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Help me choose a <$300 receiver

post #1 of 51
12/23/08 at 12:44pm
Thread Starter 
I'm stuck and need help; each day I pick a different receiver and get close to purchasing it, only to change my mind the next day. I'm looking to keep it under $300 and avoid refurbs unless they're direct from the manufacturer. Each of these has glowing reviews online from users and experts, but then I see all of the bugs mentioned in the AVS forums and am frightened away. I don't want to have to deal with HDCP hand-shake issues, etc.

The reciever is for 95% TV/movie watching; we don't listen to much music. I need a 5.1 receiver with at least 2 HDMI ports that switch both audio and video, but don't need the new codecs since my Panny BD35 Blu Ray will do that fine. Also important to me are an accurate auto-setup program, a decent remote, and reliable operation. I've been using a Yamaha HTiB receiver for 4 years without any issues (although it hasn't been asked to do much either). My finalists:

Denon AVR-1908 (last year model, 2 HDMI inputs, Audyssey MultEQ 6 positions) - difficult to operate/setup; some say it's not punchy enough for action movies?

Yamaha 463 - YPAO setup, 2 HDMI inputs, good remote

Onkyo SR576 - Audyssey 2EQ, 3 HDMI inputs, great remote - seems to have lots of bug talk (heat, handshake issues, PS3 buzz, etc)

Pioneer 918 - MCACC, 2 HDMI inputs

Marantz 4002 - wife vetoed it based on looks

TIA. The 3 HDMI inputs of the Onkyo is enticing, but the Denon is enticing because it's regular price is much higher than the other 3 and probably has the better build.

Speakers: I'm using Polk RM6750 satellites speakers and a 150watt Definitive Tech powered subwoofer.
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post #2 of 51
12/23/08 at 12:51pm
Out of all those, I would take a good look at the Denon.

I am not sure about the "punchy" thing. If your speakers are reasonably efficient, any of those receivers should be able to drive them to reasonable levels. Obviously a powered sub woofer is strongly suggested for low end power.

Maybe the Yamaha is ok. I have never owned Yamaha's cheapest AV receivers, so I don't know if they make too much of a compromise on the power supply.

All I can suggest is to read the owner threads and try to get a feel for how happy the owners are.

I should point out that I sold a used Yamaha RX-V2700 for only $400. And it was in perfect shape, and that's a nice amount of power and features for that price. Surely some other people are selling their 2700s, but likely not as cheap as $300. My point is that there are probably some excellent two year old receivers being sold for very low prices and were very well taken care of.
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post #3 of 51
12/23/08 at 12:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelJHuman View Post

My point is that there are probably some excellent two year old receivers being sold for very low prices and were very well taken care of.

Thanks Michael. I'm a little restricted to slightly newer receivers because I'd like to hear the new lossless audio formats via HDMI PCM. I'll update above with my speakers.
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post #4 of 51
12/23/08 at 2:17pm
I suggest you read the "best sub $400 receiver" thread, there is much discussion of these models there.

I highly recommend the Denon AVR 788 for $270 shipped from Amazon.

The Yamaha 463 is a VERY budget model and doesn't even do component video upconversion. The AVR 788 on closeout pricing is a much better value. Head over to that other thread for more....
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post #5 of 51
12/23/08 at 2:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by aboyd817 View Post

The reciever is for 95% TV/movie watching; we don't listen to much music. I need a 5.1 receiver with at least 2 HDMI ports that switch both audio and video, but don't need the new codecs since my Panny BD35 Blu Ray will do that fine. Also important to me are an accurate auto-setup program, a decent remote, and reliable operation.

You will need to find an AVR that can handle audio over HDMI, which narrows the field down quite a bit in this price range. That Denon AVR 788 looks like a great choice, though. Reviews complain about the remote, but at that price, you can probably track down an entry-level Harmony (such as the 550 for about $50) and still stay pretty close to your budget.

Also, if you find the need for more than two HDMI inputs down the road, there are several good, inexpensive options for HDMI switchers for when that need comes up. Save some $$$ now, then spend it when you have the actual need.
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post #6 of 51
12/23/08 at 3:22pm
Check this out:

http://www.accessories4less.com/make...r-BLACK/1.html
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post #7 of 51
12/23/08 at 3:40pm
Sorry to jump in on your thread but I am in a similar situation. Im getting a Blu Ray player for christmas and looking to possibly get a new reciever as well. I saw the Yamaha 363 on sale this week for $199 but I have read alot of people saying it doesnt pass audio over HDMI. Does this mean the audio will not come out of the TV? or it will not come out of the Reciever? I know this sounds stupid, but alot of people who write reviews dont really elaborate on what they mean by doesn't pass audio.
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post #8 of 51
12/23/08 at 4:09pm
read the AVR FAQ at the top of this forum.

the 363 will do NO audio over HDMI, it is an HDMI switcher only, meaning the audio won't come out of your surround sound speakers but it will be passed through to the TV.

The Denon 788 for $270 shipped is a WAY better value than the 363 for $199.

