Upgrading Receiver and Need Input (1 Viewer)

[ChuckW]

Hopefully, third time is charm! ) I have made two previous posts and only received two responses. I guess since I am new to HT I am not asking the right questions. So I will try one more once.
I currently have a Toshiba 36” TV 36A50. Sharp HTIB HT-DD5000, Sharp DB-710U DVD Video Player, Sharp VC-H813U Video Cassette Recorder and I added a pair of KLH TW-09 Satellite speakers as my “B” speakers. All this is in a 10’+ X 15’ room converted to a dedicated HT.
I purchased the above to put together an inexpensive system to see if this was something I wanted. I DO! Now it is time to build a better system.
I plan to upgrade the receiver first. These are the receivers that I have listed to check out:
Denon AVT-3802 (Because it gets a lot of recommendations here)
Marantz SR-8000 (Listen to and liked it)
Onkyo TX-DS787 (Onkyo recommended a lot here)
Pioneer VSX-36TX (Co-worker has one and recommended it)
Sony STRV-444ES (Co-worker has one and recommended it)
Yamaha RX-V3000 (Listen to and liked it)
I don’t really have a budget, but don’t want to spend more money that needed to put together a good HT given the limitations of the room.
Input and especially pros & cons to the above listed receivers would be greatly appreciated.
Also if anyone knows of a place to audition these with the same speakers in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area would be very helpful. I have been to a couple of CCs and some HT places near my work, but only one had a room setup where I could listen to different receivers with the same speakers.
Thanks in advance!
Chuck

 

[Bobby T]

I would go and listen to all of them and see which sounds best to you. Then compare features and get the one that sounds the best with the features you like.

 

[Paul Wu]

Here's my 2 cents.
I'd go with the Denon 3802. Why? It's the newest of the bunch, includes all the new sound formats, has more than enough power, and if it doesn't you can buy external amps.
The Marantz is last years model, unless they've upgraded the 8000. All the new models have a 200 in the model numbers, like the 5200, 6200, 7200.
Onkyo, again last years model, but it is quite solid. The new one is the 796(?)
Poineer, I have no idea, but it looks like one of the Elite series, and they are quite nice.
Sony, ES model is good, but again like the others, will lack DTS-ES and DPL II.
Yamaha, newer of the bunch. It only lacks DPL II.
Those are all really brief summaries, I hope others can elaborate more. But, if I was looking for an upgrade, I'd want to futureproof myself as much as possible. The Denon seems to do all.
Hopefully following that upgrade, you'll consider some speakers. And that's something to seriously consider is auditioning the types of speakers you'll endup buying with the receiver.
------------------
Paul Wu
"There are three kinds of people in this world; those that can count and those that can't."
Anyone in the Vancouver, BC area interested in meeting up? If so, click here.

 

[ChuckW]

Thanks to those that replied.

 

[Juan Horvath]

How interested are you in regular 2 channel music? If music is going to be pretty important in the set-up I recommend the Marantz 7200. It simply does music better than any of the other receivers in my opinion (and I looked at a lot of the same models as yourself). If HT is your main empahsis I think Denon 3802 is your best bet. I demoed most of these lines and it came down to the Marantz 7200 and the Denon 3802 for me. I went with the Marantz 7200 because I just thought it was stronger in the music area. IF that isn't important then the 3802 has a few more home theater specific options.
As far as the Marantz 8000, don't get it. I later went back to demo the 7200 with the 8000 and liked the 7200 better. Strange fact, even though they are both rated at 105w per channel, when put at the exact same volume using the exact same speakers, the 7200 had more power coming thru. The owner of the HT shop where I was demoing the equiptment owns the Marantz 7000. He said that with the improvements made on the 7200 it is light years better and he thinks the 7000 is pretty damn good. If there isn't a significant upgrade done on the 8200 (if that is even coming out?) that they might not even carry it because they don't feel that there would be enough value added to recommend it over the 7200. Not to mention the 7200 throws in 6 powered channels(!) and the Pro logic 2. I thought it sounded better as well. If you can, try to listen to it compared to the 8000 and tell me if you agree with my review. Just my 2 cents.....
Juan