Sound quality, Build, Power, Customization, Upgradable

S-Video switching noise

I have owned a Onkyo TX-DS939 for the past four years and recently decided it was time to upgrade.

I started my search for a new flagship AV receiver by reading what I could on the various AV forums. I decided on auditioning three, the Onkyo 989, Denon 5800, and of course the B&K 307. No one store carried all three receivers in my area, however one store carried the Onkyo and Denon and another store carried the Denon and B&K.

So I went to the first store and A/B tested the Onkyo 989 against the Denon 5800. Since I had done this very same thing four years ago, I fully expected the Onkyo to win out. However, after level matching the two units and setting up for direct mode on both, the Denon was clearly superior, particularly in the lower bass region and upper end. The Denon had much more control over the bass (we were using tower speakers with un-powered dual 8” drivers) and the highs were much smoother to my ears.

I then went to the remaining store to A/B test the Denon 5800 against the B&K 307. Again we level matched the two units and used B&W speakers with un-powered lower ends. In Direct Mode, there was little separating the two. I slightly preferred the B&K but to be honest I don’t know if I could pick one from the other in a double blind test. Based on this, I told the salesman that the 5800 might be the better choice for me because of the shear features on the 5800. He said I should make the same comparison using Dolby Digital and DTS material before deciding. So we chose a center and surrounds, level matched everything and threw in the Matrix. Here there was a very pronounced difference, the B&K clearly had a wider sound field (sound stage?) than the 5800. We tried several DVDs using both Dolby Digital and DTS sources and it was always the same, the B&K just sounded much more open to me.

I have Polk RT2000P mains, CS350 center, LS/FX surrounds and can honestly say that the improvement in sound from my speakers moving from the Onkyo 939 to the B&K 307 has been dramatic.

Add to all that the assign-able inputs and the fact that you can re-name the inputs (for instance, I have a turntable and there is no phono input on the B&K, so I hooked my phono pre-amp to the CD input and re-labeled the input from CD to PHONO. It also has facilities to adjust the subwoofer crossover point and parametric equalization with test tones to tune out room induced bumps in the low and high frequency response. My room has quite a bump in the bass at around 50hz, this allow me to attenuate the bump and really smooth out the response in MY room.

I have a progressive scan DVD player and a HD DTV receiver hooked through the component switching of the B&K and there is no degradation of the signal as far as I can tell (I had the HD connected directly to the TV before so I think I could tell).

S-Video switching: I also have all my video sources connected through the receiver’s S-Video switching (Sat, SVHS, DVD). There is detectable video noise in the form of a line that slowly scrolls up the screen on certain types of material (light gray background). This is not normally visible, but can be annoying. B&K has responded with a fix, but you have to send the receiver in for it. I don’t use the S-Video much any more, so may not bother with that. I’m told that B&K is applying the fix to all future production units, so this shouldn’t be a problem in the future.

Speaking of future, another strong point of this unit is the upgrade capability. The firmware can be swapped out by the dealer or the more astute end user. Also, DPLII and Discrete DTS EX are upgrades expected later this summer.

In addition to all that, if you call B&K for technical help, you get it. They are responsive and will work with you and your dealer as needed. The only minus here is that they never seem to answer email, so call them if you need anything.

Summary: To me this receiver gets closest to a much more expensive separates system in sound quality and beats everything except the 5800 in features. Terrific power (we drove a set of the Martin Logan electrostatics to ridiculous levels at the dealer), great sound quality approaching separates, very customizable, upgradable, terrific dealer (at least mine) and factory support.

Roger

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo 939, Onkyo 989, Denon 5800

Upgradeable, value, amazing sound quality, bass management, number of inputs/outputs, etc, etc.

Delay when switching sources ( not big deal), editing presets, remote control can be better ( but I can live with ).

This is a great receiver in every single aspect.
I test lots of receivers with my home setup and all returned because don't fit my preferences.


