can buy now, new, is a separate question.

No I'm not adverse to 2nd hand although I'd want to know exactly what it was I was buying, For example I believe some of the older Anthems whilst sounding amazing had an awful lot of problems which they resolved in their later models and I wouldn't have a clue which were which ... so I am slightly wary.
I've been looking for some 2nd hand Monitor Audio Studio 20 SE's as my neighbour has those so have heard them although he amp is a few steps up from mine which will also make a difference but I like the sound / clarity of them.

I'm not just targeting discounted BUT I'd set myself an approx budget of £1000 for speakers, if I couldn't find the MA's as ex display they wouldn't be considered unless they were 2nd hand .... in essence it's just bought them within what I'm prepared to spend and would hopefully get something a step up.

The seller has also said I can return them if I don't like them and get a full re-fund, granted it'll cost me a courier but that's less than taking the time out of work and petrol.

 

[abacus]

The Anthems were improved by firmware updates (As is most equipment these days) not hardware updates, therefore if you buy one that has not been upgraded you can download the update from the Anthem website and bring it up to date.
Anthem and Arcam (In your price range) has always been top notch with music with Marantz also good for money. (Unfortunately the room correction system used by Marantz was pants, (Although better than the Yamaha one) however the latest models finally have a good system)
Speakers are the most personal so try before you buy if possible, otherwise there is a good chance you will be disappointed.

Bill

 

[plastic penguin]

It's probably best to demo a few different brands. My experience of AVRs is minimal: heard a budget Sony and flagship Arcam (at different times) and neither would sound out of place against a stereo set-up.

 

[jjbomber]

Check out the range from IOTA. Highly rated by just about everyone who's heard them. Brilliant value for money as well. The AVX17 Processor and AVXP 7-230 are within budget.

IOTAVX - British world-class stereo- & home cinema equipment

IOTAVX stands for excellent HiFi equipment at the absolute best price thanks to the direct sales concept. The British brand combines high-quality technology

www.iotaenterprises.co.uk

 

[Witterings]

I think I've had a sideways shift on this and am possibly looking at using the Pre Amp out on my current AVR and getting a Music Fidelity M6si or Roksan M3 amplifier or similar, possibly 2nd hand although the M3 is within reach new.

Hopefully it'll help satisfy the uplift in music I'd like and do the speakers justice.

Thank you though for everyone's inout, much appreciated as always

 

[plastic penguin]

I think I've had a sideways shift on this and am possibly looking at using the Pre Amp out on my current AVR and getting a Music Fidelity M6si or Roksan M3 amplifier or similar, possibly 2nd hand although the M3 is within reach new.

Hopefully it'll help satisfy the uplift in music I'd like and do the speakers justice.

Thank you though for everyone's inout, much appreciated as always

Presumably you like your system 'as is', so wondering why the urgent need to upgrade?

 

[Witterings]

Presumably you like your system 'as is', so wondering why the urgent need to upgrade?

I upgraded a smaller system in another room and with better speakers which made me realise that my main system is quite "muddy",
I also went and listened to the neighbours system which is in a different league and highlighted how much mine could be improved, even if I don't go as far as he has.

I'm not unhappy with my existing for movies / TV (although he centre could do with more clarity for speech) but I'd definitely like to improve the music side of it, even if not as far as the neighbour's gone but somewhere in between would be good.

 

[plastic penguin]

I upgraded a smaller system in another room and with better speakers which made me realise that my main system is quite "muddy",
I also went and listened to the neighbours system which is in a different league and highlighted how much mine could be improved, even if I don't go as far as he has.

I'm not unhappy with my existing for movies / TV (although he centre could do with more clarity for speech) but I'd definitely like to improve the music side of it, even if not as far as the neighbour's gone but somewhere in between would be good.

Understandable. But we all know with music systems you can upgrade until you're blue in the face, and they'll always be a better sounding kit.

Same with my set-up. I love it but I can always improve on it - but that takes money and time. It's all about contentment IMHO.

 

[RayP]

@Witterings , with respect you’ll need to spend a lot to get decent music sound from an AVR. A dedicated integrated amp is the best way and one costing £1K will probably outperform a £3K AVR.

Once I learned about HT Bypass a couple of years ago I was convinced that was the solution for me. Before 2000 I had a Audiolab 8000C/P combo costing over £1200 back then. Moving to a Denon A10SE driving B&W CM4s was a downgrade for music but I accepted it for the convenience of a system that could play both music and movies.

If your AVR has pre-outs for L/R channels look for an amp that supports HT Bypass. Many do. My Naim XS3 has made a massive improvement over the £2K Yamaha RX-A3010 AVR.

 

[Witterings]

If your AVR has pre-outs for L/R channels look for an amp that supports HT Bypass. Many do. My Naim XS3 has made a massive improvement over the £2K Yamaha RX-A3010 AVR.
[/QUOTE]

This is exactly the option I'm now looking at, the speakers will arrive tomorrow so I'll see how they sound with my current AVR initially but I’ve been looking at the Roskan K3 which has the HT/AV bypass and am awful tempted to get one in the near future.

 

[Samd]

There is a list of those with HT Bypass below:

Amplifiers with HT-bypass - update 10. Mars 2024

Audiophile.no has made a list of stereo preamps and integrated amps that have one sort of HT-bypass. This list is updated 02. August 2023 with amplifiers from Hegel, and will be will be continuously updated. Written by Karl Erik Sylthe, at 15.02.07 Translated to English in june 2008Latest update...

www.audiophile.no

 

[RayP]

@Witterings , a really good pair of speakers driven by an AVR won’t sound as impressive as a modest pair driven by a quality amp. The quality of the speakers will reveal the weaknesses of the amp. I’m now hearing far deeper bass with the Naim than I ever heard from my AVR.

 

[Witterings]

There is a list of those with HT Bypass below:

Amplifiers with HT-bypass - update 10. Mars 2024

Audiophile.no has made a list of stereo preamps and integrated amps that have one sort of HT-bypass. This list is updated 02. August 2023 with amplifiers from Hegel, and will be will be continuously updated. Written by Karl Erik Sylthe, at 15.02.07 Translated to English in june 2008Latest update...

www.audiophile.no

Cheers for that, will have a look through and see if there are any others of interest in there.