Seeking Advice For A/V Rcvr $650-$800

[enderstao]

Within the next few months I will be adding components to my HT. I would like to start with the A/V Receiver and my budget is around $650 to $800. I am a disabled veteran with a spinal cord injury which prevents me from easily going to showrooms and listening to the differences. I would greatly appreciate any input or recommendations. 65%-70% of the time I listen to music (blues, jazz, alternative, etc.) with the remaining 30%-35% spent watching movies. My current speakers are Aegis Two and Fluance SX-HTB (5.1 Home Theater System), and I have a Sony 300 CD Changer (CDPCX355).

Ideally, I would like the Receiver to last 4+ years, software/flash upgrade capability would be nice. As far as brands, I am familiar with Sony and have had good experiences with Sony in the past (am considering Sony's STR-DA2000 or -DA3000), Denon, Yahamaha, Onkyo, Harmon Kardon, Nakamichi, etc.

Thank you in advance, if you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Clueless,
Paul

[Woochifer]

You got some decent options on your audition list, but I would be very cautious with Sony's Digital Drive receivers. They've had spotty reliability, and even though they measure well on the power output because of their digital amplification design, I've read some decidedly mixed reviews of their sound quality.

As far as upgradability, very few receivers have ever offered a simple firmware upgrade that consumers can load up themselves. Onkyo has offered firmware upgrades that you can download. Denon's upgrades have required that you bring the unit in and get a logic board swapped out. And even there, most of the ones I've seen that offer these kinds of upgrades cost $2,000+.

IMO, any receiver with basic 5.1 DD and DTS WILL last you 4+ years. That's because the vast majority of DVDs and multichannel audio discs use the basic 5.1 channel configuration. You might hear a lot about 6.1 or "7.1", but the soundtracks themselves are predominantly either 2.0 or 5.1. Even if the back surround channels aren't necessary in most cases, you'll still get that feature with just about all AV receivers made in the last couple of years.

As far as future sound formats go, the ones to watch out for are Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD, but those will not come into play until the new HD-DVD and Blu-ray players start coming out early next year. At that point, the importance of DD+ and DTS-HD will solely depend on whether or not you choose to upgrade to the new HD disc formats. Besides, right now there are no receivers that have decoders for those new formats on board, and you can be sure that the first receivers to support those formats will be the flagship models. It will probably be a while before you start seeing the feature pop up on midlevel receivers.

Pretty much, Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo, Marantz, NAD, or h/k will offer you similar sound quality in this price range. Performance differences between midlevel receivers I've heard are more subtle than obvious, so you should focus on other things like the remote and the user-friendliness of the unit. Before you finalize your choices, you should also check the reviews section on this site to see if any reliability issues have cropped up for a particular model. Sony and h/k have had the most serious reliability problems with specific models in the past.

[cam]

Within your $650-$800 budget, I'm assuming American dollars, Denon,Onkyo, and Yamaha all have their models that you would be happy with. Here in Canada, Denon seems to have a model with all the frills yet has a price that defies it's feature list. There is no bigger bang for the buck then the Denon 2105. There maybe a Yamahe or Onkyo that may edge out the Denon 2105 but for more money. For what the 2105 costs, about $700 Canadian, there is no better deal.

[hershon]

You can get a great used Denon 3801 receiver on Ebay that retailed for $1200 not including taxes between $350 -$450 including shipping (the ones closer to $450 are sold as Buy it Now items for which you don't have to bid). Just make sure if you bid, the condition is listed as excellent and that it comes with the manual and remote, & the seller has excellent feedback.

Anyone who uses the magic words, "well I know it turns on", "haven't used in a few years", "refurbished", etc- I'd say be afraid, be very afraid. But if things sound favorable go for it. That's how I got mine for $450.

If you want to by a brand new receiver, be my guest but too me, you're better off getting a great $1200 for $450 used than a mediocore $800 receiver new for $800 plus tax.

[SlumpBuster]

Anyone who uses the magic words, "well I know it turns on", "haven't used in a few years", "refurbished", etc- I'd say be afraid, be very afraid. But if things sound favorable go for it. That's how I got mine for $450.


Don't forget "I'm selling it for a friend." :D

I disagree with Hershon though. If you have mobility problems, a good mail order company (Crutchfield, JR music world, AudioAdvisor, Cambridge Soundworks) with good return policies and full warranty service may well be worth the price of full retail. Living with a disablity often means lots of planning to ensure certainty and piece of mind. Try lugging a 50lbs. Denon across town to a repair center that closes at 2:00 pm on Saturdays. No fun. Ebay can be anything but certain.

Good luck.

