Which receiver under 400?

[chopperguy99]

Hey, guys. I am in the market for a new receiver. My setup includes: motorola HD cablebox/dvr, dvd player (someday HD), into a Sony HD lcd. What receiver would control this the best? I think I would need at least 2 HDMI inputs, and one output. I would like to control all the switching through the receiver if that makes sense. I am running 5.1 surround. I am sorry to ask such newbie questions, but I just want the best end result for the measly 400 bucks I can spend. Thanks!

[lcaillo]

http://www.yamahashoponline.com/product.asp?sku=3566187

It is hard to beat Yamaha for great products and the best support, as long as you buy it through an authorized dealer and not an ebay whore.

Skip the switching of the video through the receiver and connect it direct to the display to prevent problems and keep the processing to a minimum. Get a decent macro programmable remote to simplify the switching.

[chopperguy99]

So just hook up the cable box and dvd to the back of the TV and use the optical outs into the receiver? That is how it is now with my old sony. If that is the case, then there are alot of options for my budget.

[lcaillo]

The main thing that you gain by switching the HDMI through an AVR is the simplified signal selection. The likelihoood of a cheap AVR having any processing that will be better than a direct connection is very low.

Use a coaxial output rather than optical. They sound exactly the same and are more reliable.

[chopperguy99]

Thanks for the help. I guess it isn't a big deal to switch with only 2 different sources. How do you feel about reconditioned stuff? Several websites offer factory refirb stuff for alot cheaper than new.

[lcaillo]

You have to be careful about reconditioned products. They are often the models that have had lots of problems. Sometimes they can be a good value. Post a brand and model and a link to the seller and I will be happy to check it out.

[Sonnie]

If you buy reconditioned, try to stay with the ones that have been reconditioned by the manufacturer. Most of those are reliable from my experiences and reading of others. Since you are saving a good bit on the price, you might want to pick up an extended warranty.

You do have several options... Yamaha, Denon, Pioneer and Onkyo seem to be popular choices with a good set of features.

[chopperguy99]

I am thinking an onkyo from ecost. http://www.ecost.com/detail.aspx?edp=36904546
or this onkyo from acc. for less http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-...em/ONKTXSR703S

[lcaillo]

The TX-SR674 has likely had a lot of returns for upconversion/HDMI issues, so if you don't use that it may be a good value. The TX-SR703S I am less familiar with. In general, I am not an Onkyo fan, as a tech. Their support is marginal, manuals and parts expensive, and I have never been impressed with the overal build quality. At these prices, however, they may be pretty good values. Just make sure that you understand the return, warranty, and service options.

[chopperguy99]

In your experience, without needing the switching, what would you recommend as far as brand? I have looked at the panny xr55 and 57.

[lcaillo]

Yamaha has consistently produced fine products and has the best support, but only through authorized dealers. Denon and Marantz are very good, but I have less problems with Yamaha. Pioneer and Onkyo are bang for the buck products that have poorer support and tradistionally poorer reliability. All have had products that are standouts in performance and have had their dogs. Yamaha has had the most consistent performance and reliablility of any product over the several decades that I have worked with all of these in one way or another. I have two Yamaha receivers.

[eugovector]

I don't know how current pioneer products are, but my vsx-d850s, which was about $400 new if I recall, is going on 7 years and working just fine.

@$400, just look for a receiver that has all the features that you want for the money that you want to spend, and is from a reputable brand, like those mentioned.

If you can't land all 3 of those variables, my preference is to compromise on my feature set first. As long as the basics are there, you'll be able to get by for years, with maybe an extra button press or two. People try to get every feature under the sun in the hopes of future proofing their equipment, which never happens. Manufactureres keep adding new features in order to keep selling you new products. If you're not behind the curve today, you will be tomorrow, so don't lose any sleep over it. I wouldn't settle for not getting HDMI 1.1 at this point though, or at least 5.1 analog inputs, which you'll need for Dolby True HD.

Any of the brands mentioned will be fine.

[gsmollin]

I would vote for the Yamaha RX-V661. Check it out. It does everything you need, and has very good sonic performance, even with difficult speakers. It is performing well with my Polk Audio M70s, which were tripping a Pioneer amp. (The M70 has an input Z that dips to 2.5 Ohms at the xover.)

It also fits your budget. Call J&R for the sale price. The price on their website is MSRP, but call for a budget price and free shipping.

[pricegd2]

Icallio, what do you think of getting a refurbished denon 2807? I can get one through:
http://cgi.ebay.com/DENON-AVR-2807-R...QQcmdZViewItem

[lcaillo]

I have not heard of significant problems with that model, just make sure you understand the warranty. Most refurbs are 90 days.

[Sonnie]

The 2807 is the receiver I own... I've had good luck with all of the Denon receivers I've owned over the years. I've even purchased a refurb in the past. Dakmark is an authorized Denon refurb dealer, so you should be fine. You can actually buy it via the Shack Electronics Store from Alectrics (which is Dakmark) and save yourself 5 bucks plus possibly save about 10 bucks on shipping.