Advice On New AV Receiver (1 Viewer)

[ColColt]

The bottom line to this question is I may be getting an up to date AV receiver and need some advice. It will replace my 12 year old Yamaha HTR-5560 that has given superb service and performance.

I'm a soon to be 68 year old dinosaur that doesn't have nor care about Androids, ipods, iphones, ipads or smart phones so being able to connect to a receiver with those devises are not a necessity but, if they're there, c'est la vie...doesn't matter one way or the other.

My current speaker setup I'll keep. A pair of Klipsch Heresy's for the main speakers, the rest are Polk Audio for the center channel and rear surround sound plus a 12 inch subwoofer. So, I'm looking at the Denon E-400 and the Yamaha RX-V475. Which would be the better sound and all around better receiver for hooking up a BD player, maybe an additional DVD player? I'd like to be able to hook in a VCR as I still have, like most folks, an extensive VHS library as well as quite a few standard DVD's. Upconverting would be a nice feature in the receiver to perhaps give a little better quality with older DVD's.

Thanks

 

[schan1269]

The Denon E400 has "HDMI upconversion"(that is the feature where analog..composite or component, is handed off to the HDMI to the TV).

To get that in a Yamaha requires one starting with a 6...675, 673...
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-V673-7-2-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B007JF85WE/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1388720412&sr=1-1&keywords=rx-v673

 

[ColColt]

That'll work. I noticed it has two connections for the subwoofer...haven't seen that before.

 

[schan1269]

Not that I want to dissuade you from a "new" AVR, but...

If you want simple(without all the crap you won't need/use)...buy an older AVR...such as...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ONKYO-TX-SR606-7-1-Channel-A-V-Surround-Receiver-/251414150969?pt=Receivers_Tuners&hash=item3a89737f39

For $220(with the shipping), it has everything you need...

HDMI upconversion
Multiple HDMI
Good remote(it can be programmed to run your whole theatre)

But...
Won't have "HDMI passthrough in stanby"(as that wasn't developed yet)
Used (there is the $48 squaretrade)

 

[schan1269]

That'll work. I noticed it has two connections for the subwoofer...haven't seen that before.

Ignore that...unless you get a 2nd subwoofer.

 

[ColColt]

One thing I won't buy used is electronics. I'll buy used cars, guns or camera lens but skiddish about used electronics. I've got plenty of money so, no problem.

 

[schan1269]

It all depends if you want to spend $400-$500 on new...or

Under $300(easily) for a used AVR (there are more to choose from than that one)

OR a refurb...(only listing if they have HDMI upconversion)
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/ONKTXNR515/Onkyo-TX-NR515-7.2-Channel-Network-A/V-Receiver/1.html
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVR1913/DENON-AVR-1913-7.1ch-Home-Theater-Receiver-w/AirPlay-3D-ready/1.html
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/YAMRXV671BL/YAMAHA-RX-V671-7.1-Channel-Network-AV-Receiver/1.html
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/DENAVRE400/DENON-AVR-E400-7.1-4K-3D-Networking-Receiver-Airplay/1.html

 

[schan1269]

One thing I won't buy used is electronics. I'll buy used cars, guns or camera lens but skiddish about used electronics. I've got plenty of money so, no problem.

You are the opposite of me on a camera lens. Used lenses scare me(yeah you can get your money back on Ebay if they lied...but still).

I won't bat an eye at a used DVD/BD player. Nor will I bat an eye at an AVR...if the prices are right. (of course I buy/sell used AV equipment as part of my living)

 

[schan1269]

Not that I want to tread "used" again. But I will for this one. And only this one.

Watch this to see if the price stays under $175, including the shipping. It is right up your alley...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Denon-Avr-591-/261366124723?pt=Receivers_Tuners&hash=item3cdaa290b3

Glow in the dark remote (don't think the E400 does)
HDMI upconversion
Simple rear design.

 

[ColColt]

I wish he had taken some pics of the back of that 591. Used lens an be as good as new. It depends on where you get them. I wouldn't touch one on ebay. I've had superb luck in the past at KEH Camera Brokers out of Atlanta. They rate them Good, EX, EX+, LN or New. The EX+ lens I've bought looked and operated as new and you couldn't tell the difference had they come in a box. I used a 90mm f2.5 lens for my Pentax 6x7 for years and used it to do half a dozen weddings with zero problems.

I'm taking my dog to bed and will chew on this tonight.

 

[schan1269]

Still on Denon's website...

http://usa.denon.com/us/Product/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?PCatId=AVSolutions(DenonNA)&CatId=AVReceivers(DenonNA)&Pid=AVR591(DenonNA)

 

[ColColt]

Nice looking receiver. I noticed it has component(IN) connections but no component out. The video inputs must be upconverted to HDMI. My old receiver has in and out for component connections. The power output rating is not quite as high as the Yamaha at 75 wpc. That must be an older receiver as I couldn't find it listed anywhere other than used.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Forget the power output ratings, they all lie about that, only some of the Marantz receivers guarantee 70% of the rated output, i own a Yamaha and can recommend them, i actually chose between a Marantz and Yamaha, both were great, if you can afford it i would recommend one of the Yamaha receivers from the Aventage range.

At the very least try and match your front three speakers, get yourself the best center speaker you can afford, it along with the subwoofer are the most important speakers, you can get away with different surround speakers but once again matching them with the fronts is a good idea, if you have the room then consider going 7.1 as i think it does sound great with 7.1 encoded films.

