Do standalone receivers produce better sound than HTIB receivers?

[MrHT]

The reason I ask this question is because I'm ignorant on the subject. I would think that your DVD/BD player bitstreams the audio codec and any receiver would simply decode and emit the sound onto your speakers. All receivers decode the DIGITAL sound, so I'm not sure how one receiver can possibly have better sound than the other.

Can a standalone receiver have better sound than those HTIB receiver? If so, how?

Thanks!

[drummerboy_2002]

Originally Posted by MrHT

The reason I ask this question is because I'm ignorant on the subject. I would think that your DVD/BD player bitstreams the audio codec and any receiver would simply decode and emit the sound onto your speakers. All receivers decode the DIGITAL sound, so I'm not sure how one receiver can possibly have better sound than the other.

Can a standalone receiver have better sound than those HTIB receiver? If so, how?

Thanks!

Just about any receiver is going to have a fairly linear frequency responce. Much more so than speakers. The biggest factor is available power. HTiBs are typically paired so that the amp can handle the speakers. The problem is, the speakers in HTiB's aren't that great, and the pair often use proprietary connections so that they must be used together, or thrown away as a set. Stand alone receivers will generally offer higher power handling, more connectivity options, and an open upgrade path. So my answer is yes, they can sound better, because you aren't limited to what comes in the box.

[Almadacr]

Originally Posted by drummerboy_2002

Just about any receiver is going to have a fairly linear frequency responce. Much more so than speakers. The biggest factor is available power. HTiBs are typically paired so that the amp can handle the speakers. The problem is, the speakers in HTiB's aren't that great, and the pair often use proprietary connections so that they must be used together, or thrown away as a set. Stand alone receivers will generally offer higher power handling, more connectivity options, and an open upgrade path. So my answer is yes, they can sound better, because you aren't limited to what comes in the box.

To ad to this unless you buy a higher end HTIB like the Onkyo HT-S9400THX you are getting a better receiver , but this comes down to economics , is it a good value ??????

[guitarist155]

standalone receivers can, but will not always, have better: digital to analog converters, more robust signal pathways for the analog audio, better amplification circuitry ( such as more power, lower signal to noise ratio, better components, more robust power supplies) better internal digital time clocks for better digital jitter control.. more robust, higher current speaker and power connections.. also, more control of how the sound is decoded, equalizer and room correction settings and tuning, and better heat management, etc..

so yes, standalone receivers can have much better sound as digital signal algorithms are only one piece of the puzzle.

[frogmort]

Some of the higher end HTiB setups, like some Onkyos pretty much do come with a stand alone receiver.

A lot of people on here go one step further. They have a preamp with several seperate stand alone amplifiers.

Some people on here have more money in their home theater setups than I will probably make in my lifetime.

Check this guys setup out, his list of all his rack equipment is about half way down the page:

https://www.blu-ray.com/community/ga...&folderid=4272

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by frogmort

Check this guys setup out, his list of all his rack equipment is about half way down the page:

https://www.blu-ray.com/community/ga...&folderid=4272

That guy has such a nice looking home theater! It may look crazy, but I envy him.

[Pelican170]

Originally Posted by Almadacr

To ad to this unless you buy a higher end HTIB like the Onkyo HT-S9400THX you are getting a better receiver , but this comes down to economics , is it a good value ??????

Onkyo is not high end...

[HAMP]

Originally Posted by Pelican170

Onkyo is not high end...

He didn't say high end, he said higher end HTiB