Opinions on receiver for B&W 685 Theatre surround set

[admin_exported]

I have my heart set on the 685 theatre set of speakers. Now I am confused about the amp. I've heard people mention I need to match the amp with the speakers etc. Anyway, I am tossing up between the following amps (because they are in a similar price range where I am):

- Yamaha 1067

- Denon 2311

- Pioneer LX53

- Integra 30.2

- Onkyo 608

I've listened to the 2311, 608 and 1067. The Onkyo is the least favorite of the one's I heard. The Denon was very nice, had clarity and transparency that the Onkyo didn't. The 1067 sat in between the 2.

I've included the LX53 because of the 5 star What HiFi rating and the 30.2 because it was recommended by a dealer (who did not stock B&W's).

I will use the system for movies, concerts, and stereo music. Possibly a 40%, 40%, 20% split. My room is an open plan room, size is approx 4.5 x 6m. I'll be sitting approx 4.4m from the tv.

I'm quite confused with the amps as not one shop stocks them all and also there are very few shops who stock the B&W's. Opinions / comments?

 

[grdunn123]

Either Yamaha or Pioneer, probably Pioneer??

 

[Anonymous]

Could you elaborate? Is the Yamaha or Pioneer more 'suited' (whatever that may mean

) to the 685 theatre set?

 

[grdunn123]

Pioneer is a class above the Onkyo and will be a great all rounder. Bit of a 'no brainer' really...buy and enjoy!

 

[MUSICRAFT]

dimmies:
I have my heart set on the 685 theatre set of speakers. Now I am confused about the amp. I've heard people mention I need to match the amp with the speakers etc. Anyway, I am tossing up between the following amps (because they are in a similar price range where I am):

- Yamaha 1067

- Denon 2311

- Pioneer LX53

- Integra 30.2

- Onkyo 608

I've listened to the 2311, 608 and 1067. The Onkyo is the least favorite of the one's I heard. The Denon was very nice, had clarity and transparency that the Onkyo didn't. The 1067 sat in between the 2.

I've included the LX53 because of the 5 star What HiFi rating and the 30.2 because it was recommended by a dealer (who did not stock B&W's).

I will use the system for movies, concerts, and stereo music. Possibly a 40%, 40%, 20% split. My room is an open plan room, size is approx 4.5 x 6m. I'll be sitting approx 4.4m from the tv.

I'm quite confused with the amps as not one shop stocks them all and also there are very few shops who stock the B&W's. Opinions / comments?

Hi dimmies

I'll recommend Yamaha's RX-V1067 and particularly even more so now with the price at £750 from £850. Alternatilvely the RX-V2067 should also be seriously considered as this is now £900 (down from £1100). Both amps were already good enough at their previous prices however they both now represent fantastic VFM at their new prices

Btw, the RX-V1067 and RX-V2067 will both work well with the 685 speakers and will form a combination which you should enjoy listening to for hours regardless of the type of soundtracks.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[grdunn123]

MUSICRAFT:dimmies:
I have my heart set on the 685 theatre set of speakers. Now I am confused about the amp. I've heard people mention I need to match the amp with the speakers etc. Anyway, I am tossing up between the following amps (because they are in a similar price range where I am):

- Yamaha 1067

- Denon 2311

- Pioneer LX53

- Integra 30.2

- Onkyo 608

I've listened to the 2311, 608 and 1067. The Onkyo is the least favorite of the one's I heard. The Denon was very nice, had clarity and transparency that the Onkyo didn't. The 1067 sat in between the 2.

I've included the LX53 because of the 5 star What HiFi rating and the 30.2 because it was recommended by a dealer (who did not stock B&W's).

I will use the system for movies, concerts, and stereo music. Possibly a 40%, 40%, 20% split. My room is an open plan room, size is approx 4.5 x 6m. I'll be sitting approx 4.4m from the tv.

I'm quite confused with the amps as not one shop stocks them all and also there are very few shops who stock the B&W's. Opinions / comments?

Hi dimmies

I'll recommend Yamaha's RX-V1067 and particularly even more so now with the price at £750 from £850. Alternatilvely the RX-V2067 should also be seriously considered as this is now £900 (down from £1100). Both amps were already good enough at their previous prices however they both now represent fantastic VFM at their new prices

Btw, the RX-V1067 and RX-V2067 will both work well with the 685 speakers and will form a combination which you should enjoy listening to for hours regardless of the type of soundtracks.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Nice to see some things will never change Rick!

