Modern AVRs Combining 7.1-Ch. Analog Input w/Room Correction?

[Owen Smith]

I expected that but cannot accept it. Especially with the aging of the Oppos and the incorporation of newer electronics in modern AVRs, it is hard to justify.

Newer AVRs are built for video not audio, and are built to die shortly after the warranty expires.

 

[mandrix]

Newer AVRs are built for video not audio, and are built to die shortly after the warranty expires.

I agree with that to an extent. I would rather AVR makers in their mid-price range (mine) concern themselves more with audio; amplifiers, DAC's etc. As I scream to any one that cares to listen, most of the "features" I don't want or need. I mean, how many darned analog stereo inputs do you need?? Useless in their entirety to me. Toslink? pffft. Chromecast /Sonos/Bluetooth? pffft.

As far as longevity, I have an older Onkyo (TX-NR609) that was repaired once, and I recapped the HDMI board and gave it to my Daughter. I have an Onkyo a little newer than that one (TX-NR656) that was trouble free when I shelved for the TX-RZ50 last December.

Not even a modern AVR by any means, I have an old Sherwood RD-6105 5.1 analog input that I bought as a display model, no box or remote, way back from a business that was folding up.
It was my pc sound system for years, now doing duty to run my side surrounds from the RZ50's pre-outs.
As you relate, not very tall compared to the newer Oinkers. Heavy lil bassard as well! Still holding up well I'm happy to say.

 

[Sal1950]

Nowadays the two AVR's are in a bedroom sitting on an old Oak heirloom dining table, stacked one upon the other.

The wife must be thrilled with that. LOL

I expected that but cannot accept it. Especially with the aging of the Oppos and the incorporation of newer electronics in modern AVRs, it is hard to justify.

I fully agree but it is what it is. LOL

Newer AVRs are built for video not audio

What makes you say that?
My Denon 4700H sounds great and is equally at home with both.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I fully agree but it is what it is. LOL

Yes. That's why I recommend using the HDMI connection.

Newer AVRs are built for video not audio, and are built to die shortly after the warranty expires.

Really? Don't they all have audio support? As for longevity, the only one I've bought (a low end Marantz) has been absolutely reliable since 2014.

 

[mandrix]

The wife must be thrilled with that. LOL

When we got married I bought her a nice cherry wood dining room table. Still in pristine condition (amazingly) after 28 years.
The old oak table came from my parents, picked up in a second hand store originally, story has it. IDK when or by whom. Has drop leafs on the ends with a mechanism I've never seen quite the like before. But it has a few screw holes in the supports now. Needs taking out to my shop and gone over. One day, maybe.

 

[surroundophile]

I do not know of any but, let me ask, why do you need this feature? It's disappearance from the market is indicative of a general lack of demand for it.

We need the 5.1/7.1 analog inputs so we can play our SQ/QS LPs through a Tate or Surround Master, & our CD-4 LPs through a demodulator & our Q4 reel tapes and/or Q8 tapes with a tape deck !

 

[JediJoker]

I do not know of any but, let me ask, why do you need this feature? It's disappearance from the market is indicative of a general lack of demand for it.

Room correction for legacy analog formats.

 

[Guy Robinson]

I stopped using analog outs quite awhile back. HDMI sounds just as good to me and it's much easier from a connection perspective.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Newer AVRs are built for video not audio, and are built to die shortly after the warranty expires.

To me this is not true.

 

[mandrix]

I stopped using analog outs quite awhile back. HDMI sounds just as good to me and it's much easier from a connection perspective.

I agree with you 100% but posts number 66 & 67 explain why some have the need. It's more about analog inputs than outputs.

 

[Guy Robinson]

I agree with you 100% but posts number 66 & 67 explain why some have the need. It's more about analog inputs than outputs.

Thanks for the clarification. When I said analog outs I was looking from the perspective of my Oppo not the receiver which of course is the analog input end.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

We need the 5.1/7.1 analog inputs so we can play our SQ/QS LPs through a Tate or Surround Master, & our CD-4 LPs through a demodulator & our Q4 reel tapes and/or Q8 tapes with a tape deck !

Room correction for legacy analog formats.

Ah! I was not considering anachrophilia but now I acknowledge your situation. Essentially, you need a multichannel A/D but not in a professional device. I get it.

 

[reidc]

I'd be happy finding a new receiver that has 7.1 Analog Inputs - nevermind room correction!
Seems my Yamaha RX-a1030 is just now giving me fits playing back the recent Rhino surround BD's. My HDMI input cannot seem to play back in surround a 4.0 release, only in Stereo.

I've always been a Yamaha guy from my Stereo A700 Amp to RX-V870, RX-V1000, and now my Aventage 1030. My need for Multi-channel Analog Inputs is due to having a couple of older Denon Universal(pre-Blu-ray) players. My Denon DV-3910 does not play MC SACD through its ancient HDMI port, and my Denon DV-858 still does not have a new enough HDMI port to handle MC SACD. I also use these for DVD-A.

If I'm going to make a new purchase- it must have ATMOS, and Analog 7.1 inputs. For the last couple of years I swore off anything new out of the Denon and Marantz Camp, based on the quality and amounts of down time on my Network Streamer, but I may have to eat those words.

Nothing I can think of affording out of Denon has MC Analog inputs. Yamaha gave them up on the RX-A1050 series. I think the last of the Pioneer Elites was the SC-68 vintage, and now for Marantz- their new AVR series is the Cinema line- which no longer has MC Analog inputs. I can still find some of their last line of AVR's, but certainly not a fan of their looks either.

Chris

Just a quick update on my situation-
I figured out why my Denon DV-758 couldn't produce surround over HDMI. All I could get was surround through Analog, and once I fixed that all of my copies of anything DVD and DVD-A related work well through HDMI. Since this player is only HDMI 1.2 (if that high), its no good for SACD Multi.

