I need av receiver advice!

tina902

hI,

I want to buy an AV receiver but not sure exactly what I need. I do know that it would be entry level or next model up. I don't need all the bells & whistles, the latest this or that really as its just for movies/music videos.. & honestly..I'm not really a fan of most movies out there nor am I really into the loud bombs, wrecks & other effects that movie people toss in there so those with home theaters can say...wow!!!! Thats why I spent 1-$10,000...(boring) I prefer a quieter & quality story line to effects. I also want good stereo sound..nothing too..too bright sounding. Anyway

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I know that onkyo is a good brand, reliable but kind've ugly. Though, I have a soft spot for Denon gear.But, is their entry level stuff any good? I like the looks of harmon Kardon but some reviewers mentioned a few silly design flaws. Do I need 5.1 or 7.1? I only want to watch movies & music videos..maybe some tv through it all. Hdmi? What the??? I know people will blast me for sounding duh but I have always been mainly into 2 channel setups.Though, had a HTIB setup from 5 yrs. ago by panasonic that worked pretty good for my apt. until it stopped working. I now have polk r50's for main, 150's for surround & the csi 25 for center..& still debating which 37" LCD to go with.I like panasonic but too pricey..walmart has vizio? brand that seems really affordable & reviewers seemed to like its picture quality but vizio brand..??Hmm.....Oh, back to the receiver..Will I need HDMI for stereo as well? Those who bought entry level sony & onkyo seemed mad that the hdmi wasn't for music as well or they had to have special hdmi cables that were pricey & that switching from video to music with hdmi wasn't easy..? Why does this seem so complicated!!Sorry for the babbling but women like to talk a lot..LOL! Anyone care to shed light???

Tina

Igo

You don't seem like you are interested in a lot of flash. I wouldn't worry about 7.1. Your front mains are pretty nice speakers and should serve you well for both music and video. I'm not sure if the center is a match for the stereo pair or not but will do fine for starters.
Go here or other forums or even CNET.com and find a receiver that has a good reputation for up-converting your DVDs as plane 'ol movie watching seems to be your thing. You are price conscience. Onkyo and better yet, Denon would do a nice job of playing stereo CDs. Make sure your receiver has 100 watts per channel or so as your speakers are kink of large and need a little bit of juice. With very little money you can find an entry level receiver with HDMI switching and HDMI out meaning a couple peices of HDMI equipment will plug into it and one HDMI cable will come out of it and go to your TV. Make sure your TV has an HDMI input.
Sams Club has 8 foot long Belkin 1.3 Belkin HDMI cables for about $20 and they work great.
Vizio has made some really great improvements overall in the last year or two. Don't get hung up in a bunch of advertising or a bunch of people who pick everything apart like we all do. Just find a picture that looks good and decide if the price is right.
If you do pay attention to any real details, I would go with a receiver that has upconverting and HDMI input and an HDMI output so you'll have %95 of everthing you'll need for anything that may be coming down the A/V pike in the near future. Look around and $350 will go a long way for you in a Home Theatre receiver. Hope this helps.

comfortablycurt

The Onkyo TX-SR606 is a great entry level receiver. That's what I have, and I couldn't be happier with it. It would be plenty to power the speakers you mentioned, and it would still give you room to expand in the future if you chose to. It's a 7.1 receiver, but from the sounds of it 7.1 isn't really necessary for you, so it has the option of being run in 5.1, and bi-amping the front speakers. It sounds like stereo listening is more your thing...so that's an option to consider. Do your front speakers have two pairs of binding posts on the back?

It has 4 HDMI inputs and one output as well...so you can use it as your media center basically. It makes it a lot easier, not having to run a million wires to your TV. It sounds like your not to familiar with HDMI...it's great though. It lets you run high definition video and high resolution audio all through one cable. It simplifies hook up quite a bit..

javygonx

Agree... Onkyo 606, but if you can try Onkyo 706 for a bit more. Excellent sound and features for the price. Otherwise at least Denon 1909/789. You will get any of these for less than $599. Forget Harman Kardon and the others. If youre going to read a lot about all receivers you will never end!... Many people will write about Yamahas, Pioneer Elite, at least Denon 2809 or higher, Onkyo 806 or higher, and you will end crazy.

But if you want to save some money and got a great receiver with TrueHD, DTS-MA, great sound. I test both Onkyo 706, Denon 789 or Denon 1909, and they are great. Hooked it with a PS3, and got everything. BluRay Movies, Gaming, MP3 Server, Free Online Gaming, and great Home Theater Experience.

leroyjr1

Make sure it has pre outs for adding a external amp.

comfortablycurt

leroyjr1 wrote: »

Make sure it has pre outs for adding a external amp.