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

grdunn123:MUSICRAFT:dimmies:
I have my heart set on the 685 theatre set of speakers. Now I am confused about the amp. I've heard people mention I need to match the amp with the speakers etc. Anyway, I am tossing up between the following amps (because they are in a similar price range where I am):

- Yamaha 1067

- Denon 2311

- Pioneer LX53

- Integra 30.2

- Onkyo 608

I've listened to the 2311, 608 and 1067. The Onkyo is the least favorite of the one's I heard. The Denon was very nice, had clarity and transparency that the Onkyo didn't. The 1067 sat in between the 2.

I've included the LX53 because of the 5 star What HiFi rating and the 30.2 because it was recommended by a dealer (who did not stock B&W's).

I will use the system for movies, concerts, and stereo music. Possibly a 40%, 40%, 20% split. My room is an open plan room, size is approx 4.5 x 6m. I'll be sitting approx 4.4m from the tv.

I'm quite confused with the amps as not one shop stocks them all and also there are very few shops who stock the B&W's. Opinions / comments?

Hi dimmies

I'll recommend Yamaha's RX-V1067 and particularly even more so now with the price at £750 from £850. Alternatilvely the RX-V2067 should also be seriously considered as this is now £900 (down from £1100). Both amps were already good enough at their previous prices however they both now represent fantastic VFM at their new prices

Btw, the RX-V1067 and RX-V2067 will both work well with the 685 speakers and will form a combination which you should enjoy listening to for hours regardless of the type of soundtracks.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Nice to see some things will never change Rick!

Did you actually expect any different from Rick?

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Ronald Archiebald:grdunn123:MUSICRAFT:dimmies:
I have my heart set on the 685 theatre set of speakers. Now I am confused about the amp. I've heard people mention I need to match the amp with the speakers etc. Anyway, I am tossing up between the following amps (because they are in a similar price range where I am):

- Yamaha 1067

- Denon 2311

- Pioneer LX53

- Integra 30.2

- Onkyo 608

I've listened to the 2311, 608 and 1067. The Onkyo is the least favorite of the one's I heard. The Denon was very nice, had clarity and transparency that the Onkyo didn't. The 1067 sat in between the 2.

I've included the LX53 because of the 5 star What HiFi rating and the 30.2 because it was recommended by a dealer (who did not stock B&W's).

I will use the system for movies, concerts, and stereo music. Possibly a 40%, 40%, 20% split. My room is an open plan room, size is approx 4.5 x 6m. I'll be sitting approx 4.4m from the tv.

I'm quite confused with the amps as not one shop stocks them all and also there are very few shops who stock the B&W's. Opinions / comments?

Hi dimmies

I'll recommend Yamaha's RX-V1067 and particularly even more so now with the price at £750 from £850. Alternatilvely the RX-V2067 should also be seriously considered as this is now £900 (down from £1100). Both amps were already good enough at their previous prices however they both now represent fantastic VFM at their new prices

Btw, the RX-V1067 and RX-V2067 will both work well with the 685 speakers and will form a combination which you should enjoy listening to for hours regardless of the type of soundtracks.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Nice to see some things will never change Rick!

Did you actually expect any different from Rick?

Hi Ronald Archiebald

I was going to respond to grdunn123 however i decided to wait and let my uncle Ronald respond instead

I guess we're not different at all

Btw, i hope you are sitting down for this but i am currently using Onkyo's PR-SC5508/PA-MC5500

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

hahaha... so I take it Rick is a huge Yamaha advocate? I suppose there's nothing wrong with that if they are good products...

 

[Deleted member 2457]

dimmies:

I have my heart set on the 685 theatre set of speakers. Now I am confused about the amp. I've heard people mention I need to match the amp with the speakers etc. Anyway, I am tossing up between the following amps (because they are in a similar price range where I am):

- Yamaha 1067

- Denon 2311

- Pioneer LX53

- Integra 30.2

- Onkyo 608

I've listened to the 2311, 608 and 1067. The Onkyo is the least favorite of the one's I heard. The Denon was very nice, had clarity and transparency that the Onkyo didn't. The 1067 sat in between the 2.

