Idea's and input

Hello, new to the site. Wish all a great holiday season !

My dilemma is this I am itching to buy a new AV receiver. Do I really need one not really but would like one. I am currently running a Marantz SR4400 with aperion audio speakers (Fronts, Rear, Center and Sub), Toshiba hd dvd player, 46' Sony(1080i) TV. The problem is that all the new receivers have HDMI inputs and mine does not. I am currently running the HDMI direct to the tv and using a digital optic for the sound ( I think thats what its called its the cable with the red light in it) to the receiver. To me the sound is outstanding either watching a movie or playing music. Is it really worth the upgrade ? Will I gain anything by this ?

The second part of the question is if it really is worth the upgrade who do I go with. I have been reading conflicting reports all over the internet but 4 names come up over and over Yamaha, Marantz/Denon, Onkyo. I had a Denon a while back and was not impressed with it and the setup was a pain. I had a Onkyo 5.1 receiver years ago and it was a nice piece( I could have liked it cause it was free) My buddy has a Onkyo not sure what model but says it was either the best or 2nd best in the line ( not a integra ) I don't like it at all. Could be his speakers he is running jamo satellite system. Yamaha's are to bright ( tinging to me ) but heard it on cheap speakers. I love my Marantz but heard and read they are not reliable units. I think I answered this my self and might just stick with marantz but I would like other input from others so I can check out other models before I buy.

I know this is a long post and I thank you for taking the time to read it and if you respond I would like to thanks you in advance

Re: Idea's and input

First off, how much do you want to spend? Are you looking for hdmi 1.3a and DDTrueHd/DTS-ma support? Are sound quality, features, customer service and reliability more important or are you willing to put up with some "issues" in order to save a buck.

As for which receiver is better than the others, it depends on who you ask. There are things you hear about certain brands like;

Onkyo: great bang for the buck but some of them tend to run a little hot and their customer service seems to be poorer then most.

Harman Kardon: really good receivers with maybe the best amp section for avr's in their price range. Quality control has been less than stellar the last few years but their customer service is pretty good:

Yamaha: lots of features and a good price but a weaker amp section in their lower end models (though good enough for most) and bass management that's not as flexible as the others.

Pioneer/Elite: low end models very light-weight. Decent features on 1018 and Elite models but Elite's not what they used to be except for the higher priced models (IMO).

Marantz: Excellent sounding avr but priced a bit higher than the others and usually a step behind in implementing the latest features. And I haven't heard many complaints about their quality control.

Denon: very good quality and performance but hard for some to setup (even with Audyssey) and sub-par remote controls.

But again, these are generalizations and someone else could have a completely different opinion on all of them. Bottom line; there is no perfect receiver. But a whole bunch of really good one's. P.S. I'd go with Marantz if you can afford them. But again, just my opinion.

Re: Idea's and input

I definitely want ddttrueHD/Dts-ma support and I think it would be a good idea hdmi 1.3a. Sound quality is firat off the most important. As far as issues to deal with, well in my opinion you get that in anything you buy. As for price I would like to stay around the $500-$600 dollar range.

Re: Idea's and input

Perhaps an H/K 354, Onkyo 606/706/806 (watch for sales), Denon 1909, Pioneer Elite 91txh or Yamaha 663. Also consider Onkyo's 805 from last year. Apparently it has a better amp section than this years 806 and Burr-Brown dacs which the 806 doesn't have. But it is also known to run a little hot so it needs a lot of ventilation.

I don't think you can find a Marantz with TrueHd and Master Audio for that price.