For any new AV Receiver you have to ask yourself what you will need both now and in the future, for example do you plan on watching any 3D content or does future 4K formats and displays interest you, if so you will want a receiver that has 4K pass through at the very least, one of those will also have HDMI 1.4 and be able to pass 3D signals, if you don't need either of those then try searching for older receivers, i have a Yamaha Aventage 1010, it's a few years old, worth buying, it gives great sound quality, you may find it somewhere going for a cheap price.

Be aware YPAO only works with the subwoofer down to around 62.5hz with the 1010 model and models below that, i believe the top of the range models 1030, 2030 and 3030 work all the way down to 20hz with YPAO, if you buy a receiver with Audyssey XT32 they will work better for subwoofer bass management over the full range, i personally didn't need it because i have a Velodyne SMS-1 for bass management duties.

Consider your purchases carefully because if you are anything like me you will want them to last many years before buying anything else, speakers can last a lifetime so make sure you get ones you know are good for your room.

 

[schan1269]

Yes the 591 has HDMI upconversion. You need that for the VCR.It would be the only used AVR I would consider, for you.Everything else, used, is going to be newer(and get close to the cost of the refurb E400).

 

[ColColt]

I'm not sure I'd know how to match the speakers. The Klipsch speakers I bought back around 1982 or so were bought as part of a new audio system. The Polk center channel speaker (CS400i) was purchased in 2002 along with the subwoofer(PSW450), rear surround Polk speakers and Yamaha AVR when I decided to enter the home entertainment realm. The surround sound Polk speakers have a bipole/dipole selector switch. I've forgotten what that was for but it's set on dipole. I've been pretty happy listening to movies such as Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor and Tombstone from some years back as the DTS sound via the Yamaha has, for my aged ears, been superb.

I'm sort of leaning toward the Yamaha RX-V475 or V673 but not 100%.

 

[FoxyMulder]

I'm not sure I'd know how to match the speakers. The Klipsch speakers I bought back around 1982 or so were bought as part of a new audio system. The Polk center channel speaker (CS400i) was purchased in 2002 along with the subwoofer(PSW450), rear surround Polk speakers and Yamaha AVR when I decided to enter the home entertainment realm. The surround sound Polk speakers have a bipole/dipole selector switch. I've forgotten what that was for but it's set on dipole. I've been pretty happy listening to movies such as Private Ryan, Pearl Harbor and Tombstone from some years back as the DTS sound via the Yamaha has, for my aged ears, been superb.

I'm sort of leaning toward the Yamaha RX-V475 or V673 but not 100%.

You could try purchasing some Polk left and right speakers to match your center and surrounds, the others here can help direct you to the required ones, don't go for the V475, if you have made your mind up between those two then go for the V673 instead.

 

[schan1269]

If you want "easy integration of the VCR", you need the 673(or 671 if you can find one...675 is the newest).

Ignore any Yamaha starting 3, 4 or 5.

I'm sorta in the same boat as FM. You "could" switch up your fronts to Polk...or switch out to Klipsch.

But...it is your ears...and what your ears hear. Having Klipsch with a di-pole surround speaker is "opposite approach" to home theater 101.

By opposite approach...

Klipsch is horn. Horn is meant to tighten the "sound beam"(lack of easier explanation) to focus it to your seat.

A di-pole creates a diffuse dead zone. In other words...the exact opposite of a "sound beam".

But again, you like how it sounds. Maybe you have "some weird name for it" hearing issue where stuff from "over there"(meaning the Klipsch) needs to be clearer and explosions(the rear channel) would create a situation where you would have "hearing it" issues(yes this is a real possibility...).

 

[schan1269]

By the way. I'm in my 40s. I grew up with Quadraphonic and building Heathkit(I'm the youngest child...2nd marriage...and my father is also youngest of his siblings, my mothers parents were in their 40s when she was born).

I grew up with stuff from a decade before I should even have known about it. Plus it helped I grew up "hippie and free love*"...

We were still rocking the BeeGees and Village People in the 80s. For me, YMCA never went away...

I'm surprised(like my doctor is) that I still have perfect hearing.

*It helped my oldest two brothers were star track members in high school. Grease made track "cool". Girls into track were even cooler...

 

[ColColt]

I didn't mention the subwoofer hookup I did many years back and don't know if it would be good for a newer AVR receiver. Polk had recommend instead of the conventional single cable AVR to subwoofer connection to rather hook the left and right front channel speakers to one side of the dual speaker connections on the subwoofer and then back from the sub to the AVR. Would that connection still be alright for a new AVR? Hope that made sense.

Sam-BTW, it's the Polk surround sound rear speakers that have the bipole/dipole switch, not the front Klipsch speakers.

I have tinnitus and have had it since 1974 so, some high frequencies are gone. Not much can be done about it I understand. I hear crickets all the time.

"For me, YMCA never went away..."

? The YMCA has always been around.

 

[schan1269]

I didn't mention the subwoofer hookup I did many years back and don't know if it would be good for a newer AVR receiver. Polk had recommend instead of the conventional single cable AVR to subwoofer connection to rather hook the left and right front channel speakers to one side of the dual speaker connections on the subwoofer and then back from the sub to the AVR. Would that connection still be alright for a new AVR? Hope that made sense.

Sam-BTW, it's the Polk surround sound rear speakers that have the bipole/dipole switch, not the front Klipsch speakers.

No that explanation doesn't make sense.

I know the Polk surrounds are the di-pole...which is why I said the "surrounds create a diffuse dead zone".

However you connected your subwoofer before is irrelevant to how you'll do it now. Modern AVR have bass management duties. It arranges the sound and the speakers, essentially, just do what they are told.