Looking for a little help today. I recently upgraded my speakers to Klipsch 150's and couldn't be happier. I have a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon with acrylic platter and an Ortofon Red stylus. I decided to upgrade the receiver as well. I was using a 15 year Kenwood VR-507 receiver which actually had a PHONO input. I wasn't ready to spend over $750 on the receiver, my choices were between the new Onkyo TX-8160 and the Yamaha R-N602. My main concern was the phono quality. I do not use a cd player, the streaming options of both units appealed to me as well. I chose the Onkyo TX-8160.
On to my question - I'm a bit disappointed in the sound quality of the Onkyo TX-8160, specifically the phono input. The streaming quality is fantastic, but it actually makes the phono sound dull. I a/b'd a few LP's vs the stream from Spotify with the Spotify sounding better in all circumstances. I have a short time to return this purchase. Did I choose the wrong receiver? Any other suggestions? I have tried adding a sub and removing the sub, and fiddled with the Treble/Bass settings. I'm willing to spend the extra $200 on the Yamaha if the PHONO sound is better - I just need some experienced contributors here to point me in the right direction. I'm trying to build a nice sounding system for my home office which is approx 14x20.
On to my question - I'm a bit disappointed in the sound quality of the Onkyo TX-8160, specifically the phono input. The streaming quality is fantastic, but it actually makes the phono sound dull. I a/b'd a few LP's vs the stream from Spotify with the Spotify sounding better in all circumstances. I have a short time to return this purchase. Did I choose the wrong receiver? Any other suggestions? I have tried adding a sub and removing the sub, and fiddled with the Treble/Bass settings. I'm willing to spend the extra $200 on the Yamaha if the PHONO sound is better - I just need some experienced contributors here to point me in the right direction. I'm trying to build a nice sounding system for my home office which is approx 14x20.