Do i really need to spend 500+ on a receiver?

Re: Do i really need to spend 500+ on a receiver?

I guess you don't need to but I'm sure those 340's would perform a little better with a $500++ receiver. Otherwise I'd look at what Denon, H/K or Marantz has to offer in your price range. AC4L.com has a new Marantz 4600 for $279. You could also look for a higher end model from a few years ago as a used or refurbished. It won't have those bells and whistles you don't want and should be closer to your price. I'm using a 3-4 year old H/K 520 with a bunch of Polk RTi's. It doesn't have the latest features of the 435 which I bought as a replacement, but I like the sound of the 520 better so I kept it with the Polks and put the 435 in a different room.

Re: Do i really need to spend 500+ on a receiver?

I'm very happy with my Yamaha RX-V630. It retailed for about $500, but I got it on closeout for $270. If you buy last seasons model, you can get a very nice receiver for under $500.

Re: Do i really need to spend 500+ on a receiver?

Under $500, I would go for the Pioneer 1016 from Amazon for $399 delivered. Over $500, my first choice would be the Denon 2807.

Re: Do i really need to spend 500+ on a receiver?

Yammie RXV-659 got mid level receiver of the year from Audioholics and it is under $500. The Pioneers have consistently left me unimpressed.

Re: Do i really need to spend 500+ on a receiver?

JG

Never the less, Consumer Reports gave the 1016 its top rating.

Happy Holidays

Re: Do i really need to spend 500+ on a receiver?

I agree with gene c that you could use a little more power. The question you need to ask yourself is what do I need this receiver to do and how good do I want it to sound? If you are happy with something that sound decent then there are a number of options under the $500 range that will work for your purpose. In most cases IMHO there is a reason why most products cost more than there less expensive counterparts. Granted there are exceptions like Bose that are not worth what they are selling for. But in most cases there are good reasons why those models and or brands charge more for there product. There are two things I believe in and that is "you get what you pay for" and in many cases "if you want to know if something is well built pick it up".


I realize that its sometimes difficult to spend more money on something and its easier to buy something cheaper. There is a good reason for spending more on a high priced model beyond more power. Higher priced models usually include better build quality, better features, more options, better performance and more flexibility.

What are your needs for this receiver? Will you use it for DVD and Satellite/Digital Cable?

Are you planning on buying HD-DVD or Blu-ray ?


While you might not use more than 5.1 right now you might want to expand to 7.1 later on. I would recommend a receiver with 100 watts per channel over a 75 watt per channel. A lot of people do not realize that once you get above a certain wattage you need a lot more to make your system a little louder. If I remember correctly its around 50 – 60 watts. At that point you really want to have a good quality amplifier section that can deliver clean power to the speakers without distorting and clipping. As that is more harmful than slightly over powering the speakers. IMHO 100 watts per channel offers enough power to produce a good sound level to reproduce any movie sound track in a average size room. A receiver with a small transformer will also not perform as well as another model with a larger transformer. That transformer is responsible for providing enough power to drive all channels. So this should be a consideration when shopping for a receiver.

Look at it this way, while you may not use every feature on a more expensive model. There is a very good chance that model will offer you a better built and better performing receiver than what’s offered in the less expensive model. Also think of it more as an investment that you will use and enjoy. I recommend brands like Harman Kardon, Denon, Pioneer, Pioneer Elite, Marantz and Yamaha. The Sony ES line is better built than the regular Sony line but is getting low reviews for there video section.

Here are some suggestions for receivers costing $500 and below.

Denon AVR-1707 7.1 CH/5.1+2 CH Independent Zone Home Theater Receiver (MSRP $449.00)

http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/3253.asp

• 75 watts x 7 channels
• 7.1 channel analog EXT input for a SACD, DVD-Audio, or discrete HD sources
• Auto setup with included microphone
• 3 x 100MHz assignable Component video inputs
• XM Radio ready (Connect and Play antenna sold separately)
• Dedicated iPod port for use with optional ASD-1R Denon iDock
• Serial IR remote ports

Pioneer VSX-1016TXV 7.1 Channel A/V Receiver Featuring 1080p HDMI® and XM®-HD with Neural® Surround (MSRP $499.00)

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/v3/pg/product/details/0,,2076_310069809_316743263_tab=B,00.html?compName =PNA_V3_ProductDetailsComponent

• 110 watts x 7 channels
• 7.1 channel analog EXT input for a SACD, DVD-Audio, or discrete HD sources
• Auto setup with included microphone
• 3 x 100MHz assignable Component video inputs
• 2 1080p HDMI Inputs
• XM Radio ready (Connect and Play antenna sold separately)

Yamaha RX-V559 6.1 Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver (MSRP $449.95)