I used for long time a Sony 909ES connected to a Conrad Johnson Sonographe SA250 amplifier and never get the amazing sound I'm getting now with the 307. I wnet for the 307 after my Pre outputs in the 909 stop working and I decided to use it with some plain speakers for my patio activities but in order to " move" the Infinity's, I need lots of power provided by the Conrad Johnson and now after some years, looks like the Conrad was not able to drive the Infinitys at the maximun potential.

After somebody suggest me the 307 I decided and for the first time I was able to hear the best sound coming from my Infinity Renaissance 80 speakers after 5 years!! This is the most amazing sound I heard after testing many units, including the Denon 5800.

In the theater mode, the 307 is just amazing and other brands tested can't match this one even close.

Only Krell ( I don't test the Krell at home) may be ( I'm not too sure) can beat B&K but the differences are not worth the money according to the sound in the store coming form both units. After many tests in the store, I went for the 307 and I'm happy with my new toy.

My equipment ( lots of money expended here)is as follow:

B&K AVR 307
Main ( for music listening) Speakers:
Infinity Rennaisance 80 biwered with MIT Terminator 2 biwired.

Surround Speakers Infinity Reference RS5

Center Speaker B&W CMTNT
Subwoofers (2 units) Velodyne HGS 15 ( left and right)

Rotel CD Player RCD 975

Turntable Thorens TD-190
Pioneer Compact Disc Recorder PDR-W739

TDS True Dimensional Sound Passive connected in line
between Rotel CD and the 307.( This is an amazing equipment).

TV Pioneer Elite Pro 510 HD

DVB Player Toshiba 6200

Monster Line Conditioner HTS 5000

All this equipment is connected using MIT Terminator for speakers and Monster Cable M1000I for audio interconnects and M500V for Video Interconnects.

Similar Products Used:

Sony 909ES, Sony DA555ES, Sony STR-V555ES, Denon 5800.

This is just a follow up to my review below. Sorry for the double post but I left out an important detail.

I forgot to mention a very annoying problem that I and some others have noticed with this receiver. When channel surfing with my satellite receiver (DishNetwork model 7200, connected via tosslink) there is a very audible static snap sound that comes out of the speakers every time the cannel is changed. When I called B&K about it, they said that there was nothing they could do. With all of the same equipment, I did not hear the snapping when using a Pioneer Elite receiver nor with the Lexicon MC-1 (the processor ended up with).

Number of inputs and outputs plus the flexibility associated with them; bass managment; set-up; owner's manual; amp section; pre-amp section; sound; switching control; remote; pre-set mode; dual zone design; etc. etc. etc.

Editing presets; popping when switching inputs; internal audio switching delays when switching sources; apparent lack of discrete off and on IR commands; lack of B&K remote control commands in major databases (e.g., Pronto 2000)

I got a "hall pass" to upgrade a portion of our system over Christmas: TV (Toshiba 50" RP), DVD (Toshiba 6200), cables (AudioQuest speaker and interconnects), Sony SAT-T60 Tivo unit (PLEASE see my review - serious problems exist with digial audio output in this unit as currently produced).

The new cables and the new DVD highlighted the "edge" associated with Yamaha electronics - or at least the 3090. I considered a number of products in the $3000-$4000 range, auditioned them all, and selected the B&K. The AVR 307 is connected to b&w 604s, a 700 series center speaker, 600 series ceiling mounted surrounds and an older 1200 series Velodyne sub (wish they still made it, I'd buy a second one).

If "tears to your eyes" means anything to a reader of this review, then you'll have some idea of how much I appreciate this new combination and the 307 in particular.

Other than the the shortcomings listed above (I'm in email contact with B&K), I just can't adequately descirbe the overall experience. First, I can listen at full THX reference levels with no aural discomfort. Second, the sound is incredibly detailed. Third, the base is as precise as any I've heard. The total effect would bring tears to the eyes of any music lover. The Eagles, Eric Clapton, Don Henly, and James Taylor DVDs have to be consumed with discipline or emotional overload is sure to occur.

