Would it be worth it to go from a Sony Strde875 receiver to a Yamaha R-S500?*

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by JamesD1957, Oct 23, 2014.

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  1. JamesD1957

    JamesD1957 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Cypress, Texas
    to go from a Sony Strde875 receiver to a Yamaha R-S500? I would be using it strictly for music playback. LP's and CD's. Just looking for opinions on the subject. Would like to know if the amount of improvement would be worth the bucks. Also, if anyone is up on the difference in THD between the two, would the difference be noticeable? Thanks in advance for the responses.
     
  2. Rolltide

    Rolltide Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vallejo, CA
    Generally speaking stereo gear is going to sound better for stereo music playback then home theater gear will, especially at that price point. I'd ask though, what about the Yamaha catches your eye? With that budget you might be able to do better in an integrated amp, especially if you don't need FM radio.
     
  3. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

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  4. JamesD1957

    JamesD1957 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Cypress, Texas
    What I like about the Yamaha is that it seems to be designed for only two channels. The front controls look more like what I'm interested in, Bass, Treble, simple stuff. No HDMI, or other functions that I don't really want. Also looks like the total harmonic distortion is lower than with the Sony. I know there are other brands out there, so I'm open to suggestions on that as well. I don't have a need for FM radio, so what did you have in mind as far as an integrated amp?
     
  5. Brother_Rael

    Brother_Rael Senior Member

    Incidentally, you might want to seek out the Sony STR-DB940. I hear very good things of that receiver. I'd bypass the Yamaha. And that thing about stereo amps being better for music than AV ones? Maybe once, not so much now.

    And you might want to consider what integrated amps don't do - hi res, Dolby HD or Master Audio and so on. They're so limited what you give up in them is far more than what you gain. If you must, get one with a digital input.
     
  6. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    And A/V is really V/A first. Video and surround special effects over musical nuance. Features over substance too often for their price points. Two channel buyers get as a rule a bit better gear since their gear usually must pass tougher criteria.
     
  7. Mal

    Mal Phorum Physicist

    I think you have to hear the thing to know if it's better - regardless of features...
     
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  8. Brother_Rael

    Brother_Rael Senior Member

    I think I'd need Vidiot to confirm this, but I think dynamic range in movies outpaces music. And as a two channel user for years, I made a comfortable leap of faith to my current amp some time ago. Musical nuances are all present and correct I believe. I use my amp purely in a 2.0 config in a Pure Audio or Direct mode. The performance isn't an issue and the integrated world is off the pace. By some good yardage.
     
  9. Brother_Rael

    Brother_Rael Senior Member

    Indeed. Perceived wisdom lost credibility with me years ago. The audio hobby is full of it and not for the better.
     
  10. brimuchmuze

    brimuchmuze Forum Resident

    If you are thinking Yamaha, you might want to look at the newish Yamaha R-N500, which has digital inputs.

    There is also the A-S501.
     
  11. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    If you go Yamaha, new 2 channel or good vintage Yamaha is best. The new Yamaha integrated amplifiers are excellent choices.
     
  12. ChadHahn

    ChadHahn Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tucson, AZ, USA
    I have the Yamaha R-S300 in my kitchen setup and I think it sounds great. But I have always liked the Yamaha sound.

    Chad
     
  13. contium

    contium Forum Resident

    The Yamaha amp section looks to be a little more robust as they rate it down to 2 ohms with power for 8, 6, 4, and 2 ohms with the power increasing nicely as impedance drops 2 ohms. The Sony is good to 4 ohms but with a 4 ohm/8 ohm switch and they don't give the power at 4 ohms. Probably not much higher than at 8 ohms. May not mean much if the Sony drives your speakers ok. The Yamaha definitely looks better IMO which does matter a bit for me.
     
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