How long should a "budget" receiver last me? (1 Viewer)

[Jonathan:H]

I'm thinking about get a receiver... around $300-400. I'm just wondering how long should i expect this receiver to last me. I mean, a more expensive receiver won't last any longer than a budget one right? It'll just be better for larger speakers and a bigger room.

So far I'm looking at the H/K 230 or maybe the pioneer 912K... does anyone know how these sound? bright, warm, or neutral? Thanks!

 

[John Garcia]

My first budget receiver, a Sony DE815, is still giving someone else entertainment, after ~8 years. Unless there is something wrong with them, I'd expect even typical cheap receiver to last a very long time.

 

[Yogi]

Longer than your desire to upgrade.

My first Sony DPL receiver is almost 6 yrs old and still rocks even though its sitting in the basement collecting dust as of right now since I have upgraded.

 

[Bill Will]

The Pioneer is on the "Bright" side & the HK is on the "Warmer" side. I would go with the HK over the Pioneer. As with most other electronic products the higher the price the better the build quality is & they will last longer but we all know of those cheap 13" & 19" tv's that you just can't seem to kill & expensive Sony XBR sets that have been nothing but trouble & I think receivers are the same way. I have an old Cheap Technics Stereo receiver that is still going strong after 15 years & I also have believe it or not, a Realistic Stereo receiver that I got from the Radio Shack in the 60's that is built like a tank that is still going strong. I would say that if you don't have any real problems in the first few years that the average receiver should last 8 to 10 years but a lot will depend on how hard you push the receiver.

 

[Mando-R]

Talk about contradictive.

*Looks at above post*

It is true that price has NOTHING to do with reliability, only with performance. You go with Harmon Kardon, and sure you've got the best audio quality, but how long does the darn thing last?

I just purchased a Sherwood RD6108. You want to talk about budget? I got the thing for 80 bucks at Fry's, but I slapped 5 years of extended warranty on it to be safe. So far I think the thing rocks.

Remember, it's not the fact that you go budget with the receiver... It's a combination of everything else. If you get a Harmon Kardon AV525 that costed you over $1000 dollars, but you use some Sony HTiB satellites and speaker wire from a boom box you had when you were 12, it's going to sound like crap. The Sherwood sounds good because it's a good receiver and it has a nice set of Polk's connected to it via Monster Cable speaker wire.

I recommend the Harmon Kardon 230, but slap extended warranty on it. Then again, for 300 dollars, the 230 is hardly a "budget" receiver... If you want something that will last, get a Yamaha receiver used. Those are budget KINGS.

 

[Ernest Yee]

Longer than your desire to upgrade.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Jonathan:H]

Yeah, I'm sure $300 might not seem "budget", but I think compared to many high end audiophile products, it's a budget amount for a reciever. Anyways, thanks for all your input guys. I can be calm to know that my receiver will last me a long time. (As long as i don't move into a bigger room )

 

[Ernest Yee]

Heh - I don't think you know what you're about to dive in... Yes that budget receiver will last for decades, but if you are perusing this forum, you're bound to upgrade a whole lot faster than you think.

 

[John Garcia]

Decent receivers come with a good enough warranty that you should not need to worry about it.

I got the thing for 80 bucks at Fry's, but I slapped 5 years of extended warranty on it to be safe.

A FIVE YEAR warranty? Why not just put that money towards a better receiver?

I think it is fairly uncommon for receivers to have significant issues, and if they do, they usually do it during their warranty period. I could understand maybe an extra year, but I've never owned a receiver for 5 years, or bought a warranty for one.

 

[Robert_Gaither]

It depends on the situation, a budget avr can sometimes find it's way as a second (bedroom) or third (computer/garage) system within a few years, or as said by another poster here much sooner than that if you spend any time here.

 

[Mando-R]

The only warranty they offered was five year, and it was only 30 bucks, because the item is going out of program.

Point to me where I can get a better receiver than the Sherwood RD6108 for 110 dollars? 110 dollars, DTS, Dolby Digital, 125 watts a channel, Optical in, Coaxial in... Yup, seems like a pretty good deal to me.