Which is the 606's major drawback. Lack of pre-outs. That's why I'm probably gonna be selling mine in the near future and upgrading to the 706. So if you're still in the market for a receiver in a few months or so, I could probably cut ya a real good deal on a used Onk' 606...lol

If you don't ever plan to use an external amplifier it's a great receiver though.

Igo

leroyjr1 wrote: »

Make sure it has pre outs for adding a external amp.

Come'on Leroy. Does it sound like she is into anu of that? LOL

wutadumsn23

+1 for the 606, as Igo stated, doesn't sound like you need/want pre-outs for adding an external amp, so the 606 would be a perfect fit for you. Although, like Leroy stated it wouldn't hurt to have them so in the future you as you get more HT savy you will have the option to add an amp with the 706 without having to buy another Receiver, but that is entirely up to you.

Unknown

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Pepi28

+1^ on what Kex said. He nailed it on the head for you. And welcome to the club.

Braddles

If you want a reciever that is as good with music and movies i strongly recommend you have a look at any of the AZUR range from Cambridge Audio. They tick most of your boxes you are looking for. They dont have all the fancy setup stuff, just great sound. They have a few different models( 340r, 540r, 640r ) now for all budgets or have a look for a used one. I had the 640 for a while and it was fantasic for both 2ch & HT. Only sold it to fund a new 2 channel amp. I do miss it.
Check out the CA website and read the reviews. They all say the same thing about them being a great solution for those looking for an amp to suit music & movies!

Good luck
Brad

tina902

hi,

thanks! That was a verey helpful reply..as was the reply by another member suggesting the onkyo 706...I just hope I'm able to hook it all up & balance speaker levels correctly.
I hear the onkyo amps are easier to setup. thanks again.........

tinna

tina902

hi,

thanks for the great reply. Another polkie suggested the onkyo 606 & 706..so onkyo will be first on my short list to audition. I like the harmon kardon's looks & I know they have a good reputation for quality sound but for their entry level amp...well, I've heard good things as well as negative things..but not about the sound in general. It seems like I'm seeing less 5.1 amps available..I agree with you, I'd likely not need 7.1 ..especially if it means having to use 2 more speakers in my room...I'm not sure what 7.1 is suppose to do really..diff. than say 5.1. I'd also like to one day replace my r50's (which sound really good at low to medium levels) with the rti12 if I'm lucky enough to find them drastically reduced one day . I like good sound but I love the look of speakers with several drivers, its just cool looking to me!I guess why I like the looks of the polk 1.2 so much...

tina

tina902

well, another onkyo & denon lover..wonderful! I have a soft spot for denon since the dra 435 was my first 100% new receiver..I actually still have it with the denon drw-650 cassette deck! Thanks for the advice..it'll likely be a toss up between denon & onkyo & likely boil down to looks..

tina

tina902

external amp? Hmm..I'm left looking into space on that one...what would one need the external amp for??? I also agree...I think the 706 would be best if I selected onkyo. Another polkie mentioned its also a little prettier with pretty, blue lights & I'm a sucker for blue eyes...Ummm..I mean, blue lights! thanks.

tina

do the site people mind if I reply to several people who gave advice to my question or am I suppose to just absorb & not comment back??

tina902

Hmm..still not sure why one would later want to add a 2nd amp to say the onkyo 606..I guess for some sort of upgrade? I apologize for being a little duh about the ins & outs of audio. I was just not long ago thawed out from 2 channel rigs...Yea, I shunned av units for a long time though I did have an older all in one (htib) by panasonic that my dad gave me. I miss the older power amp looks...with the big level meters...they're sexy to me..& just cool looking! Onkyo, denon & sony had a few nice ones in the late 80's..as well as proton...& many other brands...no clue why denon etc. refuses to make amps with level meters..all seems to be about home theater...whoopie!! Seen it..heard it...& I've now been long over it!

tina

tina902

hi,

I liked your take on things....Are you a Doctor..LOL You seem patient & peaceful...Ok, so I guess maybe I don't need hdmi....I guess many people do want the newest features & honestly, it might be hard to find a receiver without hdmi..which is fine. I like movies but usually quieter ones & often without a home theater hooked up which to me can sometimes just be too loud... If, I'm in bed all cozy & watching tv or a movie..I prefer a lighter sound but would miss having the center channel which makes dialogue crisp & clear.So,I rent say 3 movies a month..roughly..& honestly..listen to my music cds through my Grado headphones mostly which sound wonderful! I have neighbors close so keep my music to myself. I also like to watch music videos on dvds...& that about sums up my watching & listening needs. I'll also checkout the used onkyo gear..might find a steal there!Thanks again!

tina

comfortablycurt

tina902 wrote: »

do the site people mind if I reply to several people who gave advice to my question or am I suppose to just absorb & not comment back??