The Marantz 5002 refurb and Onkyo 606/576 refurbs are also good options.
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post #9 of 51
12/23/08 at 5:34pm
will the denon 788 send the audio to the reciever over HDMI? What about the Yamaha 463? Thanks for your help
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post #10 of 51
12/23/08 at 8:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by griz_fan View Post

You will need to find an AVR that can handle audio over HDMI, which narrows the field down quite a bit in this price range. That Denon AVR 788 looks like a great choice, though. Reviews complain about the remote, but at that price, you can probably track down an entry-level Harmony (such as the 550 for about $50) and still stay pretty close to your budget.

Also, if you find the need for more than two HDMI inputs down the road, there are several good, inexpensive options for HDMI switchers for when that need comes up. Save some $$$ now, then spend it when you have the actual need.

How many HDMI outputs does the Denon AVR 788 have? I want a receiver in this $ range that I can hook up my projector to then hook a Directv HD box,BluRay player,XBOX 360 too via HDMI is there enough for that or will I have to look elsewhere?

Sorry to hijack but in a similar situation here. What about the ONKYO 606? Is this unit any good if I can get it for the $300-350 range?
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post #11 of 51
12/23/08 at 9:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Iusteve View Post

Sorry to hijack but in a similar situation here. What about the ONKYO 606? Is this unit any good if I can get it for the $300-350 range?

I had the 606 for about a month. IMO the best receiver in it's price range, I only upgraded to the 706 because I found a 1 day holiday sale on it for basically the same price and I was still within my return period otherwise I would still have and be luvin the 606.
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post #12 of 51
12/23/08 at 9:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jakeman02 View Post

I had the 606 for about a month. IMO the best receiver in it's price range, I only upgraded to the 706 because I found a 1 day holiday sale on it for basically the same price and I was still within my return period otherwise I would still have and be luvin the 606.

What are the advantages of the 706 over the 606 maybe I should be lookin at that one
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post #13 of 51
12/23/08 at 9:17pm
Onkyo 606 or the Marantz SR5002 which is better assuming they were equal price??
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post #14 of 51
12/23/08 at 9:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Iusteve View Post

What are the advantages of the 706 over the 606 maybe I should be lookin at that one

The biggest advantage is the 706 has pre outs incase someone would ever want to add external amplification, it also has some extra THX modes and 10 more watts per channel which is nothing. If you can luck up and find it at the same price then go for it, otherwise the 606 is an awesome deal right now.
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post #15 of 51
12/23/08 at 9:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Iusteve View Post

Onkyo 606 or the Marantz SR5002 which is better assuming they were equal price??

Both are excellent receivers, the 606 has the HD decoders built in the receiver which means you don't need them in the player but if you're using the PS3 or another player with internal decoding the 5002 would be fine.

I've only had one Marantz, the 6001 but it was an excellent sounding receiver. The onkyo wins hands down in features and connection options though.
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post #16 of 51
12/23/08 at 9:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jakeman02 View Post

Both are excellent receivers, the 606 has the HD decoders built in the receiver which means you don't need them in the player but if you're using the PS3 or another player with internal decoding the 5002 would be fine.

I've only had one Marantz, the 6001 but it was an excellent sounding receiver. The onkyo wins hands down in features and connection options though.


Good points. I dont have a PS3 but a XBOX 360(which I cant see an HDMI port,which may mean mine is too old to use HDMI or I am ignorant) I dont have a BluRay player yet I am in the market for one. So out of the 2 you would suggest the Onkyo? The orig retail on the Marantz is higher but I can get both for the same price.....I like the 4 HDMI's on the Onkyo for sure though with an XBOX 360 that has no HDMI port that I am aware of what would I neeed 4 for? I will be hooking up Directv HD box,Blu ray player,Projector and that is it I think
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post #17 of 51
12/24/08 at 3:12am
I'm also looking for an inexpensive receiver to replace a 10+ year old Denon prologic receiver.
1) My room will never have 7.1 speakers. Is there any advantage to having 7.1 "modes" including True HD but only having 5.1 speakers? Or is most of the benefits of the newer modes lost or wasted if 7.1 speakers aren't also used.

2) My preference is to have the audio go from my TivoHD and DVD player (not yet Blue Ray) to the reciever via optical and have the video go directly to me TV via HDMI. What audio modes am I missing with this arrangement?
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post #18 of 51
12/24/08 at 9:24am
Newbies, PLEASE, read the AVR FAQ!!!!!

Also, again, TONS of great info in the "best sub $400 receiver" thread, where all of these questions were just asked and answered:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1092513
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post #19 of 51
12/24/08 at 9:38am
Hey Jakeman02 was there any sound differences between the Onkyo 606 and 706. I am interested in these 2 receivers and wonder if I should save my money and just get the 606. Will be used mostly for movies.
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post #20 of 51
12/24/08 at 9:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by batpig View Post

Newbies, PLEASE, read the AVR FAQ!!!!!