Set up is very easy, yet offers incredible control. Our system is installed in an open plan home with no parallel walls, 10' ceilings and hardwood floors - fairly bright. I didn't think I had any standing wave or base output problems. However, using my trusty Radio Shack spl meter and the B&K bass managment I found a 6db dip between 48 and 56 Hz that I was able to correct. And, surprisingly to me, I noticed the difference (with a friend helping me do a "blind" comparison).

As you can surmise, I am pleased. This unit is a perfect match to our b&w speakers. I'd need to upgrade speakers to take advantage of better electronics and, frankly, I believe I'd have to lay out some serious coin to make a significant difference.

Taking $3K and putting into a 50 pound space heater isn't the easiest thing to justify, but I defy any unit from Sony, Yamaha, Denon, Pioneer, Marantz, Rotel or ??? to match the 307 for the most effective balance of detail, impact, and overall listenability (CD or DVD). The 307 also destroys the high-end store approach that a receiver can't match separates. Bull.

Ps - This is a 7-channel amp so my dealer modified the internal switching with a simple plug change so that the two rear surround channels are now driving Zone 2 - saved me a $500 Niles amp purchase! Now THAT's flexibility. If/when 7-channel content is readily avialable I'm one simple step away.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha DSP 1000-A, Yamaha DSP 3090

Awesome surround processing!!! Incredible power

No DTS ES discrete processing(But it's comming!)

Before I get tons of emails on how I paid such a low price, let me tell you that I got it on accomidation from b&k. I work for Tweeter Etc.
The amount of detail that the processor pulls out of dvd's is amazing! I'v e never hear Gladiator or The Matrix sound so awesome. The power is incredible! It never seems to run out of it. Hooked up to my friends b&w 602's and LCR system with asw1000 sub we hit 114db peaks during the Fantasia-Stravinski's Firebird passages! Let me tell you I've heard 125db car systems that are loud. But 114db in a living room is another story! The bass management system it soo cool. Nothing on the market comes close. I kind of wish there was another band for some other troublesome frequencys. I love the absence of "basketball court and bathroom" artifical sound modes during music playback. Who the hell ever uses them anyway? Not 1 of the many, many customers I deal with. I love this reciever, and thank b&k for letting me purchase one for an awesome price! I hope my firsthand experience and excitement about the product will help me sell more of these pieces of fine audio equipment. I hope it will make me and b&k money. Jeff

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo TXDS575, Denon Avr2000

The best sound I've ever experienced--both 2-channel and HT.

Annoying clicks/pops when starting CDs or changing processing modes.

The sound is fantastic. I now understand how a quality system can project emotion as well as musical notes.

There are annoying noises when starting a CD using the receiver's DACs (stereo 2 or surround 5) or changing processing modes (DTS to DD or vice versa). The noises are absent using the analog bypass (stereo 8) or DVD-Audio.

I have had no video problems--either component or S-video.

Basically, I tolerate the annoyances because the sound is so good. I'm not smart/educated/rich enough to be a true audiophile, but I do recognize sound that is better than I have ever heard before. I don't quite understand why my $1000 Yamaha had no click/pops while my $3000 B&K does, but there is no doubt that the sound that follows is much better. I don't really know how to rate the product--I feel that for the money I paid, it ought to be perfect. On the other hand, you could pay thousands of dollars more and still get sound that did not equal this product.

My system:
B&K AVR 307
Pioneer Elite Pro 700HD TV
Toshiba SD 9200 DVD
Mitsubishi HS-U50 VCR
Def Tech BP 2006TL fronts and rears
Def Tech 2300 center
Panamax 2000

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha RX-V995 (owned);
Yamaha RX-V1, B&K Ref 30 with B&K Ref 5-channel Amp, Sunfire Theatre Grand, Pioneer VSX-29TX, Rotel RSP-985, Lexicon DC-2 (all auditioned)

Great sound, good looks, plenty of digital inputs, 7 amplifiers. No ghosts from B&Ks early years.

