Recommendation for 1st AV receiver and speakers (1 Viewer)

[road]

Hi, I need help getting an AV receiver and 5.1 speaker set. I've never bought such devices before.
My budget is no more than $400. I hope that I can get good sound within that budget.
The room is 12ftx10ft, and I have a pc and satellite box connected to the tv via hdmi. I have no preference for any particular brand, just the best sound that that money can buy, and reliable.

 

[Jason Charlton]

Hi Gerard,

$400 is a bit tight for a full system, but there are options.

The biggest challenge in choosing an all-in-one (HTiB) system is getting something that can grow and be upgraded down the road.

No HTiB is going to have great speakers - they will be lots better than TV speakers, but they will always be one of the weakest links in any system, so it's important to get a system that will allow you to replace the speakers with better models when you decide it's time.

Most "budget" HTiB's won't let you do this because they use low impedance speakers and proprietary speaker connections on a "dumbed down" receiver. In addition, these models have few (if any) inputs to support additional devices.

Better HTiB systems will be built around a "real" A/V receiver - which supports multiple devices and provides a clear upgrade path.

Systems from Onkyo, Yamaha, and Denon fall into this category.

But the systems start at around the $400 mark.

Amazon currently has a new Onkyo 5500 system for $400. (here's the Onkyo product page) It's a 7.1 system (many systems are 7.1 now) but that's OK, as any 7.1 system can be configured to run as 5.1 and you simply don't use the extra speakers. I am partial to Onkyo - they are a great value and I've never had a problem with any Onkyo product.

Building your own system by choosing speakers and a receiver will always result in a "better" system, but I don't see how that's possible with a cap of $400.

 

[road]

Thanks for that.
re HTiB... that site has a wealth of info with all the reviews. Unfortunately with my level of understanding, I usually look for articles like " top 10 HTiBs" or "best AV receivers" etc, then narrow down to the ones that fit my budget, then go to the local stores and see if they have those ones. thats the main reason for posting this thread. I'm hoping experts like you guys/girls can tell me "get xxxx because it sounds great, is reliable and fits your budget".
If 400 is too tight maybe i will get just the best av receiver for that amount, and buy the 5.1 later down the line. i have some stray speakers between me and my friends that i can just patch onto it for the time being.
what about this http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/AV-Receivers/Pioneer+Receivers/VSX-522-K
is it any good? are there any "must-have" features missing in it?

 

[schan1269]

The only "must haves" depend on what YOU need/want.
Do you need networking? (probably not since you will be directly connecting a computer)
Do you have a VCR or Wii?
Other than that it won't "matter what is missing".
The 522 is a good basic AVR, if you can look at the Onkyo 414 as well. Between the 522 and 414, those are the simplest two to use.

 

[road]

my needs
- this is the tv room, so primarily for watching movies and tv shows (like Breaking Bad!!! sorry i couldnt help it... I cant get enough of Walt)
- music is secondary. I like listening to music using headphones.
- gaming... hardly, coz I have another pc in a different room for that.
yes, as you pointed out, I have hardly any need for networking, usb connectors, bluetooth etc etc. The pc will do all that.
yes i have a vcr, but i have a capture card on the pc which will do all my recordings. playback of old vhs??? thats one of my long term projects to digitise all the important ones.
no, i dont have any gaming consoles.

 

[schan1269]

Then you won't miss anything with the 522.
The only thing you "might" want, but even for you it is a short-lived benefit, would be an AVR with "HDMI upconversion"...(so you could hook the VCR to the AVR, then its video is sent along the HDMI to the TV)
But most AVR than include that are twice the price of the 522.

