Buying suggestions

Any tips on which companies to look at on the web for receivers and who to avoid?

Each manuf. should have a list of authorized online dealers,on there websites.

Yep... Just figure out which brands you are interested in and find the online dealers that way. If they are not authorized dealers then you will have warranty issues if there are any problems with the unit.

Audioadvisor.com is one good site. I believe they are authorized for Marantz and Yamaha. And their prices shown on the website are sometimes negotiable. Double check that they are authorized though before making any purchases.

I had good luck with www.ubid.com for several purchases, including a Yamaha RXV650 last year. They seem to be a major clearinghouse for excess inventory, I have seen lots of several hundreds of Marantz, Denon, Yamaha units at auction there.

Warranty can be an issue, however, the manufacturer has to stand behind his product by State law. No policy or disclaimer can change that. If the thing is a total lemon, you ought to be able to get satisfaction. It may not be the easiest route, however.

check out abtelectronics.com. it's a local place in the chicagoland area. they usually list msrp prices on their site, but they do haggle! just give them a call and go with it. i got an yamaha rxv657 for $325. i asked the salesperson the lowest price they would sell a new one for and he said just under $400. sometimes they ask if you saw a lower price elsewhere- if you have, tell them, but be sure it's from an authorized dealer. fyi, abt is an authorized dealer- it's a great place with fantastic customer service.

Do: Authorized retailers for both A and B stock. Check mnf. websites.

Don't: Anything not authorized. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. When it breaks, you'll have to jump through rings of fire to get satisfaction. How much aggravation to you really want?

Besides the ones mentioned, you might try spearitsound.com or bhphotovideo.com

Hope this helps.

that would really depend on what kind of sound you would like to hear...and also your purpose in buying the receiver. would it be for music or home theater? another factor would be your budget also.

If you want to buy New, check out Amazon.com, Ebay & put the model number in under Yahoo and they'll give you comparison shopping from places like Next.tag, epinions.com, pricegrabber.com, etc. Google also does the same on the right hand column but for shopping I prefer Yahoo.

If you want to get a good used bargain, use Ebay & check the sellers feedback & make sure the item is complete & is listed as very good or better condition. If the words "as is" are used, don't buy from the seller. As I've previously posted you can get a very good or excellent used $1200 receiver like the 3801 between $375-$450 on Ebay with remote & instruction book.

There are also sites that specialize in refurbished stuff. I won't touch that stuff but you can find them online through Google.