Runs a little hot, but doesn't seem to affect it.

I set out to buy new equipment as the result of a technical problem with my Sony DA777es known as the notorious “audio-split” which is documented on this website and others. Suffice it to say it was like having the Sword of Damocles over my head, randomly requiring the resetting of all parameters (including radio stations), a real pain, and no satisfaction (or even admittance) from Sony, let alone a fix.

So to turn a bad situation into a fun one, I decided to console myself with a new system, preferably separate components. My investigation yielded that most affordable separates (an oxymoron, I found out) were really stereo equipment with extra channels added on as an afterthought, with insufficient digital inputs and home theater flexibility options. One of the exceptions to this was the REF30 and matching amp from B&K. The problem was, besides the additional thousand bucks, I didn’t like spending so much for such a small box while relegating the cool, macho amplifiers to the bottom of the cabinet or elsewhere. So it would have to be a “high end” receiver for me. Why I initially was drawn to the B&K I will address later. For now, I will describe my experience with this unit.

SOUND. It’s easier, in my opinion, to produce the appearance of good sound from movies than from pure 2 channel music maybe because of the psycho-acoustic enhancements introduced by the multi-dimensional discrete surround sound alone. Therefore, I’ll concentrate on music. And with the AVR-307, my best two words would be ‘effortless’ and ‘palpable’. The quality is in-your-face clarity but with no stridency heard even during difficult (cymbals crashing, female voicing, etc.) passages and no peaking in the treble region. I can just keep turning up the level and the source just gets louder with no other noticeable changes. I use the AVR-307s internal DAC since my old CD player has a mass-market chip, which always sounded harsh. Fortunately, it has a digital output. What really amazed me is that the Analog Direct mode, which uses the CDs internal decoder, sounded significantly better as well. I can’t explain this except that perhaps the dynamic range and overall quality of the receiver may be compensating.

FEATURES. Much of which were covered very well in previous reviews here. It is not an after-purchase rationalization when I tell you that the absence of all the artificial surround modes is not even slightly missed. The Sony had them galore but I had always reverted back to straight-through decoding. Why would anyone want to sit in the back row when he can sit in the 2nd row orchestra center? If you like two channel stereo but through more speakers, you have this option which, incidentally, the Sony did not. Another interesting observation is the sharp accuracy of the pro-logic decoding in this unit. If sound is directed to the center channel, as in a news broadcast, it will not be present on the side front speakers. Period. Yet if there is more than one microphone, such as on the Tonight Show, the surround effect is clear and strongly evident. All this and seven complete amplifiers and 6/5 digital inputs. What more can you want?

APPEARANCE. This is all personal taste but I cannot emphasize enough how important this was to me. My immediate choices were the Denon 5800, the Yamaha RX-V1 and the B&K AVR-307. At the risk of offending my friends, I typically reject a Denon unit without audition since it represents the over-knobbed black box that I find just plain butt-ugly. Despite hiding many of its controls behind a hinged door this time, the over-bloated 5800 looks like the ‘before’ in a Gas-X commercial. The extruded look of the Yamaha was more pleasing to me but it had a WAF of zero so it didn’t even get turned on. She hated it. Marantz has a finished look, but offered too little for too much. Then there was the B&K. Understated elegance, just as their ad suggested. Some reviewers in magazines called the AVR-307’s appearance unremarkable or even industrial. Others thought of it as I do now. STUNNING. Beauty is really in the eyes, blah blah, and if DTS-ES decoding is important to you, go with the Denon. I’m confident it sounds great.

FAULTS. CD decoding. The DAC seems to me more sensitive to imperfections on the disc. A clicking is heard on an occasional CD. This can usually be remedied by cleaning the offending disc but if there is a scratch, it will remain. You can bypass the decoder with the Analog mode, however and the clicking disappears. This might be a non-issue to most but I like to leave my stereo on when I’m out as a sort of backup alarm. If there is a power interruption, the unit reverts to the ‘sleep’ mode and doesn’t turn back on. Even my Sony, with all of its digital circuitry, came back to its previous ‘on’ setting.

