Newbie looking for advice on receiver selection (1 Viewer)

[Brian_B_inswfla]

Hi all,
I need some advice. I know these types of questions get asked all the time but please bear with me.
I'm moving from a Bose system to a more traditional (and better sounding) system. I primarily use my system for movies though I do play music from time to time.
Up until yesterday I was pretty settled into a decision to go with an Outlaw 1050. I am impressed with the reviews I've read and the information I've read elsewhere about it. As far as options go it is a little weak but it holds the promise of excellent sound for a small amount of money.
Naturally I continued looking around and reading on the internet. During the course of my adventure I happened across a Denon AVR-982. From what I can tell it seems to be the equivalent to an AVR-2802. It is also available for a very reasonable price with a ton of options not available on the Outlaw 1050.
Finally to my questions. Is the 982 equivalent to the 2802? If not, what are the differences? How does it compare to an Outlaw 1050? I am absolutely looking for quality sound but some nice options would be great also.
Any input on the above mentioned units would be deeply appreciated. Also, I would be interested in hearing comments on the Onkyo 595 (I think), Kenwood VR-510, and even the Denon 1802.
If you would like to give input on my speaker thread that would be appreciated also. Here is the link:
My speaker thread
Thanks again,
Brian

 

[Kelly Scott Rickards]

Electronically, the Denon 982 is 100% identical to the 2802..
Denon's 9xx line is designed for mass retailers like Best Buys and such and has Denons blessings for online sales, unlike the 2802 which Denon wants to be sold at Authorized Denon dealers only
Unlike the 2802, the 982's amps are measured at the fixed rate of 1kHz and that is why they have a higher watts rating than the identical amp in the Denon 2802 (which is measuered at 20Hz-20kHz)
Denon's 9xx line is identical in practice to Yamaha's HTR line...
Like the 9xx's, Yamaha's HTR line is identical, or near-identical(the HTR-5490 lacks the preouts and detachable power cord of its RX-V1200 twin) to the RX-V line, has amps measured at 1Khz instead of 20Hz-20kHz and are avalilable at unauthorized dealers/online...
Don't be too quick to buy a 6.1 reciever right now because there are a SLEW of newer/better/cheaper 6.1 recievers just a few months away...
Look at my post in this thread:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=43101
Here's a quote I did in another thread:

Within a couple of months you will be able to get 6 channel recievers with a street price(can be as much as 30% under MSRP) of under 400 bucks...
Here are a few to consider
Pioneer VSX-D811S:$475MSRP due in april
Yamaha RX-V730: $599MSRP due in may(ish)
Yamaha RX-V630: $499MSRP due in may(ish)
Sherwood RD-8108 $399MSRP due in may
Sherwood RD-7108 $299MSRP due in may
The above recievers all have:
6ch of amplification (80X 6 for the yammies and 100x6 for the Pioneer and Sherwoods)
Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding
DTS 5.1 decoding
Dolby Digital EX 6.1 decoding
DTS ES matrix and discrete 6.1 decoding
Dolby Pro Logic 2 movie and (adjustable, we hope)music
DTS Neo:6
I believe the Pioneer and the Yammy RX-V730 also have preouts on all channels. Even the most expensive of the 5, the RX-V730 should have a street price less than a Denon 2802 or Yamaha HTR-5490 (transation, the 730 should be about $450-ish)
In case you haven't noticed, the price wars have begun

 

[EricHaas]

It depends on whether you actually want a 6.1 channel setup or if you are going with 5 channel. A good 5 channel receiver is the Onkyo tx-ds595 which can be had for about $370 with warranty. No preouts though, so you cannot hook it up to an outboard amp if you want to do that in the future. The Kenwood VR510 is also 5 channel, but has preouts. The Denon 2802/982 is 6 channel (6.1 decoding), and has preouts. The Outlaw is 6 channel (but does not decode all 6.1 formats), and has preouts. It does not have ProLogic 2 like the rest of them though. Sound wise, you will have to listen and demo them. I can only tell you that Denon, Onkyo and Outlaw have slightly better reputations than does Kenwood, though Kenwood's rep has been improving of late.

 

[Brian_B_inswfla]

Thanks for the responses. The information really helped. I ended up deciding to pick up a Denon AVR-982. Hopefully I'll be happy with my decision. Now if I could just make up my mind on a set of speakers.
Thanks,
Brian

 

[Vlad D]

Brian,

You'll love the Denon. I bought the 2802 about a month and a half ago. and absolutely love it. It sounds better everyday.

Good luck on your search for speakers. Mine took forever before deciding on my Bostons VR-M series.

If you need any suggestions, you'll find plenty on this site.

Vlad