Decision on entry level receiver

I'm in the same boat as you. I'm leaning towards the RX-V373. Price is good and Yamaha reliability is even better.

The Denon 1613 (5.1) includes Airplay as well as Audyssey MultEQ which can EQ the subwoofer, which most of the above are unable to do. Give AV Science sales or Electronics Expo a "call" for their best price. Review post #2 of the Denon AVR-XX13 Owner's thread linked in my sig for a comparison of features with the other XX13 models.

Only thing I would say is don't worry about a model year difference unless the new model year adds a specific make or break feature for you.

+1 on the 1613 - got it new on Black Friday for under $300... killer deal for a great entry level AVR. Does everything I want it to do and after I ran Audyssey it made my speakers sound much better.

accessoriesforless had the 1613 refurb not too long ago - not sure if they still do, may want to check there as well.

The Yamaha and Pioneer receivers have really gone downhill in the sound quality area IMO. I personally would never recommend one to a friend.

I think you would be well advised to consider an Onlyo TX-NR515, which I find superior in most respects.

The Denon is also good.

Marantz 1403

You can buy a DM-A409 mic for about $25 and the remote will cost about $50 although you would be much better served with a $50 Harmony remote instead. Although for the roughly additional $200 you'll pay to upgrade to the 3312CI, you may also want to consider sticking with the 1613 and putting that money instead into better quality speakers.

Honestly... Onkyo or Denon with a heavy lean twoards Denon. If you can step up to the 1713 Model for better Room correction I would do it.

1713 is a sweat spot for Denon 5.1. Look for the best level of room correction you can afford.

If you don't believe me...buy a Yamaha...and the Denon 1713... Compare the two side by side and return one or both to Best buy. I bet donkey's to dollars you like the Denon better.

Here's an interesting comparison between the Denon 1612 and Yamaha 471. Said the Yamaha was better.

I'm in the same boat as you. And with the recent sale of the HK AVR 1700 at $199 (currently at Amazon, OOS but can still order it), that really muddles the picture because of how cheap it is and the feature set you get (AirPlay, discrete amps per channel, network, etc.).

It's funny - I've been researching for weeks on so many forums. Most people say Yamaha is the best for sound quality, then someone here says they're terrible. Someone here recommended Onkyo, where everywhere else I've read said they're terrible unreliable and have HDMI issues all the time.

I guess it comes down to who is giving you advice. I would narrow it down to price and features and make your decision. Keep in mind you'll have this piece of equipment most likely for a long time. I'm sure no matter what you choose, you won't regret it. You may regret how much time you put in to comparing all the entry level models. I know I'm starting to!

Correct. It all comes down to personal preference as we all have different speakers and different room environments as well as different ears. In the poster's opinion it was "slightly" better although also note the poster does not compare the YPAO (Yamaha) vs. Audyssey (Denon) which is likely to make the difference as the YPAO cannot EQ the subwoofer.

Should I get the demon 1613 or 1712 or any other suggestions for around $300. For my set-up, Epson 3010, ps3, direct tv, pioneer sp-bs21-lr, sp-c21, sw-8 speakers. Thanks everyone.

Depends on which you prefer ..... better audio quality (1712) or networking (1613).

I guess audio, do you think that setup is fine or you think a different speaker setup for a 22'x12' room, enough bass?