That’s it. If you obtain one, enjoy it! I can be reached at andy8400@aol.com. Thanks.

Similar Products Used:

Sony STR-DA777es

Upgradable, Value, Incredible sound.

Binding posts.

Thank you AudioReview for finally putting the new B&K products on the site. When I was at CES2001, I saw a guy with AudioReview logo on his shirt at Alexis Park Hotel and asked him why they were not updating the new products. He was unaware of this (they review multiple industries and have several sites) and I specifically mentioned B&K (one of the hottest products) and no way to review it etc. Who knows, maybe it helped. Hopefully they will be on top of this as it is a great site. They just added the 305/307 so this is why there are so little reviews.
As a B&K dealer who sells a fair share of their components, I wanted to let people know how the quality control is (considering the issues with the 202, it's predecessor), what the comparison is to other receivers, does it make sense to go separates, upgrade path of the 202, Will it be good enough for two channel, and what speakers it works well with.
INTRO:
I am a big B&K fan. I will also take some shoots in the thread below when it is needed.
For starters, the AVR305 and the AVR307 is a REF30 with built in amplification and absolutely no pre-pro differences. So how is it that the REF30 costs $2800 list and the 305 costs $3000 less street price?? Simple, the consumer views the value of a top notch 5 channel receiver at around $3K and a 7 channel Receiver at about $3.5K. If you were to examine B&K's profit margin, I would highly suspect the 305 is the least profitable, followed by the 307 and then the REF30. Saying this and considering the "price per pound" other pramp-processors like the Krell, Theta, Proceed Lex, Meridian and others, the REF30 is a hell of a deal! So how do they do it?? It boils down to Economy of Scale. A smart little component engineer over at B&K… The preamplification/tuner section is a PT3 that is used for their dedicated preamp/tuner. The transformer for instance was procured a couple of years back for the REF and AVR amplification and was over designed so they have one part number because when they spec'ed it in, they know they would be launching a 7 channel 7270 (just announced). Notice that the REF20 box is the same size as the REF30 and PT3. It is all about reducing part count and reducing NRE (Non Recurring Engineer costs). I had dinner w/ Brad Paulsen (B&K National Sales Manager) early 2000 and he mentioned grew from $4M to $24M in a few years which now means they have buying power on the components. To put in perspective, I am guessing EAD to be about $3-4M and Parasound to be $6-9M. Point is do not assume you are giving up anything strictly because the REF30 is 1/3 the price of a Krell prepro or under on third of a Class'e SSP75. You would be making a mistake if you did.
QUALITY CONTROL:
IF you read the 202 and REF20 reviews, you will see quality issues early on in it's design. Briefly stated, they learned their lesson about releasing early (it took 4 months post production to resolve the engineering issues the previous generation back in late 98). I have sold about 15 REF30's and 10 REF305/REF307's and have two bad units (loose card and was fixed here in MN) and the other had an analog left channel problem. Not to shabby. Another issue was fixed with the software (REV2.04) by my customer relating to a Pioneer LD locking issue. I have seen threads (and heard it from customers) that they hear a hiss when no music is on and if they CRANK the volume without a source, they hear a clicking noise as they turn the volume knob. I am sure this will come up on new posts. Hear is why… Nearly all pre-pro vendors put a relay in series and open the circuit when no source is inputted. This makes it DEAD silent the second you have some volume, the digital "hiss" is present but the signal to noise ratio makes it inaudible. The ticking noise when cranked is the digital potentiometer going though resistor networks. Neither one of these are a problem. Don't put your ear to the speaker and don't crank the volume up (dangerously) and you won't notice this. This is a design philosophy that I agree with because the relay adds cost and more importantly it corrupts the signal path. I will take this trade off.
