New Stereo Receiver - Help !

[Andrew Mc Glone]

Hi,

I am thinking of getting a new stereo receiver to replace my existing one for new features and better sound.

The main question I have is : (1)Will a new stereo receiver give me better sound ?

My existing system :

JBL Studio L880 (7 years old)
JBL ES250PWBK/230 Hi-Fi Subwoofer ( 1 years old)
NAD - C 720BEE - Stereo Receiver (7 years old)


I am looking at two models :

YAMAHA Yamaha R-N500 - Network audio receiver
YAMAHA A-S701


The N500 has network features that I like but the S701 has more power. (2)Which Yamaha will produce the best sound ?

 

[americanaudiophile]

Neither Yamaha will sound as good as the NAD. They will certainly have way more features but inferior audio quality. If you are looking for greater volume and dynamics I would add a power amp to the NAD. If you are looking for more clarity, detail and imaging I would listen to some new speakers. If you want better quality bass get a sub that has tighter more musical bass rather than a lot of boom.
If you are looking for internet music add a Sonos Connect to your system.

 

[Andrew Mc Glone]

Neither Yamaha will sound as good as the NAD. They will certainly have way more features but inferior audio quality. If you are looking for greater volume and dynamics I would add a power amp to the NAD. If you are looking for more clarity, detail and imaging I would listen to some new speakers. If you want better quality bass get a sub that has tighter more musical bass rather than a lot of boom.
If you are looking for internet music add a Sonos Connect to your system.

Thanks for the reply !

Its quite a surprise to read that. I thought both Yamaha would match if not easily surpass the NAD but its a step back.

I am happy enough with the sub but it could have been tighter. Maybe a smaller sub would have better suited me but I will stick with what I got.

I guess a power amp is the right direction as I don't want to loose quality no matter what. I think the floor standing speakers I have are ok for a few years.

 

[Andrew Mc Glone]

can you recommend a stereo preamp ?

 

[ien2222]

I'll disagree just a little bit with AA, soundwise it's not really going to be any change. The Yamahas won't be better, but they won't really be any worse either. Buildwise, I would expect the NAD to last longer because of better quality of components but that's about it. Regardless, I wouldn't suggest getting them.

If you are looking to improve your sound quality, replacing your speakers/sub will yield more benefit, though it doesn't get you the added features you want. Or you get an AVR with some kind of room correction and actual bass management which can get you the features you want also.

 

[Andrew Mc Glone]

hi,

I don't want to replace the speakers I bought, I think they are pretty good but I don't know if they are actually good.


The Yamaha's have more power than my (50w to each speaker) NAD. Would that not produce better sound ?

What is AVR and what stereo pre amp would you recommend ?

 

[Andrew Mc Glone]

can anyone explain why my NAD @ 50w per speaker is still better than the 85 - 100w per speaker in the yamahas ?

 

[blcskate]

What is your primary use of the system? The receiver you choose has a lot to do with that. If your using it in a home theater then a system with good room correction makes life a lot easier. Also, remember that buying previous generation high end equipment from dealers can come with steep discounts. It can put you into a whole different market at a low price point. I purchased a Denon x4000 for $650 US from a dealer. It is pretty heavily regarded as one of the best theater receivers of its generation (one gen old now).

 

[Andrew Mc Glone]

my primary use for the system is listening to stereo music. I have it connected to my TV,PS4, laptop and my phone. I got a analogy to digital converter and the sound is great at times, but I'm no expert. The Denon system sounds like a great buy but its surround sound and not something I will would jump at.

 

[ien2222]

can anyone explain why my NAD @ 50w per speaker is still better than the 85 - 100w per speaker in the yamahas ?

Watts really don't mean that much, unless you are playing loud (and I mean loud) music or are using it in HT situations where there are loud sequences being played.

In your case, your speakers (if you believe jbl's specs) have a sensitivity of 91dB (2.83v/m), meaning that around 1 watt (specifically with a 2.83 voltage swing), they are 91dB at one meter away. It takes twice the power to play 3dB louder so at around 8 watts they are playing at 100dB at one meter away. As you can see, we aren't anywhere close to the rated output of any of those amps.

Perhaps you are listening way above 100dB, but even if that was so, it requires twice the power to add 3dB, so in order to get another 3dB over the NAD, you'd need 100+watts, which means the Yamaha's just won't get that much louder, especially considering it takes +6dB for a perceived "twice as loud" for our ears.

So back to the question, they are going to sound pretty much identical since the THD difference is .01% (assuming the posted specs are accurate) between the amps which is negligible and your speakers are somewhat efficient so you probably aren't stressing the NAD.

As what to get, I'm not sure of the pricing or availability in Europe on items, but an AVR is the best choice for your situation. Denon in general is a good pick as is Pioneer, latest models of Yamaha, Sony and Onkyo are good too.

Don't worry about them being 5.1 or 7.1, since they are mass produced, it'll still be cheaper than going separates route despite that fact you won't be running in surround. Make sure it comes with room correction though, Audyssey (multiEQ XT or higher) for Denon and Onkyo, MCACC for Pioneer, YPAO for Yamaha, sony I believe is DCAC. Since Denon refreshed their lines not too long ago, you should be able to get good clearance deals if you look around, not sure if you need the X4000, but at the price he got it it's a steal.

If you find some items you want opinions on, just post what you're looking at.

 

[Andrew Mc Glone]

The speakers sit about 2 meters away from me so I guess I don't need them to get any louder but I always thought that more power would produce better sound. But your formula seems to disprove that. I don't think I would go for 5.1 or 7.1, the extra speakers are not practical and I really like stereo sound - everything comes through.

 

[ien2222]

You would still be running stereo, but you'll have a 5(7).1 AVR, the other channels will be unused (unless you want to setup a zone 2).