22 replies to this topic

[eurotom]

Hi guys
i'm looking for a good home theatre reciever. Yamaha are a good brand. which one of the aventage series would people consider the best. From what I've read I believe the rx-a3010 is the best one but I'm not sure. Anyone got any reviews comparing the products? prices? opinions? any other make of product people recommend over Yamaha?

thanks
Tom

[Jventer]

I have a Rxv 2067 from Harvey Norman. After I bought it I started reading about the other receivers and it appears the Aventage is better than normal models. How much, I dont know. Haven't tempted myself. Yamaha rep says it is better. Others says it is better as it has longer warranty and the fifth foot. In the forums it appears the Aventage is the same as the normal models, e.g Aventage 2000 = Rxv 2067. Aventage models only available through Hi Fi dealers. Personal experience is that it has a myriad of options and possibilities. Good brand name and reliable, but I am not convinced it is the best sound. What Hi Fi rates the Yamaha models very high. At that price go an listen to Onkyo/Integra/Denon/Anthem and trust your ears.

[Jventer]

Also check out Emotiva

[Lil Caesar]

Hmmm aventage is a bit of a cynical marketing exercise IMHO. Similar to what onkyo has with integra. Think Toyota and Lexus. Same basic platform, different shell and add 20% to the price. Very hard to go wrong with Denon avrs. But not the cheap ones from Harvey Norman - the ones from hifi shops. Yeah they have started to do a similar thing, but the difference is genuine in the case of Denon.

[surfpurple]

Hmmm aventage is a bit of a cynical marketing exercise IMHO. Similar to what onkyo has with integra. Think Toyota and Lexus. Same basic platform, different shell and add 20% to the price. Very hard to go wrong with Denon avrs. But not the cheap ones from Harvey Norman - the ones from hifi shops. Yeah they have started to do a similar thing, but the difference is genuine in the case of Denon.

+1 on your comment about 'receivers from Harvey Normans etc. The 'department stores' sell the 'chinese or other cheap asian' Hi-Fi equipment. They are NOT the same quality as the one's from a 'reputable' Hi-Fi store. Don't get sucked in by the 'vultures' in these 'greedy' shops. They sell cheap crap and let you think you are buying a 'top' brand!

The whole industry ( and just about every other industry for that matter) is going down in terms of 'quality' because everything is being made in 'China' and that's what you get out of it!

Yamaha, Onkyo, and other brands (that once were 'hi-end' brand names ) are now dropping to the levels of the 'cheaper' brands.

Do your homework and don't get sucked in . AVOID department stores altogether, that's my advise!

At the end of the day.......'you get what you pay for' !!

[eurotom]

+1 on your comment about 'receivers from Harvey Normans etc. The 'department stores' sell the 'chinese or other cheap asian' Hi-Fi equipment. They are NOT the same quality as the one's from a 'reputable' Hi-Fi store. Don't get sucked in by the 'vultures' in these 'greedy' shops. They sell cheap crap and let you think you are buying a 'top' brand!

The whole industry ( and just about every other industry for that matter) is going down in terms of 'quality' because everything is being made in 'China' and that's what you get out of it!



Yamaha, Onkyo, and other brands (that once were 'hi-end' brand names ) are now dropping to the levels of the 'cheaper' brands.

Do your homework and don't get sucked in . AVOID department stores altogether, that's my advise!

At the end of the day.......'you get what you pay for' !!

I don't think that quality is neccessarily true. Its cheaper from china but sometimes that doesn't do anything to the quality its just 10 times cheaper to get something made in china than in Australia (or Europe) for example i managed to get myself a nice rolex watch in china it is identical made from the same factory but a ridiculously small fraction of the price. I know thats not HiFi equipment but still. Pretty soon everything will be made in China anyway unfortunately, its so cheap for companies to do it why would they do it anywhere else?

i was looking to buy from a good Hi-fi store in Sydney anyway, got any names in mind?

