Hello Everyone!
I have a question for anyone willing to comment. When shopping and/or eventually buying an AV Receiver, what 5 aspects became most important in making your decision:
a) Claimed Power rating (watts per channel),
b) Actual/true performance.....there's a difference between "a" and "b".
c) Sound Quality
d) Video routing and scaling performance
e) User Friendliness: GUI; menu navigation; ease of set up; remote
f) Name Brand/Reputation
g) Build quality: materials used; tactile feel; reliability
h) Warranty and customer service
i) Merchant/Retailer
j) Features: bells and whistles
k) Compatibility with exsisting components/integration/sound quality with speakers
l) Aesthetics: looks; color; LED display (color and layout); fascia layout(volume input select, etc,....)
m) Size: weight and dimensions
n) Price
o) Value
p) Expandability/firmware upgrade-ability: avoidance of premature obsolescence.
I know I listed a lot of factors. The choices are in no particular order. Some may not even be relevant in your decision. And then again, the things you did not think were important may somehow become paramount because of unforeseen circumstances.
I do know that buyer's remorse often is a result of not knowing/understanding/recognizing what the true needs are for he or she to have the perfect AV Receiver for your given situation.
Now most likely, somewhere in this forum, someone has posed a similar question, but after reading variuos threads, I really think that a lot of folks really have a hard time choosing a AV Receiver. Or if they have picked one, after having time with the product for one reason or another, wish they would have pick the other, or at the least wonder if they made the right decision. That said, I do realize that the average Joe is subject to whatever and however the retailer chooses to display their merchandise for demos which can often lead to a lack luster presentation to say the least. Not to mention those who are flying blind, buying off the internet and/or using reviews and forums (AVS) to make this very important decision.
Regards!
__________________
I have a question for anyone willing to comment. When shopping and/or eventually buying an AV Receiver, what 5 aspects became most important in making your decision:
a) Claimed Power rating (watts per channel),
b) Actual/true performance.....there's a difference between "a" and "b".
c) Sound Quality
d) Video routing and scaling performance
e) User Friendliness: GUI; menu navigation; ease of set up; remote
f) Name Brand/Reputation
g) Build quality: materials used; tactile feel; reliability
h) Warranty and customer service
i) Merchant/Retailer
j) Features: bells and whistles
k) Compatibility with exsisting components/integration/sound quality with speakers
l) Aesthetics: looks; color; LED display (color and layout); fascia layout(volume input select, etc,....)
m) Size: weight and dimensions
n) Price
o) Value
p) Expandability/firmware upgrade-ability: avoidance of premature obsolescence.
I know I listed a lot of factors. The choices are in no particular order. Some may not even be relevant in your decision. And then again, the things you did not think were important may somehow become paramount because of unforeseen circumstances.
I do know that buyer's remorse often is a result of not knowing/understanding/recognizing what the true needs are for he or she to have the perfect AV Receiver for your given situation.
Now most likely, somewhere in this forum, someone has posed a similar question, but after reading variuos threads, I really think that a lot of folks really have a hard time choosing a AV Receiver. Or if they have picked one, after having time with the product for one reason or another, wish they would have pick the other, or at the least wonder if they made the right decision. That said, I do realize that the average Joe is subject to whatever and however the retailer chooses to display their merchandise for demos which can often lead to a lack luster presentation to say the least. Not to mention those who are flying blind, buying off the internet and/or using reviews and forums (AVS) to make this very important decision.
Regards!
__________________
). Just noticed I was only supposed to chose five (duh)
.
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. Ooo, this receiver sounded so warm. Or smooth. Or articulate. Or dynamic. BS. The room has more of an affect than any of the minuscule SQ differences (if they exist) between any 2 comparable and competent receivers. Not to mention the speakers. Or the music or DVD choice. Or the recording. Comparing receivers at a retailer, in their showroom, with their speakers, is a joke. So is in-home, for that matter. And if 2 receivers you are considering are at 2 different retailers, forget it. Fairly comparing receivers (even if you could) is very difficult, as eliminating all the variables and truly doing a valid A/B comparison is next to impossible. If YOU think it sounds good, then it must sound good, right? 
