Denon 845-No Sound: 3 New Reciever Ideas

My Denon just took a crap, the picture is fine but there is no sound.  I was listening to NFL Network at a low level and heard a pop then it goes into protect mode.  After this happened a couple times the sound completely went out from all sources.  I opened it up to see if anything would jump out at me and all looks good.  Any ideas as to what the problem might be? My debate now is do I get it repaired or not. I want to sell it in order to buy a new receiver because I just upgraded to the LSi's and a Samsung tv. I will call Denon to see if it makes sense to repair it.
 

My biggest question.  I would like your opinions/experiences with these three receivers.  I'm also open to other ideas. 

Thanks,
 

Denon  AVR3310CI

http://www.usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/4972.asp
 

Onkyo  TX-NR807

http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=TX-NR807&class=Receiver&p=i
 

Yamaha  RX-V2065BL

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=5041060&CTID=5000300

 

I'm pretty sure I've ruled out the Denon because of price vs. feature.  I would also like to try something different. 

So here are my thoughts on the Onkyo and Yamaha based off of research.


1)  Despite Onkyo's 135 watt rating, some are saying it's not as powerful as they hoped.  Not good if they are running the LSi's.

2)  Audysee EQ does a better job than the yamaha version of auto eq

3)  Yamaha's auto eq allows the user to adjust the settings after wards

4) Yamaha is easier to use and the Onkyo manual is not all that great

5)  Spoke with someone that preferred an older Yamaha over the older Onkyo when he test both on his LSi's.  Said it was cleaner.


I'm leaning towards the Yamaha right now mostly due to power and clean power at that(based on word of mouth). 

I could really use some your opinions as it seems there is a good deal of knowledge on this forum. 

Thanks,

A better comparison to the 2065 would be the Onkyo 876 which can be had from authorized dealers for around $1000. It has a much better amp section than the 807. Others here have used the 805 with LSi's without issue.

Audyssey does seem to be the thing to have at the moment. Not sure how YAPO stacks up but I doubt it would be better.

As for which is easier to use, all new receivers are confusing at first but become easier to use with experience. A good universal remote with activity buttons will help in that area.

I'd download both manuals to see if anything jumps out at you.
 
If it were me, I'd go with the 876 but I haven't researched the 2065 very much.

I agree with Gene, and would go with the Onkyo 876. I have the Onkyo 805, and run LSi9 mains and an LSiC center just fine. When setting up the Onkyo for the first time, there's an option to set it for 4 ohm speakers. Use that setting, since LSi speakers are 4 ohm. One big consideration with the Onkyo..........don't close it in, in an entertainment center. Use it on a stand or top of a rack, so it can breathe. As long as it can get some air circulation, the heat problems you'll hear about, isn't a problem. It hasn't been with me anyway.

The Audyssey is wonderful. You can make changes after running it, if you need to. It tends to set speakers to Full Band (same as Large on other receivers), so I changed that when it finished, because I use a subwoofer. The other settings that Audyssey made were spot on. I didn't have to change another thing.

I had a Yamaha HTR-5940 (I think that was the model number) 6.1 receiver, before my Onkyo. I think the Onkyo is much easier to use. The Yamaha I had didn't have OSD, so doing the setup, or making changes to settings was more trouble, because of having to see everything in the receiver's small display window. I didn't like that at all! I also didn't like the amber color of the receiver's display, but I hear the new ones don't use the amber now. Once setup, the Yamaha was very nice. It sounded good, and I never had any problems with it. I had it about a year. I sold it to my wife's brother-in-law, and he likes it a lot.

I also like Denon receivers, but despise their remotes. A Denon, with the same features as the Onkyo or Yamaha, will cost a good bit more. My experience with my Onkyo tells me the Denon isn't worth the price difference.
Good luck with whatever you decide on.

BTW.............
If you get a receiver that doesn't have the option to setup for 4 ohm, make sure it has pre-outs, in case you end up having to add an external amp, to drive the LSi's.........
Using 4 ohm speakers with an 8 ohm receiver, can cause it to run hot, and go into protect mode & shut down. Especially if you like to listen at loud volumes. That's why people suggest using an external amp, to take the load off the receiver.

Another vote for the Onkyo.  I have the 876 and love it.  I can't imagine that it wouldn't be able to drive your speakers as loud as you could possibly want unless your HT is in an outdoor arena.  I've owned Denon and B&K in the past, and this more than stacks up to both.  I have a Yamaha two zone amp, but haven't used one of their receivers to compare. 

Thanks for the help guys.  With your input and more research, I've decided to get the Onkyo 1007. 

I have to buy new because I'm using a rewards card through my work. Otherwise, I would think about the 876.