[eurotom]

Hmmm aventage is a bit of a cynical marketing exercise IMHO. Similar to what onkyo has with integra. Think Toyota and Lexus. Same basic platform, different shell and add 20% to the price. Very hard to go wrong with Denon avrs. But not the cheap ones from Harvey Norman - the ones from hifi shops. Yeah they have started to do a similar thing, but the difference is genuine in the case of Denon.

Theres a HiFi shop called Audio solutions here in Sydney that have got the Denon AVR1912 on offer at $749? is that the. would you say thats a decent reciever? better than the Yamaha? i'm not too bothered about a massive discount, rather get quality, but if its both then obviously I'll get it!

[joz]

I'm a big fan of the yammy receivers, particularily the 3000 series of recent times.
They are a cut above in build and SQ quality in comparison to theeir stable mates.
But you will more than likely be purchasing features that you will never use, do not discount the lesser 2010 model as it will perhaps be more than enough for most people.

[Lil Caesar]

Re yammy vs denon at entry/mid level, like Joz says, the yammers have a bucket load of features dsp-wise but I'd go the Denon as I prefer their amplification, particularly with music. Also worth looking at the new entry level arcam 360 avr...

[ozcal]

I have a Yam RXV-1800 from a few years ago and have to say that it's not bad with music and excellent with movies.
Yam's traditional bright sound seems to have been replaced with a more even tempered sound after the RXV-1700 SERIES.
Arcam and Cambridge are superb generally if the money is available.

[Mitcon]

I don't think that things being made in China have anything to do with quality of build/components, they can build some extremely good quality gear. It's more about what they are asked to build, if they are asked to build cheap they do, if they are asked for quality they do that too. I think you will find that even the stuff made in Europe, here or where-ever is actually assembled at those locations and most the components it's made up of would still be from China.

The other thing is high end brands haven't dropped their quality, most still have their high end range it's just to meet the mass market and budget type shoppers they have also made lower end budget options for people. See alot of people don't buy because of what a device is made up from but rather because they trust or know the name brand. All companies do it, not just in AV/HiFi and it's quite simply that some companies are trying to get into the lower end of the market hoping people will buy on brand name and/or features alone.

I totally agree with the others here in that buying from a specialist store is better than buying from department chain stores, though these stores do serve a purpose for people that after things in that budget range and are good place for ipods and stuff like that. Also when it comes to AVR's look around alot and listen as well, buy something that has the features you need/want but forget about models with dozens of toy features and play things that will never really get used. Better to get something thats all go rather than something thats all show.

I think the bottom of the line Denon AVR's are better than the base line yammy's but once you get upto the decent level units to high level both brands are pretty good, I'd suggest Denon over the Yammy most the time and feel they are normally a little more musical but the 3000 series yams are quite good indeed as well. Best bet is to have a listen to all of the ones in your budget range of interest with the features you need and buy what your ears like the most. Don't worry about right or wrong with what others tell you, your the person paying for it and listening to it end of the day, so your the only person that needs to be happy with it.

I also wouldn't pay too much attention to reviews in mags, I gave up buying and reading What HiFi and most other AV mags many, many years ago. Much better to go by independant reviews from owners but again most of all your own ears.

[Mika75]

Yamaha RX-A1010 Aventage - Review, Measurements & Analysis @ Audioholics

Utilising the right gear, measurements will tell u how a product performs, not subjective listening.

Tom, ur buying features and power output, thats what counts.

Edited by Mika75, 17 February 2012 - 11:56 PM.

[:) al]

I agree with mitcons comments above. well worth a listen to see what like as well. which is more possible in the specialist stores than the pretty average listening environment in a box mover. the new yams are pretty decent too. long history of very decent solid avrs well worth a consider.

I'd chuck a couple of other decent options in their as well in the cambridge 551r

http://www.cambridge...ary.php?PID=897
retails for $1399 which I think a bargain for what gets,
http://www.carltonau...=node/view/1599

if want to spend a bit more at under $2k the arcam avr360
http://www.carltonau...=node/view/1634

[Time_Lord]

Alot of hi-fi stuff are being made in CHina nowadays.