SOUND:
In order to give an accurate receiver review, we need to closely view a receiver in three categories. Processor, preamp, and amplification.
Processor Section:
Whether you have a Sony or B&K. I think a lot of the PROCESSOR (not preamp) sections are less important to the total sound. The Processor section is a feature related questions should be asked like does it have on screen display, is it user friendly, multi zone capable, AC3, DTS, EX, THX, 7.1, 24-96, PrologicII, base management, special features that count etc. People who compare a processor based on discussing DAC's "such and such vendor uses Crystal or Burr Brown" is meaningless. Well friends, price of the worlds best DAC is $15 or so. Power supply design, implementation of reducing signal path, all of the other components etc has more to do with the sound. (Oh yea, B&K uses the expensive DAC's, a total of 8, for those who want to know) while many others use the $5 version.
Denon and B&K lead the war in highend receivers. . Interesting enough, Denon is Analog Devices DSP Beta test site and B&K is Motorola's and have an advantage of quickness to market. B&K passes all tests other than DTS-ES and is soon to be released. I do not mean to minimize the impact on processors because many are already behind already (Proceed, Meridian (DVD Audio) etc. I am just saying, the PROCESSOR section does not affect the sound all that much. THE major difference is upgradeability. Do not be fooled with "upgradeable" Japanese products including Denon. These guys want to sell boxes. Yes, firmware upgrades are possible but rest assured if it not an external box, it won't be upgraded and who wants two boxes. Still in doubt, picture you sending in your 5800 and having them add in different board internally etc. Not going to happen…
If higher-end home theater vendors do not manufacture it themselves, upgrades will be very difficult. The VAST majority of vendors I have toured do not have the resources to do upgrades. One way to call it upgradeable is to make it expensive. Price out a progressive scan upgrade on a Theta DVD player (last year pricing) to a Progressive scan. Only $2k (gulp)!!! I can get two Sony 9000's for that without the "Jewelry" of the Theta box. The B&K is extremely reasonable priced upgrades as witnessed by the previous pricing. Upgradeability is even more important when using a receiver as good amplification is bolted to the prepro. Look at some $3K Marantz receivers going for $250 now. Still decent amplification in them but they are now worth nothing. Protect your investment, buy product that is TRUELY upgradeable and cost effective.
Specifically on the B&K, the OSD is simple, with feature rich software like flexible bass management, notch filters to take out standing waves (it works!), flexible multizone (try getting your Denon to work right, it is tuff), simple operation or "wife friendly" wih it's Plug-and-Play. The B&K DSP modes are good but will loose to the cool Lexicon modes that do work. Comparing the DSP modes on every other product, they are equal or better and I have demoed mostly all them all.
Pre-amplification Section:
Pre-amplification and the analog section is a major reason why people spend extra $$'s on a B&K, Lexicon, Parasound etc over Denon, Onyko etc. This is what will also impact the stereo sound the most as well. It boils down to the analog power supply design, ability to steer the signal, implementation of the short signal paths, quality components etc. Mass market and midfi vendors look at the price of a 10 cent capacitor and spec in a 3 cent version to save money. B&K and others do not. B&K also has an analog bypass for you stereo lovers who have a DVD or CD player with superior sound and are attempting to bypass base management and DSP's. I have done an comparison of two channel components at one sitting comparing the EAD, Theta, B&K, Lex MC-1, Denon 5800, Sherwood NewCastle, Parasound 2500u, and Proceed AVP. I was with a customer (who checked out the brands I did not carry) and we both concluded the EAD Ovation Plus the slight winner followed by a virtual tie between the Proceed, B&K coming in 2nd . Theta (with its long signal paths) came in a close third. (I can email you the reference equipment if you like.) Message being, it is in the upper tier of performers.
