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Keep B&K 507 or Onkyo NR905 OLD receiver advice

I keep going back and forth on this decision. I have two great old amps B&K AVR 507 and Onkyo TX-NR905 which I equally love - perhaps the slight edge to the onkyo b/c it is easier to use for the whole family. We recently moved and my systems needs have changed so i am combining my two systems into 1.

I currently have:
TV LG OLED 65c7, 5 B&W - CDM 1NTs, 2 Paradigm ADP-470v3, Paradigm PW-2100, Monitor Audio Radius R720 Sub, Aperion 533-VAC center, 1 B&W M1, Vienna Acoustics Bach Grands. I know I know- a quilt of audio equip.

My plan. Sell the CDM-1NTs. My fronts will be the Vienna Bach Grands that i love. I also think these get low enough so I can lose both subs. The Aperion 533 VAC will be the center and the surrounds will be the Paradigm ADP 470v3 (though I may opt to have 2 CDM 1s as surrounds depending on how i can set up the room.

Now what AVR? I listen mostly to music, but would not consider myself an audiophile in the least – lets say 75/25 in favor of music. They are both old and 4k upscaling will not happen from the receiver but my TV may be able to pull it off. I read another forum where if fed a 1080p signal the LG c7 does a good job at upscaling to 4k. The B&K does not have hdmi so the sound would be limited to an optical connection. Also the B&K does not have Audyssey Multieq XT that the Onkyo has. I have read that this is revolutionary to sound. I am torn b/c the B&K is such a fantastic amp and now I will be driving 4ohm Viennas. Can the Onkyo even come close? Do I keep the B&K or the Onkyo or scrap both for something new(ish)? I can’t afford a new receiver that well come close to the performance of the two in my possession.

Also I dont want to have to turn on the receiver to watch TV. If all my hdmi signals are going through the Onkyo does it have to be on to watch basic TV?

Thanks in advance for any help you can lend.
duke777
auxinput
2,920 posts
 

If you love the B&K sound, one thought is to buy one of the B&K multi-channel amps and use the "pre-outs" on your Onkyo receiver.  There's a 7-channel 200.7 on audiogon for $1199.  There is also a 5-channel 200.5 on ebay for $875.  Just be aware that these amps are on the older side -- maybe something like 15 years old (like your 507 receiver).  You could probably then sell your 507 receiver for something like $500-700.  There are probably other warm sounding amps available (maybe like NAD).

This could allow you to transition to a home theater processor, maybe something like Marantz AV7702 (less than $1,000).  Then sell your Onkyo?

Up to you.  It all depends on your budget.

duke777 OP
3 posts
 
Hmm no mention of the Onkyo?  I guess I should read between the lines. The sound quality of the Onkyo has never left me wanting, but I've never used it for audio so not much scrutiny. I have read where the older Onkyos are every bit as good as most hi-end receivers/amps. I've also read the opposite. I just got the 4 ohm Vienna's so I'm second guessing the Onkyo's power reserves, but it is rated for 4 ohm.

I like auxinputs progressive suggestion. Onkyo for now THEN get power amp and onkyo as pre THEN HT processor eventually. No budget now for a power amp. 
auxinput
2,920 posts
 

I didn’t mean to dis your Onkyo receiver. I know that Onkyo is very nice for a receiver and your model is VERY hefty at 54 lbs. (hardly any receiver has that much weight). This is very good for its power supply. I was just trying to read into what you like as far as sound goes. The B&K is going to be very warm/rich sounding (I used to own a B&K 200.5 amp). It was too warm for my taste, but others love it. The Onkyo, on the other hand, is going to be a very clean/clear sounding unit in comparison. It is two different sonic signatures. If you like the Onkyo, by all means try it out and see how it goes. The power supply is extremely large for a receiver. It may have no problem driving the 4 ohm speakers.

That being said, if a speaker is rated at 4 ohms (even some 8 ohm speakers), the actual impedance can drop down to 2-3 ohms in the bass/midbass area. Some amps just do not have a large enough power supply to provide enough current for these impedances. The result is weak bass/midbass.

If you feel that the Onkyo is not driving the speakers well enough or if you want the warmer sound of the B&K, then the B&K amps I suggested would be a good solution. They have a very large power supply for just the 5 or 7 channels (I think they come in at about 63 lbs or something). If you decide to sell the 507, you could fund the purchase of a separate amp.

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