Anyone want to help a Newbie out? - a/v receivers

[Rav]

Ok I am going to do my best to describe what I would like to do, but being new to all this I am sure I will leave something out. I have decided it is time to start building a home theater system piece by piece and have spent the past couple weeks trying to thoroughly understand what is out there as far as a/v receivers go (since they are the heart of everything).

I have come to the conclusion that there is so much out there I might as well solicit the opinions of people who know more about this than I do That being said, here is what I am looking for: I would like a receiver that I won't have to upgrade in a year or two because it is obsolete. I would eventually like to get to 7.1 but probably will not start out with it. I would like to have the up conversion to component if at all possible. Since I know nothing about this stuff the auto-configuration features will probably be necessary to get me started as well. I will most likely be hooking up my DVD player (sony), VCR (Magnavox), Tivo (hughes), and possibly a console gaming device to the receiver. I would like a receiver that does movies well but doesn't sacrifice MUSIC in the process!

After browsing through these forums and countless other sites I have recognized the following as possible canidates based on reviews and functionality:

Higher priced
--------------------
Pioneer VSX-1014TX-K
Yamaha V2400
Denon 2805

Lower priced
--------------------
Pioneer VSX-D914-K
Yamaha RX-V650

Probably a pipe dream (i'm a sucker for the ethernet capability)
--------------------
Onkyo TX-NR901


Can anyone please weigh in on the possibilites I have listed above and any others you all might think fit? As I have said, I have not owned a receiver in the past so I have no concept of what brands are better out there, nor do I have brand loyalty at this point.

Thanks in advance for wading through this long post!

--Rav

[shokhead]

Denon 2805 /3805

[jaguars_fan]

http://audioholics.audioreview.com/a...S_2718crx.aspx

Consumers rating A/V receivers and a bunch more. You can sort by rating, price, manufacturer, etc.

[Eric Z]

I have the Yamaha 5760- pretty much the same as the 650. I wanted something that could last longer than a couple years and still power my 5.1 system well. You can probably get it easily under $400 as well.

A couple tips-
*spend as much time you need to buy everything
*don't jump the gun and settle for something
*hindsight can be a killer- "only if i would have..."
*only get what you think you really need- techology is always improving- you'll always find something bigger and better.

Good luck and have fun with it!

[Woochifer]

Out of the ones on that list, I would try and track down a Yamaha RX-V2400 simply because it's been discontinued and you should be able to get one for around $500-$600, if you can even find one. Out of the mass market brands out there, Yamaha's probably been the most consistent over the years with its product quality, and as far as I know, they still do most of their manufacturing in-house rather than outsourcing the assembly.

With Yamaha though, be VERY careful about who you buy it from. They are very strict about enforcing their warranty policies, and will not honor it if you buy from an unauthorized dealer. In a nutshell, if the receiver has a RX-V or RX-Z model number, it is NOT authorized for mail order or online sales, PERIOD. HTR series receivers are sold thru Best Buy, Sears, and some authorized online vendors.

The auto calibration functions are handy if you've never owned a home theater receiver before and just want plug-and-play convenience. But, once you're up and running, you should still acquire a SPL meter and test DVD so you can do a more precise setup on your own.

[shokhead]

Out of the ones on that list, I would try and track down a Yamaha RX-V2400 simply because it's been discontinued and you should be able to get one for around $500-$600, if you can even find one. Out of the mass market brands out there, Yamaha's probably been the most consistent over the years with its product quality, and as far as I know, they still do most of their manufacturing in-house rather than outsourcing the assembly.

With Yamaha though, be VERY careful about who you buy it from. They are very strict about enforcing their warranty policies, and will not honor it if you buy from an unauthorized dealer. In a nutshell, if the receiver has a RX-V or RX-Z model number, it is NOT authorized for mail order or online sales, PERIOD. HTR series receivers are sold thru Best Buy, Sears, and some authorized online vendors.

The auto calibration functions are handy if you've never owned a home theater receiver before and just want plug-and-play convenience. But, once you're up and running, you should still acquire a SPL meter and test DVD so you can do a more precise setup on your own.

I always thought Yamaha and Sony lacked inputs and outputs except on there top models.

[Woochifer]

I always thought Yamaha and Sony lacked inputs and outputs except on there top models.

Need to recheck your info. No receiver I'm aware of from anybody lacks inputs and outputs. You'd have nothing more than a tuner if that was the case.

[drseid]

It is hard for *any* receiver (save for a handful that cost in the $4000+ range) to not sacrifice music in favor of HT... That said, many receivers can play music to levels that will satisfy most people.

I think you are on the right track with your choices... The Denon 2805 (and I personally would recommend the 3805 as someone else has already said) would seem to be the closest to what you are looking for...

Another possibility on sonics and ergonomics alone is the Marantz SR-7400 at a street price of about $800.