My Sony BDP-S870 already plays HDMI and does SACD-R so I'm good there using HDMI. My problem of not being able to play Alice Cooper B$B Quadio properly(along with other 4.0 mixes) was fixed by buying a new receiver! Since I no longer needed Analog inputs I was no longer stuck with last years Marantz.

I wanted 1 of these: Marantz Cinema 50, Denon X4800, Yamaha A6A. Having all similar features- I couldn't go wrong with any of them, but in the end grabbed the Denon. I could not forgive Yamaha for going to the tiny display that the Marantz has...my eyes are bad enough!!!. I drove down to SafeandSoundHQ and they offered me a sweet deal on the Cinema50 open box for $2k, but an unheard of deal on the Cinema40 sealed in box for only $2800!

 

[mandrix]

Just a quick update on my situation-
I figured out why my Denon DV-758 couldn't produce surround over HDMI. All I could get was surround through Analog, and once I fixed that all of my copies of anything DVD and DVD-A related work well through HDMI. Since this player is only HDMI 1.2 (if that high), its no good for SACD Multi.

My Sony BDP-S870 already plays HDMI and does SACD-R so I'm good there using HDMI. My problem of not being able to play Alice Cooper B$B Quadio properly(along with other 4.0 mixes) was fixed by buying a new receiver! Since I no longer needed Analog inputs I was no longer stuck with last years Marantz.

I wanted 1 of these: Marantz Cinema 50, Denon X4800, Yamaha A6A. Having all similar features- I couldn't go wrong with any of them, but in the end grabbed the Denon. I could not forgive Yamaha for going to the tiny display that the Marantz has...my eyes are bad enough!!!. I drove down to SafeandSoundHQ and they offered me a sweet deal on the Cinema50 open box for $2k, but an unheard of deal on the Cinema40 sealed in box for only $2800!

Are they affiliated with other SafeandSound stores? I bought my RZ50 from SafeandSound in NYC. Other than that I know nothing much about them, all was transacted online.
BTW, hope you'll be happy with your new purchase!!

 

[Sal1950]

Ah! I was not considering anachrophilia but now I acknowledge your situation. Essentially, you need a multichannel A/D but not in a professional device. I get it.

Hey Kal, I was wondering what audio had to do with the fear of spiders and other bugs till I googled your spelling.
Such big words. LOL

 

[mandrix]

Hey Kal, I was wondering what audio had to do with the fear of spiders and other bugs till I googled your spelling.
Such big words. LOL

I thought it meant fear of all the cables! Spidery cables creeping about...! Especially all those RCA cables.

 

[Owen Smith]

I've finally decided to bite the bullet and go HDMI audio. My Arcam AVR350 amp from 2007 is dying, I can't now switch it off and have to just mute it when not in use. If I switch it off I either get thermal stress cracking problems on the lead free solder (power amps make horrible noises through speakers and amp switches off to protect them), or it makes high pitched noises for an hour or so before settling down (possibly dying capacitors and voltage healing). Fortunately(?) I have no legacy quad gear. My issues for a new amp are available height in my rack, and I need a stereo analogue or optical digital line level output. Fortunately the Arcam AVR31 satisfies both requirements, after more than a decade of Arcam AVRs having no line level outputs the current range has them. And there's a trade in deal this month in the UK on Arcam AVRs.

 

[mandrix]

I've finally decided to bite the bullet and go HDMI audio. My Arcam AVR350 amp from 2007 is dying, I can't now switch it off and have to just mute it when not in use. If I switch it off I either get thermal stress cracking problems on the lead free solder (power amps make horrible noises through speakers and amp switches off to protect them), or it makes high pitched noises for an hour or so before settling down (possibly dying capacitors and voltage healing). Fortunately(?) I have no legacy quad gear. My issues for a new amp are available height in my rack, and I need a stereo analogue or optical digital line level output. Fortunately the Arcam AVR31 satisfies both requirements, after more than a decade of Arcam AVRs having no line level outputs the current range has them. And there's a trade in deal this month in the UK on Arcam AVRs.

Well HDMI certainly has it's ups and downs, EDID issues sometimes with older equipment patching into newer equipment, been going through a bit of that to get the old Oppo playing again. But at least my RZ50 has settings for each HDMI input.
But, also having an old analog input AVR to run my pre-outs for the side surrounds saved me buying a separate amp. It's just an old Sherwood RD6105 but it's been holding tight for many years now.
I bought it as a display model with no remote or box . I recently found a Chinese company that made compatible remotes and bought one after all these years.

 

[Owen Smith]

I was assuming the HDMI would just work into my new AVR31 (when it arrives) but you're right to raise the spectre of it not. One more thing to worry about. I only have two HDMI sources at present, an Oppo 95 and a pair of Humax HDR Fox T2 digital terrestrial TV PVRs. These work fine into my 2014 era Sony TV. I also have a Roku 4 but I don't care if that doesn't work with HDMI since BBC iPlayer never worked on it anyway.

 

[Sal1950]

I was assuming the HDMI would just work into my new AVR31 (when it arrives) but you're right to raise the spectre of it not. One more thing to worry about. I only have two HDMI sources at present, an Oppo 95 and a pair of Humax HDR Fox T2 digital terrestrial TV PVRs. These work fine into my 2014 era Sony TV. I also have a Roku 4 but I don't care if that doesn't work with HDMI since BBC iPlayer never worked on it anyway.

I wouldn't worry about it too much.
Modern gear does an excellent job being Plug-N-Play with HDMI
Any issue might land at the feet of the sources, and directing them
at the new AVR.
Good Luck