Best Receiver for KEF3005SE?

[admin_exported]

Recently upgraded to the KEF3005SE. Now feel my current receiver is worth an upgrade to get the most from them. I'm not sure what I need to spend to get a decent and noticable improvement and what works well with the KEFs?

Movies and music are important, connectivity isn't. Only thing I connect via HDMI is my DVD player. Music will come from NAD 521i or Ipod connected with songs ripped at 324kbps. Options weighing on my mind are:

1. Arcam AVR280. Ex demo available for £400. Confused about reviews though. Latest WHF gives 3 stars and says great with music, average with films. Snippets elsewhere on the web suggest it was given 5 stars when reviewed in WHF.

2. Spend £400 on new Onkyo 606, but worried about whether musical improvement would be limitied over current Yamaha. Better than the Arcam though?

3. Tempted to spend much more on an 875, or would this be overkill for the KEF package?

4. Yamaha RX-V1700 also available on ex dem for £400. How would this compare with the others?

Any thoughts appreciated?

 

[Frank Harvey]

The 3005SE's sing on the end of the more expensive Yamaha's (ours are usually used on the 1800 or 3800), and the Arcam's. If you need the facilites and connectivity, go for the Yamaha. But if music is THE most important thing and you're not worried about anything HD, the Arcam is pretty hard to beat (as long as you realise you'll sacrifice some modern, now standard features).

 

[Clare Newsome]

The Arcam was originally a five-star review, but the next generation of receivers to be released (from Onkyo, Sony, Pioneer and Marantz) were such a massive step up that we took the very unusual step of demoting it two full stars - that wasn't just for functionality, but for movie performance.

We did (and stil do) stress that it remains one of the most musical AV receivers around, however, and a total bargain at that price.

I would also suggest you read the £400-£450 AV receiver Group Test in our next issue (on sale next Thursday), where we pit the Onkyo TX-SR606 against the brand-new Denon AVR-1909 and Yamaha DSP-AX563. The reviews make very interesting reading.

 

[Gary233932]

Go with 875 (£600 RS VIP DEAL), I just upgraded from the 606 (only one month old) and for the extra £200 its sensational truly recommended, hope this helps

Gary

 

[Anonymous]

If you can afford the 875, it's worth every penny

 

[Anonymous]

I've demo'd the 3005SE on so many different integrated AV amps, including Marantz, Denon, Yamaha, Arcam and Onkyo, along with some premium AV processor/power amp combos and they just get better and better. The answer here really is that the more expensive the electronics, the more the speakers sing. And boy... do they sing! All electronics have their own type of sound, i like to explain it to people at shows when we get asked these questions as their own, "accent", and your decision should be based on the type of accent you prefer.
We all have a limit as to what our wallet can handle unless very very lucky but my advise would be pick a budget and get your favourite DVD and CD and head on down to your local dealer.

 

[Anonymous]

I have to agree with Gary here.

The 875 reallys works wonders with the KEFs.

Obviously, the Onk could drive a lot more (I did consider breaking the bank for the Dali Ikon 6s), but upon demoing them in store and at home it was clear the KEF set-up will more than satisfy both my musical and movie needs.

Also, don't forget the upscaling benefits of the 875 which really adds weight to the arguement!

 

[Anonymous]

Clare Newsome:
The Arcam was originally a five-star review, but the next generation of receivers to be released (from Onkyo, Sony, Pioneer and Marantz) were such a massive step up that we took the very unusual step of demoting it two full stars - that wasn't just for functionality, but for movie performance.

We did (and stil do) stress that it remains one of the most musical AV receivers around, however, and a total bargain at that price.

I would also suggest you read the £400-£450 AV receiver Group Test in our next issue (on sale next Thursday), where we pit the Onkyo TX-SR606 against the brand-new Denon AVR-1909 and Yamaha DSP-AX563. The reviews make very interesting reading.

Any plans for a future supertest for amps in the Onkyo 875 range?

 

[Anonymous]

Clare Newsome:
I would also suggest you read the £400-£450 AV receiver Group Test in our next issue (on sale next Thursday), where we pit the Onkyo TX-SR606 against the brand-new Denon AVR-1909 and Yamaha DSP-AX563. The reviews make very interesting reading.

Just a thought but, isn't the Yamaha DSP-AX763 more closely matched to the Onkyo and Denon in terms of spec and price? I think people will be put off the Yamaha purely because it can't decode HD audio.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks to you all for the useful input, its really appreciated.

I think I'm down to 2 contenders now. The Onkyo 875 or the Yamaha RX-1800. I want to take my system up to the next level and beyond, so I feel the extra expenditure can be justfied from what I've read. It does mean my Blu-Ray plans would be delayed a bit though!

Time to source a demo or two I think to finalise the decision. I will of course read the latest WHF magazine review that Clare refers to, which could still throw a few new contenders back into the ring! Decisions decisions, decisions.....

On the whole, the KEFs are settling in very well to my smallish living room and I'm really pleased. I spent a bit of time tweaking my settings at the weekend and have made a considerable improvement, even with my old RX-357.