Believe me, this receiver will get its play time. After I buy my "Main Home Theater" receiver, this one will find its way to my bedroom, or to my mom's house with a set of Polk RM6005's and a cheap sub, or maybe to my girlfriend's house (when i meet her lol) with a cheap Infinity sat/sub set so I can enjoy theater at her place.

I don't believe in wasting things, by selling them for a dirt cheap price when I find something better. I believe in milking what you have for what its worth, unless you can get exactly what it costs you. (Notice I said "costs" and not "cost" in the past tense, because you never get what you paid for when selling)

I believe there's no such thing as a budget receiver, if you're just going to spend the extra cash later to get a more expensive one, and sell the one you have for cheap, because then you lose profit on it.

If he spends 300 dollars on an AVR125, and upgrades three months from now to an Onkyo TXSR701, then it's certainly not a budget receiver, it's just 300 dollars that he threw away.

Cheers

 

[Lee M T]

My old Pioneer lasted ten years. I drove that thing hard too. Had a pair CV towers and a pair of 8-Ohm JL Audio 12W1's all on the main two channels. It was a horse, but finally just wouldn't turn on one day.

 

[ChrisLazarko]

Well my Panasonuic lasted a year and then blew out so I upgraded to my current Harman/Kardon. My father owned a Sony reciever that decided to blow out about 6 years after use.

I would stay away from Sony's cheaper stuff, until you hit there ES line which is much over your budget. Also, as for Yamaha being budget king I have to disagree. Go look at www.soundcity.com and you will notice you can find the H/K AVR-225 for about $240 and the AVR-125 for $200, dirt cheap for a reciever that is much more powerful than any of the lower Yamaha lineup.

Another thing to be weary of in your price range are actual power ratings. An example is Yamaha. Until you hit there higher models (4 digits, such as 1300) they give false power ratings. The RXV-740 is rated at something like 80W per channel I believe but true performance tests showed it only gave about 38W per channel... not very good if you ask me.

So my advice at your price point is either a Pioneer or a Harman/Kardon, perhaps even an Onkyo or Denon if you really want to shop around.

If you feel secure with buying a refurbished reciever the HK AVR-225 can be found at www.soundcity.com for $240 and still comes with the full manufacturer warranty. They are also an authorized dealer. I hope this reply has helped you.

 

[Jonathan:H]

Well, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to spend $300 on a receiver and then upgrade in 3 months. I'm just a poor old measly college student... :frowning: I just want something reliable and good that will last me at least 5 years. As for getting the urge to upgrade due to visiting this forum... well, I guess I'll have to fight to urge; either of visiting this site, or just of upgrading.

 

[Carl Johnson]

Harman Kardons sound great but when it comes to longevity they have a history of premature deaths. My first Dolby Digital receiver was an H/K and it died on me after less than three years. audioreview.com is an excellent site for judging gear.

 

[John Garcia]

audioreview is an excellent site for opinions, not objective reviews. Lots of info, but it has to be taken with a grain of salt.

I wouldn't expect many people to upgrade in 3 months (though I have seen it on this board). My cycle time for a receiver is about 2-3yrs so far, but I figure the one I have now will last me a bit longer because it is upgradable (via RS232).

 

[Robert_Gaither]

I have to agree with the durability of HK goods as I have two friends who went thru a lot of them (one bought the extended warranty against my advice, and I apologized later and told him that this was the first time I've seen where it paid off). The fact that there are always a lot of them on Ubid refurbished scares me as well.

 

[Jerome Grate]

Budget receiver, I remember my budget receiver (back in the day) was the Kenwood vr 209. For 270.00 you didn't even get DTS. Look at us now, we can get a receiver with all the bells and whistles the larger ones have for 300.00. In the old days we payed less didn't have DTS and WE LIKED IT

 

[Mike Allen]

Did you have to walk 3 miles in a foot of snow to get to the store?

 

[Mando-R]

HK's are under-rated, but they have major reliability issues. Yamaha's are built to last.

If you're a poor college student then go get a Sherwood RD-6108 or a Panasonic SAHE70... Those are really good receivers that can be had for dirt cheap. Save your money and get a hair cut!