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/p...7&CTID=5000300

• 95 watts x 6 channels
• 6.1 channel analog EXT input for a SACD, DVD-Audio, or discrete HD sources
• 3 x 100MHz assignable Component video inputs
• 2 1080p HDMI Inputs
• XM Radio ready (Connect and Play antenna sold separately)

Receivers $500 - $1500

Denon AVR-3800 7.1 CH Home Theater A/V Surround Receiver (MSRP $1299)

http://usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/623.asp

• 120 watts x 7 channels
• 8-Ch. External Analog Input Auto setup with included microphone
• 3 x 100MHz assignable Component video inputs
• 2 1080p HDMI Inputs
• XM Radio ready (Connect and Play antenna sold separately)
• Dedicated iPod port for use with optional ASD-1R Denon iDock
• Serial IR remote ports
• +12v Trigger Output – Assignable
• High-Current/Discrete Amplifiers
• RS-232 Port – Third Party Remote Controllers
• Video Conversion – Analog to HDMI

Pioneer Elite VSX-82TXS Elite^® 7.1 Channel A/V Receiver with HDMI^® and Advanced MCACC (MSRP $1200.00)

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/v3/pg/product/details/0,,2076_310069789_310985777_tab=B,00.html?compName =PNA_V3_ProductDetailsComponent

• 130 watts x 7 channels
• 8-Ch. External Analog Input
• Auto setup with included microphone
• 3 x 100MHz assignable Component video inputs
• 3 1080p HDMI Inputs
• Faroudja DCDi Scaler- 480P, 720P, 1080i

XM Radio ready (Connect and Play antenna sold separately)
I hope this helped and I would honestly research receivers and buy something that will give you plenty of flexibility for not only now but for the future. It is always better to purchase a receiver that offers more than you need in features now unless you do not mind investing in another receiver down the road, maybe in the near future. This is not about trying to talk you into something more expensive but to help you choose something that will give you the best performance and will help enhance your HT experience.

I currently own a Yamaha RX-V995 that is over 9 years old. And I am waiting for the next generation receivers to come out next year that will offer HDMI 1.3 and Dolby True HD/DTS-HD decoding. My current 995 cost around $995.00 back then and will be upgraded to a higher quality receiver next time around. I am looking at a budget of $2,000+ and $1500 being the minimum. And this is while making $10.44/hr so this is very expensive for me. I feel the mid priced receivers offer a lot of bang for the buck and have a lot to offer. Especially if you can not afford anything from companies like McIntosh or Meridian. So I have been researching this for a number of years now and I have seen what these models can really do. In 2003 and 2004 I was able to attend the CES show and saw a lot of product demonstrations. And believe me when I tell you quality matters when are spending money on electronics.



CMT-340 SE SPECIFICATIONS

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages...340mspecs.html

Typical In-Room Frequency Response 45Hz - 20kHz +/- 3dB In-Room Sensitivity 92dB @ 1 watt / 1 meter Frequency Response (Anechoic) 48Hz - 24kHz +/- 3dB Sensitivity (Anechoic) 90dB @ 1 watt/ 1 meter Average Impedance 8 ohms Minimum Recommended Power 35 watts Maximum Continous Power* 240 watts Maximum Short Term Peak Power* 400 watts Cabinet Internally Braced 5/8" MDF, Magnetically Shielded, Bass Reflex via Rear Tuned Port Dimensions H x W x D** 21" x 7.5" x 10.5" Weight (each) 26 lbs each Shipping Weight (pair) 56 lbs per pair Tweeter (1) High-definition 27mm soft dome tweeter w/damping chamber and wide roll surround, ferrfofluid damped voice coil, wide dispersion faceplate, magnetically shielded Woofer (2) proprietary 6.5” long throw polygel cone woofers w/phase plug, non-resonant polymer chassis, rubber surround, shielded Connectors (4) gold plated all metal 5 way binding posts, bi-wire ready. Inserts (1) ¼” x 20 inserts for mounting to stands

Re: Do i really need to spend 500+ on a receiver?

Hi Dave

That was a very impressive write-up. I would simply reinforce the notion that for $399 delivered from Amazon, the Pioneer 1016 is a very good deal.

Happy Holidays

Re: Do i really need to spend 500+ on a receiver?

Thank you for the compliment Arthur, very much appreciated.

And I do agree for the money the Pioneer is a great deal. Let me know how it works out for you?

Happy Holidays

Re: Do i really need to spend 500+ on a receiver?

Thanks Dave

I guess I wasn't clear. I didn't buy a Pioneer 1016, I just got a mint condition Denon 5803A, but I am still working out a few kinks, and when I am done, it should be as good as new. Already looks pretty impressive, but the owners manuals could take a month to read.

Happy Holidays

Art