Best sub-$300 (used/new) receiver for a setup with two floor speakers and center channel? Really looking for warmth of sound

[christhenewb]

Hi all, I was hoping to get thoughts from the experts here on what receiver to purchase.

I currently have two definitive d15 floor speakers and a definitive d5c center channel (center channel is new and not hooked up yet).

I was playing music through the floor speakers with a Wiim pro plus and a fosi v3 amp. Given I need a new receiver, I figured it was probably time to think about a better quality one overall than the fosi. I also have a turntable I'd finally like to get connected and use.

I listen to mostly jazz, r&b, and blues, so really like having a very "warm" sound. I'm not sure what else I should be thinking about when shopping. I don't anticipate any changes to my setup in the near future other than this, so I'm hoping this receiver can "go the distance" with me.

I'm completely fine with buying used if recommended, although new is great too just so I don't have to keep an eye on the used market. Hoping to keep it sub $300 but if you tell me $400 is where you really unlock incredible sound I'll listen to reason.

Thank you so much for any tips--I love incredible audio but I'm not as well-versed on the tech side of things, so appreciate being able to ask the brain trust here!

 

[AnalogSteph]

and a definitive d5c center channel (center channel is new and not hooked up yet).

If speaker reviews here have taught us anything, it's that 2-way MTM centers are a fundamentally flawed concept. I hope you can use the thing vertically.

I listen to mostly jazz, r&b, and blues, so really like having a very "warm" sound.

*groan*
I mean, you could dial in some EQ via the WiiM if you want (or choose your target curve appropriately when doing room EQ).

I'm completely fine with buying used if recommended, although new is great too just so I don't have to keep an eye on the used market. Hoping to keep it sub $300 but if you tell me $400 is where you really unlock incredible sound I'll listen to reason.

That's not a lot of money if you need a surround receiver and might not even buy a new one at all (or a very barebones model at best). Used should be no problem though.

 

[Keith_W]

Welcome to ASR. The problem is that "warm sound" does not have an objective definition, it is a subjective one. It is usually associated with high levels of harmonic distortion, particularly 2nd harmonic. Most people here don't want any distortion at all. If you like that kind of sound, there is no problem - you can either add it via DSP, or you can look for an amplifier that produces copious 2nd harmonic distortion. But I advise you against it.

 

[kyuu]

If speaker reviews here have taught us anything, it's that 2-way MTM centers are a fundamentally flawed concept. I hope you can use the thing vertically.

Only if you're listening more than 20-degrees off-axis horizontally. If this is for far-field listening and you're not trying to cover a huge seating area, it's not a big deal IMO. Of course that's assuming this isn't one of the poor designs where you get the lobing at only 10-degrees off-axis.

 

[JustJones]

Audioholics gave a good review of the D15. Looks like you want to get the beefiest AVR you can.

The above graphs show the electrical behavior of the D15 Towers. Definitive Technology specifies the impedance load of the D15s to be 8 ohms nominal, but I would call that a stretch. They have a 5.4 impedance minima at around 130 Hz. That is too low in a heavily used region for these to fairly claim an 8-ohm load. The phase angle in that region isn’t totally benign as well. If Definitive Technology claimed 6 ohms nominal, I wouldn’t argue, but 8 is a stretch. Nonetheless, this isn’t an extremely harsh electrical load. I wouldn’t want to run these speakers on a budget AVR amplifier, but I think midrange AVR’s should be able to handle these speakers without much trouble. I measured sensitivity at 84.7 dB for 2.83v at 1 meter which is pretty close to Definitive Technology’s spec of 85.5 dB for 1 watt at 1 meter. These aren’t very sensitive tower speakers, and they could benefit from some beefy amplification

 

[Power Pop 23]

Hi all, I was hoping to get thoughts from the experts here on what receiver to purchase.

I currently have two definitive d15 floor speakers and a definitive d5c center channel (center channel is new and not hooked up yet).

I was playing music through the floor speakers with a Wiim pro plus and a fosi v3 amp. Given I need a new receiver, I figured it was probably time to think about a better quality one overall than the fosi. I also have a turntable I'd finally like to get connected and use.

I listen to mostly jazz, r&b, and blues, so really like having a very "warm" sound. I'm not sure what else I should be thinking about when shopping. I don't anticipate any changes to my setup in the near future other than this, so I'm hoping this receiver can "go the distance" with me.

I'm completely fine with buying used if recommended, although new is great too just so I don't have to keep an eye on the used market. Hoping to keep it sub $300 but if you tell me $400 is where you really unlock incredible sound I'll listen to reason.

Thank you so much for any tips--I love incredible audio but I'm not as well-versed on the tech side of things, so appreciate being able to ask the brain trust here!

Welcome to ASR,

Consider a Denon or Marantz AVR that supports the $19.99 Audyssey MultEQ Editor App available at the App Store and Google Play. The app will give you more control over adjusting the sound. Amir recommends the app in his review from 2020:

Audyssey Room EQ Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Audyssey Room Equalization. Audyssey is standard technology in a number of Audio/Video Receivers such as the Denon AVR-X3600H I recently reviewed. The standard version in the AVR is mostly all or nothing so I downloaded the Marantz/Denon...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Many older Denon and Marantz that have seven or more channels of amplification support the app. Compatible AVR's are listed in the fine print at the app stores.

If you are in the USA, AC4L dot com offers compatible 'refurbished' Denon and Marantz AVR's starting at $299 for the Denon AVR-S760H.

DENON AVR-S760H 7.2-Ch x 75w 8K A/V Receiver w/HEOS

Denon Factory Refurbished

www.accessories4less.com

thanks for joining !