It has pretty much everything you are looking for except the auto sound calibration. The problem with this unit is it has a habit of breaking on you. I know, because it happened to me after only 5 months (it is still under warranty though). So if you are a bit of a risk taker on the possibility of breakage, than Marantz may just be what you are looking for... as it is extremely easy to use, has one of the best remotes on the market and offers plenty of clean power and all the latest processing options (uncluding component upconversion and circle surround II).

Good luck,

---Dave

[Rav]

Thanks for all the info guys .. a couple of follow up questions ...

With Yamaha though, be VERY careful about who you buy it from. They are very strict about enforcing their warranty policies, and will not honor it if you buy from an unauthorized dealer. In a nutshell, if the receiver has a RX-V or RX-Z model number, it is NOT authorized for mail order or online sales, PERIOD. HTR series receivers are sold thru Best Buy, Sears, and some authorized online vendors.

I was not aware of this .. thanks for the heads up! That being said, is there a HTR series receiver that is comparable to the V2400? I was not aware that the 2400 had been discontinued, and I was almost leaning toward that model. However I was going to go through an online retailer and I am now not sure if thats the best way since it would void the warrenty.

I think you are on the right track with your choices... The Denon 2805 (and I personally would recommend the 3805 as someone else has already said) would seem to be the closest to what you are looking for...

What are the biggest differences between the 2805 and the 3805? Some of the reviews I read said that the 3805 wasn't worth the extra money, but I'm having a hard time seeing what the main differences are. Thanks for the tip on the Marantz .. I'll look into the model you suggested.

[drseid]

I think the main difference between the 2805 and 3805 is the 3805 uses Burr-Brown DACs (and the 2805 does not). The other differences are minor (120 watts per channel Vs. 100...).

---Dave

[Woochifer]

I was not aware of this .. thanks for the heads up! That being said, is there a HTR series receiver that is comparable to the V2400? I was not aware that the 2400 had been discontinued, and I was almost leaning toward that model. However I was going to go through an online retailer and I am now not sure if thats the best way since it would void the warrenty.

It's definitely not worth getting the RX-V2400 thru an online vendor since it's a discontinued model and most authorized dealers will likely bargain the price down especially since that model has been discontinued since October. There is no HTR equivalent model for all models from the 1400 and 2400 on up. Seems like you were limiting yourself to receivers that you can buy online. That would be a mistake since other manufacturers like Denon and Onkyo have similar warranty policies, and depending on how reasonable the price is, you can still deal down at a local retailer.

What are the biggest differences between the 2805 and the 3805? Some of the reviews I read said that the 3805 wasn't worth the extra money, but I'm having a hard time seeing what the main differences are.

More power, better DACs, more advanced auto calibration, more powerful processors. Whether or not all this makes a difference in sound quality is your assessment.

[Rav]

Thanks for the info guys. I guess I was just trying to save some money by going online since it seems their prices are usually a lot better than retail stores. Guess that is out of the question now since most of these main manufacturers void their warrenties. Does anyone have an opinion on the Pioneer VSX-1014TX-K? I have read some good things about it and if the 2400 is discontinued (and I can't find one) this might be another option for me. I don't know that I can afford the Denon 3805 after researching it.

[mattldm]

My two choices would be a Denon or Marantz. I dont know how much you would like to spend, but these two companies offer a lot of choices.
Denon 2805 or Marantz 7500 (Less than $1000)
or the Denon 3805, Marantz 8500 (more than $1000)

[shokhead]

Thanks for the info guys. I guess I was just trying to save some money by going online since it seems their prices are usually a lot better than retail stores. Guess that is out of the question now since most of these main manufacturers void their warrenties. Does anyone have an opinion on the Pioneer VSX-1014TX-K? I have read some good things about it and if the 2400 is discontinued (and I can't find one) this might be another option for me. I don't know that I can afford the Denon 3805 after researching it.

www.dakmart.com

[Rav]

Thanks for the link Shok -

one more question ... if the Yamaha V2400 was discontinued .. did they replace it with a certain model number? ie - is the V2500 or V1500 comparable? Thanks again for all the input!

[SAPSEC]

Pionner Ellite TX-59I
Yamaha RXV-2500 or RX-Z9

These babies will be good for next 5 years !

[umapet97]

If you can do it,I suggest the 3805.May seem like a lot of money right now but this receiver isnt going to be outdated for a while.
I use mine for all the gaming(prologic2 games sound great),has all the video conversion jacks you could ask for,4-5 optical,and if you are really into the music has a "pure-direct" on it that shuts off all the useless lights,etc for better signal.
Has every conceivable sound format you could ask for(minus THX).
Best part there is an optional microphone that calibrates(does a decent job) the speakers through room acoustic measures.
Save the money an extra coupla weeks and check this out,you wont be disappointed.

[kexodusc]

There is no HTR equivalent model for all models from the 1400 and 2400 on up. Seems like you were limiting yourself to receivers that you can buy online.

