Onkyo or Denon HT system?

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tschlee

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Hi

I've decided to start upgrading my very old audio systems. I'm not a audiophile and am looking for a decent entry level setup.

My TV and XBMC HTMC both have HDMI. I've still got an old Standard DSTV decoder and Video Recorder, so no HDMI there (yet).

I've been looking at these two systems:

Onkyo HT-S4505 HT system from Audico at R6,300 or

Denon AVR1513 + Boston XS5.1 SE speakers at Tafelberg Furnishers for R8,990

Which system is better value and why? Is the Denon + Boston worth the extra bucks?
 
I have not used an Onkyo before but reading up it seems that they are quite highly regarded. I just bought the Denon 1513 and I am very happy with it but it won't work with your SD Decoder as it can't do up-conversion of input sources. You would need to go for a higher end model or otherwise change your SD decoder to the new HD one for R1099 (special at Hi-Fi corp that I took advantage of).

I had a quick look at the specs for the Onkyo but I can't see if it supports up-conversion of your SD decoder either. One of the entry level models that does is the Sony STR-DH820 for around R5000 from most Sony stores. They are pretty feature rich like the Onkyo's but I don't honestly know what the quality is like.
 
Well lets put it this way, if you going to go "cheap", then go cheap, the most expensive cheap item is not worth it. Both are great quality for a cheap set up. The one vs the other only comes in when you would spend R20k + excl TV.

I use a marantz receiver with boston speakers.

I have a denon that I'm trying out and I'm quite pleased with it.
 
You can get the onkyo for about 5500 at dion wired and sounds great in centurion. This was last week iirc. Also the onkyo won't take component /composite inputs and output to hdmi. That's how it was for last year's model, I'm guessing it's the same for this one. So just keep that in mind. Didn't make a difference to me since all my equipment is hdmi.
 
i'm a nad and yamaha fan. got a nad system in my music/tv room used mostly for listening to music or dstv. and a yamaha system in my home cinema.

i've auditioned onkyo, denon, maurantz, pioneer and sony before i bought anything. the yamaha simply had that something extra the others did not have. that oemf i wanted. more powerful and delicate at the same time. pioneer had been a little wild. the denon and sony a little on the soft side. the onkyo and maurantz not as defined.

the yamaha is not overpowering but delicate and you hear what you should when you should. i think its the best all rounder systems availeble. and very highly recommended.

boston speakers sound great. but the onkyo system might be more rounded off and complete.

its really about personal taste i think... audition as many systems as you can and then buy what you want!
 
mika1000 said:
i'm a nad and yamaha fan. got a nad system in my music/tv room used mostly for listening to music or dstv. and a yamaha system in my home cinema.

i've auditioned onkyo, denon, maurantz, pioneer and sony before i bought anything. the yamaha simply had that something extra the others did not have. that oemf i wanted. more powerful and delicate at the same time. pioneer had been a little wild. the denon and sony a little on the soft side. the onkyo and maurantz not as defined.

the yamaha is not overpowering but delicate and you hear what you should when you should. i think its the best all rounder systems availeble. and very highly recommended.

boston speakers sound great. but the onkyo system might be more rounded off and complete.

its really about personal taste i think... audition as many systems as you can and then buy what you want!
Click to expand...

Without model numbers your comparison is rather useless.
 
yeldoom said:
Without model numbers your comparison is rather useless.
Click to expand...

Yup, pretty much. No mention of the speakers being used as well. The greatest amplifier with the wrong set of speakers paired with it won't sound fantastic and could be beaten by a simpler amplifier with the right speakers paired with it. Impedance and sensitivity play massive rolls, especially when you look at higher end stuff.
 
Thanks guys.
OK, now back to the question ;). Remember I'm looking for entry-level - i.e. <R10k.

Both entry-level systems (Denon AVR1513 and Onkyo HT-S4505) have component/composite connections, so I'll be able to connect my non-HDMI decoder, etc.

