Reciever Rampage / Cry for help (1 Viewer)

[Coltonis]

First post, HELLO WORLD!

On to my story:
So about a year ago I started a quest for the perfect reciever. I spent MONTHS researching different recievers in my price range that posessed the certain features I held in high regaurd at the time. The foremost was that I wanted to consolidate ALL of the components i owned through the reciever thus I would never need to change the input on my TV (a 47" samsung). Since my tv had the Old school DVI plug for HDMI input I decided it would be best to get one that could upconvert (or at least passthrough) all the signals (composite on through to component) to the HDMI. I was primarily looking at yamaha's and denon's, but I came across a Pioneer model VSX-917-BL that had plenty of HDMI inputs and a gazillion analog inputs and Digital Signal Covnversion that would take any signal that is input and pass it through to all the monitor outs. "Great!", I said, "This is the one I want, its got a strong amp, assignable inputs and its a little bit cheaper". I found it was also sold at a certain Blue and Yellow retailer that shall remain nameless where a certain friend who shall remain nameless worked and got it for me dirt cheap. WOOT!

THEN IT ALL WENT BAD! First the OSD for the reciever wouldn't display on the HDMI... I thought it was broke... the Manual said "the OSD will be displayed on all monitor outs". I finally got it limping by hooking it up with component to the TV. But no matter what I did I couldn't get a picture on the HDMI. (I was using all analog signals since I didn't have any HDMI AV devices yet). I quickly began to realize something was very wrong. Finally it hit me... On the back of the reciever staring back at me from atop the HDMI out plug was the words "HDMI OUT", but thats what its suposed to say, right!? AH but you must also take into account the fact that above the Component out it was labeled "COMPONENT MONITOR OUT"! BAHH! Thats right, it considered every single output on the reciever a "monitor" out EXCEPT the HDMI.

So I set it up best I could and grumbled about it for a year until now. My friend moved into a new house and wants to replace his crappy kenwood and I offered mine to him (~for ten bucks more than I paid for it ) and now must begin my quest AGAIN.

I feel like I really lost some ground on the latest AV reciever models and I am hoping you guys can give me a jump start on what is good and what suites my needs. Here are the features I find most useful:

***1. EVERYTHING GETS UPCONVERTED/PASSED THROUGH TO HDMI OUT!***

2.At least 7.1 audio channels
(since I already ran wires through my attic for the two rears)

3. Assignable Inputs
(I hate that some have the physically available plug on the back, but won't let you hear "that" audio input while watching "this" video input)

4. I will soon be purchaseing a Blu-ray so support for the whatever those new audio formats are, would be ideal.

5.Works with Logitech Harmony One remote
(I think most recievers do at this point so thats more a logitech problem admittedly)

I am mostly a skeptic when it comes to audio quality as I spent a couple years designing audio amplifiers and nothing uses descrete semicondutors in recievers (thats why they are cheap they all use those ten legged ICs thingys nowadays. So if it makes noise its good.) My usual suspects would be Yamaha, Denon, Sony, Pioneer, Onkyo (though i always thought of them as cheap compared to most others, i hear lots of people like em lately), Harmon Kardon (generally I consider HK overpriced). I've got Klispch QuintetIII speakers for all surrounds and am planning on floor standing L/R Fronts soon.

Shooting for 300-600 range... What models do you guys suggest/prefer?

 

[gene c]

Closer to $300: Yamaha 663 and Onkyo 606 are the usual recommendations. Closer to $600: Onkyo 805, Denon 1909 and 2808, Pioneer 90txh, and the Yamaha 863. In the middle: Onkyo 705 and Pioneer 1018. These look particularly interesting. Onkyo 606 Onkyo 705 Denon 2808.

 

[Alon Goldberg]

That's an excellent deal for the Denon 2808, especially from an authorized dealer, 50% off of MSRP. I guess prices are dropping as the new 2809 is getting ready to ship.

cheers,
Alon

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

FYI, the Onkyo 805 is now selling for $600 from Amazon (as they try to clear them out for the new 806). Also, I noticed they had it very briefly for just $550 (over the past weekend I think) -- that would be an awesome price for it.

The very affordable Yamaha 663 makes a nice stopgap, but it might not be the answer for something long term since it only offers 2 HDMI inputs and might not provide quite enough clean power depending on your HT space (and speakers). I (and some others) use one strictly as an affordable prepro to drive a separate power amp (and just think of the power section as a sorta temporary backup in case the old power amp dies). Works great that way. And along that line, something else to consider on a relatively tight budget is to get the Yamaha 663 and then figure out whether it provides enough clean power for your HT in actual use. If it doesn't, *then* go bargain hunting for a good used power amp for the long haul and use the Yamaha as a prepro instead -- you might also try using the Yamaha's power section to power just the surrounds as they probably need less juice than the mains though I'm not sure how feasible that is.

_Man_

 

[Coltonis]

Wowser! Thanks for all that info Gene!

After looking through those that were listed, the low count of HDMI ports on both the Yamaha 663 and the Denon 2808 worried me... (Of course! since they seem to be pretty much solid in everything else) The other downside to the 663 I heard was no OSD over the HDMI(?) does the 863 have this capability?

The Onkyo 606 looks very promising, but I read some where that it didn't have assignable (or maybe re-namable) inputs like the yamaha's!? (Its possible that dude was on crack) I was looking at the online manual and it looked like the inputs were assignable... Any one had expirence with the 606's inputs? Are there any weak spots to the 606?

I also came up with something about the 705 only doing two channels for the High Def audio? And all of the upper model (705,805,905) Onkyo's occasionally burst into flames!? Anybody heard about either of those before? if it came down to 705 vs 606 what would you guys do?

I would love to have seprates for audio, but many factors are working against that effort, LOL. (my current speakers don't need more current, my room size doesn't really need more sound to fill it, and my budget doesn't need me draining it)



If any of this stuff is dead wrong, I appologize as I haven't had time to mull this stuff over properly. And thanx again for all this info!

 

[gene c]

An issue with the Yamaha 663/863 is you can only select one crossover setting for all speakers set to small. And all speakers should be set to small, even towers. If you get towers for the fronts and keep the Quintets for surrounds this may be a problem.For me, it would be the 805 if it fit the budget. But I think the 606 might be the best fit for you, all things considered. You really couldn't go wrong with any of the three. Too bad that 2808 only has two hdmi inputs. See what I mean? There is no perfect receiver :frowning: . Just a whole bunch of really good one's

. This little guy is a HOOT!