Recommended receiver for HT


I plan to downsize from Bryston SP-3 processor and Parasound amps to a single receiver for HT. The speakers would be KEF T301 fronts; LS50s are side and rear; subs are pairs of Velodyne HGS-15s and HGS-10s with SMS-1 bass management. Sources are Cox TV, Ayre DX-5 DSD, and perhaps Oppo 205 or 105D. Stereo music is a separate setup. I’ve been out of the receiver market for decades, so I’m seeking recommendations for a used receiver at moderate cost.
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Hello DB,

     I've recently read a few of those rave reviews on the Bryston SP-3 and there's no doubt it's a high quality unit.  But the Oppo 105 and 205 are also high quality units and I thought one of your main goals was streamlining and simplifying your system.   I think you need to directly  compare the sound quality of using the SP-3 to using the Oppo 205 on tv and movies surround sound.  You have a lot of high quality stuff. 
     I also believe you need to directly compare the video and audio quality of your Ayre DX-5 DSD to your Oppo 205.  I've read that Ayre doesn't just rebadge  Oppo players as Ayre players but instead claims they 'reengineer' the Oppo players.  For some unknown reason, they also remove the quasi processor circuitry and 7.1 rca outputs for the surround channels.  I realize the Ayre DX-5 DSD sold new at retail for about $10K but you still need to verify it outperforms the Oppo, especially considering it lacks the Oppo's quasi processor circuitry and 7.1 channel outputs.  
     If you're unable to notice clear differences in the performance advantages of either the SP-3 or Ayre DX-5 when compared to the Oppo 205, then there's no reason to use them and sacrifice the streamlining and simplification advantages of removing them from your system.  Selling them both on the used market would likely provide more than enough funds to cover all of your sub repair costs or the cost of new subs.   
     Your Velodyne HSG-15 and HSG-10 subs are examples of more good stuff you have.  My first instinct is to just have all your subs repaired but the most reasonable thing to do is to get specific estimates or at least an estimate range of minimum to maximum repair costs.  Only then can you make a rational choice about whether it's best to get them repaired or buy new subs.  
     It seems like a shame to me to not get them repaired since they probably still have some value and are very good subs. If the repair costs seem reasonable to you, having them repaired would be a good option since you like their performance, they'd work very well in a DBA format in combination with your SMS-1 sub control unit and they'd retain considerably more of their value in top working condition as opposed to broken. 
     On the other hand, even if you consider the total repair costs excessive, I was thinking the repair facility might be willing to buy them all from you at a reasonable price.  I would suggest a good option would be to then devote these funds toward the purchase of 3-4 new subs.  If you choose to do this you'll have a wide assortment of options in a wide range of quality levels,such as a custom DBA consisting of three or four subs of the size, price and quality level you prefer (just make sure these custom DBA subs have a minimum of volume control, crossover frequency selector and a continuously variable 360 degree phase control)or even a complete 4-sub Swarm DBA system.



  

Tim,

In a pervious setup I was able to compare the sound from the Ayre DX-5 DSD to that from the Oppo 205; they both went balanced to a Parasound JC 2 BP/JC 1 monoblocks driving KEF Ref 107/2s.  I preferred the sound from the Ayre -- that Ayre magic of music just seeming to flow. I thought it was very similar to that from my beloved C-5xeMP, but Charles Hansen claimed the DX-5 DSD a bit superior to the C-5, a bit inferior to the QX-5 Twenty.  It was the C-5 that introduced me to the Ayre sound, and I was hooked.

I've decided to take the two HGS-15s and the HGS-10 to LA for repair.  In the meantime, I'm buying something called a Velodyne 12 Optima, the line just below the DD that also uses the high gain servo system.  It's only a couple hundred bucks and located in Santa Barbara.  I'll use that with the functional HGS-10 until the repaired units return -- I know I have another HGS-10 somewhere but I haven't located it.

db
Hello DB,

     Okay, so are you going to use a combined single system for music and HT or two separate systems?


Tm
I use a separate system for video - different amp hooked to an AV preamp (Marantz) and I just switch over the speaker cables from one power amp to the other when I want to switch from audio listening to video or vice versa - I suppose one might be able to find some sort of switch that would do it, but not sure that it would be sonically neutral.

I use a separate multichannel power amp for the surround channels.
Tim,

Essentially one system for both music and HT, except stereo doesn't go through the Oppo or Bryston; it's strait Ayre.  TV uses the Oppo and Bryston, but substitutes the NAD M22 for the Ayre gear, and NHT Zero+s for the KEF Ref 1s.  One could rightly argue the Bryston is superfluous until the Ayre DK-5 DSD replaces the Oppo 205.  

I mostly play stereo and TV, so little hardship to give up HT for simplification.  Then it would be two systems:  Ayre for stereo, Oppo and NAD for TV.

db