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Getting there but need some help

#1
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11/8/09 at 6:55am
  • Joined: October 2009
  • Post Count: 3
I'm starting almost from scratch in a 13' w x 15' d room with a 10' window right behind the seating, so I'm going with a 52" matte screen, probably Sony or LG.  Front, rear and center speakers are taken care of for the time being, but I need a new receiver and a subwoofer. 

Want to spend about $200 for the sub and I'm open to suggestions.  The Speaker Company has 20% off on what appears to be a decent 10".

The receiver is the big question, as technology is moving quickly yet there are some great deals on refurbished stuff from a year or two ago.  with no more than 12" behind the back seating I don't need 7.1 but that's what most receivers are nowadays.  If that's the way I go, I'll just wire it for 5.1.

I can buy a Marantz Sr6001 refurbished for $365 delivered and it originally sold for around $1K!  The Harman Kardon AVR 345 is also a refurb with a warranty in the same price range, as is the current model Onkyo HT-RC160.

Too much research is giving me brain freeze so please help me out choosing current technology with a lower discount and power or something a year or two old?

Also, do I really need Blu-Ray right now?  My 2 year-old DVD works just fine.

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#2
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11/8/09 at 3:19pm
  • Joined: August 2003
  • Location: SF Bay Area
  • Post Count: 2,329

Quote:
I can buy a Marantz Sr6001 refurbished for $365 delivered and it originally sold for around $1K!  The Harman Kardon AVR 345 is also a refurb with a warranty in the same price range, as is the current model Onkyo HT-RC160.


 



If you do decide to go with a BR player then that Marantz wouldn't be the best chioce. It isn't hdmi 1.3 so it won't decode the new HD audio formats. There isn't an H/K 345. Did you mean 354 or 347. The 354 would work, the 347 wouldn't.

As for what features to look for in an avr, hdmi 1.3 is first on the list along with some form of auto setup program. Audyssey, found on most Denon and Onkyo receivers, is the most preffered around here but most Pioneer, Yamaha, and H/K receivers come with their own version. 

Quote:
Also, do I really need Blu-Ray right now?  My 2 year-old DVD works just fine.
 


A BluRay player is a significant up-grade in picture and sound from a regular dvd player. You certainly don't need one but if you get an HD display it will allow you to take advantage of it's higher resolution capabilities.
"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...
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#3
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11/9/09 at 9:48am
  • Joined: October 2009
  • Post Count: 3
Thanks for your response.  The hdmi 1.3 info was particularly helpful.
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