[boozcruz33]

I just purchased a 65" Mitsubishi 3D-ready DLP and now need to upgrade some components in my setup. The current Integra DTR-8.4 does not have any HDMI connectivity, so it is definitely time to have it replaced. The room is currently only a 5.1 setup with 2 Mordaunt-Short 502's, a 504 center channel, two 506 surround speakers, and a 15" Earthquake subwoofer, but I am hoping to get a receiver that can last me for many years without needing to be replaced.


Everyone obviously has their own biases on the "best" receiver brand, but I am hoping to get some good opinions for my setup. I want to stay under $500 on the receiver and have been leaning towards the Pioneer VSX-1020-K. I have never had a problem with my Integra, but I don't like what I have heard about the heat problems on the Onkyo 608.


Questions:


1. Is there any significant reason to get the VSX-1120-K instead of the 1020? I don't foresee the need to add an external amp any time soon and it seems like the biggest differentiator is the preamp outputs on the 1120. Are there other significant differences that I should consider? The price difference is only $120 on Amazon right now, but I don't want to throw away $120 for no reason. Does the THX Select2 Plus certification mean a lot on the 1120?


2. Are there other receivers in the same price range that I should be considering? The Yamaha 667 seems to be a popular choice, but that is $150 more than the Pioneer 1020 and I don't see a significant reason to spend that extra money for the Yamaha.


I know there are other threads with these discussions, but it seems they get outdated every few months so I thought I would ask again because people seem to like to have these conversations.


Thanks,

Shane

 

[mjpearce023]

I used a Pioneer 1020 for a few weeks and I didn't care for the power. It struggled during some movies and music when listening at loud levels. My Denon 1508 never had that problem and it was only rated at 75 x 7. I would go for the 1120 because the increase in power, preamp outputs, and THX gives you more listening modes. The THX Loudness Plus is a good feature to have. It would be worth the extra money in my opinion.


2 The Denon 3310 is what I went with but it has gone up on Amazon so its not in the same price range. For the money, the 1120 is pretty loaded with features.