What receiver to buy??????????? (1 Viewer)

[vanmol]

HI------I'm a newbie and don't have a clue regarding home theater.


I have a TV room about 10 by 13. A 2 year old 42 inch Panasonic Plasma TV with a WII game console. The wife is into music big time and we do like our TV. I have not subscribed to HD yet but would consider it if recommended. TV is not 3D ready.


At this point I have reduced the mind numbing manufacturer choices down to Murantz and Onkyo. If you have a better product I'm still open to suggestions.


What do you think about Murantz SR5004 and NR1501? OR Onkyo TX SR608 and TX SR707. The actual specs on these recievers are way over my head.


My main concern is putting together a system that works for my limited requirements and won't need upgrading in the near term.


Do I need more than 3 HDMI in or out?

Do I need USB?

Do I need Wireless Internet?


Thanks in advance for any help that you can provide. Frank

 

[gene c]

First off, 3 hdmi inputs might be enough for you now but who knows what else you might add in the future.


I don't need USB or wireless internet but you might some day.


Marantz and Onkyo are kind of like Oldsmobile and Chevy. The Olds was a nicer car but they were both about the same from 0 to 60.


The popular choice would be the Onkyo 608 or 707 as Onkyo is a good bang-for-the-buck receiver but since OneCall.com has the 5004 for $499 with free shipping (you can order it through Amazon if you'ld like) I might choose that one instead. Most members feel the performance difference between receiver brands isn't really noticable (speakers make a much bigger difference in sound quality) But sometimes I think there is. If there is any difference at all between the sound quality of major receiver brands then Marantz would have to be near the top in my opinion. But the 707 is a real fine and feature packed receiver for the price. Might be the best over-all in the bunch.


I would download the owners manuals for each receiver and give them a going over before buying. And make sure three hdmi inputs would be enough for you.


Others to consider would be the Denon 1611/1911, Pioneer 1120, Yamaha 667 and Harman Kardon 2600.

 

[vanmol]

Gene---Thanks for the reply. In respect to the HDMI inputs, I'm not sure just what components need this feature. Is it the TV, Blu Ray or DVD player, WII console which I have----What else would there be in the future?


Are you suggesting that I could go for a $200 or $300 low end receiver and invest a greater amount in the speakers with better audio results? If that is the case what features do I absolutely need in the receiver?

Sorry for the lame questions but this whole process is making me dizzy. Too complicated for my feeble little pea brain. Frank

 

[gene c]

Well, a few years ago BluRay players and Wii consoles weren't even thought of. Who knows what's around the corner. For you right now three looks like enough.


What speakers are you currently using? You should spend quite a bit more on the speakers and sub woofer than the receiver.


Most any new receiver will have most of the latest features except the very cheapest in the line. HDMI 1.3 or 1.4, some type of room correction feature like Audyssey, MCACC, EZSetEQ, etc. and possibly video up-conversion, though your display can also do that, are the main things to look for. Don't be too concernd out power output unless your room is very large.


And yes, you should consider HD television. Much better sound and picture.

 

[Al.Anderson]

Are you suggesting that I could go for a $200 or $300 low end receiver and invest a greater amount in the speakers with better audio results?

In general, yes. The receivers you are looking at are good choices; if you have the money I'd stay at that level, in the long run you'll probably be happy you did. But the choice of speaker makes much more of a difference in the the actual sound. This is especially true if you are using the system for music as well as home theater; you can get resonable performance out of many speakers when used for movies; music ups the ante.

The age-old advice is to hear as many as you can before you choose. The not quite so age old advice is to buy from an internet dealer who has a generous return policy, so you can try them out for a while before you settle. The trying out is necessary for two reasons (1) There are no longer as many decent stores to audition speakers as there used to be (Best Buy has limited selection); and (2) what you might like at first wears thin after a a dozen hours of listening.

I can't help but throw out a reco, I really like my Axioms. (For main speakers, the subs seem overproced.)

 

[vanmol]

Thanks for the help guys-----------I started out looking at an HTIB which was quite reasonable ($500) in price but of course it has major limitations. Buying the various units individually is difficult and much more expensive but probably the right way to go. I'm ok with spending $400 for the receiver but the cost of speakers scares me. SO!!! my next question is what speakers to buy cheaply that will perform reasonably well. If you can point me in the right direction I will do the research. Frank

 

[Jason Charlton]

If you're coming from the world of TV speakers, just about ANYTHING will be a vast improvement.


On the receiver side of things, Amazon currently has the Onkyo 508 for only $250. That's an excellent price and a good receiver. It won't convert your Wii's component video connection to HDMI, but that's not a big deal. Since your budget is limited, I would also strongly advise you to avoid paying too much for a receiver. Have you considered going with a used or factory-refurbished model to start?


As for the speakers, there are a couple of approaches to take in "building" a system over time:


One approach is to start with the front soundstage. In home theater, it's very important that the front three speakers have the same tonal qualities - called "timbre-matching". This is best achieved by purchasing a "set" from the same manufacturer (usually the same product line). You can run the system as a "3.0" with these speakers until you save up enough to either get a subwoofer or a pair of small surround speakers next. The last speakers you should add would be the rear surrounds if you're going with a 7.1 setup. The benefit to this approach is that you'll maximize the initial performance of the system by getting a full front soundstage, but the drawback is that you're stretching your budget pretty thin (thanks to the receiver), and the front soundstage is the most important part of a good theater system and should be the focus of your investment.


Another approach is to start with a small pair of bookshelf-sized speakers as your mains. Eventually, these will be moved to the back and used as surrounds. The next purchase ideally would be the front three, but if that's not possible, you could opt for adding only the center channel at first (from whichever product line you intend to get your "real" mains) then as soon as you can, get the matching left/right pair to round out the front three. Finally, add a subwoofer and then rear surrounds for 7.1 if you want to go that far. This is sort of the opposite approach to the first option - you won't get quite the initial impact (drawback) but in the long run, it's an approach that will help you get better quality speakers where it matters (fronts).


Polk speakers are pretty reasonably priced and easy to find/audition (they're carried at Best Buy). Their subwoofers aren't great, however. There are much better alternatives for subwoofers, but that probably won't be a consideration for a while.

 

[vanmol]

Jason and friends, you have been a great help. I think I will take Jason's advice a go with a decent receiver and start with the front stage. While getting that setup working I can then do the research for the speakers to be added later.

I'm gonna throw this out there just to make ya nervous------I'm looking at refurbished (factory authorized) for Marantz SR5004 at $390, originally $850 or the Onkyo TX SR707 for $350, originally $900. Wish me luck. Frank

 

[gene c]

Newegg.com has excellent prices on the Polk's Monitor series. There are a couple of issues however. Their return policy is almost non-existent and many people feel Polk speakers generally are a bit on the bright side. They feel it can be a little fatiguing if you listen to music for extended periods. Speaking of music, you should have your wife audition similar speakers to make sure she's O.K. with them. I prefer a warmer, softer sound for music but a brighter speaker is great for movies, tv.


Buying a factory refurbished receiver is a great way to save some money. Ac4l.com is an authorized Onkyo and Marantz dealer. I've bought from them before and their return policy and customer service are exemplary.

 

[CB750]

Gene is correct. Just because many of us recommend Internet speaker sellers like SVS, not all Internet sellers like Amazon and New Egg have the same liberal try it at home policy that allows you to return the speakers if you don't like them in your home.