What would you choose?

[bretty]

what would you choose between a second hand, three year old Sony STR-DA5400ES and a brand new Sony STR-D1040?

I'm a bit torn. In my gut I think that the 5400ES is the way to go, as it was a fairly top end receiver and should sound miles better than the 1040, but am I right?

 

[bigboss]

Which speakers have you got?

 

[bretty]

Tannoy Eyris Floors, centre and surrounds.

 

[bigboss]

I've never heard your speakers, but looking at the specs, it should benefit from the superior 5400. The question is, how old is it? Do you get any warranty with it?

 

[bigboss]

Ok, just noticed that it's 3 years old. I would be hesitant personally as things start to break down after 3 years of use.

 

[Paul.]

Not sure if it will affect you, but bear in mind the older sony has HDMI 1.3a, which means no 3D pass through and no Audio Return Channel. This May or may not introduce some complexity depending on your system. It also means no 4k compatibility if you plan on going down that route in the future.

 

[TheHomeCinemaCentre]

The 5400 was a solid amp and if you are looking to improve on the sound you have with the 1200 rather than compltely change it I would go for it.

 

[bretty]

Thanks for all of your comments, fellas.

Let me open the discussion up a bit. The reasons i'm wanting to change the 1200ES are two-fold: It doesn't support HD audio and when turned up to movie watching levels (-18 to -14db, for me), the amp seems to struggle with vocal clarity even with the centre channel's gain increased.

So i'm after a replacement that will support HD Audio and have the power and poise to keep the vocals clear at high volumes. Budget £600. New or second hand, I don't mind. Any suggestions?

 

[bretty]

Oh, and 4k compatability isn't a necessity; I won't be getting on that train til I can get a great 4k projector for less than £1500, which will be years away.

Thanks in advance!

 

[themovierooms]

Thanks for all of your comments, fellas.

Let me open the discussion up a bit. The reasons i'm wanting to change the 1200ES are two-fold: It doesn't support HD audio and when turned up to movie watching levels (-18 to -14db, for me), the amp seems to struggle with vocal clarity even with the centre channel's gain increased.

So i'm after a replacement that will support HD Audio and have the power and poise to keep the vocals clear at high volumes. Budget £600. New or second hand, I don't mind. Any suggestions?

Around that price the new Yamaha RX-V675 would do the job, I can’t really fault it for the price. You can also pick up a used Anthem MRX300 for £599 with a warranty that also might be worth a look. I can’t say I have heard the new Sony’s as they are a Richer/Sony centre exclusive, I’m sure they are very good as well though.

 

[bretty]

well, i've taken a punt and picked up a 5400ES. i think i got a pretty good deal. ex demo unit for £460.have to see if it sounds as good as im hoping when it turns up in a few days!

 

[bretty]

The 5400ES turned up today and i'm feeling a little smug cos it's an absolute minter. I hooked it up, did the auto calibration and gave it a little workout. Initial impressions were that i'd done a wrong 'un cos it sounded very thin, until I realised i'd turned the sub off. D'uh. With the sub back on, and the calibration re-done, i'm a happy chappy. It's more detailed, more spacious, has better treble, has more grunt and has more composure at high volumes than the 1200ES.

I think it was a steal at £460 and i'll be happy to stick with it til I get a4K projector in a few years.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Well done Bretty. I was happy with my 2400es, so the 5400 must be a step up on that. :cheers:

 

[bretty]

cheers, matey. you've moved over to Yammie, i see. hows their sound differ from the sony?

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

It's obviously a much more expensive amp than the 2400, and sounds it. It steers the effects a whole lot better when watching films, and has more oomph too. I'm definitely hearing a bit more detail in my music as well.

To be honest, my speakers aren't really good enough to show it off, but I'm still happy I bought it, especially at the stupid price I got it for.

I got my Roksan Radius 5.2 back today from being repaired, but it's just sitting there at the moment, don't want to rush anything and regret it. It will need oiling, as some leaked out in transit, so I'm hoping for a bit of advice on how to do it.

 

[bretty]

That Yammie of yours sounds like a belter, according to you and the reviews online that I just read. Well done, mate. How much did you nick it for?

Ask Floydy Doodle about the oiling, he'll sort you out.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I got it for £799 back in April from Creative Audio, a deal so good, I thought it was a belated April 1st joke at first.

I've done a bit of cleaning and oiling around the spindle, but not sure if I've done it properly. It was quite dirty though, so definitely needs doing.

