Warm.. Bright... Etc...

[Speedluvver]

Currently have a Denon 2805 which works nicely with my Boston Acoustics VR950 fronts and the accompanying BA centre and surrounds.. I want to upgrade the amp to an hdmi supporting one.
The speakers have been described as a little bright.. so I want to ensure I get an amp that will partner well. Of course I will listen to a few amps but interested in opinion on here.. Current choices are Onkyo 709, Denon 2312 or Pioneer 2021... Comments and suggestions welcome...

 

[swiftpete]

If you like the denon why not just get the 2312?

 

[Speedluvver]

I guess as its a few years since the 2805 was new and things may have moved along... Think I should consider my options

 

[Mark.Yudkin]

I guess as its a few years since the 2805 was new and things may have moved along... Think I should consider my options

I think what swiftpete is trying to say is that if you're happy with the Denon - Boston Acoustics combination, then upgrading to a new Denon is likely to result in continued satisfaction, and so is the safest option.

If you do wish to consider other options and ensure a good partnership with your specific speakers, then you will need to find a way of testing the alternatives in conjunction with your speakers. This means you'll need to talk with your dealer to arrange how best to do this.

 

[Speedluvver]

Right... Understand... I had read that denon don't tune as they did in the past.. Was hoping I guess for someone to comment on how each brand works with 'bright' speakers...

 

[WonkyEwok]

Right... Understand... I had read that denon don't tune as they did in the past.. Was hoping I guess for someone to comment on how each brand works with 'bright' speakers...

I wonder what this says about Audyssey? I'd have thought that while doing room correction (applying filters to sort out the frequency response) a side-effect would be that bright / dull speakers would be compensated for too.

How does the sound compare with / without room correction currently?

The ARC system on Anthem amps deliberately doesn't correct over 5 kHz though - which left the HF bump in my Kef IQ speakers. (Now used as rears). Maybe Audyssey is similar.

 

[dante01]

I wonder what this says about Audyssey? I'd have thought that while doing room correction (applying filters to sort out the frequency response) a side-effect would be that bright / dull speakers would be compensated for too.

How does the sound compare with / without room correction currently?

The ARC system on Anthem amps deliberately doesn't correct over 5 kHz though - which left the HF bump in my Kef IQ speakers. (Now used as rears). Maybe Audyssey is similar.

It is expressed by many that room EQ such as Audyssey is best left off due to it flattening the audio. Why spend thousands on decent speakers and an amp to power them if all you're going to do is apply Audyssey in an attempt to make them sound exactly the same as Uncle Bob's £350 budget set-up?

I've a Yamaha AV amp and Monitor Audio BX speakers and much prefer the results I get without using the amps inbuilt EQ.

What HiFi regularly suggest not using Audyssey room EQ.

It's like the old debate about whether or not a graphic equaliser is a benefit or a hinderance. Opinion was always mixed and I guess the same applies to room EQ and home cinema? Each to their own.

 

[eaglemmoomin]

It is expressed by many that room EQ such as Audyssey is best left off due to it flattening the audio. Why spend thousands on decent speakers and an amp to power them if all you're going to do is apply Audyssey in an attempt to make them sound exactly the same as Uncle Bob's £350 budget set-up?

I've a Yamaha AV amp and Monitor Audio BX speakers and much prefer the results I get without using the amps inbuilt EQ.

What HiFi regularly suggest not using Audyssey room EQ.

They do?

 

[WonkyEwok]

Just my experience / perspective :

Even after putting in corner bass traps and experimenting with speaker placement and using room eq wizard I had unpleasant-sounding bass from 50 - 200 Hz, even with reasonable speakers. (Some notes maybe 10 dB louder than others - maybe I'm picky / OCD). Using an old version of Yamaha YPAO didn't help, in fact it sounded worse as it messed up the stereo image at high frequencies. So, for me, running with the amp flat wasn't an option, but Anthem ARC has pretty much sorted things. I spent 3x as much as I might have otherwise on the amp to get good room correction. I didn't try Audyssey so I can't comment on that.

Personally I'm happy using gentle room correction as the last layer after sorting out the room acoustic first physically.

 

[dante01]

They do?

I'm not a total believer in everything they say, but they do state in many of their reviews that the amps in question perform better with Audyssey off.

 

[Mark.Yudkin]

Right... Understand... I had read that denon don't tune as they did in the past.. Was hoping I guess for someone to comment on how each brand works with 'bright' speakers...

The reality is that all brands of solid state amplification (bottom end budget excepted) work exactly the same with bright speakers, and the result will universally be a bright sound. Put simply if the speakers are bad, then the speakers are bad and selecting a different solid state amplifier won't do anything. You can try to circumvent problems by using a correction mechanism (e.g. Audyssey), but as with everything in life, problem avoidance is better than subsequent resolution, just like it's best not to get cardiac disease than to have a stent / bypass ().

In addition many "X is bright, Y is warm" claims made about products do little more than reflect the fantasy of the reviewer repeating statements gleaned from other reviewers. In some cases such comments do indeed reflect a slight effect that may be perceptible in A/B comparisons, but that would scarcely be noted in practice.

Or put another way, if being bright really were the issue some blow it up to be, we'd all run THX receivers because ReEQ would be critical, and nobody would be able to sell a non-THX receiver.

Finally, consider that being bright or warm, etc is usually indicative of a room issue, not a kit issue.

But none of this was your question. "The speakers have been described as a little bright" is a statement of hearsay, not experience.

 

[Speedluvver]

Appreciate your comments.. Thankyou.. I agree with the reviewer statement for sure.. I will listen to these amps first to help make the choice.. I like the sound if my speakers.. So I want to get the right partner.. And it's about what sounds good to me really.. Just wanted comments and advice on others that might own these amps...