- Joined: August 2003
- Location: SF Bay Area
- Post Count: 2,340
First: The biggest advantages to HDMI are only having to run one wire to your display so you don't have to change it's input each time you change source components (which your Harmony would do for you anyway, and running the new BluRay sound formats, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio, thru HDMI is the better way than 7.1 channel analog inputs. This is because most receivers only act as a volume control thru the 7.1's. No automatic eq, no bass and treble controls, no bass management. Your Sony BR probably has at least limited BM but it's still better when the avr does it. IMO audio quality without HDMI is limited a little bit, sometimes. But not a great deal. Both my receivers are non HDMI.
Second: $500-1500 is a big range. That covers entry level to all but the very high-end of most brands. Most around here are now favoring Denon and Onkyo because they include Audyssey Room Correction, but any major brand would have many excellent models for you to choose from. Many of us avoid Sony's, but the ES series seems to be O.K.
I'd consider the Onkyo 876, Denon 3310, Yamaha 1900, H/K 354 or 7550, Pioneer Elite SC-25 and Marantz 7002. On the low side of the range, the Onkyo 607/707, Denon 790, Yamaha 565/665, H/K 1600/254 or Pioneer 1019, Marantz 5003/5004. Over-all, the Onkyo 876. But I'd take just about any of them.
"Everyday room": Mitsubishi 52631 RPTV, H/K 520, H/K dvd-5, H/K 8380, H/K CDR 20, OPPO BDP-83 BluRay player, Dish-HD, Infinity Beta 20's-C250-OWS1's, Dayton HSU10.
"Movie/Music room": Toshiba 65HM167 RPTV, Pioneer Elite 59txi, Elite DV59avi, Elite CD-59, Pioneer PD-51FD BR, Dish-DVR, Swan Diva...