Wooch, this isn't totally correct, the HTR-5790 is as close to a match to the 1400 as you can get, much like the HTR-5590 was the same as the 1300 without pre-outs. The 5790 has pre-outs though. Different chassis but otherwise the same features. I seem to recall the controls are tiny bit different but the functionality is the same. The 2400 stands alone to my knowledge.

[bargainseeker]

Thanks for the info guys. I guess I was just trying to save some money by going online since it seems their prices are usually a lot better than retail stores. Guess that is out of the question now since most of these main manufacturers void their warrenties.

The fact that some online retailers are unauthorized is not a reason to avoid all online retailers when buying a receiver. However, it is a reason to make sure that the online dealer you are buying from is on the manufacturer's authorized dealer list so that you are covered by the manufacturer's warranty. Even if you limit yourself to authorized online dealers (as you should), you can almost always get a better deal online than you can from local retailers.

Here are the authorized online dealer lists for some popular receiver brands:

Denon Authorized Online E-Tailers (click on link or scroll down)

Onkyo Authorized Internet Dealers

Pioneer Authorized Internet Dealers

Yamaha Authorized Internet Retailers (at the bottom of the page)

[Rav]

Wooch, this isn't totally correct, the HTR-5790 is as close to a match to the 1400 as you can get, much like the HTR-5590 was the same as the 1300 without pre-outs. The 5790 has pre-outs though. Different chassis but otherwise the same features. I seem to recall the controls are tiny bit different but the functionality is the same. The 2400 stands alone to my knowledge.

Thanks for the info Kex! Do you know what model replaced the 2400? Was it the 2500?

The fact that some online retailers are unauthorized is not a reason to avoid all online retailers when buying a receiver. However, it is a reason to make sure that the online dealer you are buying from is on the manufacturer's authorized dealer list so that you are covered by the manufacturer's warranty. Even if you limit yourself to authorized online dealers (as you should), you can almost always get a better deal online than you can from local retailers.

Here are the authorized online dealer lists for some popular receiver brands:

Denon Authorized Online E-Tailers (click on link or scroll down)

Onkyo Authorized Internet Dealers

Pioneer Authorized Internet Dealers

Yamaha Authorized Internet Retailers (at the bottom of the page)

Thanks for the info Bargain .. once I found out that there were only a select authorized online dealers I started to check them out, but it seemed that their prices were still at the MSRP for most of the receivers. Maybe I am looking at it wrong ...

[kexodusc]

The 2500 is the replacement to the 2400...The 1400/5790 or 1500 should be enough receiver for your needs.
Keep searching, J&R among others are authorized to sell the HTR line via the internet and generally offer good pricing.
Personally, I feel the HTR-5760 and RX-V650/750 are the best values out there today, and probably more than enough for what you are looking to accomplish.
Tons of good a/v receivers out there though...good luck.

[f0rge]

if you're looking for something that will last many years, find one with 5-6 component video inputs, i learned the hard way that 2 isnt enough, mind you my yamaha is 2 years old now.

[bargainseeker]

Thanks for the info Bargain .. once I found out that there were only a select authorized online dealers I started to check them out, but it seemed that their prices were still at the MSRP for most of the receivers. Maybe I am looking at it wrong ...

In many cases online dealers are not allowed to advertise a price that's lower than MSRP. Some do in fact sell receivers at MSRP. Others sell them for less but have various ways to let you know that a better price exists. Look for an option that says "add to cart to see price" or "shopping cart special" or "email me the best price" to see the actual price of the receiver. You can also contact them by email or call them by phone to get the actual selling price.

[Woochifer]

Wooch, this isn't totally correct, the HTR-5790 is as close to a match to the 1400 as you can get, much like the HTR-5590 was the same as the 1300 without pre-outs. The 5790 has pre-outs though. Different chassis but otherwise the same features. I seem to recall the controls are tiny bit different but the functionality is the same. The 2400 stands alone to my knowledge.

You're right, forgot about that! The 5790 is the first HTR model I've seen that looks way different from the equivalent RX-V model.

[Woochifer]

Even if you limit yourself to authorized online dealers (as you should), you can almost always get a better deal online than you can from local retailers.

"Almost always"? Not true.

Most of the time from what I've seen, authorized online e-tailers will quote the list price, or the prevailing price that you see in retail stores. If anything, because you're dealing with a live person at a retail store, you have more leverage to negotiate down the price there. And if a website is indeed an authorized vendor, most retail stores will match the price anyway. Also, retail stores have in-store sales, financing deals, and coupon specials that I haven't seen as often thru authorized web vendors. I bought my receiver thru a local store during their semi-annual sale, and the price I got was lower than any price I found on the internet, including unauthorized vendors. I've seen similar bargains on closeouts and special purchase items. And you're getting all this with a full warranty and instant gratification.

If the website prices are significantly below what the retail stores are charging, then the odds are very good that you're looking at an unauthorized vendor.