Also, again, TONS of great info in the "best sub $400 receiver" thread, where all of these questions were just asked and answered:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1092513

But the OP has a $100 less to spend
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post #21 of 51
12/24/08 at 9:48am
the OP seems long gone, I'm talking to the hitchhikers
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post #22 of 51
12/24/08 at 9:49am
Closeout on older Denons would be my first pick. For new models, the Yamaha 463 and Pioneer 918 are good budget picks.
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post #23 of 51
12/24/08 at 9:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by batpig View Post

Newbies, PLEASE, read the AVR FAQ!!!!!

Also, again, TONS of great info in the "best sub $400 receiver" thread, where all of these questions were just asked and answered:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1092513

I did. I understand most of the "newer" surround modes are 7.1 based, use HDMI to carry the audio to the receiver and seem to be mainly supported by Blu-Ray disks.

It's not clear if there is any benefit, or if it's even possible, to use the 7.1 modes (trueHD for example) but only have a 5.1 speaker setup. I'm limited to 5.1 type of speaker layout and if I'm not going to get any benefit from an upgraded receiver then I might as well save the money and get something like the Yamaha on closeout.
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post #24 of 51
12/24/08 at 10:04am
Dolby TrueHD and DTS-MA have NOTHING to do with 7.1 vs 5.1, other than allowing it as an option. Most TrueHD tracks are still 5.1.

It's not about the number of channels, it's the QUALITY of each channel. You benefit even if you are running 2.1 or 3.1.
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post #25 of 51
12/24/08 at 11:33am
I just upgraded my receiver. Now i have tried the Sony STR DG-720, Yamaha 643 and the Pioneer VSX-918.

The sony was nice that it had 3 HDMI inputs and it was 7.1. The part that i didn't like was it didn't sound good. It was not very powerful, it just lacked punch. I took it back.

The yamaha sounded great. i really like it but took it back because it didn't pass "BTB" and the picture was a little dark.

I ended up going with the Pioneer VSX-918. I am really impressed with it. Nice sounding and powerful. I am still using my old onkyo HTIB speakers with a velodyne VX10 sub. I am using a PS3 for blu ray player and it is great.

Good Luck
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post #26 of 51
12/24/08 at 12:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by batpig View Post

Dolby TrueHD and DTS-MA have NOTHING to do with 7.1 vs 5.1, other than allowing it as an option. Most TrueHD tracks are still 5.1.

It's not about the number of channels, it's the QUALITY of each channel. You benefit even if you are running 2.1 or 3.1.

from the sticky on "future proof" receivers
Quote:


If you don't care about 7.1 surround sound, then all receivers are future proof.

It wasn't clear if it would be worthing getting a better receiver if I was only going to use 5.1 speakers. I got the wrong impression from the sticky. Thanks for the information.
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post #27 of 51
12/24/08 at 2:14pm
Either they weren't clear about what they were trying to say, or that's just wrong. You definitely get benefits from TrueHD even if you are only 5.1.
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post #28 of 51
12/25/08 at 3:48am
Wow... I've never seen so much thread-crapping.

For everyone asking questions: let's make it simple. Right now, if you don't want to spend more than $300, just get the Denon AVR 788. Yeah, it only has 2 HDMI inputs, but twenty bucks at monoprice will solve that problem. Denon makes good gear and this is a really good price. Pair it up with a PS3 or other Blue Ray player that decodes TrueHD and DTS-MA and you're set.
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post #29 of 51
12/25/08 at 7:49am
aboyd817, I had the Denon AVR-1508 and it was so hard to use and dark sounding I sold it within the first week of purchase. That's not to mention that the first unit I got broke down in a few days. Then I compared the new AVR-1509 with the Marantz 4002. No comparison, I went home with the Marantz. The sound quality is vastly different with the Marantz being far more realistic and transparent. Of course I had music playback in mind when I bought these as HT would be 30% of usage, but still I'd go ahead and get the Marantz both for the better case materials and the better sound. The only thing the Denon had that's an advantage to the other receivers is the complete Audyssey suite. Marantz uses their own proprietary room correction (MRAC if I'm not mistaken) and I don't believe it's better than Audyssey stuff. Anyway, Denon's sound quality can be forgiven if it felt reliable and was easy to use.

I also wanted to get the Onkyo, specifically the 506 but after the crisis, prices on all Onkyo products went up by a crazy 30% so it's out of question. That reminds me, I haven't taken the time to setup the Marantz yet. Been busy with my 2ch stuff.
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post #30 of 51
12/25/08 at 8:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by griz_fan View Post

Wow... I've never seen so much thread-crapping.

For everyone asking questions: let's make it simple. Right now, if you don't want to spend more than $300, just get the Denon AVR 788. Yeah, it only has 2 HDMI inputs, but twenty bucks at monoprice will solve that problem. Denon makes good gear and this is a really good price. Pair it up with a PS3 or other Blue Ray player that decodes TrueHD and DTS-MA and you're set.

Well, after much consideration I decided to pull the trigger and get the 788. I only need two HDMI inputs, my HT room is small so I neither need a lot of power nor do I have space for more than a 5.1 speaker setup, and my Panasonic DMP-BD35 will take care of the decoding for the newer HD codecs. Now I just need to pick out some A/V furniture and speaker stands for my surrounds that my wife can live with and I'll be good to go. Thanks for everyone's advice.
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