I've included the LX53 because of the 5 star What HiFi rating and the 30.2 because it was recommended by a dealer (who did not stock B&W's).

I will use the system for movies, concerts, and stereo music. Possibly a 40%, 40%, 20% split. My room is an open plan room, size is approx 4.5 x 6m. I'll be sitting approx 4.4m from the tv.

I'm quite confused with the amps as not one shop stocks them all and also there are very few shops who stock the B&W's. Opinions / comments?

In the Mag they had a group test with slightly cheaper amps than the ones you have listed and in that group test the Pioneer came out on top

 

[professorhat]

I'd personally be very wary of buying something you haven't had a chance to listen to. If you can't find the Pioneer anywhere to listen with the B&Ws, I'd go with your favourite combination that you have auditioned (which I think was the Denon). Unless you're 100% on the B&Ws, in which case the other option could be to get them, then see if you can get a home trial of the Pioneer from a different shop.

Just my personal opinion though

 

[grdunn123]

MUSICRAFT:Ronald Archiebald:grdunn123:MUSICRAFT:dimmies:
I have my heart set on the 685 theatre set of speakers. Now I am confused about the amp. I've heard people mention I need to match the amp with the speakers etc. Anyway, I am tossing up between the following amps (because they are in a similar price range where I am):

- Yamaha 1067

- Denon 2311

- Pioneer LX53

- Integra 30.2

- Onkyo 608

I've listened to the 2311, 608 and 1067. The Onkyo is the least favorite of the one's I heard. The Denon was very nice, had clarity and transparency that the Onkyo didn't. The 1067 sat in between the 2.

I've included the LX53 because of the 5 star What HiFi rating and the 30.2 because it was recommended by a dealer (who did not stock B&W's).

I will use the system for movies, concerts, and stereo music. Possibly a 40%, 40%, 20% split. My room is an open plan room, size is approx 4.5 x 6m. I'll be sitting approx 4.4m from the tv.

I'm quite confused with the amps as not one shop stocks them all and also there are very few shops who stock the B&W's. Opinions / comments?

Hi dimmies

I'll recommend Yamaha's RX-V1067 and particularly even more so now with the price at £750 from £850. Alternatilvely the RX-V2067 should also be seriously considered as this is now £900 (down from £1100). Both amps were already good enough at their previous prices however they both now represent fantastic VFM at their new prices

Btw, the RX-V1067 and RX-V2067 will both work well with the 685 speakers and will form a combination which you should enjoy listening to for hours regardless of the type of soundtracks.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Nice to see some things will never change Rick!

Did you actually expect any different from Rick?

Hi Ronald Archiebald

I was going to respond to grdunn123 however i decided to wait and let my uncle Ronald respond instead

I guess we're not different at all

Btw, i hope you are sitting down for this but i am currently using Onkyo's PR-SC5508/PA-MC5500

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Just pulling your leg, Rick, no offence intended.

 

[Anonymous]

Listened to the Denon 2311 and 2 more amps today; the Integra 30.2 and the Marantz 6005. Both amps were beautiful sounding and had great warmth to the music. In stereo mode, the Marantz won slightly with more detail and slightly more top end. To me, the Denon sounded brittle and harsh compared to these 2. However, if I was to choose the Marantz or the Integra, I'll probably take the Integra because it is a cheaper price and the sound was also very good. The dealer told me the Marantz video processing is still not that good.

So the Denon 2311 and Onkyo 608 are off my list. In the lead is Integra. Marantz and Yamaha are in the middle somewhere. Still need to find a dealer to listen to the Pioneer.

 

[Anonymous]

gel:dimmies:

In the Mag they had a group test with slightly cheaper amps than the ones you have listed and in that group test the Pioneer came out on top

Thanks Gel, I haven't seen the mag or the article. Could you tell me what the LX53 was compared to?

 

[Anonymous]

B&W 685 Theatre surround set great choice. A very important thing is: are you going to hang the speakers on the wall or put them on stands?

 

[Anonymous]

The fronts will be on stands and I'm tossing up whether to put the rears on stands or hang them. Why is this important?