I don't think they mind at all...you can do it all within one post though.

Next to the "quote" button at the bottom of each post, there's a little button for "multi-quoting". Just click that button on all the posts you wish to reply to, and then click "post new reply" at the bottom. It will bring up a copy of all those posts in a new message, and you can reply to them in order that way.


To answer your question about external amps. People add these for the main reason of having cleaner, better sounding power. An ideal setup doesn't use an "all-in-one" receiver, but a seperate pre-amp and power amps. External amps as a general rule have much higher quality sound output, as well as pushing a lot more power than a standard AVR.

It's not necessary for a lot of people though...and it sounds like it's not really necessary to attain the results you're looking for. It is nice to have pre-amp outputs though in case you ever decided to add an external amp to your receiver.

My recommendation would be either the Onkyo 606, or if you wanted to drop a little bit more coin, the 706. The 706 is a better all around receiver, but the 606 would work just fine too, as long as you don't plan to use an external amp in the future. Plus like you said...the 706 has the pretty blue light...which is a great feature.

I'm gonna be upgrading to the 706 in the near future...and the two main reasons are the pre-amp outputs, and the pretty blue light...lol

The 606 can be had for about 300 dollars for a refurb through Onkyo's online shop. Just FYI

tina902

why thank you pepi..I almost accidentally spelt your name here another way & would've received the boot from the site..LOL! Oh, I am in mild crisis mode..likely why I'm emailing back all who emailed or most. A picture from the wall fell & hit the edge of my polk juniors from 1990..& LEFT A DING! I'm obsessive about dings as my gear is all mint..even denon pieces left from 89-90 era. I'm now fighting back the urge to sell it as it now seems ruined...just knowing that "ding" is there...I might not be able to sleep tonight..just thinking about it..LOL

tina

tina

comfortablycurt

tina902 wrote: »

why thank you pepi..I almost accidentally spelt your name here another way & would've received the boot from the site..LOL! Oh, I am in mild crisis mode..likely why I'm emailing back all who emailed or most. A picture from the wall fell & hit the edge of my polk juniors from 1990..& LEFT A DING! I'm obsessive about dings as my gear is all mint..even denon pieces left from 89-90 era. I'm now fighting back the urge to sell it as it now seems ruined...just knowing that "ding" is there...I might not be able to sleep tonight..just thinking about it..LOL

tina

tina

You can sell them to me if it really bothers you that much!

I've been kinda looking for a pair of vintage Monitors for my 2-channel system...which is currently in the developmental stages. How do you like the Jr.'s?

tina902

ohhh..ok, I get it now about the added , external amp. My dad, before he passed away...(way too early) use to be strictly into seperates...he had mcintosh...which I later found out was OMG expensive...no wonder my mom was always pissed at him..LOL! He also had infinity kappa..9's..I think?? They were almost as tall as the polk 1.2s..but not as wide...& 3-4 other pairs of speakers. The infinity speakers sounded amazing...he actually said he chose them over the 1.2s...after listening to both for several months...not to say thy're better sounding..maybe, just for his ears & tastes of music. He also had a flagship paradigm speaker that was drop dead gorgeous....weighed a ton! thanks for the tips!

tina

javygonx

Onkyo 606 will work fine, but for a little more you can get Onkyo 706, looks more beautiful, has 7 Band graphic EQ, has preouts, the OSD (OnScreen Display) is way better and more beautiful than 606. I owned both, and 706 kick 606 **** by much, and cost just like $75 more. Trust me. Also has more options, and its easy for setup. Someone says HDMI its not necessary, and I DISAGREE. In the future you will have an HD-TV with HDMI connector, You will really need it for the BEST SOUND AND VIDEO....

tina902

I really like the juniors......I just call them my "juniors" & my friends giggle as they feel I'm addressing a real person. I like the sound for basic rock & little bits of everything else...they're dark wood & sound as good as my newer polk r50's...at least at lower levels.I can't boost the sound where I live due to neighbors..I actually prefer headphones anyway as I want to hear the singer "right there"..as well as every tiny sound that I might miss if listening without headphones. If, I decide to sell...I'll try to come up with a price...I might just store them away out of site for awhile until I "get over it"...I'm too obsessive about things like that anyway...I got that from my dad as he was fanatical about anyone touching his mcintosh or other gear...as in..I could get grounded for weeks if I test drove any of it while he was at work!

