What <£500 AVRs should I be looking at?

[hornetstinger]

Why would anyone who cares about music quality ditch a stereo amp in favour of an AV amp? It's a neat feature to have for background or casual listening.

ease of use. I went from spare Lexicon MC-1, Arcam 9, Yamaha DSP A590, to a Yamaha 671. That was for a computer rig, it was totally over the top and stupid- but it was just spare components around. I could have kept the Arcam, but I'd still need a DAC.

 

[Scam]

Why would anyone who cares about music quality ditch a stereo amp in favour of an AV amp? It's a neat feature to have for background or casual listening.

Zing, indeed

But I would argue that (disclaimer: from my experience) bluetooth quality is noticeably terrible to even casual listening, whereas the difference in a modern AVR compared to a stereo amp at my budget is much less noticeable. In all seriousness if you've got that Marantz I'd highly recommend getting a Chromecast for £30 and using that to stream Google Music or Spotify etc. I reckon you'd easily notice the difference and it's probably easier to manage that BT anyway.

 

[Mel_P]

Why would anyone who cares about sound quality want to stream music via bluetooth

Not for "normal" listening and I don't tend to stream music a lot but it is useful for listening to the odd spoken voice thing on iPlayer Radio App which is now only available on PCs / Tablets - and my tablet is useful for listening to the iPlayer App. I agree quality not Hi Fi but a useful thing to have available - saves having yet another device![/QUOTE]

 

[tom_nieto]

ease of use. I went from spare Lexicon MC-1, Arcam 9, Yamaha DSP A590, to a Yamaha 671. That was for a computer rig, it was totally over the top and stupid- but it was just spare components around. I could have kept the Arcam, but I'd still need a DAC.

Ease of use doesn’t always equal good sound. That does sound like a crazy system for a computer setup!

 

[tom_nieto]

Zing, indeed

But I would argue that (disclaimer: from my experience) bluetooth quality is noticeably terrible to even casual listening, whereas the difference in a modern AVR compared to a stereo amp at my budget is much less noticeable. In all seriousness if you've got that Marantz I'd highly recommend getting a Chromecast for £30 and using that to stream Google Music or Spotify etc. I reckon you'd easily notice the difference and it's probably easier to manage that BT anyway.

Sorry, couldn’t resist a bite there! I’m just playing around with amazon echo at the moment whereas before I was using my amp’s built in Spotify, I’m now connected with Bluetooth. Not a huge difference, but the setup in the kitchen isn’t exactly what you’d call audiophile!

 

[lucid]

Yeah my current stereo amp is Marantz so I was looking at them first. Unfortunately although it's slim the NR1608 is crazy-deep compared to others (376mm) and won't actually fit in my cabinet unless I take the back off. And it doesn't have CC built-in or a 3.5mm jack in for it? So I'd have to buy a 3.5mm > optical. Which is fine I guess...

Not having Chromecast built-in is hardly a deal-breaker, surely? It's a £30 add-on box. Okay, it takes up a HDMI socket if you connect it that way. As for the "Doesn't have a 3.5mm jack sockets for it" - the answer is a jack to phono cable.

When your opening post states that you're looking for music quality, then to make your amp selection based on one having Chromecast built-in seems like a very odd choice.

I'm also a bit puzzled by you saying that all your devices have HDMI. I thought you said you had a Marantz Hi-Fi amp, and if so how exactly are you accommodating HDMI right now, and how does that fit in with a system based on audio quality? HDMI isn't exactly the premium audio quality connector of choice. Surely you're using analogue audio for your prime quality music source devices? Or is that that audio quality isn't really as important as you make out, and really you've set your heart on the Sony for some reason? No-one here's going to shout if that's what you've decided. Just be honest.

 

[hornetstinger]

Yup I would never choose a AVR (or TV) because it lacks a streaming feature. Worst case, buy an external box. Also that means when a audio device is updated you get new hardware/software, with a AVR it'll stay the same, so if it goes out of date, or lacks features nothing you can do about it.

