Need some advice on Receiver and speakers (1 Viewer)

[pcdoug]

I currently have a onkyo sr-500 , 2 Sony ss mb100h speakers, 2 Sony ss mb 150h speakers , a Sony sa wm 20 subwoofer and a polk center speaker csi-20 (04208) . The onkyo has gone out so i am wanting to replace it . What is a good receiver around 400 dollars ? and also , are the speakers i have any good or should i look into maybe replacing them also? I have a hitachi 60 inch hd tv, I will also be replacing my dvd player also. Im sorry for all the questions at once but i am trying to get some good advice before i buy this time.

 

[punman]

I got a Harman Kardon AVR 146 in the fall for $270 Canadian ($220 U.S.) It was on sale - usually $100 more than that regular.
I am happy with it for the price. Plays my 5.1 setup fine in a room 17 feet by 12 feet.
To get way more features I'd have paid $700 or more and preferred to put the money into my speakers. I can upgrade the receiver later as it was not a huge investment.

 

[gene c]

Speakers are an individual choice but I'm not a big fan of Sony speakers and that Polk center probably doesn't match your fronts very well. It's important that the front three speakers are of the same make and model so I'd at least find a Sony center from the same series as your fronts.

Let us know if you might get a BluRay player sometime and a budget for speakers if you decide to replace them. Then we can give you some more options

 

[Carlo S]

Just curious, how long ago did you purchase your onkyo sr-500?

I have a Onkyo S595 and it is still going very strong.

 

[pcdoug]

i will be purchasing a blu-ray also, do you have any suggestions on what blu-ray would work good with the onkyo 606? i will have a speaker budget of about 300-400 dollars, can i work with any of the speakers i have? I might could go more on the speakers if it would make a big difference, i will not be using it for a stereo either.

 

[ccoady]

PS3 is still probably the best Blu-Ray player in my opinion. You can surf the web with it, and play movies from sites like HULU.com (free) and the firmware is constantly updated for the BLURAY player and the game console. It has LAN connection and wireless built in plus the bluetooth remote for is (sold separately) is good also. Oh, it's also a good media server and can connect to your computer (just like some receivers) and play movies and music directly from your network. A lot of stuff for $399 and has a built in 80 gig hard drive.

 

[David Willow]

However, with the 606 you can get one that does not decode the latest formats and still enjoy them (saving a few $$$). I like the Pansonics (BD35). The newer Sony's and LG's are very good as well. Of course the PS3 is fine, but more expensive.

 

[pcdoug]

i purchased a ps3 at a great deal, so i have my blu-ray. is there another receiver that is comparable to the onkyo 606 for less money? i am trying to shift money into the speakers.

 

[David Willow]

Sure. The Onkyo 576. Since you have a PS3 now, on board decoding of the HD formats is no longer needed (the PS3 will handle this). You just need something that can play PCM. The 576 is the cheapest Onkyo that will work for you.

 

[ccoady]

Amazon has a great price on the Onkyo 606 right now.
$439.96 w/ free shipping
HERE