The reality is no matter the brand, there is going to be a percentage of products designed for department stores to sell. These are the kind of stores I will not even approach for hifi advice setup, not even HT.

Thing is one time I went into these department stores, asking them what AVR models you stock that have pre-outs for use with a external power amplifier. The look on their faces is just classic. Because they know they can't sell me any of their low end equipment already in stock

[surfpurple]

I don't think that quality is neccessarily true. Its cheaper from china but sometimes that doesn't do anything to the quality its just 10 times cheaper to get something made in china than in Australia (or Europe) for example i managed to get myself a nice rolex watch in china it is identical made from the same factory but a ridiculously small fraction of the price. I know thats not HiFi equipment but still. Pretty soon everything will be made in China anyway unfortunately, its so cheap for companies to do it why would they do it anywhere else?

i was looking to buy from a good Hi-fi store in Sydney anyway, got any names in mind?

Maybe , maybe not for the 'quality'.

There are some (quality) companies that have moved their manufacturing to China, and have had 'numerous' faulty returns to the point of re-locating back to the original place of manufacture!

You see China (and the other 'cheap manufacturing countries) don't have the 'same' standards that we do in the western world, and they don't 'care', they just want to make a buck and 'shortcut' wherever they can. They don't always use the same quality COMPONENTS.

I went to buy a 'Denon' reciever from a PROPER hi-fi store (that was closing down and had NO vested interest), and the 'owner' explained to me how the 'bigger' brand names such as 'Onkyo' and 'Yamaha' were being manufactured in 'China'. And went on to say that the quality WAS NOT as good! He said that once these brands went into 'department stores' they were made more cheaply and did not have the same quality as they once had.

Just because the brand is a 'quality' brand , it STILL loses out when it is made in 'China'. Something HAS to give!!

Don't for a second think that 'Onkyo' (made in China) IS the same as 'Onkyo' (made in Japan) used to be! You would just be kidding yourself!

Edited by surfpurple, 18 February 2012 - 05:39 PM.

[djrome89]

A couple of you mentioned going to a hi fi store instead of a department store, what are some good, reputable hi fi stores in Sydney I could go to?

[fat]

I bought all of my stuff from Mario at In Style Hi Fi in Five Dock when I live in Sydney. Great service

[AudioGeek]

Try eastwoodhifi, always had good experience with them

[RockandorRoll]

Not sure on hifi but China doesn't always mean bad quality. Like it was said above, products are made to fill the gap set by the brands of you want an AVR at a price point they will make it up for you.

A company I know moved manufacturing from England to china and actually had less errors per batch as a result. If the company sets the standard then China will follow - and at a damn nice price. Most products will have to meet specs anyway, so in theory there shouldn't be a quality drop

[digitalhome]

Why not an Anthem MRX receiver? They don't have a lot of the bells and whistles of some other well known brands, but they do one thing more important, produce amazing sound!

[mitchs87]

Yamaha RX-A3020 can't go wrong for the price or if you have a little more money go the procise and psphd from crestron.
Keep in mind we are already talking about a pretty decent receiver in the Yamaha so going the crestron way would be full high end.
Also keep in mind the better quality receiver will require better quality cable if you want to do it right.

[atty]

+1 for eastwood hifi. i got my A1000 from them for $850 as a referb model. Great recievers, and with the bypass option you cant go wrong.

[pchan]

My son bought me a RX-V371 Yammi for Krisy, this is the bottom of the range receiver and as far as I'm concern this is possibly the best entry level receiver, it's cost effective and the SQ is glorious in Movie and 2 channel. I have had the cover off because the HDMI was faulty but that wasn't because of production that's because my son dropped a strand of wire on top of the HDMI PCb. The soldering in this unit is better than the NAD M51 as its all consists throughout the pcb unlike the M51 and the M51 is supposed to be the flagship of NAD's range. If you're able to compare units in the shop do so and decide, because they are always comming up with new model range every 6 mths if not less and by the time you have paid for it something different comes out, that's why I refused to spend big!