[hershon]

I'll be the first one to admit buying something used means in all likelyhood you don't have a warranty & I'd just do a cost analysis based on your personal preferences. For me the chances of paying $450 for a $1200 plus tax receiver in excellent condition from a seller with an excellent reputation and track record, that works, with a limited budget, and having the receiver going bad that in a few years I need it to be fixed, are slim & what's the actual fall out? That you either spend a couple of hundred dollars out of pocket to fix it, or ditch the receiver altogether for which you could still sell it broken on Ebay and get $150 at least? So if everything becomes a disaster you are out $100- $300 out of pocket after using it for more than a year but if everything goes right you've saved say $800 including tax on a good receiver. Also your warrantry probably would run out anyway in a year or 2. I still say you're better off getting a good receiver used if you have a limited budget but ultimately you have to do what's better for you.

[enderstao]

Wow, I was not sure what, if any, response my post would draw. Thank you all for taking the time, I really appreciate the advice especially the pros and cons of considering a used but of higher quality receiver, Denon 3801 specifically. I have some homework to do now, reviews and research.

Thank You,
Paul

[prash]

Hi,

You should really not be spending more than $300 for your reciever, given that your speakers cost about the same (rite ?)

You should look into the Pioneer VSX 815 which has a very nice blend of features and is in the price range.

-happy listening



Within the next few months I will be adding components to my HT. I would like to start with the A/V Receiver and my budget is around $650 to $800. I am a disabled veteran with a spinal cord injury which prevents me from easily going to showrooms and listening to the differences. I would greatly appreciate any input or recommendations. 65%-70% of the time I listen to music (blues, jazz, alternative, etc.) with the remaining 30%-35% spent watching movies. My current speakers are Aegis Two and Fluance SX-HTB (5.1 Home Theater System), and I have a Sony 300 CD Changer (CDPCX355).

Ideally, I would like the Receiver to last 4+ years, software/flash upgrade capability would be nice. As far as brands, I am familiar with Sony and have had good experiences with Sony in the past (am considering Sony's STR-DA2000 or -DA3000), Denon, Yahamaha, Onkyo, Harmon Kardon, Nakamichi, etc.

Thank you in advance, if you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Clueless,
Paul

[IRG]

Hi,

You should really not be spending more than $300 for your reciever, given that your speakers cost about the same (rite ?)

You should look into the Pioneer VSX 815 which has a very nice blend of features and is in the price range.

-happy listening

I don't agree with this logic at all, but that's me. Buy a good quality receiver, as you (the original poster) mentioned you will want to keep it at least 4-6 years. I had an Onkyo that I sold recently and it was extremely reliable the whole time (over 5 years). So from that experience I would recommend them.

In your price range NAD makes a very nice receiver that uses higher quality amps, but has less bells and whistles. Check out the T-743 and 753. The 743 is about $650, and I think the 753 is around $800-900. There is one dealer in Chicago that sells NAD mail order, I think it saturdayaudio.com Give them a call or email them for price quotes.

I like the NAD (what I bought) for its terrific sound quality, and also ease of use. Very simple to program and operate. It doesn't look flashy like a Pioneer or Kenwood, but that's what I like. It may also make you want to upgrade your speakers in the future. Go to nadelectronics.com for more info. The other two I would consider is Denon and maybe Yamaha. NAD's ratings for watts/channel are a lot more honest than the others. If you have a big room, you will want the 753, and it has some other features too. But the 743 might suffice for you. Good luck.

[prash]

The basic budget for an HT is 30:70

30 for electronics(reciever/amp...)
70 for speakers.

That said, there is a minimum set of features that the reciever needs to have, All electronics should qualify to be considered in the budget.

must haves, non-negotiable, standard on most recievers
DD /DTS/6.1/ DPL-2 decoding
ample power to drive speakers to fill u'r room to reference levels
enough inputs to connect all u'r audio/video sources

nice to haves (increasingly common on even low end recievers)
OSD (on screen display)
universal remote
Auto speaker level calibration
video switching

Given u'r speakers, even modest entry level recievers like Pioneer 815 / 914, onkyo 602, Denon 180x should prove more than competent and quite future proof. Quite a few people on this and other forums will vouch for the excellent quality of the recievers that i am refering to.

Even if u were to go for new speakers costing upto $1000 $1500 these recievers will do a great job.

happy listening.
-prashanth



I don't agree with this logic at all, but that's me. Buy a good quality receiver, as you (the original poster) mentioned you will want to keep it at least 4-6 years. I had an Onkyo that I sold recently and it was extremely reliable the whole time (over 5 years). So from that experience I would recommend them.

In your price range NAD makes a very nice receiver that uses higher quality amps, but has less bells and whistles. Check out the T-743 and 753. The 743 is about $650, and I think the 753 is around $800-900. There is one dealer in Chicago that sells NAD mail order, I think it saturdayaudio.com Give them a call or email them for price quotes.

I like the NAD (what I bought) for its terrific sound quality, and also ease of use. Very simple to program and operate. It doesn't look flashy like a Pioneer or Kenwood, but that's what I like. It may also make you want to upgrade your speakers in the future. Go to nadelectronics.com for more info. The other two I would consider is Denon and maybe Yamaha. NAD's ratings for watts/channel are a lot more honest than the others. If you have a big room, you will want the 753, and it has some other features too. But the 743 might suffice for you. Good luck.