Sound Advice: Receiver's price not always linked to quality

Q: I have a Rotel RSX-1067 receiver powering a surround system of five speakers and a subwoofer. The speakers are small home theater speakers made by Bowers & Wilkins. The receiver, which dates to 2007, is quite capable in terms of power and sound quality, but limited in terms of streaming and Bluetooth.

I picked up a Denon AVR-S760H to update my system. I plan on using the Rotel to run my music-only stereo system with turntable, cassette deck and CD player. I would not run the Rotel in this system as a surround system, only stereo.

Would the Denon AVR-S760H be compatible with the B&Ws? Is the Rotel a good choice to use with my older stereo music system?

A: You have made good decisions, but it looks like you would like some validation and explanation about your choices. I can help with that, and I also have a website that might be helpful to anyone looking for a good deal on high-quality audio equipment.

I think Denon is the way to go if you are shopping for a home theater receiver. Regular readers know I am skeptical of high-priced, high-end audio gear from esoteric brands, and home theater receivers are a prime illustration of this. I upgraded my home theater recently and put in a lot of research. I was replacing an audio/video processor that I had owned for about 16 years. I had two options to update to a 4K-compatible system with streaming and HDMI enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC.) The first was to get a processor like the one I was using. The second was to get a receiver and use it as a processor, connecting the preamp outputs to my external amplifiers.

What I found was that in terms of signal processing, Denon receivers often outperformed esoteric brands selling for many times the price. The more expensive receivers might have had a more powerful amplifier (often they did not), but when it came to high-quality signal processing, Denon was best. The Denon 1800 and 2800 models that I considered sold for several thousand dollars less than the competing high-end processors.

The advantage your Rotel has over the Denon is amplifier power. Modern receivers do much more than receivers of earlier years, but amplifier power is one area where they have gone downhill. That's why I use external amplifiers with the power-hungry speakers in my home theater. The AVR-S760H will have enough power for your speakers, and the Rotel should shine in its new application. Use the Rotel's digital connections with your CD player and other digital components to get the best sound.