Seeking Streaming Receiver Recommendations


Helping friends who are NOT audiophiles, but have a pair of SPICA TC-50 speakers (specs below).  They want a receiver (real FM radio), want to be able to stream spotify and maybe some other services, want to be able to throw content from their phones via bluetooth or airplay.  New receivers seem to have all of this, but what has good sound and enough power for the Spicas?  Crutchfield has Yamaha (Class D) and Integra (class not listed).  If anyone has looked into this, please share recommendations.  Thanks, Peter

SPICA TC-150 SPECS:
Two-way, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" soft-dome tweeter, 6.5" pulp-cone woofer. Low-frequency alignment: sealed-box with Q=0.78. Crossover frequency: 2kHz. Crossover: high-pass slope, approximately first-order, 6dB/octave; low-pass slope, fourth-order, 24dB/octave, Bessel; both drivers connected with the same polarity. Frequency response: 60Hz-17kHz -3dB. Sensitivity: 84dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms (3.6 ohms minimum at 4kHz). Amplifier requirements: 25-100W. Maximum power handling: 50W continuous, 100W peak.

peter_s
I see you have stand mounted speakers. I also use bookshelf speakers in my BR (Integra) system.

Had you instead had full-range floorstanders, I might have been able to give Integra a better recommendation because it has a mode (Direct, or Pure Direct or something like that, forget exactly what they call it) where the sound is better (to my ears anyway, less processing), but the problem is that the subwoofer output goes away in that mode (no info sent out on sub out line) and I have a lower cost sub in my BR system that requires an RCA sub out to use (unlike a REL with the full range inputs where you just tap off the amp speaker outputs terminals).

What I’m trying to say is if you use a sub that has that feature, or if you don’t use a sub at all, and can run the Integra in that direct mode, it will sound better than how I have to use it given that I want to have my sub both for music and HT (TV, movies) in my BR system.....
Speakers that I used most with those receivers in making the assessments were B&W CDM1NT's (old but still love them) with the Marantz and both NHT C1 and Spendor SA1 with Integra.  All bookshelf/mini-monitor/stand-mount.  The Integra with the Spendors sounds much better than it did with the NHT's (Spendors tamed the Integra down).
Get the Yamaha, or a NAD, Marantz, Arcam, or Cambridge (all sold at Crutchfield). Integras are unreliable and don’t sound any good (ear-piercing highs, weak bass).
Integra is part of Onkyo, so if you go for the DTM-7 I'd spend the extra $50 for the 6-year extended warranty as reliability is an issue.  Personally, I'd go for the Yamaha R-N803 and get a nice piece of butcher-block wood or marble that accommodates the depth of the unit and put that on the shelf underneath the Yamaha -- problem solved.  Don't discount that the Yamaha offers YPAO room correction that could significantly improve Here's a review of the R-N803 that compares it to a similar Onkyo piece that likely shares some House sound characteristics with the DTM-7...

https://www.soundstagesimplifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/28-yamaha-rn803-network-stereo-receiv...

If they really want to kick it up a notch they could eventualy add an SVS SB1000 sub for $500 and really rock the house.  Again, best of luck in whatever you decide.