So looking into the AVR x4700h a little more have you had any issues with connecting your amp using the RCA conectios? As I am new to having a seperate amp I was thinking that for the best signal I should get a unit with balanced XLR inputs. Now I know that XLRs are perfered in long cable runs and since I am only going sub 6ft would you say XLRs would be overkill in this application? No going back to the Monoprice HTP-1 for a moment. That unit being 4K and the X4700h being 1.7K I can't understand this as X4700h looks to have all the bels and whistles in terms of formats in addition to the onboard Amps. I mean is Dirac Live amd the balanced XLRs the only reason for the difference ? To that point does it provide such a better experiance over Audyssey MultEQ XT32 to warrant the cost difference? Some understanding would be appreciated. Thanks!!
As long as you use reasonable quality RCA cables between the AV processor and the amps, that aren't too long (2 or 3 metres) you should be fine. Balanced cables work better for much longer runs and in more challenging (electrical noise) environments. Longer RCA cables are okay with subwoofers.
Regarding the differences between an HTP-1 and AVR-X4700H, take a look at these:
ATI show sample - likely similar to HTP-1 internals:
Denon AVR-X4700H internal:
Notice all the empty space in the HTP-1 chassis, compared to the very crowded AVR-X4700H?
One would expect with less stuff (amplifiers) in the box the HTP-1 MIGHT benefit from:
- Having an over-specified power supply that could provide better filtered and stable voltages, supporting better performance
- With a lower component density, circuit trace routing can be better optimized, reducing noise and channel crosstalk
- Improved thermal stability (fewer components with more space around them)
- With the higher price point, higher quality components could be used, hopefully improving performance and reliability
- Lower density/complexity in the enclosure can improve reliability and maintainability
Room equalization, whether it is Audyssey, Dirac, ARC, etc., is a must have feature these days, but it's not magic. The room and proper speaker placement needed to be sorted out as well as possible, before adding room equalization. I suspect any modern room EQ solution, properly adjusted, should yield very similar results.
An often ignored aspect when looking at specifications of separates, is practicality. For example, while my system can easily produce a SPL of 110 dB, in my listening space I would NEVER intentionally listen to anything that loud. (Maybe a very occasional movie explosion, but that would be a very brief event.) So while good THD+N, SINAD and Dynamic Range measurements indicate something about the quality of the engineering inside a product, in a real listening room, most listeners are never going to fully explore these capabilities. Remember, 120 dB is the threshold of pain. Therefore, agonizing if a DAC or AV processor is capable of over 100 dB of dynamic range does not usually have a practical listening application. Again, not saying good measurements aren't important, but like having a high performance car without access to a closed track, for most of us, we are never going to approach the limits of good equipment.
