Budget Receiver. Need hdmi, preout. $400

The 890 has no preouts so it would be off the list. It really comes down to audyssey and YPAO between the other 2 choices since they have all the features you want. Audyssey is pretty easy to run and be done but if you like to tweak the sound alot YPAO might be the better option. The GUI of the 667 will be a lot better than the 5005.

You will have to scratch that 890 off your list, it doesn't have pre-outs for all channels. It does have analog inputs though. Look below for a refurbed 5005 with free HDMI cables. Either the 5005 or Yamaha667 will do the job though. The 667 has both pre-outs and analog inputs if you should that also.


http://www.accessories4less.com/make...eceiver/1.html

Any of those listed will work out fine... except the 890 it look like! When it come to receivers I would just look into what best suits you needs and budget. Heres a few more to add to the list as well....


http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-RC260...8680471&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-VSX-10...08680383&sr=1-
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-VSX-92...8680423&sr=1-8
http://www.amazon.com/Denon-AVR-1611...680589&sr=1-33

Not a single one of those has preouts...

I recommend the RX-V667, because it's what I chose

Exactly. I got the 867 for only $30 more for the network. Almost sold out. Tough to beat for all around performance and flexibility at this price.

I haven't used that marantz, but I've got no issues with that on the yamaha.

My vote would also be for the Yamaha 867. A lot of AVR for the money.

I love my yamaha 667

mzisman4,
There are some good suggestions above. The Yamaha 667 is well thought of, and you can get it, or the HTR equivalent (6063 I think) for sub-$400 now. Check Newegg (register email for coupon codes-saves big $$), an authorized Yamaha internet dealer, for that and others. The Yamaha's since 2009 models have a good reputation for not messing up video or HDMI.

Noticing your "vintage" label for the speakers, power becomes important. Yes, that is why you spec'd pre-outs, but if a separate amp is not immediately available to you, consider $30 more and search out the Yamaha rx-v 867. Has a little more per channel than the 667, and includes up-convert and up-scales BOTH analog and digital inputs. Reputed to have a better GUI. Adds i-phone/i-touch apps support built in. Newegg has recently run coupon code deal on this unit at $439. That is about 60% of retail. Killer. Yamaha has already announced much of its 2011 new release products, so the 2010 units are heavily discounted.
Last year I scored a 2009 release rx-v765, very good power section and plenty of functionality minus overlay and digital upscaling, paid $319 at Newegg. Very nice for our needs.

Probably more than you ever wanted to know about mid-line AVR's.

Good luck.

Mkard

I ended up seconding about 5 min. after phantom's post.

AVR 3806 doesn't really fit your 3 HDMI requirement for PS3, Cable box and laptop now, does it?

A little long in the tooth for the money. 867 is much better buy. Did you look at the refurb Marantz's over at accessories4less.com? There are some very good AVR's( Marantz) there that will do what you want and fit in your budget. And don't ask me to refer one of the Onkyo's there. They will also have a warranty from the manufacturer.

Marantz 5003 for $299 might work for you if you don't want spend the money for the Yamaha 867. And it has Audyssey MultiEQ

http://www.accessories4less.com/make...eceiver/1.html

The 5003 is newer. Has HDMI ver 1.3 while the 6001 uses HDMI 1.2 and only has two HDMI inputs. 5003 also upconverts analog signal to 1080p while the 6001 only converts analog signals to 480i or 480p

5003 decodes TrueHD and DTS-MA from blu ray. 6001 you must convert to mulitchannel PCM on your BD player.

5003 uses Audyssey MutliEQ, 6001 also uses Audyssey but you have to buy the mic seperately. I see no reason to buy the older 6001 over the newer 5003.

Plus the 5003 looks cooler with its rounded corners.

afrogt's right about the hdmi issue.

from Denon:
Denon AVR-3806
Retail $1300
120W x 7, (actual 107W into 5 channels by testing)
Triple zone capable
2 HDMI in, 1 out, no upconversion of analog, but (+) pass through on HDMI.
3 component in, 2 out, component upconversion of analog (to interlaced output only)
Autoroom calibration Audyssey MultEQ XT (mic included)<-- Finally!
XM ready
On screen display
Audio Signal Delay (Sync. Audio with Video signal) - By source
Touchscreen remote (fluorescent membrane keypad)
2 optical in, 2 coax in; 2 optical out

I read that as your cable box component in would NOT get upconverted to HDMI out. Ouch.

I still like the Yamaha rx-v 867 for what you need and are looking to spend. If, to save a little coin and lose the hdmi-hdmi upscale and apple apps consider the rx-v667/HTR 6063 at something in the mid$300 area.

Best of luck

p.s. I am a sucker for 40lb AVR's--that Denon had me going for a minute!

Mkard

afrogt

Besides the rounded corners , the marantz 5003 seems quite the audio machine. 6 pt audyssy xt could do some real wonderful thing to the OP's varied speaker mix. Otherwise seems quite capable. Price is about 1/4 msrp about 3yrs ago. FWIW, I don't know much about Marantz.

There is some good stuff out there for the OP.

Mike

The Audyssey on 5003 is only MutliEQ, not XT. MultiEQ uses 6 reference points, XT uses 8.

I have two Denon receivers, one with XT one with MultiEQ.

Lots of places seem to have the Denon AVR-1911 for $399, which is a pretty good deal. I bought one at Crutchfield a couple of months ago, and they still have them, as of today.

Yep, you're right. It registered that the 5003 had something better than basic, but I didn't really catch the designation of the audyssey. Just that it was good.

I've not had denon for many years (pre-audyssey) and haven't really kept up, so I'm not as conversant on the digital processing by audyssey as I could be. I have read many places that it is pretty trick in the top versions.

I hope the OP finds a good thing at a great price. I think that there are a lot of excellent options available at that number +- $40 right at this instant. There are likely to be excellent deals until about the middle of July on some really impressive upper-midlevel stuff between now and then. Gotta be fun!

Mike K

I remeber hearing something about the Marantz 03 series couldn't apply Audyssey when bitstreaming lossless codecs. I think it will work with PCM but not with Bitstream if I remember correctly. That was one reason I didn't get the 6003.

Dual HDMI outputs, great if you have a projector AND flat panel. And I think the 867 has as better GUI interface.

Apple application support built into the 867. I see that the 867 is a little larger and weighs almost 2 lbs more. Between network functions (internet radio + much) and the extra HDMI output.....

Audio on 667 shows slightly more headroom than 867. Might just be identical audio and amp sections with the 867 tweaked to "push" a little harder, leaving less available reserve power when at test spec's.

Tough choice between 667/867 for $90 difference.

You will be happy regardless.

Mike K

The 867 also has better speaker binding posts for presence/zone 2, party mode (simultaneous digital audio to zone 2), and a large matching input dial on the front. It's all about the knob.

On the 867 site owner points out that the 867 manual states up to 6 calibration points (Advanced YPAO) as compared to only 1 for the 667's YPAO. That in itself is a biggie.
If I was in the mood for a domestic crisis right now, I'd plunk down the $429 to Newegg in a heartbeat--and hope like hell I could get my $300 back for the rx-v 765 we bought a year ago.

Odd how no one paid much attention to the rx-v867 on these forums while Yamaha had it at $799. Available at about half of that, and suddenly the good information about capabilities is being bandied about.

Amazing what a sale can do.

Mike