What is a good HT reciever for around $500? (1 Viewer)

[Dave_K]

I too was in the market for a receiver in this price range. After much listening and feature comparison, I ended up with an Integra DTR-5.2. Runner up was a Denon(I forget the model number). It just left an overall better impression on me and the remote was a lot better in my opinion. The fact that they gave me a great deal on it helped too!

 

[Josh Lowe]

I've had my Denon AV-1802 for a week and I love it. It's simple and straightforward. It's easy to set up and tweak. It's not confusing and overloaded with features. To me, it's exactly what an entry-level receiver should be.

The -only- thing I wish it had was an equalizer, and at this price range that's not a realistic wish.

 

[chiante]

these are probably not receivers your are interesting in but the review is from sound and vision mag. the reviews are ubiased and involve the denon 2802, pioneer 850s, and the sony 1070. you will see that the their are positives and negatives as usual, but no outright bias for one brand. i own the 850s and am very satisfied with it. i've owned only marantz in the past and have loved the three receivers i had, but this didn't hinder me in purchasing the so called "bad" receiver. it was 685.00 when i bought for a nice price of 400.00. well here's the link.
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/equ...p?ArticleID=62

 

[chiante]

these are probably not receivers your are interesting in but the review is from sound and vision mag. the reviews are ubiased and involve the denon 2802, pioneer 850s, and the sony 1070. you will see that the there are positives and negatives as usual, but no outright bias for one brand. i own the 850s and am very satisfied with it. i've owned only marantz in the past and have loved the three receivers i had, but this didn't hinder me in purchasing the so called "bad" receiver. it was 685.00 when i bought for a nice price of 400.00. well here's the link.
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/equ...p?ArticleID=62

 

[chiante]

these are probably not receivers your are interesting in but the review is from sound and vision mag. the reviews are unbiased and involve the denon 2802, pioneer 850s, and the sony 1070. you will see that the there are positives and negatives as usual, but no outright bias for one brand. i own the 850s and am very satisfied with it. i've owned only marantz in the past and have loved the three receivers i had, but this didn't hinder me in purchasing the so called "bad" receiver. it was 685.00 when i bought for a nice price of 400.00. well here's the link.
http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/equ...p?ArticleID=62

 

[Vlad D]

chiante, you only have to hit the reply button once.
Brook, I'm going to put in a biased plug for Denon. They sound great. Go and listen to the 1802 or better yet the 2802, if it's not too over budget.

 

[Brook]

Thanks everyone for all the great replies!!!!
This will really help in my huge search for the best receiver for around $500!
So far I gathered....(for my budget) Marantz, Denon, Pioneer, Yamaha, and Sony.
My Uncle has a Yamaha receiver, not really sure the name of it but, IT REALLY KICKS OUT A LOT!! He said I could get it now for around $700-800, anyone know? That is a little to much though(urg). Or are their a lot better HT receivers for the money?
Again THANKS A LOT EVERYONE FOR THE REPLIES!!

 

[Vlad D]

When you get into the $700-800 range you just expanded this to a lot of other models. The Denon 3802 springs to mind.

 

[chiante]

sorry vlad, actually my 2y/o son on my lap was tapping the back button when i was trying to edit and it caused the three posts. i really do understand that i only need to hit the reply button once. sorry if i offended anyone.

 

[Vlad D]

You didn't offend me at all chiante. I was just joking.
I have done that myself.

 

[Myki Cantero]

Just 3 months ago, I got a Pioneer VSX-D510G receiver (DTS, DD5.1) as a package with Wharfedale Diamond 8.x speakers. I was totally addicted! But this was my first hi-fi system. I then added a B&W subwoofer.
I then got interested into this hobby and I started collecting CDs and also listening to other systems. It was only this time that I learned about brands like Denon, Marantz, B&W, Dynaudio, etc. And... I also thought before that Bose was the ultimate setup. But I now see the light.
After drooling over the systems at our local hi-fi store, I decided to get a Denon 1802. I couldn't wait for the 1803 anymore. When I went to the store, I asked to listen to the Marantz SR7200. I was super happy with what I heard so I bought it. (Of course, I have always shortlisted the Marantz 6200 anyway)
The old Pioneer can't compare to the clearness and crispness of the Marantz. If you switch-off the Loudness switch of the Pioneer, you'll only hear tinny crap that is harsh to anyone's ears. While with the Marantz, there is no Loudness switch! The sound just comes out punchy, tight, and right. It's also a lot heavier than the Pioneer which I could lift with one hand.
In this CD of Antonio Carlos Jobim's collection called "Rio Moods", I heard instruments and detail that was not in the Pioneer. It made me really smile. The Marantz really excel with Jazz, Classical, Acoustic, Vocals, New Age, Rap (bec. of the good bass).
However, for disco, since I was always accustomed to mini-component style of listening with full treble, full bass, with the "Super Bass Power" switch turned to on... it felt lacking. Or should I say the vocals are too clear, not the way it sounds when you are in a real Disco.
For home theater, It also sounded better than my old Pioneer. Before, I had to increase the volume setting of my center channel because I couldn't hear the dialogue. I thought it was my center speaker. But with the Marantz, you can really hear what is being said.
Aside from the "not my taste" disco sound, there seems to be a .3 second delay when I play my CDs before sound comes out. At least with CDs that starts at 0.00 seconds. I don't really notice it that much though.
BUT, whatever I do, the Marantz sounded better in the shop than in my house!!! They didn't have a Wharfedale speaker so I auditioned using B&W 600 (?). I guess I have to improve the acoustics of my room and save enough money to upgrade my speakers.
Here's a good and long review of the Marantz:
http://www.audiorevolution.com/equip...200/index.html
The SR5200 has less power and features (no learning remote, no multi-room, no Circle Surround, etc.) but the sound is almost the same.

 

[Ferran Mazzanti]

Miky,
I agree with most of what you say. First point I would like to stress is the sound qualiy of the marantz for the buck. I own myself an SR6200 and came to think that the ratio quality/proce is unbeatable. Furthermore, I also experience the 0.3ms delay you comment on... but unfortunately it seems that many, many receivers have this problem when connected digitally to the player... which is something I can't understand. In any case, the best way (though expensive) to eliminate the problem is to buy a good CD/DVD player with a high quality DAC and connect to the receiver via analog source. It's either this or, as I do, live with the 0.3 ms stuff
What I can't swallow is the comparison between the 7200/6200 (they sound exactly the same) and the 5200. Prior to my 6200 I had the 5200 for a month at home, and I can tell you that they do not sound equal. For me, the 6200 is much more natural and pleasant to hear. Still, the 5200 sounds fairly good...