Amplification:
Another big reason that people pay bigger $$'s on the 305 or 307. All of the bigger $$ Japanese receiver vendors current limit the amplification for protection and prefer a 6 ohm load. Do a frequency sweep of your speakers and you will see many impedances drop below 4 ohms which will starve the dynamics of your speakers. FYI, make sure you do an A-B comparison with the B&K amplification "broken-in". It sounds tight, thin till 3 SOLID days of play. It will open up a lot. The write-up is getting long, email me techniques of break-in and why this is needed. It is not voodoo like wire brands etc. It is obvious.
The B&K amplification is a little warmer sound that will be an especially good fit on livelier speakers like NHT, Monitor Audio, DynAudio, PSB and others. When choosing speakers. The B&K receiver amplification has plenty of CURRENT (notice I did not say power) for most relatively efficient speakers. It will still sound very good if you deliver it a challenging loads like Proac or Dynaudio but you will hear a more obvious difference when you use a good quality separate amp. Careful to assume that say, ATI for instance will sound better than the built-in amps of the 305/307. I am talking about good quality sounding separate amp like Bryston, Class'e, REF7250 by B&K, SimAudio, EAD, and others. I have yet to hear a system that the 5800 sounded better on than the B&K and is mainly due to the amplification in my view. The 5800 is very good, just that the 305 has a cleaner sound with increased dynamics and airiness.
If you are a 70% 2 channel guy and 30% home theater. I have a trick for you. Buy a 305 and use a separate 2 channel amp for left and right. You can take it to your dealer (assuming you bought it their) and have them open the top, switch around the connectors to put the left and right to the rear channel. Now you have the receiver amplification on your 305 to the rears, sides and center. The operation is 10 minutes and if you are a technical geek like me, it is as easy as it gets. I can fax or email you how to do this and it does NOT void the warranty. I got to take a shot and the speaker binding posts.. They are "good" but I wish they would of spent another $15 on the set to complete the exceptional fit and finish. We would all pay for this.
SUMMARY:
The AVR305 and 307 is the best receiver on the market and uses the world class REF30 inside of it. At $3000/$3500 respectively (less street price), you cannot go wrong even diehard separate types (I know, I have the 305 with the 2 channel trick in my system).
The 305/307 gets darn close to separates at a reasonable price. With many less challenging speaker loads, you may find it hard to distinguish the difference between separates. Upgradeable in the true sense. You cannot go wrong! No, I am not a B&K employee, just a dealer who thinks great products should be noticed and a little tired of magazine reviews that refuse to do comparisons and pick favorites. Please feel free to call or email me if you have questions.
Steve (Owner) of Sound Video in MN
763-753-9349 email herra001@tc.umn.edu
Sound Video
Custom Home Theater & Audio
Authorized Dealer Featuring: Aerial, Acurus, Aragon, Bryston, B&K, Class'e, Cinepro, Denon, Dynaudio, EAD, Gershman Acoustics, Gallo, Harmonic Tech, Kimber Kable, Lexicon, Marantz, Meridian (within 1 month), Monitor Audio, M&K, NHT, Parasound, Pioneer, Plinius, PMC, Runco, Speaker Craft, Sherwood NewCastle, Sim Audio, Stewart
Filmscreen, Toshiba & Velodyne
I also carry everything from inwall speakers, distribution audio, etc.

