| Editorial April 2001
Trends Part One -- The Super Receiver
The Denon AVR-5800, which I reviewed in February 2001, was
a paradigm-shifting component for me. At $3800 retail, it is as expensive a receiver as I
have yet examined. It is a no-compromise component regardless that it is a receiver, and
it is intended squarely for the home-theater mass market. In my review I asserted that it
blurred the line between separates and receivers in several aspects. First, its suggested
retail is steep for a receiver, clearly priced in the realm of separate amplifiers and
processors. By comparison, the Anthem AVM 2 and MCA 5 combination are priced similarly,
and offer tremendous value in the realm of separates. The Denon AVR-5800 and the Anthem
components are not interchangeable however; each has its own set of unique features that
position it in the marketplace. But, they are priced similarly and they do compete for some
of the same customers.
The AVR-5800 is also quite hefty. At almost 65 pounds it is
not an easy schlep from shelf-to-shelf, which challenges the oft used "convenience
factor" of a receiver. So why then would someone buy a receiver like this? It does
not seem to offer any real advantages in the typical areas one would think; it’s not
cheaper or smaller. But then again, it doesn’t have many of the performance
limitations that typical receivers have been noted for. The amplifier section is potent
with 170W to all of its seven (!) channels. The processing and surround performance is
also top-notch, hence its Reviewers’
Choice designation here at Home Theater & Sound. So what does all
this mean? It means we need to examine products in a way that does not pigeonhole them
into certain performance niches that only serve to simplify classifying past products. It
means we need to look ahead to the future and figure out why a product like this makes
sense. One example is flexibility. Two of the Denon AVR-5800’s amplifier channels can
be reconfigured for either additional surround channels or front left and right channels
for speakers in another room. This makes sense for the consumer and serves two potential
customers at the same time (or the same customer at two different times).
Features like reconfigurable amplifier channels are an
advantage that can be designed into a receiver, one that may be overlooked in
separate components. After all, a standalone processor may be used with any number of
multichannel amplifiers that could range from five to ten channels. How does a
manufacturer plan for such disparities? Hmm…
Lest you think I have completely lost my perspective, I do
recognize some important advantages that still exist in separates. You are not likely to
ever see a behemoth amplifier like the ones that B.A.T. or Krell make in a receiver. You
just can’t house a 4kVA transformer in a product designed to be placed on a shelf or
rack and include a processor in the box. Also, there are some mighty sophisticated
power supplies and output stages in some of the top-of-the-line processors that take up
real estate and parts-allocation costs. There will always be a market for these types of
products on the bleeding edge.
In sum, don’t assume that because a component looks a
certain way, or is designed around an existing product genre, that it is somehow
compromised (or better). There are always advantages and disadvantages either way you go.
We at Home Theater & Sound have reviewed the Denon AVR-5800 and the Yamaha
RX-V1, and still have the Onkyo TX-DS989 to come. These flagship receivers are serving as
the centerpieces for some mighty sophisticated home theaters, so they will get their day
in the sun here. We’ll try to make sense of this ever-changing landscape, and we will
also keep an open mind. You won’t see us snub our noses at receivers, or assume that
the most expensive separates are necessarily the best. Of course, in the end, an honest
assessment is what we will aim for, letting the chips fall where they may.
...Jeff Fritz
editor@hometheatersound.com |