Assuming that both receivers are pretty "similar" then I guess it comes down to the speakers.
 
tschlee said:
Thanks guys.
OK, now back to the question ;). Remember I'm looking for entry-level - i.e. <R10k.

Both entry-level systems (Denon AVR1513 and Onkyo HT-S4505) have component/composite connections, so I'll be able to connect my non-HDMI decoder, etc.

Assuming that both receivers are pretty "similar" then I guess it comes down to the speakers.
Click to expand...

Denon and Onkyo come out of the same factory for the most part, if I remember correctly. Odds are similar units share a whole lot of internal components and probably even software.

I've been a fan of Onkyo for ages. They make good quality equipment that provide decent value for money. With that being said, I own a Denon receiver.

Do yourself a favour and research speakers properly. That's probably where you'll notice the most difference. Monitor Audio's bronze range for the fronts may come in within budget. The silvers are the ones you really want but they're significantly more expensive unfortunately. The right front speakers mean you can probably get away without a subwoofer for a while though, until you start itching to upgrade again at least.
 
Thanks Messugga

OK, so I get either receiver and hook up a Monitor Audio Bronze BX Center and a pair of BX2) speakers. Just checked - this setup is doable for R10K :)
 
tschlee said:
Thanks Messugga

OK, so I get either receiver and hook up a Monitor Audio Bronze BX Center and a pair of BX2) speakers. Just checked - this setup is doable for R10K :)
Click to expand...

Cool stuff. They get great reviews and should sort you out nicely and you can always move the BX2's to the side/rear later, should you choose to upgrade. I'd personally pass on the centre speaker initially to be quite frank. It starts to make sense when you go full 5.0/5.1 or greater, but with a stereo setup, it won't add much that the BX2's wont deliver. You should be able to get the Denon AVR 1513 and BX2's for around R7k with a bit of negotiation. That leaves enough room for a Jamo subwoofer to give the system a bit of kick. Anyway, be patient and get good quality stuff over a longer period of time rather than something you won't be happy with 6 months down the line. It saves you a fair chunk of change in the long run. Also, keep an eye on avforums.co.za's classifieds section over the next few days. I suspect people are going to be getting some new goodies for Christmas and on sale early in the new year and will be passing on their lightly-used equipment at a fair discount.
 
Some good advice there Messugga.

@tschlee, what size is your room? I'm thinking skip the subwoofer and upgrade to RX2's. It will have plenty bass for a small-medium sized room.

I'm happy with my RX1's in a 6x4m room. I'm planning on upgrading to RX6 fronts and moving the RX1's to the rear.
 
yeldoom said:
Some good advice there Messugga.

@tschlee, what size is your room? I'm thinking skip the subwoofer and upgrade to RX2's. It will have plenty bass for a small-medium sized room.

I'm happy with my RX1's in a 6x4m room. I'm planning on upgrading to RX6 fronts and moving the RX1's to the rear.
Click to expand...

I have a pair of RX6's in the front. Unfortunately they'll butcher his budget a tad but they do invalidate the need for anything but a subwoofer that's somewhat high end and probably in the region of his entire budget on its own, so from a cost/benefit perspective it makes sense in a way.
 
@yeldoom: room is approx 7x5m

Clearly the options are endless. Decisions, decisions ....

RX1's are within budget, the RX2's are slightly over, and the RX6's are way over :)
 
tschlee said:
@yeldoom: room is approx 7x5m

Clearly the options are endless. Decisions, decisions ....

RX1's are within budget, the RX2's are slightly over, and the RX6's are way over :)
Click to expand...

You don't have to buy new, nothing wrong with second hand audio gear and you can save yourself a bundle getting some really good kit!
 
I had an Onkyo TX-SR606 and it is the worst POS ever. It only lasted for about 18 months before it completely packed up outside the 1yr warranty..The aftermarket service from the local dealer and Audiotronics in Jhb was non-existent. My previous (cheap)Yamaha is still working perfectly after 20yrs but is now old fashioned without HDMI etc. I replaced the Onkyo with a cheapish SonySTR-DH820 and I am completely satisfied with it. I will never buy Onkyo again.
 
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