Need advice on a "Dirt Cheap" Receiver (1 Viewer)

[Mike_Ol]

Hello,
I'm putting together an inexpensive system for my parents, and I need a cheap receiver. Right now it's only for music, but they would like the ability to go to home theater at some point. Here are the contenders and the prices I have found:
Denon 1601 $225
Onkyo 484 $225
Marantz SR4000 $200
The Marantz only has DD, but that's not an issue at this point. They want the best sound for music. The receiver will drive a pair of PSB Alpha a/v's and an Energy ES8 Sub.
Any help would be appreciated!
Mike

 

[James Q Jenkins]

I don't think you can lose with any of those choices. If I were buying myself a new dirt cheap system I'd search the net for refurbished models. www.refurbishedstore.com , www.overstock.com www.harmanaudio.com , www.pioneerdirect.com are good places to look. You'll get a lot more bang for your buck with an older model refurbished.
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-JQJ
[Edited last by James Q Jenkins on November 07, 2001 at 07:32 AM]

 

[Vin]

I was in Costco over the weekend and they have a Pioneer 509S on sale for $200. It does DD and DTS decoding and also offers S-video switching.
A brand new receiver with these features for $200 is an incredible deal IMO.
Also, Costco's return policy is excellent, in the event you/your parents weren't satisfied with the receiver.
Hope this helps.

 

[Mike LS]

You can also check out the Kenwood VR-505 for $199.95 or less.
DD, DTS and some DSP fields (which your parents may like...who knows) and a ton of extras...6 channel inputs for one.

 

[Ted Lee]

it sounds like the emphasis will be on two-channel? if so, my vote is for the denon. (i have an onkyo)
when i worked at good guys i was constantly impressed with how strong the denon amps sounded in two-channel mode. imo, they consistently sounded better than any of the other receivers there.
but i think any of those brands would be great.
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"The ship of death has a new captain." - nosferatu (1922)

 

[JohnnyG]

The Technics SA-DX1050 is a decent unit. Sound quality is much better then their lower-end models. It has S-Video support, but only 2-in/1-out. Digital inputs are 2 optical and 1 coax and you can now assign them to specific inputs.
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John Golitsis
Next Big Thing Electronics