Need help in deciding which Receiver to get (1 Viewer)

[COOLJAY]

Currently using an an antiquated 10 plus year old Denon receiver which has served me well to date but i believe it is time for me to upgrade. Below is what i am looking for in a receiver

1. Wi-Fi Capabilities - need to know the plus and minus points for this feature. what is it mainly used for etc.

2. My TV sound is horrible so i play all my audio via the receiver. Currently i have a HDMI cord connecting the cable box to the TV and i have a optical cable connecting the cable box to the receiver for sound. The sound that i get is dolby 5.1 which is fine, but is this the best way to connect? i thought that in the newer receivers the HDMI cable gets connected to the receiver and then the TV. I am lost all i need is the best sound to come out of my receiver. My TV is a Panasonic plasma 65" about 7 years old. i am happy with the picture and don't see the need to upgrade as yet unless someone provides a good reason to do so.

3. Since i watch a lot of on line content i connect the computer to the TV via a HDMI cable and since my TV sound is horrible i connect the TV to the receiver via a cable, i forget the kind of cable i believe it is a RCA but not sure. The sound that i get from the receiver is prologic II and not Dolby 5.1. I am sure that the newer receivers can get the 5.1 audio but don't know. i need the sound quality to be better than what i currently get HELP!!

4. Ports for connecting ipod/iphone/ipad etc.

5. Airplay - need info on this. i think this is to play music wirelessly from the iphone/ipod etc but not sure
.
6. Looking for any other suggestions as far as what other ports, does the receiver have to be compatible with 4k etc, what processors should the receiver have etc. i want a receiver which will suffice for at least 3 to 4 years as far as technology is concerned and not become obsolete in a year or so.

7. I currently have a wired 5.1 setup and am fine with it.

Thank you all in advance

 

[gadgtfreek]

I still prefer Denon and Marantz, and if possible get a model with Audyssey XT32. It does a real good job of auto eq if you follow the instructions.

Also love the airplay function on my Marantz, it works well.

People still love Yamaha too, but I have never owned one and unsure about their auto eq.

 

[COOLJAY]

I still prefer Denon and Marantz, and if possible get a model with Audyssey XT32. It does a real good job of auto eq if you follow the instructions.

Also love the airplay function on my Marantz, it works well.

People still love Yamaha too, but I have never owned one and unsure about their auto eq.

Since i am a newbie what does the Audyssey XT32 do or mean?
Any recommendations for which receiver make and model to buy?

 

[gadgtfreek]

XT32 is on on board auto room eq, comes with a mic and you move it around in a small area around your main listening seat, and it eq's the room for sound quality. It does pretty well on its on, and XT32 is the best version.

This seems to be the lowest model with XT32 and sub eq (it even eq's dual subs, that is what I run)

Denon AVR-X3300W 7.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD A/V Receiver with Built-In Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

• 7.2 Channel a/V receiver with 105W per Channel (8 ohms, 20 Hz20 kHz, 0.08% THD)
• 3D and 4K Ultra HD/60hz full rate pass-through with HDR, bt.2020, 4:4:4 pure Color support; 8 HDMI inputs (incl. 1 front) and 2 outputs (main/Zone2) with full HCDP 2.2 support. 4K/60hz Up-Scaling
• Built-in Bluetooth) and Wi-Fi. Streaming content; airplay, vTuner internet radio, Pandora, SiriusXM, Spotify connect, DLNA. Dsd, FLAC, ALAC, and AIFF high resolution Audio streaming
• Dolby Atmos (up to 5.1.2), DTS:x ready (via firmware update). audyssey multeq Xt32, sub EQ ht, lfc (low frequency containment) with dynamic volume and dynamic EQ
• Free remote app for iOS, Android and kindle fire. Heos wireless multi-room control with the HEOS Link (sold separately). eco mode

MultEQ XT32, Sub EQ HT, Dynamic EQ, Dynamic Volume

It runs $999 though... The current models will also get an update for Dolby Vision in early 2018.

 

[COOLJAY]

XT32 is on on board auto room eq, comes with a mic and you move it around in a small area around your main listening seat, and it eq's the room for sound quality. It does pretty well on its on, and XT32 is the best version.

This seems to be the lowest model with XT32 and sub eq (it even eq's dual subs, that is what I run)

Denon AVR-X3300W 7.2 Channel Full 4K Ultra HD A/V Receiver with Built-In Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

• 
  
  
  • 7.2 Channel a/V receiver with 105W per Channel (8 ohms, 20 Hz20 kHz, 0.08% THD)
  • 3D and 4K Ultra HD/60hz full rate pass-through with HDR, bt.2020, 4:4:4 pure Color support; 8 HDMI inputs (incl. 1 front) and 2 outputs (main/Zone2) with full HCDP 2.2 support. 4K/60hz Up-Scaling
  • Built-in Bluetooth) and Wi-Fi. Streaming content; airplay, vTuner internet radio, Pandora, SiriusXM, Spotify connect, DLNA. Dsd, FLAC, ALAC, and AIFF high resolution Audio streaming
  • Dolby Atmos (up to 5.1.2), DTS:x ready (via firmware update). audyssey multeq Xt32, sub EQ ht, lfc (low frequency containment) with dynamic volume and dynamic EQ
  • Free remote app for iOS, Android and kindle fire. Heos wireless multi-room control with the HEOS Link (sold separately). eco mode

MultEQ XT32, Sub EQ HT, Dynamic EQ, Dynamic Volume

It runs $999 though... The current models will also get an update for Dolby Vision in early 2018.

