Beware
Offline

I'm in the market for an amp to drive my 8 ohm 150 watt rms floor speakers.  I've narrowed down my options, but I have a few qualms

Denon 1513 ($130 refurb)

Yamaha RS201 ($150 new)

Sherwood RX 4109 ($130 new)

The Denon seems like a clear front runner here.  I only have 2 speakers, will the Denon actually provide around 165 watts per channel if that's all I'm using?  I don't plan to drive them that hard, but I understand that real world performance is bound to be lower than projected numbers.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these?  I can find an amount of information about the Sherwood and Yamaha, but very little on this specific Denon outside the realm of the full 5.1 in a box set up.

I really just want to get about 100 watts per channel with no hissing from the signal or buzzing from the amp (so I can leave it on most of the time).  I plan to use the setup for listening/consuming media and mixing audio (specifically from my acapella choir).

I was also considering the Sony STR-DH130, but these other choices seem like safer bets.  I realistically only need one 3.5mm input as far as my source is concerned (PC), but I wouldn't complain about HDMI in addition to it.  A second 3.5mm is appreciated for my other various devices.

Am I just overthinking this and totally crazy for not buying the Denon on the spot?

PS: Shipping is $20 on the Denon, so it's more like $150.  Denon's refurbs have a one-year warranty.

Last edited by Beware (Apr 2, 2014 7:47 am)

Brother Android
Offline
TX

I have that Yamaha (or one very similar; I forget the exact model) and have been pleased with it.

As someone who deliberates wayyyyyy too long over every decision, I understand your dilemma, but yes, you're overthinking this. I'd suggest buying one of them from somewhere local and trying it out; if you don't like it, you can return it. I find that worrying about stuff like this ultimately just distracts me from the music.

herr_prof
Offline
Unsubscribe

I got a d-75a used for about the price of your budget, works great;
http://www.crownaudio.com/d-series.html

bitjacker
Offline
Alive and well in fucksville

look  for an old onkyo on the bay. i picked up one for  like sixty and its loud.

Beware
Offline

Considering the price and power of these three receivers I have a hard time justifying going used.  The Denon has modern features, expandability, and a one-year warranty.  The Sherwood has a 2 year warranty and great reviews.  The Yamaha is probably the weakest of the three, but has more documentation and reviews floating around.  If I bought used I would only get marginally more power and no warranty.  Unless I could find an affordable tube amp, but those don't come cheap any more.

The Crown seems nice, I especially like the XLR combo inputs.  It doesn't quite have the power I'm looking for, though.

As far as overthinking this decision: This determines what I listen to for the next as many years as it will last.  The only thing that will "distract me from the music" is a lot of noise coming from my amp.  I'd rather overthink it than be buying and returning a bunch of these 20lb monstrosities.

While I may not have much money to put into this, I'm still looking for something that can last me at least a few years.  This will be my main listening and composing rig, I don't want a stop-gap until I'm comfortable throwing far too much money at it (that will not happen any time in the foreseeable future).

Last edited by Beware (Apr 2, 2014 4:28 pm)

herr_prof
Offline
Unsubscribe

how much power do you need to listen to music in a room??? I find that most consumer amps watt ratings are way over reported. The crown i have is loud as fuck with my monitors.

Beware
Offline

I'm looking for 100 watts x 2 channels.

I am still a little thrown off by the jargon of the Denon though.  Supposedly it will supply 5 channels with 75 watts, max 165 watts per channel.  Does that mean it will pump 165 watts to only 2 channels?  One of the reasons I'm so heavily considering the Denon (other than price) is it's projected power rating exceeds my needs meaning it will likely deliver just enough in real world performance.

And my point still stands that I would prefer new/refurb if I'm spending this amount of money.  If I could acquire a Crown or similar quality for $50 then my mind might change, but at nearly $200 used there's no way.

Last edited by Beware (Apr 2, 2014 5:03 pm)

herr_prof
Offline
Unsubscribe

there is a good description of ratings versus real world performance here:
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/inde … 702AAotYdy

Beware
Offline

I'm aware I have to be looking at the RMS, but most cheap amps don't actually have it anywhere in the specs.  Reviews and testing are the only way to actually acquire those numbers, thus why I asked the question here.

herr_prof
Offline
Unsubscribe

You can also go to a few pro audio stores and check it out with some music you are familiar with. Most amp discussions will veer towards excessive tech spec comparisons or highly subjective personal opinions so the internet isnt very useful for this kind of thing imo.

Beware
Offline

Fair.  I'll see if I can find a shop where i can try a comparable model.  I think there's a shop in Cambridge.  I'm sure they'll have a comparable Denon.  Thanks for your help!

Boner
Offline
United States
Beware wrote:

If I could acquire a Crown or similar quality for $50 then

Crown D60, D75, D150 will all be loud enough for casual listening and monitoring, and they all sell pretty cheap on craigslist and ebay, especially if they're a bit beat up. I got my D60 for 40 bucks a few months ago, and i think i paid 80 for my 150 a few years ago. they're not noisy and last forever. D75s are going in that range too, which is crazy because before powered monitors got really good over the last handful of years the prices were crazy high - I sold one a few years ago for over $300.

the MIT flea is on the 13th so there will probably be a decent amount of options there for something cheap, too. I have a few power amps here that I haven't tested yet that I'll be selling.

Beware
Offline

Ah geez, I'm working that whole weekend.  The flyer said the 20th was the next one.  Is that just the next one you can prereg for?

Boner
Offline
United States

yeah i meant the 20th, not 13th... i never learned how to read an analog calender. theres no reason to register in advance.

Beware
Offline

I'll definitely check it out.  I'm also going to try to get to The Audio Lab this week.  The more I think about this and the more research I do, I believe the Denon to be a great option.  I don't need Audyssey since it will be plugged into my PC.  Unless something sways me at Flea or The Lab, $130 for the sheer quantity of inputs and power with a 1 year warranty seems pretty spectacular.  I found a Denon 1312 used for $80, but the 1513 has that warranty (I believe the only difference between them is HDMI placement).  I figure if it's going to crap out it will do it relatively quickly.  Seems to be the MO of Denon.

Beware
Offline

Accessories4Less has the 1513 refurb for $99.99 direct from Denon.  I don't think there is a better deal out there, new or used.  Am I wrong?

Last edited by Beware (Apr 3, 2014 11:46 pm)