 

[kevin7.1]

I recently went through a similar upgrade process. A little less money in the pot so I went from a 1200 ES to a 5300 ES. I didn't really want to change the sound but I wanted hd codec decoding, so I thought going for a newer top end of the range amp from the same line would work for me. I did start a thread but tried to be a smartarse with people who were trying to help me and killed that thread ( sorry big boss! )

Anyway, Just wanted to ask have you tried a manual setup. After reading some posts on the av receiver forums here, I decided to try it with my 1200 I set all my speakers to small, crossed over at 80hz and set my sound output level for each speaker to a measured 70db using an app on my phone, with the volume level set to 0db.

I found the sound instantly improved from what I had been used to. The sound from the speakers seemed work better together being matched for level and the overall sound was clearer. It was the same with the 5300 the auto setup on that was worse than the 1200 and manual setup proved to be much prefered in my case.

Just thought I would put that to you as it may help you to get even more from the system you are obviously enjoying.

Thanks

Kev

 

[bretty]

Thanks Kev, i'll try the manual set up. I did try it with the 1200ES but didn't like the sound. But the 5400 is a completely different beast so it may give different results.

Have you found the 5300 o be a big step up from the 1200?

 

[bigboss]

I did start a thread but tried to be a smartarse with people who were trying to help me and killed that thread ( sorry big boss! )

Sorry, I seem to have missed your thread. Looking back at it, I've never heard your speakers so wouldn't be in a position to advise appropriately.

 

[kevin7.1]

Yes it feels like it could cope in a room two or three times the size of my living room. But I do feel like my speakers are holding it back a little.

I have listened to a few concerts in blu ray and the difference in the voices! It now sounds live like I am there and I can truly appreciate how good Adele, Mariah Carey and Leona Lewis' voices really are.

I would suggest you try a pure audio blu ray that is like an upgrade in itself. I am also going to get amongst others Saving Private Ryan and Death Race on blu ray as they stand out for me as the best surround soundtracks for effects steering I heard with the 1200 in Dolby digital.

 

[kevin7.1]

Ps I think the main difference for me with the manual setup was having the level of each speaker matched where I was sitting. I listen at lower volumes to you it may have a benefit in that respect. I use the smart tools db meter on android give it a try see what you levels are like as your system stands now.

It's a lot easier to do the setup on the newer receivers with the gui. I remember with the 1200 I had to play the test tone, make the adjustment, write down how many db I had adjusted each level by and the go back into the speaker set up menu and apply those changes. A lot of messing compared to setting and saving in one go like I did with the 5300.

 

[kevin7.1]

I did start a thread but tried to be a smartarse with people who were trying to help me and killed that thread ( sorry big boss! )

Sorry, I seem to have missed your thread. Looking back at it, I've never heard your speakers so wouldn't be in a position to advise appropriately.

Thanks for getting back to me Big Boss lol!

At the time I read my post back and thought I had come across badly. I have learnt a lot on these forums and I think I just got a little ahead of my self. Clear air is always good in my opinion. Hence the apology.

 

[bretty]

ill defo have a play around with the manual set up tomorrow. glad your well happy with 5300, kev.

me, im over the moon today cos i had a day off and did loads of listening to the 5400ES. first thing i'm really happy about is that it DOES support 3D! It shouldnt, but it does. i chucked 'silent hill: Revelation 3D' (crap film, but 3D and soundtrack are brilliant. it clearly showed thr differences between the 5400 and the 1200. effects truely follow the action onscreen, dialogue is really clear and the dynamic agility of it is huge.

Then i chucked on Pacific Rim 3D and it was an audio onslaught. the bass was strong enough to vibrate the floor and the sofa. And all without distorting or hardening up the sound. this thing just loves going loud.

i really thought that this amp would be better than the 1200ES, but similar. i didnt expect it to be what it is: a completely different beast. it makes the 1200ES sound a bit poo in comparison, which has surprised me cos i generally loved it.

 

[bigboss]

I did start a thread but tried to be a smartarse with people who were trying to help me and killed that thread ( sorry big boss! )

Sorry, I seem to have missed your thread. Looking back at it, I've never heard your speakers so wouldn't be in a position to advise appropriately.

Thanks for getting back to me Big Boss lol!

At the time I read my post back and thought I had come across badly. I have learnt a lot on these forums and I think I just got a little ahead of my self. Clear air is always good in my opinion. Hence the apology.

:cheers: