IS IT HYPE FOR RECEIVERS OVER $1000

[MoosePond]

I "retired" my Integra receiver a few months ago and upgraded to a Sherwood/Newcastle R-871. Must admit that I didn't do a lot of due diligence as I got it from a rep friend at his "sample" price but I'm very pleased with this unit. Easy to setup, great sound, much better-than-average backlit remote and tons of connection possibilities (way more than I really need as I only use it for audio, video goes directly to my Sony SXRD via HDMI).

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by kennyt

I think this is the biggest trend in audio today. The lower end is catching up to the high end, narrowing the gap every year. No, I'm not going to sell my reference rig for a receiver any time soon, or likely ever, but it think a good receiver is less of a compromise than it used to be.

I don't know about catching up. In 1990 if I went into Wal-Mart and came out with the cheapest receiver it would be a decent radio player. It would also likely have a tape cassette built in! For CD playback it would be tolerable for say in my office while I'm working.

Now if I did that it would be able to handle DD, DTS, and provide a decent surround sound field to whatever speakers I may have. For stereo playback however it would be noticably better than that 1990 Receiver but it would still be lacking in many areas.

I can still go get an $800 Onkyo, Yamaha, or whatever receiver and put it up against an $800 NAD and everyone will say "night and day," difference in music playback.

The higher end Receivers from NAD, Sunfire, Lexicon, and Arcam can approach a set of decent seperates. The new NADs for instance are an amazing sonic jump forward.

I like where the companies like NAD and Arcam are taking Receivers. However nothing would make me pick a Receiver or even those companies separates over your Meridian rig.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by MoosePond

I "retired" my Integra receiver a few months ago and upgraded to a Sherwood/Newcastle R-871. Must admit that I didn't do a lot of due diligence as I got it from a rep friend at his "sample" price but I'm very pleased with this unit. Easy to setup, great sound, much better-than-average backlit remote and tons of connection possibilities (way more than I really need as I only use it for audio, video goes directly to my Sony SXRD via HDMI).

That is actually an amazing unit. Etronics the company that owns Sherwood builds just about every Receiver currently on the market for their respective companies. It means that their personal line is filled with "sweet deals," and the fact that you paid likely around $500 at a sample price only makes it that much more of a steal.

I'd put that unit up against units that cost twice as much as its MSRP for sound quality. Onkyo, Integra, Denon, Yamaha, etc. Their $2k units are about as good as yours sonically.

I hope you enjoy it. Great find! The 871 was just replaced by the 872 which is imho the best HDMI 1.3 w/ future codecs receiver on the market for sound quality.

[MoosePond]

Originally Posted by kennyt

I think this is the biggest trend in audio today. The lower end is catching up to the high end, narrowing the gap every year. No, I'm not going to sell my reference rig for a receiver any time soon, or likely ever, but it think a good receiver is less of a compromise than it used to be.

Consumer electronics is one of the only categories I can think of where the products get both better AND cheaper as time marches on. A/V consumers get waaaay more performance and features today for just about any given budget than they did 5, 10, 15 or 20 years ago. The unfortunate side is that eroding profit margins are rapidly driving independent specialty shops out of business and the poor consumer is left with little assistance (outside of the Internet) when it comes time to make their selection among our somewhat dizzying array of possible technologies, features, performance, etc. I really feel for my friends at high-end companies these days as their dealer base is disappearing faster than honest politicians, particularly for those who haven't vigorously embraced the CEDIA channel.

[kennyt]

Originally Posted by Lotus

However nothing would make me pick a Receiver or even those companies separates over your Meridian rig.

Amen!

Don't worry, the Meridan gear is here to stay!

[deacongreg]

i AGREE. bUT i DO BELIEVE THAT THESE HIGHER END RECEIVERS ARE DOING A NICE JOB OF FILLING THE BILL. cONSIDERING PRICE, PERFORMANCE, FLEXIBILITY, AND EASE OF USE. Oops, sorry about the caps guys.

Now, no one is comparing them to the likes of Meridian, Mark Levinson, Mcintosh etc. But hey, give them there props. What are the big boys doing, or as I mentioned earlier, what are the Esoteric companies doing right now? If you want the latest in connectivity and flexibility with HDMI, 1.3, Dolby Master, DTS, inputs and outputs, you must go receiver. While you wait for the Esoteric companies to catch up.

That should not be given the level of performance and pricing that they are at. That should be a demand, that at that level of equipment, no holds barred attack, everything should be there.

My two cents.