Originally posted by V Dub:
Good points fmcorps.
Hey, thanks...it's definatly appriciated.
You listened to many receivers while I have been relying more on reviews. Guess I don't have time to get out and audition as much, which is of course an essential part of making a decision.
Yep,at that point in my life I couldn't think of anything better to do with my days off, and it sure beat loitering in the mall corner or sitting around in my underware watching Judge Judy. Now I can sit in my underware and watch the Matrix in glorious surround sound. Bwahahaha
It all comes down to what sounds best to each person. I also have a lot of respect for the Integra line based on comments from the dealer I bought my speakers from, how those speakers sounded when I auditioned them with the DTR 9.1, and what I've read about Integra. The speakers I bought are Monitor Audio Silver 9i fronts, 12i center and Silver surrounds. I have read and been told by other dealers they are "bright" and somewhere in my reading seem to recall that the Integra is also bright, so in combination they theoretically may not be a good combination.
See, to my ears the Denons were bright when compaired to the Integras. Like I said, what I heard was alomst the opposite of that review. I was able to audition them in the same room, and use (what I hope) was a professional grade switcher when swapping between the two. So I think I had a pretty gdecent "audio memory" when compairing the two.
I went back and forth between that place and a dealer next door listening to Paradigm Studio 60s (or were they 80’s?) played through an upper end Marantz receiver. I thought the Monitor Audio speakers had better midrange detail and upper end clarity on female vocals and dialog in movie soundtracks was clearer. At home they also sound very good to my ears played through my Rotel RSX-965 receiver which I’ve had for about five years (75 watts x 5, DD, DTS). But maybe not quite as good as through the Integra 9.1 they were auditioned on. So this has started my quest for something better for a receiver or processor/amp combination.
Yep, sucks when you put a seperate system in the equation. I went to "the other guys" in town :dread:. There was a gentleman there who WAS ACTUALLY A SALESMAN and talked to me for more then five minutes. (Everyone else in that store seems to ignore you unless you are dinking with the car audio) I had already purchased my 6.2, but I still like stopping into audio shops every once and a while. That's where I heard a NAD Silver series (I think it was the S170/250 combo) WOAH. All of the sudden I felt realy small. Needless to say I'm waiting for the Otlaws to fix the 950 issue and I'll be more then happy to wait and fork my cash over to give it a listen.
If I could audition all three with my speakers either in my home or even in a dealers showroom I certainly would. Your comments about that review I posted also makes me think about subjectivity. Reviewers hear differently than we do and what sounds good to them may sound different to us.
Well, I'm hoping that I can swing the following in a few months:
My "good" dealer is going to start carying Anthem, as well as B&K. What I'm hoping to do is get an OUtlaw 950/770 in my home and realy have a showdown with the AV2, B&K Ref 30, and the outlaw. All three in my home in the same time :Cackling maniacally: It's good to be king....
The dealer my speakers came from is offering the Integra 9.1 for a great price however, and there is something to be said to having a good relationship with a dealer. I like this place. They even delivered the speakers to my house, which is a 50 mile one way trip.
Yea, It's great to find a dealer that actualy treats you like you are paying for their kids braces. Like I said the first time I walked into the "good" shop, the salesman there spent close to 2 1/2 hours. This was a while back but I basicaly did the "Hey, I know my system sucks, but I dont have a lot of cash to blow now. I'm planning on building up my system piece by piece untill I'm happy." That day it was listening to speakers. I was looking for a center. I then proceded to the OTHER shop. I literaly spent under fiveteen minutes there. Of that it took about ten minutes before anyone even asked if I needed any help. The guy was so disinterested in my business (I can rember the conversation perfectly)
Myself
"Well, I want to upgrade my equipment. I've heard great things about the PSB 5i's"
Dealer:
"Yes, the are good speakers. I had a piar a while back, now I have a pair of the Silvers"
Me
"The Stratus Silvers?"
Dealer
"(Completly disinterested by now) Yes, the are a very good speaker."
ME
"Er, ok. What about the 6i's"
Dealer
"(Becoming irratated)Yes, those are very good speakers too. (Doesn't bother to switch them) Is there anything else you want?"
Me
"(finaly getting the hint) Uh, no, that's OK."
I kid you not, that is almost a word for word discussion I had the first time I was there.
In and out in under twenty minutes with less then 5 minutes of listening time. I could have gotten a burger and a nice thick shake :mmm, shake: with the time I wasted there. The funny thing is I still want to give them a chance. But every time I walk in there it's the same friggin guy who works there, and he just seems to busy to answer any questions. Just once there was a younger gentleman there who actualy TOOK TIME TO MAKE A SALE, and that's when I heard the NAD Silver 170, and was blown away with seperates.
Now the "good dealer", heck I stop in there once every two weeks to a month just to talk shop. Heck, he helped me move my new Paradigm Monitor 11's home using his own personal vehicle to save me an extra trip in my car, and so I wouldn't get charged a delivery fee to use the company vehicle. Not to mention that I always seem to get a great deal, with no hastle. Guess where my money keeps going to.
Jason