My Onkyo 605 has been in twice for repair (4-5 week turn around each time) and today, the dang thing just locked up again (won't respond to any commands, even after unplugging). Basically, I've had enough messing with this receiver and Onkyo's support has been horrendous. It's been so bad that I'm willing to just write it off and start over. So, naturally, for me, Onkyo is no longer a consideration. Here's what I'm looking for:
Price range: I'd like to keep it in the $350 - $400 range (including shipping).
my speakers: Polk Monitor 50 fronts, Polk CS2 center, Polk Monitor 30 surrounds and 6"/2-way ceiling speakers, with a Velodyne CHT-10 sub.
Sources: PlayStation 3 for BR/DVD and games, Dish Network ViP 622 satellite receiver, Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player. All connected by HDMI (I have an HDMI switch for the PS3 and HD-A2). Nintendo Wii connected by component.
Uses: 30% games, 30% movies, 30% TV, 10% music.
Important features: I'm not too worried about up-conversion, I have a 720p DLP, and the Wii is the only non-HD source, so all I want is a single-HDMI cable solution from my AVR to TV. On the other hand, I want an AVR that can take a 5.1 multi-channel PCM over HDMI and turn it into 7.1 through PLIIx or something similar (my Onkyo 605 can't do that, so my back speakers sit idle except for the rare 7.1 Blu Ray disk). I also want good auto-calibration (Audyssey, MCACC, YPAO, etc...). Finally, having been burned by Onkyo (bad pun, I know), I want a reliable AVR.
The contenders that I've found so far:
Pioneer VSX-1018AH - Feature-wise, looks great, and I had an older Pioneer AVR that gave me years of great service. But, I haven't been able to find it for under $400.
Denon AVR-888 - From what I've read, this seems to take care of all the important features I need, the price is great, and I've heard good things about Denon.
Yamaha RX-V663 - In hind site, I wish I had purchased the 661 instead of my 605 last winter, so the 663 is a contender this time through. But, will the 663 convert component into HDMI video?
Of the 3, the AVR-888 is my top choice at the moment, due mainly to the fact that it seems to meet all my needs and it is the least expensive. I've heard that it can be a pain to set up and the remote isn't very good, but I have a Harmony remote, and I've had to re-configure my Onkyo 605 so many times over the last few months I could probably pass as a home theater installer, so complex set ups don't bother me.
Do either the 663 or 1018 have any compelling features or benefits that I should consider? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
Price range: I'd like to keep it in the $350 - $400 range (including shipping).
my speakers: Polk Monitor 50 fronts, Polk CS2 center, Polk Monitor 30 surrounds and 6"/2-way ceiling speakers, with a Velodyne CHT-10 sub.
Sources: PlayStation 3 for BR/DVD and games, Dish Network ViP 622 satellite receiver, Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player. All connected by HDMI (I have an HDMI switch for the PS3 and HD-A2). Nintendo Wii connected by component.
Uses: 30% games, 30% movies, 30% TV, 10% music.
Important features: I'm not too worried about up-conversion, I have a 720p DLP, and the Wii is the only non-HD source, so all I want is a single-HDMI cable solution from my AVR to TV. On the other hand, I want an AVR that can take a 5.1 multi-channel PCM over HDMI and turn it into 7.1 through PLIIx or something similar (my Onkyo 605 can't do that, so my back speakers sit idle except for the rare 7.1 Blu Ray disk). I also want good auto-calibration (Audyssey, MCACC, YPAO, etc...). Finally, having been burned by Onkyo (bad pun, I know), I want a reliable AVR.
The contenders that I've found so far:
Pioneer VSX-1018AH - Feature-wise, looks great, and I had an older Pioneer AVR that gave me years of great service. But, I haven't been able to find it for under $400.
Denon AVR-888 - From what I've read, this seems to take care of all the important features I need, the price is great, and I've heard good things about Denon.
Yamaha RX-V663 - In hind site, I wish I had purchased the 661 instead of my 605 last winter, so the 663 is a contender this time through. But, will the 663 convert component into HDMI video?
Of the 3, the AVR-888 is my top choice at the moment, due mainly to the fact that it seems to meet all my needs and it is the least expensive. I've heard that it can be a pain to set up and the remote isn't very good, but I have a Harmony remote, and I've had to re-configure my Onkyo 605 so many times over the last few months I could probably pass as a home theater installer, so complex set ups don't bother me.
Do either the 663 or 1018 have any compelling features or benefits that I should consider? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
