AV Receivers

[Mayer]

So Visions is refunding my Onkyo TRX606 receiver because they can't get Onkyo to fix it. I'm trying to figure out what I should replace it with.

I have a PVR, Xbox 360 and a Blu Ray player all hooked up via HDMI.

Anyone have any favorites? I've heard lots of people say Harman Kardon is the way to go as far as sound quality goes, but I have never heard one myself.

I'm not too picky. I want something that is of good quality and reliable. Price isn't a huge deal, but around the $600-$700 would be preferable.

Thanks.

[OBCT]

Sorry to hear about your 606 being a lemon. Good thing Visions is standing behind their product (even if Onkyo isn't).

Harman Kardons are known for good sound quality, yes. Marantz is very highly regarded for their AVRs' audio and build qualities. Denon is another brand that some people really like the sound of (though some do not; they seem to be a bit polarizing). Pioneer Elite, Yamaha and Sony also make decent-to-good units with a varying consensus on audio quality. I also like Onkyo AVRs, but can understand you looking elsewhere due to a bad experience.

In comparing the "top 3"... Denon usually offers the most "bells and whistles" for the price. Marantz is probably second, with Harman Kardon in a not-too-distant third.

One of Onkyo's big draws is the number of features crammed into a unit for a fair price. Denon units are built in a similar mold in that sense. Some people value those extra features more than others. There is also a group who claims Onkyo / Denon machines are more prone to problems due to "over-engineering"... not sure if this is true, but it's worth keeping in mind.

If you can find a new Marantz under $1000 with 3 HDMI outs and everything else you need, then that would be a good bet. Otherwise, H-K makes solid, reputable AVRs which are likely a bit simpler than some other brands. Depending on the specific model you choose, any of the other brands I listed are capable of producing a competent AVR, too.

Unfortunately, I have not been closely following this sector of the market for a little while now, so it would be unfair to try to get any more specific than that. Perhaps someone else has had a positive receiver buying experience that could help further narrow your search.

[3 Justin 3]

I am loving my Pioneer 1018 which was $500 on sale. It is the one just below (I believe) the Elite series, which is supposed to be fantastic. Mine is good enough for me, but the Elite's would pump the sound out.

[NiklasSundblad]

Do you use the video functions of your AVR? If so, look into Denon, especially the AVR-1910 and above, which have the Anchor Bay upscaling chip, one of the best video scalers available on the consumer market. (The same one is in the top end Oppo Blu-ray player.) This will route everything to HDMI and upscale with pretty incredible results to 1080p (like your cable, for example.) Denon is hard to beat for sound quality,at most prince points and a little more full featured than Marantz, which is owned by the same umbrella company, and also excellent.

Soundsaround sells Denon, but most people would rather stab themselves then shop there, so try a local store, General Audio.

[DownhillGoat]

I like the Denon's. Lots of features, inc. HDMI upgrading which is huge for me.
Can't remember which model I've got. I'll check when I'm back at the house.

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

I am loving my Pioneer 1018 which was $500 on sale. It is the one just below (I believe) the Elite series, which is supposed to be fantastic. Mine is good enough for me, but the Elite's would pump the sound out.

Yup, I love my Pioneer Elite receiver! It does kick ass. It's a VSX-91something, it goes great with my 50" Pioneer Elite plasma.

IMHO you can't go wrong with pioneer receivers whether they are Elite or not.

[Burninator]

I've read some good things about the Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K. It seems like a good receiver with lots of features and a good GUI for the price.


AV Receiver Battlemodo: $600 or Bust

You want a serious home theater. One that will rattle the windows, and ensure movie night is always at your house. But you don't want to spend more than $600 on the thing that ties it together. Cuz you're smart.

Spending $500 to $600 will get you a receiver that will use a microphone to listen to itself, configuring and equalizing up to seven speakers and a subwoofer. It will switch between at least four HDMI sources and a lot more analog devices, and send everything off to the TV upconverted to HD resolution through a single HDMI cable. The feature sets of competing models are so similar that it can be tough to tell them apart, so I called in the four best in this price range—from Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer and Yamaha—to help you make your decision. As it turns out, the decision was easy.

Gizmodo

Pioneer Canada Product Link

Home Theater Magazine recommends it in their entry level A/V Receiver picks.

Best Buy sells them for $649.99.

[Burninator]

/\ Continuing with my last post...Pioneer has just announced their new receivers coming in May (well in the US at least, not sure aboot us). They have virtually the same receiver I posted above but it has the HDMI 1.4 for 3D for only an extra $50. Also if you have an iPhone you can use it to setup the receiver. Looks nifty.

http://gizmodo.com/5485322/pioneers-...=Google+Reader

[Pastiche]

I am in the market for an AV receiver. This thread is useful. I like buying my things over the web. Is there a discount website that sells receivers?

[DownhillGoat]

Crutchfield canada is good. Not a discount site per se, but they often have good sales.

[fundmark19]

So I just got a projector and need a receiver but am going to wait for the 3d to come out so I don't spend 600 bucks on something I can't use in the future. Longest 3 months of my life!