MA Apex 5.1 or RX6 AV12 and which AV Reciever?

[Frank Harvey]

I myself use Pioneer's excellent SCLX83 with KEF's Q300's (metal dome tweeter - and bass/midrange for that matter). I would use the previous description for my system. But I do find the Pioneer has more grip, more energy, and is more detailed than the Yamaha, otherwise I'd still be using one. I'll seriously consider moving back to Yamaha when they can exceed the LX83's abilities.

Many of our customers have bought Pioneer receivers for their MA speakers as well as Yamaha (personal preference), as the RX series suits both receivers equally well. Pioneer's easy to use X Curve facility can quickly reduce the HF output to all speakers by up to 3dB in 0.5 dB steps. If Excessive HF becomes a problem, of course.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Rick and David for your replies, its not possible for me to sound test the yamaha with the MA speakers as none of the dealers in my area stock both products.

When I heard the Kef Q500 setup with the lx83 I was very impressed and the HF were spot on in my opinion, they didn't sound too harsh or bright. Would you say these are a better match then the RX6 or Apex speakers.

Another reason i would like to go for the Pioneer (apart from sounding very good) is that I'm being offered the Pioneer at a very good price and it would go perfectly with my Pioneer plasma and also the free blu-ray is a bonus.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Some people will like the KEF's, some the MA's, for different reasons. I know you can't demo, but I'd usually recommend you have a listen and see which suits you. I wouldn't say that any one of these three will suit the Pioneer any better, they'll just sound different

 

[Anonymous]

I ended up going for the the MA RX6 floor standers and the RXFC for the front 3 speakers. I went for these over the kefs because I found the bass a lot more to my liking for the type of music I listen too and I also prefered the build quality.

I have not decided on a AV receiver yet, but my local dealer has let me take home the LX83 to try out. I ran the MCACC setup and it sounded great with movies and everyday TV but it took all the bass away from the front 2 RX6 when i listened to music in stereo mode. However after days of tweaking the EQ settings I now have a sound I am much happier with when listening to music. (BTW there was a touch of brightness initially but this disappeared after about 20hrs of use.)

3 questions I'd like your thoughts on.

1, My local dealer receives stock of the new Arcam AVR400 next week, I was wondering if there would be an improvement sound wise especially musically over the LX83.

2, I didn't go for the RX rear speakers as I didn't want speakers i had to mount on the wall. I am looking for rear speakers that come with matching stands and take up very little room. Also do the rear speakers have to be from the same company as the front speakers. The reason i ask is I quite like the look of the Kef T series for the rears. Any suggestions.

3. I'm also looking for a fairly compact sub that would work well with my setup it doesn't have to be too powerful as in my living room I get a decent amount from the RX6's, Your thoughts please.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Rish001:
I ended up going for the the MA RX6 floor standers and the RXFC for the front 3 speakers. I went for these over the kefs because I found the bass a lot more to my liking for the type of music I listen too and I also prefered the build quality.

I have not decided on a AV receiver yet, but my local dealer has let me take home the LX83 to try out. I ran the MCACC setup and it sounded great with movies and everyday TV but it took all the bass away from the front 2 RX6 when i listened to music in stereo mode. However after days of tweaking the EQ settings I now have a sound I am much happier with when listening to music. (BTW there was a touch of brightness initially but this disappeared after about 20hrs of use.)

3 questions I'd like your thoughts on.

1, My local dealer receives stock of the new Arcam AVR400 next week, I was wondering if there would be an improvement sound wise especially musically over the LX83.

2, I didn't go for the RX rear speakers as I didn't want speakers i had to mount on the wall. I am looking for rear speakers that come with matching stands and take up very little room. Also do the rear speakers have to be from the same company as the front speakers. The reason i ask is I quite like the look of the Kef T series for the rears. Any suggestions.

3. I'm also looking for a fairly compact sub that would work well with my setup it doesn't have to be too powerful as in my living room I get a decent amount from the RX6's, Your thoughts please.

Hi Rish001

The Monitor Audio speakers are superb and i hope you will enjoy their performance for many years to come

I've not heard the AVR400 with the Monitor Audio speakers yet. Alternative amplification to also consider is Denon's AVR4311 or if your budget allows AVRA100.

I would try and avoid mixing speaker brands as there will be an obvious imbalance in sound. I would recommend Monitor Audio's Apex A10 or R90HD's speakers which can also be used with the optional stands.

Ideally the icing on the cake is the RXW12 however if this is this still too much then the R360HD or R370HD subs are also worth a look.

Btw, if its still not too late then try and track down the RX-V3067. It really is an excellent amp and which works superbly with Monitor Audio speakers. The RX-V3067 is the dark horse as this amp could be exactly what you're after and one with which you could also end up saving yourself quite a bit of money

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Frank Harvey]

Rish

The AVR400 will be better than the Pioneer as far as music is concerned - this is a strong point of Arcam AV receivers.