Similar Products Used:

Denon, Onkyo, Marantz

Sound quality, sound management, customer support,build quality, warranty, upgradability, remote control

none

This is the best sounding, most flexible receiver out there.I liked my Denon AVR-5700 and thaught no better sound existed, but then it developed a problem and the parts needed to repair it were not available in the U.S., so I got a refund and switched to the Yamaha RX-V1. I was very disappointed in the lack of depth of its sound, so after a few weeks, I decided to try the B&K AVR307. It simply blew the others away. I was treated to a sound stage that sounded as close to a live performance as I've heard.The highs were dynamic, the mids were crystal clear, and the lows were accurate and tight.

This receiver also has the most flexible setup capability on the market, giving you total control of every aspect of its performance, from crossovers, to speaker size adjustments, to room size adjustments. You are able to fine tune everything to bring the best out of your equipment and room accustics. Even the Denon AVR-5800 and the Yamaha RX-V1 don't come close in this respect.

Finally, tech support is great. I have never had a question which could not be addressed the same day I asked it. One involved a bass management problem which B&K said was software related. They said that a solution was in the works and would be made available under warranty in early January of 2001. I called back on January 5 and found out that the upgrade with the solution, firmware version 2.05, had been released and was being shipped to my dealer. You can't get response like this from Denon or Yamaha.

My system includes two B&W Nautilus 805s, a Nautilus HTM2, two Nautilus SCM1s, two B&W Sig7s, and a Velodyne HGS12 sub.
My primary sound sources are a denon DVD3000, and a Sony DSS receiver with DD capability.

Similar Products Used:

Denon AVR-5700, Yamaha RX-V1

Excellent DTS,Dolby Digital and THX EX. 2 ch Stereo.

Remote control is just plain.

The 307 is the best receiver I have come across in many years, I have been doing the receiver upgrade routine every time there seems to be a new feature or format that I want or need (Dolby Digital, then DTS, then THX EX, etc.). I have owned the Pioneer 909, the Onkyo 919, the Sony TA-E9000ES surround decoder and N9000ES amp and the Denon 5800 (more on this later). I can say without a doubt that the B&K 307 is by far the best sounding receiver or pre-amp and amp (Sony) I have owned. I liked my other units, but the support from Sony and Onkyo are horrible, try to get a hold of tech support or a real live person at these company’s is next to impossible.

I had purchased a Denon AVR 5800 and had the receiver at home for about 2 weeks, the 5800 was very clean sounding in surround mode, but seemed to lack depth in 2 ch. Stereo mode. I then went to the local stereo shop and wanted to listen to the 5800 on their speakers, this is when I had a real chance to compare 3 units side by side. The Yamaha RXV1, The Denon 5800, and The B&K AVR307. The Yamaha did not even come close to the Denon or the B&K, way to thin sounding and I wanted a THX EX certified unit. The B&K and the Denon Both sounded excellent on DTS and Dolby Digital material. BUT when I listened to the Denon and the B&K in 2 ch. Direct stereo, this is where the B&K really opened up. The B&K brought back the depth of the instruments and the low end punch that was absent from the Denon, the difference was not only noticed by me but the other people in the room all agreed that the B&K was far more open sounding, and I tried many different CD’s. I was so impressed by the B&K that I rushed home and boxed up my 5800 and returned it.

The B&K 307 is truly upgradeable both in terms of software (RS232 port) and hardware, the AD converters and the processors are on are on separate plug in cards, which can be easily upgraded when technology warrants such upgrades. The receiver is built more like good separates then a receiver, like the Plitron transformer (known to be the best) and the 4 huge 33,000 microfarad capacitors (yes 4). The output transistors are Mosfets not bi-polar like all of the other receivers. Class A preamp stages and class A/B amp stages make this truly a first class receiver. The speaker terminals are the best oriented and laid out of any unit I have owned or seen, in fact everything on the back of the receiver is very well laid out.

The setup of all the parameters is strait forward with the on screen menu’s and there are more setup parameters such as room equalization, room notch filters and variable crossovers, I can’t think of any speaker or room parameter that was left out. There are 9 different speaker configurations for each mode plus your favorite speaker setting for each input can be set in the setup menu. The display is very nice and large enough to be read from across the room.

The receiver is both made and engineered in the USA. The reason I mention this is the fact that you can actually call B&K and talk to very knowledgeable tech support, be it a programming problem or a question on the operation of the receiver or just about any question pertaining to the receiver can be answered. I have spoken to them more then once and can say that no other receiver manufacture that I have dealt with can match this. I can truly say that this receiver is the best investment I have made in my home theater system in a long time.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo,Sony,Denon,Pioneer (see below)