tina

off to ebay now as I've likely bored or annoyed some here with my endless replies posted...(sorry)

Unknown

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Igo

tina902 wrote: »

ohhh..ok, I get it now about the added , external amp. My dad, before he passed away...(way too early) use to be strictly into seperates...he had mcintosh...which I later found out was OMG expensive...no wonder my mom was always pissed at him..LOL! He also had infinity kappa..9's..I think?? They were almost as tall as the polk 1.2s..but not as wide...& 3-4 other pairs of speakers. The infinity speakers sounded amazing...he actually said he chose them over the 1.2s...after listening to both for several months...not to say thy're better sounding..maybe, just for his ears & tastes of music. He also had a flagship paradigm speaker that was drop dead gorgeous....weighed a ton! thanks for the tips!

tina

OK. So you are in a bit of a bind. You know little of the tec talk of higher end gear (neither do I for that matter) but you were raised exposed to finer sounding audio. That puts you in a piculiar place. You may find yourself less than sitisfied with just a something off the shelf when shopping for the head of your system. IF you were truly aware of qualitys you found in your dads system then I wouldn't move on a receiver until I was pretty sure it was some of what you were raised with.

cfrizz

Welcome Tina. I'm Cathy and it's nice to see a woman who was introduced to good sound at an early age.

Just about all receivers are made for 7.1 channels. You DON'T have to buy 2 more speakers just to use them they can stay empty.

I like Denon receivers, but I went back to all separates, because to me it sounds better. I am also a big fan of Rotel, they are more expensive than most, but the sound is out of this world. They also are not as up to date with all the latest bells & whistles, but that might be just fine for you.

I am also a big believer in separate amplification, because NO receiver can put out the kind of power that a separate amp does. And it ensures that your speakers are being utilized to their fullest potential. So please get a receiver with Preouts for future upgrades to power.

Igo makes a very good point, you are used to and know what sounds good, so just getting the cheapest thing to buy, most likely will not satisfy you.

So depending on what you want to spend, your choices are endless.

SEH

javygonx wrote: »

Otherwise at least Denon 1909/789.

This is what I'd recommend after reading all her posts in this thread. It's Denon, which she seems to like, not too bright, it will have no trouble driving her speakers (no need for an external amp with those), has full HDMI audio if she ever decides to get a Blu ray, and the Dynamic EQ/Volume are really good for listening at lower volumes and not having the special effects blow you out of the room and piss off neighbors when they kick in.

Only flaw is the setup/manual isn't the greatest for somebody who hasn't dealt with AV lately. But tons of people own them, so getting help online wouldn't be hard.

javygonx

SEH wrote: »

This is what I'd recommend after reading all her posts in this thread. It's Denon, which she seems to like, not too bright, it will have no trouble driving her speakers (no need for an external amp with those), has full HDMI audio if she ever decides to get a Blu ray, and the Dynamic EQ/Volume are really good for listening at lower volumes and not having the special effects blow you out of the room and piss off neighbors when they kick in.

Only flaw is the setup/manual isn't the greatest for somebody who hasn't dealt with AV lately. But tons of people own them, so getting help online wouldn't be hard.

Denon is great. You can go cheap with Denon 589 (only 5.1 ch, and 75W, but its excellent, has Audessy Dynamic EQ, and Vol, HDMI, Excellent Sound), or step up with Denon 789 or Onkyo 706. Dont look any further. Trust me.

Hawkeye

Hi Tina,

As I was reading your posts, "meters and blue eyes" made me think you were exposed to McIntosh and its sound at some point in your life. Then in a later post you mentioned your dad had McIntosh and it confirmed my belief.
Lucky me, my wife enjoys it as much as I do so she is not nearly as angry as she could be!

I have to agree with Igo and Kathy about being careful about what you purchase. You may compare what you bought to your dads stuff and be unhappy or want for "more", whatever that may be. Shop wisely and try to find something that pleases YOUR ear.

Gordon

SEH

javygonx wrote: »

Denon is great. You can go cheap with Denon 589 (only 5.1 ch, and 75W, but its excellent, has Audessy Dynamic EQ, and Vol, HDMI, Excellent Sound), or step up with Denon 789 or Onkyo 706. Dont look any further. Trust me.

HDMI on 589 and 689 doesn't do audio though, which makes it somewhat useless.

shenlonco

Hi I hear harmon is suppost to sound nice warm sounding ...I have a onkyo and to me it sounds a little bright coldish sounding... sherwood new castle recievers are supposed to be very good do a search for them they look real nice.