Best AVR for music up to $2000

[Alex Sparroil]

HI All, I would appreciate some advice on the best AV receiver to buy for both Atmos surround and music up to about $2000 - I don't mind buying second hand. I listen to a lot of music but also want an AV for movies. I have been told the Denon AVC-X4700 is worth a look. I've also looked at the Arcam AVR 20 and have heard it sounds great but is glitchy. Any advice, greatly appreciated. Many Thanks, Alex

 

[Alexanderc]

You’re best option is probably something recent from Denon’s 4xxx or 3xxx series.

I searched for AVRs on this site and copied the link below. There are links to the individual reviews from there.

Master Audio Review Index

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[delta76]

x4700h is your best bet, and if you can wait, x3800h looks promising as well (with the info leaked).
not sure where you can buy Arcam AVR 20 even 2nd hand with good warranty policies. unlike DAC or Amp, an AVR is more likely to break down after time due to its complexity. I would not spend $2000 on an equipment without good warranty policies (true story: I did and it went badly)

 

[Alex Sparroil]

You’re best option is probably something recent from Denon’s 4xxx or 3xxx series.

I searched for AVRs on this site and copied the link below. There are links to the individual reviews from there.

Master Audio Review Index

www.audiosciencereview.com

Great, thanks for your feedback. I've seen a 6700 with 4 years extended warranty left on it on eBay so I'm going to have a bid on that. Cheers

 

[Alex Sparroil]

x4700h is your best bet, and if you can wait, x3800h looks promising as well (with the info leaked).
not sure where you can buy Arcam AVR 20 even 2nd hand with good warranty policies. unlike DAC or Amp, an AVR is more likely to break down after time due to its complexity. I would not spend $2000 on an equipment without good warranty policies (true story: I did and it went badly)

Great, thanks for your feedback. I've seen a 6700 with 4 years extended warranty left on it on eBay so I'm going to have a bid on that. Cheers

 

[davlynam]

I have the same issue,I am replacing a XMC-1 which sounded great when it worked, which was not often.
I have Pass amplification for the front Martin Logan CLS, Outlaw for the center/surround/ceiling channels which are all Martin Logan.
After Amir's review of the Denon AVR 3800, I threw in the towel and bought a Denon 3700. I have an Oppo 105 and a LG 65' OLED, and I got tired of listening to the TV speakers.
I am audio first, and dont need/want all the bells and whistles, just great sound to go with my OLED.
I am sure that there is a better solution for multichannel without spending $2000+, but as a two channel guy I don't know what it is or how to set it up.

 

[Bren Derlin]

HI All, I would appreciate some advice on the best AV receiver to buy for both Atmos surround and music up to about $2000 - I don't mind buying second hand. I listen to a lot of music but also want an AV for movies. I have been told the Denon AVC-X4700 is worth a look. I've also looked at the Arcam AVR 20 and have heard it sounds great but is glitchy. Any advice, greatly appreciated. Many Thanks, Alex

I was talking to a sales rep at Crutchfield, as I'm in the same boat as you, and he highly recommended new Marantz Cinema 60 ($1,700) over pretty much everything in the same price ranges ($1,500-$2,000 USD) - said it's right on par with Anthem and Arcam in terms of 2 channel musicality. Andrew Robinson (love him or hate him) reviewed the Marantz Cinema 50, and gave it a glowing review in 'direct mode' with music.

I have this damn nagging brand recognition thing tugging at me about the Arcam AVR5 ($2,000 USD) - but really, don't want to deal with the set-up headache people have been having. Sounds like the new (redesigned) menu for the the Marantz Cinema series makes set-up a breeze. ....I was leaning towards the Marantz Cinema 60 (being paired with the Revel M106 speakers) long before the Denon x3800H review - though I'm skeptical the x3800H measurements are going to be audibly significant (at least for me) compared to the x3700H, much less the x2600H (which I have right now).