I am not an audiophile don't you think this is more than what i require? Currently i have a 5.1 system and am happy with it. So the first question i have is will the new receiver give me better sound quality than my old 10 plus year old Denon?

 

[Citizen87645]

The X3300W is probably overkill, since even mid-level enthusiasts don't seem that interested in sub EQ. FWIW, many have recommended Accessories4Less to buy their receivers and a refurb X3300 is $650 there: http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...05-watts-networking-a/v-receiver/1.html#!more

Specifying a budget would also help others recommend a specific model.

 

[gadgtfreek]

1) Budget would be helpful
2) As far as audyssey goes, the lower models still have XT, which works well. Audiophile really has nothing to do with it IMO, its simply eq'ing your room which is important from my experience, especially since you have 5.1.
3) Not sure where the "fact" is in the comment that mid level enthusiasts do not care about Sub EQ, because I totally disagree. I've owned D&M and Onkyo products with 2EQ, MultiEq, and XT32, and XT32 by far has the best resulting sound. I've also compared XT32 on vs off with REW, and the results are there.

Onkyo dropped Audyssey and there in house version sucks, Yamaha requires you to spend a lot of money to get a good version of YPAO.

Depending on budget you may look at the 2300 or 1300 Denon. The $2300 is $799 and the $1300 is $599. As far as sound over the 10 year old model everyone hears differently, but if anything you will have a good room EQ.

 

[Citizen87645]

I didn't mean to present it as "fact," hence my use of "seems" (i.e. my observation). I also wasn't saying it's not a good idea, just that in my observations, people aren't willing to spend the extra money to have it.

Personally I have EQ'ed my sub with a Feedback Destroyer, but that seems beyond most people's ambitions. When I attended a presentation by SVS on their (pre-Audyssey) sub EQ appliance at an HTF meet, I asked the people in the room if they EQ'ed their subs and I think I was the only one who had bothered with it. Audyssey makes things easier than the DIY Feedback Destroyer route, but if you want it done well (like XT32), then you are paying a premium for it and users like the OP ultimately have other priorities.

 

[COOLJAY]

1) Budget would be helpful
2) As far as audyssey goes, the lower models still have XT, which works well. Audiophile really has nothing to do with it IMO, its simply eq'ing your room which is important from my experience, especially since you have 5.1.
3) Not sure where the "fact" is in the comment that mid level enthusiasts do not care about Sub EQ, because I totally disagree. I've owned D&M and Onkyo products with 2EQ, MultiEq, and XT32, and XT32 by far has the best resulting sound. I've also compared XT32 on vs off with REW, and the results are there.

Onkyo dropped Audyssey and there in house version sucks, Yamaha requires you to spend a lot of money to get a good version of YPAO.

Depending on budget you may look at the 2300 or 1300 Denon. The $2300 is $799 and the $1300 is $599. As far as sound over the 10 year old model everyone hears differently, but if anything you will have a good room EQ.

Budget is around $400 and i have never used EQ

 

[Citizen87645]

If you are open to refurb, then you can get a Denon S920W for $350.
http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...-ch-x-90-watts-networking-a/v-receiver/1.html

Brand new, it looks like you'd be limited to the Denon S510 for under $280 on Amazon, because even the next model up, the S720, is $480.

In regards to your original questions:

1. Depends on the model, but WiFi would generally allow your receiver to reside on your home wireless network to allow you to operate it via a mobile app, stream music to it from your mobile device (e.g. using Airplay), or just get firmware updates.

2. Ideally, you would connect your cable box (or any other source) to the receiver as one of the inputs and then the receiver to the TV for video output (audio output of course goes to your speakers). So the receiver becomes the central hub for all your video and audio sources, and the TV is simply your monitor. Your final set up should ultimately just have one HDMI cable running to the TV, sending video only.

3. Your computer would also connect to the receiver first via HDMI. Whether you get ProLogic or DD5.1 will depend on what you're streaming and what it's encoded with, but there could also be a setting change on the computer needed to have the proper signal sent to the receiver.

4. Are you looking to output audio, video, or both from your iOS device?

5. See answer #1.

6. Receivers don't reach obsolescence very quickly compared to other tech. I would expect anything you buy now that's current would keep you happy for several years, especially if you're not interested in 4K or more than 5.1 audio.