My Yamaha AVR has streaming but I don't use it.

Also you can't view one source whilst listening to that , so it's a bit pointless. I'm on my HTPC now, so if I route video through the AVR,but wanting to listen to the AVR own streaming I can't do it. But if I play music in foobar, I can of course still see the computer desktop.

 

[Scam]

Not having Chromecast built-in is hardly a deal-breaker, surely? It's a £30 add-on box. Okay, it takes up a HDMI socket if you connect it that way. As for the "Doesn't have a 3.5mm jack sockets for it" - the answer is a jack to phono cable.

When your opening post states that you're looking for music quality, then to make your amp selection based on one having Chromecast built-in seems like a very odd choice.

I'm also a bit puzzled by you saying that all your devices have HDMI. I thought you said you had a Marantz Hi-Fi amp, and if so how exactly are you accommodating HDMI right now, and how does that fit in with a system based on audio quality? HDMI isn't exactly the premium audio quality connector of choice. Surely you're using analogue audio for your prime quality music source devices? Or is that that audio quality isn't really as important as you make out, and really you've set your heart on the Sony for some reason? No-one here's going to shout if that's what you've decided. Just be honest.

Well firstly I'm not set on anything because I'm struggling to find anywhere to listen to them. Surprising in London! So with that in mind, I can only go off specs, general internet consensus. The Sony is reviewed absolutely brilliantly everywhere you look - and sounds like the complete package, whereas I can only go off internet-opinion that "generally Marantz is better for music". Marantz reviews are pretty lacking. So I'm looking at something that's reviewed very well, ticks all the boxes (plus bonus of CC built-in), compared to something that doesn't quite tick the same boxes but might sound better? Whether or not it does in my small flat and (arguably budget) speakers is another story too

As for my current set-up, I'm using a CC plugged in via 3.5mm directly to the Marantz. Everything else is a mess of 3 HDMI inputs on my TV (Panasonic GT60), a cheapo HDMI switcher on one of those inputs, and having to unplug/plug in the AppleTV when I want to use it (which to be fair, is rare but I need it for work). Audio is out of the TV's optical via a cheap DAC, into the Marantz. It's essentially a nightmare and I get grief from the girlfriend every time she's left on her own!

Yup I would never choose a AVR (or TV) because it lacks a streaming feature. Worst case, buy an external box. Also that means when a audio device is updated you get new hardware/software, with a AVR it'll stay the same, so if it goes out of date, or lacks features nothing you can do about it.

My Yamaha AVR has streaming but I don't use it.

Also you can't view one source whilst listening to that , so it's a bit pointless. I'm on my HTPC now, so if I route video through the AVR,but wanting to listen to the AVR own streaming I can't do it. But if I play music in foobar, I can of course still see the computer desktop.

I never would have (I bought my GT60 for PQ alone, for example), but at this moment in time it's an additional point towards the Sony. I do have a lifetime deal with Google Music so I cant see myself changing the way I listen to music for a while.. I wonder if what you say is true about the Sony though, considering the CC is built-in. I would occasionally like to have the TV on with other audio playing. It's a good point to consider.

 

[hornetstinger]

If I had a choice of Sony or Marantz amp/avr, I'd go with Marantz.

 

[Scam]

To be honest all this talk of musical quality just makes me wonder if I should suck it up and buy a decent hifi amp (probably Marantz) and find myself a good solid hdmi switcher. With my Harmony remote (Christmas present, not tried it yet) and Google Home it should alleviate the issues of switching between devices, right? With me likely to have only a stereo setup for the near-medium future perhaps this is sensible.

The problem is where the heck can I find a "proper" hdmi switcher with more than 6 inputs? I'm honestly struggling..

EDIT: But then 10mins later I think I'm kidding myself that the hassle is worth it (would I really notice the difference on my setup) and that an AVR is the easier and sensible choice. Lol

 

[lucid]

All things considered then, maybe the Sony is the right choice for you.