Anyone ever hear of Electronics Expo?

[Eric Z]

I found some decent prices on Electronics-expo.com and was wondering if anyone has any experiences shopping with them.

I was looking to get another Yamaha 5760 and they have it for $317. Then I looked at the 5860 and they have it for $314. They also claim to be an authorized dealer.

If not, which online sites have you shopped which you were pleased?

Thanks in advance.
Eric

[weazal]

Eric, I'm in the same boat as you are. I'm close to purchasing a Yamaha HTR-5760, but am stuggling to find a reputable place online. It seems all the online vendors recommended at this forum no longer carry this model and there's no local store that carries it either.

Is there perhaps a newer model which is comparable to the 5760 that just has a different number or name but can be found easier?

I'm additionally eager for a response. Thanks.

[markw]

So, they do exist. They seem to be trying to be a more "elite" version of the big box stores but overall, I'm not too impressed with their selection.

We have a chain here called "6th Avenue Exectronice" which, from all appearances, seem to be their business model but, IMNSHO, Expo doesn't come close. I highly respect 6th ave for their brand selection. doiisplay facilities and their sales staff. 6th ave lacks in all counts.

But, if they are truly authorized dealers for what you want and the price is good, go for it. I would.

[Eric Z]

weazal- the newer version of the yamaha htr5760 is the 5860 (5760 is last years model). fyi, the msrp is $499, but you should definitely be able to find it for around $400 or less. when i got my first 5760, it was an open box at my local store and i got it for $325- perfect condition. i would be very happy to get it for around the same price. the part that frustrates me is fry's (one store in chicago area; more stores out west i think) had it for $299 when the 5860s were coming out- missed the boat.

markw- thanks for the info. if ele expo is authorized, i bet my local retailer will match the price, or at least come pretty close. i'll check out 6th ave. however, i still like the freedom of walking into a store to return something. how do you really know if a store is authorized? take their word for it from their website- maybe yamaha can tell me.

thanks again!
eric

[weazal]

I ended up getting my receiver through Electronics-Expo, despite some sketchy customer reviews of the place...here's my experience with the store and subsequent receiver.

Electronics-Expo had the HTR-5760 listed as in stock for $357.76 (including taxes & s/h). Since the 5760 had much more written about it across the web, I didn't think to look for the HTR-5860. I placed the order and next day got a personal e-mail saying:

"Dear Valued customer,
The Yamaha HTR 5760 you ordered got recently discontinued & was re-released as a Yamaha HTR 5860 Series.
Since we took too many orders for the stock we had, we will offer the Yamaha HTR 5860 to you for the same price The new model is XM satellite ready, the old one was not."

In that time I learned you could get the 5860 online for the same price as the 5760, so I scoured the net for the best price and Electronics-Expo came at the top again. Except that the 5860 was listed cheaper than their 5760 ($340.41 including taxes & s/h). Yet, the customer service guy asked me to buy it for the 5760's price...not real cool.

I bought the 5860 from them anyway, got a FedEx ETA two days after placing the order and the receiver arrived perfect, exactly when quoted (9 days, ground).
It ended well, so I'm happy - just don't pay attention to their "IN STOCK" messages...

On another note, we had a hell of time trying to setup the receiver. But, I think it was all primarily our fault for labeling and attaching the speaker wire wrong. But we got it up soon enough, YPAOed, and it runs oh, so sweet. Movies are amazing, but music is noticeably lacking - which, is our speaker's fault. The navigation of the receiver's menus and remote are not nearly as user intuitive as they should be and I was a bit disheartened by how much learning it'll take to figure out all the features/options.

Our family's HT setup got fried by lightening, so I'm slowly trying to assemble something decent from whatever got saved. Here's the components (I'm such a nerd, but any comments would be appreciated...especially regarding upgrades and equipment that mates well w/ what I've got)

Toshiba 32A43 32" TV
Panasonic PV-S9670 VCR
Denon DVD-1710 DVD/CD Player
Yamaha HTR-5860 Receiver
Yamaha GX-70 Main/Surround/Center Speakers (the receiver got fried)

I think my next step will be a set of Athena speakers: AS-C1 (center), P-400 (sub), and I'm unsure of mains/surrounds; AS-F1, F2, B1, or B2s...it'll probably be determined on how much I can squeeze out of my folks :P

Thanks everyone for your experiences and opinions...this site has been wonderfully helpful for those who don't have the ability to audition everything they get ;)

[Eric Z]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Weazal! It's sounds like it all worked out, but I can see how it seemed a little sketchy. I might be buying the 5860 from them sometime soon.

Regarding your set-up:
I like where you're starting with the Athena speakers. I think those are some of the most affordable, decent sounding speakers! I recommend listening to a handful of speakers in your price range so you can make an solid decision. If you're not too picky with sound, it should be an easier process for you.

Remember, you don't have to get all the speakers at the same time- I recommend at least getting the fronts and center at the same time because those should definitely match. Ideally, the surrounds should match, too, but it's not an absolute requirement like the fronts and center. If you're getting a sub, really no reason to look at the Athena floorstanding speakers- I have Mirage floor standing speakers and I like how they look compared to a bookshelf speaker and some stands. However, the nice thing about bookshelf speakers, is you can usually save some cash.

If you really want a decent subwoofer, then look at something other than Athena's subs. Just because a company makes decent speakers, doesn't mean their subs are good.

Whatever you decide, enjoy! Also, try not and rush into anything because in the long run, you will spend a boatload more money if you don't put a lot of thought into from the beginning.

Good luck!
Eric

[bsr2005]

Also look for energy speakers. I recently listened energy c-9 with yamaha rx-v2500. They sounded greate.