 

[Anonymous]

MUSICRAFT:Rish001:
I ended up going for the the MA RX6 floor standers and the RXFC for the front 3 speakers. I went for these over the kefs because I found the bass a lot more to my liking for the type of music I listen too and I also prefered the build quality.

I have not decided on a AV receiver yet, but my local dealer has let me take home the LX83 to try out. I ran the MCACC setup and it sounded great with movies and everyday TV but it took all the bass away from the front 2 RX6 when i listened to music in stereo mode. However after days of tweaking the EQ settings I now have a sound I am much happier with when listening to music. (BTW there was a touch of brightness initially but this disappeared after about 20hrs of use.)

3 questions I'd like your thoughts on.

1, My local dealer receives stock of the new Arcam AVR400 next week, I was wondering if there would be an improvement sound wise especially musically over the LX83.

2, I didn't go for the RX rear speakers as I didn't want speakers i had to mount on the wall. I am looking for rear speakers that come with matching stands and take up very little room. Also do the rear speakers have to be from the same company as the front speakers. The reason i ask is I quite like the look of the Kef T series for the rears. Any suggestions.

3. I'm also looking for a fairly compact sub that would work well with my setup it doesn't have to be too powerful as in my living room I get a decent amount from the RX6's, Your thoughts please.

Hi Rish001

The Monitor Audio speakers are superb and i hope you will enjoy their performance for many years to come

I've not heard the AVR400 with the Monitor Audio speakers yet. Alternative amplification to also consider is Denon's AVR4311 or if your budget allows AVRA100.

I would try and avoid mixing speaker brands as there will be an obvious imbalance in sound. I would recommend Monitor Audio's Apex A10 or R90HD's speakers which can also be used with the optional stands.

Ideally the icing on the cake is the RXW12 however if this is this still too much then the R360HD or R370HD subs are also worth a look.

Btw, if its still not too late then try and track down the RX-V3067. It really is an excellent amp and which works superbly with Monitor Audio speakers. The RX-V3067 is the dark horse as this amp could be exactly what you're after and one with which you could also end up saving yourself quite a bit of money

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Thanks Rick for your response.

I do like the look and sound of the Apex, and they do look good with the stands. Never really thought of using them as rears. I will also have a look at the R90HD's. Are the Apex worth the extra money over the R90HD's if i'm only using them as rears?

Unfortunately my local dealer doesn't sell Yamaha receivers and I plan to purchase the AV unit from them as I still have a credit note which needs to be used. However he also suggested trying the Denon AVR4311 which he should have in sometime this week. How does the Denon AVR4311 perform musically and I take it the Denon/MA package would be a good match.

 

[Anonymous]

FrankHarveyHiFi:RishThe AVR400 will be better than the Pioneer as far as music is concerned - this is a strong point of Arcam AV receivers.

Thanks for your response David.

Do you know if the AVR400 is experiencing any of the software issues the previous model experienced and in some cases still experiencing?

 

[bigboss]

Rish001: How does the Denon AVR4311 perform musically and I take it the Denon/MA package would be a good match.

The Denon 4311 is an excellent receiver & should partner nicely with the Monitor Audios. Makes sure you demo this combination before buying it.

I've got the R90HD rears & am happy with them. I haven't directly compared with the the Apex for the rear duties, but I doubt there will be a massive difference, although some may not like it for aesthetic reasons (with Apex as fronts & Radius HD as rears).

 

[MUSICRAFT]

MUSICRAFT:Rish001:
I ended up going for the the MA RX6 floor standers and the RXFC for the front 3 speakers. I went for these over the kefs because I found the bass a lot more to my liking for the type of music I listen too and I also prefered the build quality.

I have not decided on a AV receiver yet, but my local dealer has let me take home the LX83 to try out. I ran the MCACC setup and it sounded great with movies and everyday TV but it took all the bass away from the front 2 RX6 when i listened to music in stereo mode. However after days of tweaking the EQ settings I now have a sound I am much happier with when listening to music. (BTW there was a touch of brightness initially but this disappeared after about 20hrs of use.)

3 questions I'd like your thoughts on.

1, My local dealer receives stock of the new Arcam AVR400 next week, I was wondering if there would be an improvement sound wise especially musically over the LX83.

2, I didn't go for the RX rear speakers as I didn't want speakers i had to mount on the wall. I am looking for rear speakers that come with matching stands and take up very little room. Also do the rear speakers have to be from the same company as the front speakers. The reason i ask is I quite like the look of the Kef T series for the rears. Any suggestions.

3. I'm also looking for a fairly compact sub that would work well with my setup it doesn't have to be too powerful as in my living room I get a decent amount from the RX6's, Your thoughts please.

Hi Rish001

The Monitor Audio speakers are superb and i hope you will enjoy their performance for many years to come

I've not heard the AVR400 with the Monitor Audio speakers yet. Alternative amplification to also consider is Denon's AVR4311 or if your budget allows AVRA100.