 

[road]

So an avr like Pioneer VSX522K... what about speakers, what would be your recommendation for the cheapest 5.1 speakers that would give decent movie sound?
if i go the route of a HTiB, how are these
- Yamaha HTB-3728? strange the website doesnt give any info http://my.yamaha.com/en/products/audio-visual/hometheater-systems/home-theater-package/home_theatre_in_a_box/htb-3728/?mode=model the speakers look tiny. does that mean bad sound?
- Denon DHT-1312XP http://www.denon.com.my/product_info.php?products_id=246

 

[schan1269]

Being where you are, we have no idea what you have access to(or at least those of us in the US).
In general, the "tinier the speaker, the poorer the performance"...
But here is where you can get away with busting your budget, a tad...
If you buy good speakers now...you won't need speakers next time you need an AVR. Or the next, or the next time. Meaning this pair of speakers, if you do your research, will make it through your next 5 AVR.
The "technological leap" in AVR occurs every 4-7 years. So, at worst...you'll have this 522 4 years. If it continues to "meet your goals" after 4 years...good.
Your speakers, if done right, you'll be passing them on to your kids someday.
Buy the speakers wisely.

 

[schan1269]

A good speaker, as a baseline idea, to look for are these...available in Malaysia...I have no idea. But I have heard of them be available to Aus/NZ/Phi.
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-America-DV62si-Bookshelf-Speakers/dp/B00006JPDI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1349460516&sr=1-1&keywords=dv62
I mention those a bunch, for two reasons...
The "everyday" $105-$115 price on Amazon is tough to beat by anything else.
I own the prior version called the V series(the V were "brick and mortar store" back in the 80/90s. BIC "punted" and retreated to "online sales" when the "internet took off" and "re-named" the V series the DV sereies...although the differences are bigger than that)

 

[road]

presuming they are available here... so I need 4 of those. what about the centre and subwoofer? what are the baselines?

 

[schan1269]

By "baseline"...I meant a speaker "the same size" be it Jamo, Energy, Mordaunt Short etc.
You want "something" with at least a 5.5" woofer...
The center for the DV62 is the DV62CLRS. BIC also makes the "best cheap subs"...but again, you are in Malaysia...

 

[schan1269]

Is it easy to ship stuff from India? There was a store linked once that had lots of stuff avail. But...international shipping that doesn't involve the US is nothing I know about.
In a nutshell, it is easier for you to tell us what you have access to. By using the prior guideline...it is easier to find stuff like it, then get recommendations.

 

[road]

our online stores are not good.
just backtracking to AVRs, if you had a choice of these 3, which would you choose
- Onkyo TXSR313 http://www.eu.onkyo.com/en/products/tx-sr313-75901.html
- Pioneer VSX522K http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/AV-Receivers/Pioneer+Receivers/VSX-522-K
- Denon AVR-1513 http://usa.denon.com/us/Product/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?CatId=avreceivers(denonna)&PId=avr1513(denonna)

 

[schan1269]

It comes down to which one does what you want...
Do you have an Ipod or flash drives you use for music?
Yes, pick the Onkyo or Pioneer.
The Denon has "Pure Analog Path", so if you listen to much 2.0 music, you'll like it(the 313 "might" have that as well, it would be called Pure Direct)
The Pioneer has "HDMI passthrough in standby + switch". I bet the other two have standby pass-through, but I doubt both the Denon and Onkyo can switch in standby.
Essentially...(if you have to print them out)...
Read the spec sheets(ignore power output as it is essentially meaningless) and read the manuals.
From "ease of use" the Onkyo will be the easiest. The Pioneer next...the Denon "hardest"(it doesn't do a whole lot, so I can't imagine it would be too tough...but certainly not as easy as the other two).
Essentially "fresh from the box" and hooked up, most people can get "stuff to work" on an Onkyo before they have to read the manual...
It is still advisable to READ THE MANUAL anyway...but at least with an Onkyo, you can be listening to something while reading.

 

[road]

how much difference between an old model and new one, for example pioneer 521 vs 522?

 

[schan1269]

Download the manuals...other than the 522 "has more power"(which I doubt in 5 channel mode that it really does)...
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/AV-Receivers/Pioneer+Receivers/VSX-521-K
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/AV-Receivers/Pioneer+Receivers/VSX-522-K