 

[Anonymous]

if you are going to hang them on the wall then the cheapest theatre amp (from your choice) will do. If you are going to use stands and give the speakers one metre of breathing space then the more expensive amp the better. In these circumstances even Rotel RSX 1550 (for concerts) would be highly recommended

 

[Anonymous]

I have been into HiFi for four years. Started with B&W 602 S3. When I bought rotel 1520 stereo amp I discovered that for two years I had been using my 685 B&W the wrong way - they were only 20 centimeters of the wall. When I moved the speakers 1 meter of the wall my jaw dropped - what you get is a thick wall of sound starting from the speakers and ending behind the real wall.And now I would like to have the same quality in my home cinema all I know is the amp has to cost...

 

[Deleted member 2457]

dimmies:gel:dimmies:

In the Mag they had a group test with slightly cheaper amps than the ones you have listed and in that group test the Pioneer came out on top

Thanks Gel, I haven't seen the mag or the article. Could you tell me what the LX53 was compared to?

No it was the Pioneer VSX-919AH that got paired with the B&W 685 as a great match, described as "a winning combination of looks and performance makes the B&W the reigning champion at this price and an ideal match for the Pioneer, Clean, Open, Expressive and Precise, they're a hugely entertaining listen."

The Denon AVR-1910 was there and the Sony STR-DA3500ES but the combination of the Pioneer amp with the Pioneer BDP-320 was the winner in the test.

 

[Anonymous]

gel:

No it was the Pioneer VSX-919AH that got paired with the B&W 685 as a great match, described as "a winning combination of looks and performance makes the B&W the reigning champion at this price and an ideal match for the Pioneer, Clean, Open, Expressive and Precise, they're a hugely entertaining listen."

The Denon AVR-1910 was there and the Sony STR-DA3500ES but the combination of the Pioneer amp with the Pioneer BDP-320 was the winner in the test.

Wow, the VSX-919AHis half the price of the ones I'm looking at. I'll check it out. Wonder if the LX53 will sound similar?

It's interesting that they paired a cheap amp with a not so cheap pair of speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Fi biker: In these circumstances even Rotel RSX 1550 (for concerts) would be highly recommended

I've never heard a Rotel before. Thanks for the advice. So far, the leader is still the Integra 30.2 and I'm very keen to listen to the Pioneer LX53 and Rotel if I can find one, though it may not be with the 685's.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

dimmies:gel:

No it was the Pioneer VSX-919AH that got paired with the B&W 685 as a great match, described as "a winning combination of looks and performance makes the B&W the reigning champion at this price and an ideal match for the Pioneer, Clean, Open, Expressive and Precise, they're a hugely entertaining listen."

The Denon AVR-1910 was there and the Sony STR-DA3500ES but the combination of the Pioneer amp with the Pioneer BDP-320 was the winner in the test.

Wow, the VSX-919AHis half the price of the ones I'm looking at. I'll check it out. Wonder if the LX53 will sound similar?

It's interesting that they paired a cheap amp with a not so cheap pair of speakers.

Personally i can only see it sounding better, i have heard the pioneer lx52 with the B&W MT30 and that was a great sound

 

[Anonymous]

Rotel and B&W often go together in shops. (I think these companies are financially linked). Rotel RSX 1550 is only 5 channel amp and is not 3D capable, it is also the cheapest cinema amp from this company which says something about the company. It is definitely for these home cinema enthusiasts for whom sound is priority number one. On the other hand I trust What Hi Fi and buying Pioneer LX53 will not be a mistake. However last year I but DENON 1910 (which was also a product of the year but much cheaper) and for films it is OK but for music in stereo it is horrible. Once you get the taste of a good stereo amp you start to dream of a comparable cinema amp. When you buy your B&W 685 theatre speakers for the first week they will sound a bit coarse. When I bought my 685 pair my wife, who got used to the sound of B&W 602 S3, was asking 'Are these really better speakers?' I mention this because when you audition the speakers and they are straight out of the box you will not hear their full charm.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, new speakers will need to be run in before they sound their best. I'm expecting it'll take me more than a week though...

I agree about an AV amp that sounds nice in stereo should also sound good in a theatre setup. Same applies to the speakers, if they sound good in stereo (music), then they should make a good theatre set.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

dimmies:hahaha... so I take it Rick is a huge Yamaha advocate? I suppose there's nothing wrong with that if they are good products...

Hi dimmies

Yes, i like Yamaha products

Yamaha inspires confidence

Merry Christmas

Rick @ Musicraft