My Sony STR-DE835: 1999-2005

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Thread: My Sony STR-DE835: 1999-2005

  1. #1
    is an angry person AstroCreep's Avatar
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    Unhappy My Sony STR-DE835: 1999-2005

    (Not sure how off-topic this is, but I've seen a lot of people talk about their receivers and such in this forum. If it needs to be in the 'Specialized Computing' forum, my apologies; I'd only ask that a mod move it if it needs to be moved.)

    October 23, 2005: The day my receiver died.
    I was watching a DVD that afternoon when my receiver went POP! I looked up and saw the LCD screen was flashing 'PROTECTOR' and then smoke rolled out from the vented cover...
    I've taken it apart to see where the problem is, but I don't see any singed areas, and remembering where the smoked came from, I'd venture to believe that it was the power-supply.
    So I find myself in the market for a new receiver - what do you guys like around here? I know that a lot of people like the Yamaha stuff; what about the newer Sony & JVC stuff? Although I'm not sure I want to go with Sony after the whole Rootkit fiasco...

    I have a 12% off coupon at Best Buy for this weekend so I'd like to see if I can snag something at a decent deal; any recommendations?
    My current setup is pretty modest so I don't need too much; I'd like it to be a minimum of 5.1 with Dolby Digital, Pro-Logic II, and DTS decoders built-in, however.

    Any recommendations would be appreciated. TIA!
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  2. #2
    is an angry person AstroCreep's Avatar
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    I take it there's no love for my question?

    Here are the two Iw as looking at:
    Pioneer VSX-1015TX

    Yamaha HTR-5860BL

    I'm leaning towards the Pioneer one more because it's received really good reviews, but the thing that sucks is there are only two optical inputs (with a first on the front, but I don't like front hook-ups, asthetically). I suppose I could always get an optical 'spliter'.
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  3. #3
    Hammerhead Shark SprySpectre's Avatar
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    Looks like you're willing to spend around $500 or so on this receiver. In that case, I'd also recommend checking out the Harman Kardon AVR 635. It can be had on Ebay (Harmanaudio is the official H/K store) for around $500, but you won't be able to use your 12% off...I didn't see it on Best Buy's site. Everyone seems to have been raving about how good it sounds.

    In regards to the receivers you have listed...both are pretty good. If you go into the store to listen, you'll have to let your ears decide. Let them hook it up to the same set of fairly neutral speakers (NOT BOSE, try Athena's or higher end JBL) and bring a CD or two, maybe even a movie. And if they're being a$$e$ and won't let you do that, get a manager involved, it's only fair.

    Good luck with this, and happy listening!
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    Technics SL-1200 MKII ---> TCC TC-750LC Phono Preamp ---> Panasonic SA-XR55s ---> Ascend Acoustics CBM170's with Dayton 12"


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  4. #4
    is an angry person AstroCreep's Avatar
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    Thanks for the reply.
    I've heard good things about the H/K stuff, but aren't they smaller outputs than the rest of the world? Or is channel output kind of a 'buzzword' like 'Contrast Ratio'? ("Sure it matters but not as much as companies lead us to believe"?)
    As far as speakers, yeah, my speakers right now are sucky, but I won't upgrade them for now because A) they still work and B) I'll be moving to an apartment soon and I don't need to piss off the neighbors with loud stuff.

    Thanks again for the reply - it's much appreciated!
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  5. #5
    Great White Shark hongsc's Avatar
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    If you use Ebay for the receiver.

    Coupon code(s)expires 11/30:

    C1-Holiday2005 10% ($25 max)
    C2-Holiday2005 $5 off $50
    C3-Holiday2005 $15 off $100
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  6. #6
    is an angry person AstroCreep's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hongsc
    If you use Ebay for the receiver.

    Coupon code(s)expires 11/30:

    C1-Holiday2005 10% ($25 max)
    C2-Holiday2005 $5 off $50
    C3-Holiday2005 $15 off $100
    Thank you too!
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  7. #7
    Hammerhead Shark SprySpectre's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AstroCreep
    Thanks for the reply.
    I've heard good things about the H/K stuff, but aren't they smaller outputs than the rest of the world? Or is channel output kind of a 'buzzword' like 'Contrast Ratio'? ("Sure it matters but not as much as companies lead us to believe"?)
    As far as speakers, yeah, my speakers right now are sucky, but I won't upgrade them for now because A) they still work and B) I'll be moving to an apartment soon and I don't need to piss off the neighbors with loud stuff.

    Thanks again for the reply - it's much appreciated!
    Actually, H/K is the only company I know of that gives accurate power ratings. You could call it conservative marketing, but the fact is, the WPC is about equivalent to any other receiver in the same price range. And after doing a little more looking at ebay...it would probably be more like $550-$600 for that AVR 635. The price for the one I saw was only at $500 with a little under and hour left, and the last minute bidding got pretty pricey. The H/K receivers in general are renowned for being more musical than most others, which is what prompted me to go with my AVR 225.
    Audio Setups:
    E-MU 0404 ---toslink---> Panasonic SA-XR55s ---> Ascend Acoustics CBM170's with Dayton 12"
    E-MU 0404 ---analog---> Little Dot II tube amp ---> Beyerdynamics DT880 or Sennheiser HD280 pros.
    Technics SL-1200 MKII ---> TCC TC-750LC Phono Preamp ---> Panasonic SA-XR55s ---> Ascend Acoustics CBM170's with Dayton 12"


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  8. #8
    Hammerhead Shark Candyman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SprySpectre
    Actually, H/K is the only company I know of that gives accurate power ratings. You could call it conservative marketing, but the fact is, the WPC is about equivalent to any other receiver in the same price range.
    Specifically, brands that compete for shelf space in chain stores (Sony, Yamaha, Pioneer, etc.) tend to have very inflated WPC ratings. This is due to the "bigger numbers = better" consumer phenomenon. Most mid/high-end companies (Onkyo, Denon, H/K, and into the audiophile realm) report their ratings more accurately.
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  9. #9
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    You guys have given great recommendations.
    If having a lower crossover than 80hz isn't a requirement for your setup you should look into getting the Panasonic Xr55. It is great value and is modestly priced. http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4032234
    According to what ive read online, a lot of people are happy with this receiver and think it is a steal at its price.
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