Unsure how to pick a reciever. (1 Viewer)

[Chioxin]

Heya, I've been digging around and this seems to be the place to go to look up things. It's been the most reliable at least for me to find current information and pops up enough on google. I've been searching for my problems and answers and only come up with useless sites through google =( Post between 2002 and 2006! How not helpful! I'm probably entering the wrong search words. But here, I found current times!


Right, I like to feel I'm educated, but I'm beginning to throw in the towel. I thought my receiver would do it all! And honestly, it can and it's really awesome [I think] but it's just not with the times. I was hoping to not have to buy a new one, but yay for technology, it has deemed the need for a new receiver and after spending all this money on good speakers [again, I think] I'm kind of crying over the fact that I need a new receiver and they aren't cheap, plus I just bought a ton of speakers.


What I use my sound system for? I'm a gamer and I own all the consoles. I also enjoy watching movies. I do not watch television.


I currently have a Pioneer VSX-515 and honestly, it's swell! Except for the fact it's 4 or 5 years old and doesn't have any HDMI inputs/outputs. I thought this was fine. I run all of the consoles into the television and then an optical out from the TV to the receiver. Logic tells this guy that, hey, it should pass the signal on unfiltered, especially if I inform the television through the menu that external speakers are being used! That makes logical sense!!! Right right? right? You're not nodding your head. Ya well, I just found out it converts it to a 2 channel out. How useless =( What's worse is that I'm ashamed to admit how long I've used a receiver and didn't know this simple fact. =(


So now the absolute need for a receiver that can handle HDMI in's becomes necessary, and I want to buy something that will work with my sound system and not be a terribly horrible choice.


What I have?

5.1 worth of speakers.

L-R Front: Polk Audio RT iA7

Center: Energy RC-LCR

Rear: Polk Audio F/X iA4

Subwoofer: Energy ESW C10

TV- Samsung LN46C610N1F


If you have to ask why the mix, it's because I was digging around A LOT trying to find good speakers for cheap. I waited for holidays and bought the pieces I liked that were on sale. I really got most of these for a steal, most being 100 to 300 dollars cheaper than the original price. I'm a deal hunter, I like saving money.


If I want to spend around eh, I don't know. It hurts to say 700 Canadian, I'd rather spend less... What should I be looking at?


This site seems to speak highly of Onkyo's stuff, but really just the 805? Later versions seem to be a down grade. Now here's the noob speaking. A lot of the receivers out there in the 500 price range only put out 80 or so per channel, my current reciever runs at 100 per channel and I . I assume this is probably going to be fine and my speakers won't be stressed by this in the least. What I don't understand is the THD and how all the computing works inside the receivers out there and what I should be looking for. I've never actually sent video out from the receiver to the TV before.


As a summary:


I'd really just want some options for reliable receivers to choose from which I can go to the store and purchase at some point that will work with what I have, and it will make use of all the inputs I have console wise. [2 HDMI, 1 Component, Possibly an HDMI from a PC if ever I desire to do that.] I'm probably not to interested with bells and whistles, but I do like managing my system by tweaking settings from the menu. Not shy at all to screw up with that and reset things if they went wrong.


Anywho! Sorry for the novel, but thanks so much for reading!

 

[David Willow]

Hi Gregory,


Pick the best Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer, Harmon Kardon, or Yamaha receiver you can afford (anything around $400 will have most of what you need). Make sure it has enough HDMI inputs and you will be set. No need to worry about 20 watts - that's so small you won't know the difference (it takes roughly double the power to hear a difference).


One comment about your setup. How does the Engergy center sound compared to the Polk mains? Typically you should keep the front speakers timbre matched (they should sound the same). If you don't, you risk things sounding weird as they pan from speaker to speaker.

 

[Chioxin]

Thanks David,


I didn't really think the 20 watts would matter after reading that tid bit I think I found on here... the difference between 10, 100, and 1000 watts =) I was more worried about distortion and stuff, and perhaps the bells and whistles I really ought to have that I'll notice later after the purchase and playing around with things.


Man, the things you find out after even a few weeks of research, I might have gone ahead and picked a Polk Audio center if I'd read that earlier. However, in the few weeks leading up to the purchases I didn't read anything about about doing such a thing and figured I'd go this way. 3 weeks after having everything set up, was when I stumbled across this place and read a few things that said it should be considered.


So far when I listen to things I think they sound fine, that is to say when I actually go about unplugging things from the main system and getting it set so that actual 5.1 surround sound works that is. I haven't noticed any issues. Also, with my games where sounds seem to work great and voices are crystal clear, it's all wonderful and I don't notice any real difference.


Again, I might not really notice until I've really got things set up properly, so I can tell you then.