What should i go for?

You can save some money by picking up one of last year's low end models on clearance (eg. Denon 1612 or 1712). Couple that with an Energy Take 5.1 speaker setup and you'll have some money to spare.

Hello and welcome to AVS. With a budget of $400 - $500 for a avr you will have quite a bit of brands & options to choose from. Unless you go used with a much older model they will have HDMI and much more... but thats a good thing . Pretty much all the newer Dennon, Onkyo, Yamaha & Pioneers are going to have pretty much all you need and more. As jdsmoothie mentioned to save even a few more dollars you can go with a last years clearance model, or even a factory referb unit from AC4L ( Accessories4less.com ).

At Accesories4Less, this is my screaming good deal recommendation; SR5006

Oh, call and see if/when they expect more referb's to come in.

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Edited by BeeMan458 - 8/12/12 at 7:01am

I suggest that you get a Denon 1612 receiver, which you can get for about $250, and spend as much as possible on speakers.

I suggest that you consider the Jamo S426 HCS3 5.0 system, which is available for around $400, and a Polk PSW505 or Klipsch 12-HG subwoofer for around $300.

[QUOTI understand that more expensive may not necessarily mean better. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I'll probably need new speakers, so for speakers and the receiver i am looking at a $1000 budget in total, or just $400-$500 for the receiver alone.

I'll be using it to play music/watch DVDs(although DVDs seem a little obsolete today). No HDMI , airplay etc.
E][/QUOTE]

If you're only using a DVD player and nothing you use has HDMI I wouldn't recommend the Denon 1612 because it doesn't have component video inputs/outputs. Is your TV capable handling HDMI? Is it a HDTV?

A good point about the component video inputs!

The Onkyo TX-NR509 has two sets of component video inputs, 5 composite video inputs, and 4 HDMI inputs, so that might be a lot better; much more connectivity than the Denon.

Accessories for less has a factory refurb unit for under $200.

I looked at that site for a 509 myself. But the reseller ratings for it are really spotty. Wish the reviews were better - I'd chance it.

I think something like the Denon AVR 890/2310 might be good for the OP.

It has analog to HDMI conversion if his TV accepts HDMI. Has a 1080p video scaler too. If his TV doesn't accept HDMI it does have 2 component video inputs and one output.

Still waiting to find out what TV he has. Also are there any limitations on speaker size?

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVR890/DENON-AVR-890-7.1-Channel-105W-A/V-1.3a-Receiver/1.html

if it is a Pioneer plasma I would think it would have to be high definition. Even if only 720p that would be very good. Can you get a model number?

And please list the equipment you want to intergrate into this new system. Every extra bit of info is very helpful.

It seems as though everything I see for the PDP-435 is for Europe or Australia. You're in the United States aren't you?

What I did find is that it does have an HDMI input. Still cannot figure out what resolutions it handles. Are there some other numbers after the 435? HDE? XDE? etc?

The negative reviews are generally based on receiving a defective product and having to pay for return shipping. AC4L should not be blamed for this as they simply receive the product from the mfr and sell it in the condition received, not to mention that their website clearly states that the buyer must pay for return shipping of defective items. If you don't like that policy, then don't purchase from them. You take a chance with any refurbished item you purchase, but that's the price you pay to get it for less.
Edited by jdsmoothie - 8/12/12 at 10:42am

Singapore, so that explains it. Dont bother getting the other numbers.

Can you even buy from US websites? Do they ship there? I know accessories4less.com does not.

yes keep your nakamichi cd player. I used to hear people brag about how cool that brand was when I was in middle school. I still see them sell for a good amount used sometimes at thrift stores and ebay. I never heard a Energy speaker before, until this year. I couldn't beieve that it sounded better to me then the more expensive Epos speakrs. I bought the veritas 6.2. I hear that people like the Jamo brand also. I hope that whatever brand that you choose works out and sounds good for you. Thanks for joining this forum. I hope that you enjoy your stay here. I think that some speakers sound better for movies and some more for music. What kind of music do you like to listen to? Do you like subwoofers with more of a vibration feel like a 15 inch subwoofer or a punchy sounding bass like a 12 inch subwoofer?

Glad you posted this. I definitely will not be buying from them now that I know that they have absolutely no idea if the units are functional. And no way would I pay the return shipping on a defective...not happening.

You're missing the point. No reseller knows whether a unit is functional or not ... whether it's new or a refurb ... it's presumed functional. And AFAIK, all the refurb resellers will not refund return shipping charges of a defective item if an exchange is not wanted, rather simply a refund. The ONLY authorized refurb reseller I would consider is AC4L.