My Sunfire Ultimate Receiver died. What’s a modern replacement?
- Thread starter 68sting
- Start date
Help Support MartinLogan Audio Owners Forum:
khenegar
Well-known member
Harmon kardon they are designed around the lexicon gear
I think you are going to have a hard time having a receiver drive 5 stats like that sunfire did. Just my opinion. I don’t have any experience w the ultimate receiver but know the separates well. Did you try contacting bob carver? Or do you just want to move on?
68sting
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2005
- Messages
- 80
- Reaction score
- 0
I would like something with hdmi and the newer surround processing options.
I think you're gonna need a bigger wallet.
There's probably something out there for several thousand that might be ok, but won't be quite as good as the Sunfire in performance. I think the processing, without amps built-in, is easy to find and there are lots of choices out there for way less than $1,000 for a simple (by today's standards) 5 channel setup. The amplification is more tricky. The Sunfire was rated for 4 Ohms and I doubt many receivers today are. The top Marantz is rated for 8 Ohm minimum, for example. The output wattage is also lower on all the receivers I've been looking at, with the highest wattage being 150 into 8 Ohms.
But, if you got one of the simpler A/V preamps out there, meaning fewer channels, and a separate amp, the two items could be as low as $2,500 while still rated for 4 Ohms with decent wattage. For movies the sound might be close to what the Sunfire was like, maybe the same, dunno. Just as an example you can take a look at this processor and this amp. I've got one of their older "better" amps and I tried it out on my ML speakers and it never got more than warm during the high volume test I did. It didn't sound like my Krell for music, but for movies it would probably be just fine. I've also had several of their preamps and they've all been great sounding, from the entry model I first purchased many years ago, to the latest one I just upgraded to a couple months ago.
There's probably something out there for several thousand that might be ok, but won't be quite as good as the Sunfire in performance. I think the processing, without amps built-in, is easy to find and there are lots of choices out there for way less than $1,000 for a simple (by today's standards) 5 channel setup. The amplification is more tricky. The Sunfire was rated for 4 Ohms and I doubt many receivers today are. The top Marantz is rated for 8 Ohm minimum, for example. The output wattage is also lower on all the receivers I've been looking at, with the highest wattage being 150 into 8 Ohms.
But, if you got one of the simpler A/V preamps out there, meaning fewer channels, and a separate amp, the two items could be as low as $2,500 while still rated for 4 Ohms with decent wattage. For movies the sound might be close to what the Sunfire was like, maybe the same, dunno. Just as an example you can take a look at this processor and this amp. I've got one of their older "better" amps and I tried it out on my ML speakers and it never got more than warm during the high volume test I did. It didn't sound like my Krell for music, but for movies it would probably be just fine. I've also had several of their preamps and they've all been great sounding, from the entry model I first purchased many years ago, to the latest one I just upgraded to a couple months ago.
68sting
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2005
- Messages
- 80
- Reaction score
- 0
I could get the Sunfire repaired and use it as the amp. What would you recommend as a preamp?
So, here's the thing. The answer to your question kinda depends on how "current" you want the HDMI to be. HDMI 1.4 spec pre-pros are more stable than HDMI 2.0, but you really only get 4K with the latter. Yes, 4K "can" get passed through HDMI 1.4 but with caveats. The point of this is that there weren't as many issues with AV pre pros that had HDMI 1.4, but most of these issues that can occur are system dependent meaning that it really just depends on which components you have connected together. Everything is a computer these days.
All of the AV receivers and pre-pros I've owned have had some quirks, whether it was from Denon, Pioneer, Marantz, or Emotiva. Even my friend's McIntosh isn't perfect (just a lockup every now and then). Most of these quirks are things like, the unit gets stuck and needs a reboot, or a audio format that didn't change during a commercial so maybe the center channel has no audio, etc. Most problems just need switching to another mode or input and back to clear.
All that being said, the best sounding of the brands I've owned has been Emotiva. My friend's McIntosh doesn't sound better and doesn't sound worse, but it's a couple grand more than I want to pay for the great build quality and looks. All 3 of the Emotiva processors I've owned have had strong output voltage so they can drive any amp out there, the other 3 brands were too weak for my Krell amp with the Marantz being the best of those.
The Emotiva MC-700 is the baby of the brand at $699 with a 30 day money back trial. It's a 7.1 processor, has been around for a few years so it's had some firmware updates to smooth over the bumps. The sound quality is the distinguishing feature for this one, vs any of the AV receivers it's price would be competing with. The Pioneer Elite VSX-LX504 receiver at $950 (the amp is not stable enough for our speakers) has pre outs but I'd be willing to bet that the voltage is not high enough to drive a good external amp.
And then you could always get a used processor.
All of the AV receivers and pre-pros I've owned have had some quirks, whether it was from Denon, Pioneer, Marantz, or Emotiva. Even my friend's McIntosh isn't perfect (just a lockup every now and then). Most of these quirks are things like, the unit gets stuck and needs a reboot, or a audio format that didn't change during a commercial so maybe the center channel has no audio, etc. Most problems just need switching to another mode or input and back to clear.
All that being said, the best sounding of the brands I've owned has been Emotiva. My friend's McIntosh doesn't sound better and doesn't sound worse, but it's a couple grand more than I want to pay for the great build quality and looks. All 3 of the Emotiva processors I've owned have had strong output voltage so they can drive any amp out there, the other 3 brands were too weak for my Krell amp with the Marantz being the best of those.
The Emotiva MC-700 is the baby of the brand at $699 with a 30 day money back trial. It's a 7.1 processor, has been around for a few years so it's had some firmware updates to smooth over the bumps. The sound quality is the distinguishing feature for this one, vs any of the AV receivers it's price would be competing with. The Pioneer Elite VSX-LX504 receiver at $950 (the amp is not stable enough for our speakers) has pre outs but I'd be willing to bet that the voltage is not high enough to drive a good external amp.
And then you could always get a used processor.
I would definitely check into the Emotiva stuff. Forgot about them.
In these trying times, I'd expect the used market to be flooded with options. So be on the lookout for an Anthem AVR, as they have good quality amps and decent processing in their current lineup.
If trying to remain well below your limit, I'd get the Sunfire repaired, use it as an amp-only and get a good Denon as a preamp. I have a 3600H in my secondary system, and it is quite good and with modern CEC, even eliminated the need for a universal remote.
If trying to remain well below your limit, I'd get the Sunfire repaired, use it as an amp-only and get a good Denon as a preamp. I have a 3600H in my secondary system, and it is quite good and with modern CEC, even eliminated the need for a universal remote.