I would try and avoid mixing speaker brands as there will be an obvious imbalance in sound. I would recommend Monitor Audio's Apex A10 or R90HD's speakers which can also be used with the optional stands.

Ideally the icing on the cake is the RXW12 however if this is this still too much then the R360HD or R370HD subs are also worth a look.

Btw, if its still not too late then try and track down the RX-V3067. It really is an excellent amp and which works superbly with Monitor Audio speakers. The RX-V3067 is the dark horse as this amp could be exactly what you're after and one with which you could also end up saving yourself quite a bit of money

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Thanks Rick for your response.

I do like the look and sound of the Apex, and they do look good with the stands. Never really thought of using them as rears. I will also have a look at the R90HD's. Are the Apex worth the extra money over the R90HD's if i'm only using them as rears?

Unfortunately my local dealer doesn't sell Yamaha receivers and I plan to purchase the AV unit from them as I still have a credit note which needs to be used. However he also suggested trying the Denon AVR4311 which he should have in sometime this week. How does the Denon AVR4311 perform musically and I take it the Denon/MA package would be a good match.

Hi Rish001

Your welcome.

Fair enough.

Yes, i feel the Apex 10 speakers warrant the premium over the R90HD's regardless of configuration :bigsmile:

The AVR4311 performs very well musically and is another good match with the Monitor Audio speakers. Just as with the RX-V3067 the AVR4311 is also a safe bet in terms of build, fit, finish, connectivity, features, processing, power, performance and reliability

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Rick for the advice.

After a couple of hours of demo's using different setups, I ended up going for the MA Apex with the stands for the rear speakers. The detail, build quality and looks was worth the extra cost.

I also went for the Arcam AVR400, as it sounded very good with movies but sounded awesome with music (for an AV Unit). It doesn't have all the features of the Denon and I think the Denon was has slightly more detailed with movies but the Arcam was a lot better with Music and in the end that helped me make my decision.

The last part of my setup left to buy is a sub. The RXW12 is a little big and the only place i could place this in my living room is in the corner at the back, so i'd prefer a smaller small. I was thinking of going for a Velodyne SPL-800 as i can get this for less then the RXW12, or I could save some money and go for the REL T5. My question is would any of these be a good match for my setup, or are there any other alternatives. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hi Rish001

Your welcome.

Nice one

The safest bet is the RXW12 however i can't see why the SPL-800 and T5 would not also work effectively with the rest of your main Monitor Audio speakers. You'll probably have to do some extra tweaking then usual with the SPL-800 and T5 subs to get either sub to gel as effectively as possible with the main speakers. Anyway try and have a listen to them.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Rick,

The only place i could place the the MA sub due to size, is beside the sofa which is situated near the back wall. Would this affect the performance?

Also is there any difference in performance between the RXW-12 and the AW-12 sub?

 

[chris hollands]

Hi Rish, hope you are enjoying your new set up.

How is the Arcam AVR400 performing, i am seriously considering this to replace my Denon AVR2311 so would welcome your comments

I have the Monitor Audio RSW12 Sub and find it more grunt than punch, i used to have a reel quake and found it really punchy and quite liked it, was also a lot less money so don't discount a smaller sub !

 

[bigboss]

Also is there any difference in performance between the RXW-12 and the AW-12 sub?

I can't say about the RXW-12 sub as I haven't heard it, but between RSW12 & AW12, the AW12 was clearly superior.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Rish, hope you are enjoying your new set up.

How is the Arcam AVR400 performing, i am seriously considering this to replace my Denon AVR2311 so would welcome your comments

I have the Monitor Audio RSW12 Sub and find it more grunt than punch, i used to have a reel quake and found it really punchy and quite liked it, was also a lot less money so don't discount a smaller sub !

Hi Chris,

I had a demo of the AVR400 & the Denon 4311 and IMO the denon was slightly better in terms of detail when it came to movies, but when we lsitened to music there was a huge difference, the Arcam was far superior and really but brought the music to life. Even the staff in the shop were very impressed. They were a little suprised as they didn't expect it to sound as good as it did straight of the box.

When I took it home, it was very easy to setup, the auto setup was pretty accurate, the only thing i had to amend was the type of speaker as the unit set the speakers to small.

After running the unit in for a few days the sound is even better with movies and music. Its made my RX6 speakers sound amazing in 2 channel stereo. I have no regrets at all.

Worth a demo IMO.

 

[chris hollands]

Sounds great, think i am gonna have to have a demo soon.

Will be interesting to get back to you when they are all run in .

Enjoy.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Thanks Rick,

The only place i could place the the MA sub due to size, is beside the sofa which is situated near the back wall. Would this affect the performance?

Also is there any difference in performance between the RXW-12 and the AW-12 sub?

Hi Rish001

Your welcome.

If you're not sure then the best thing to do is to try the sub in your room.

Btw, as you've got Silver RX6's then i would suggest the RXW12

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft