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A/V Receiver Recommendations

GarrettL1979 said:
Our receiver only has one optical in. The rest are just stereo inputs. That's why I thought running all of our players (blu ray, ATV, directv) to the TV through HDMI and letting it output the audio through optical would be the way to go. Strangely enough, the ATV3 outputs Dolby Digital just fine (when set to on, not auto). Nothing else works though-- just get stereo sound from our blu ray player and directv box.
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not having that bluray hooked up via hdmi to the receiver is a crime :mad:
your receiver doesnt have the inputs you require, but im sure you know this :D

try setting the bluray player (while its hooked up to the tv) to output its sound via LPCM, not bitstream.
also go into directv settings and find audio, then dolby digital. turn it ON.

when you get your new receiver, youll FINALLY get to hear everything in all its glory how its meant to be heard.
what your doing now is making due for a lack of a current receiver.
$$$ may be tight or whatever, but the time has come to get a shiny new receiver :cool:

PLEASE let me/us know what you get.
any help you need, just PM me or quote one of my posts so i see the notification.

The DRis said:
Awesome, thanks for the information.
Do you have an opinion on the VSX-1022-K?

Why do you need the optical audio as well as the HDMI to go to the receiver? Doesn't the HDMI transmit the audio as well?
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thats not a bad receiver. whats your budget and what feautres are you looking for.

that pioneer is going to do what most 'current receivers' do. hd codecs, ipod, pandora, stream stuff via ethernet, 3d, multiple hdmi inputs etc.
the power on that one is 80 watts per channel. remember 80wpc is measured with one or only 2 speakers running.
when you start running 5 or 7 speakers PLUS a subwoofer, that 80wpc is coming down to maybe 60-65 wpc.
id look for something more powerful IF this receiver is going into a living room.
you dont have to break the bank.
whats your budget?

-----
the hdmi DOES transmit audio & video.
the reason i connect my apple tv & directv to the tv with an hdmi and not the receiver is simple, but 2 fold.
  1. directv & apple tv do NOT use lossless codecs. im not losing any sound by not using the hdmi directly to the receiver. which brings me to point 2
  2. since im not losing any sound quality (no hd codecs) i can use only my tv & apple tv / directv to listen to the tv. late at night, with kids sleeping, i dont want the radio blaring just to watch sportscenter. if i need 5.1 surround sound i use an optical cable from apple tv & coaxial cable from directv, turn down my tv volume to 0 and then fire up the receiver. BAM dolby digitaal (dd & dts for apple tv) on my directv.

for my ps3 i hook up my hdmi directly to my receiver as i want that beautiful lossless audio from the blurays.
the optival/coaxial cables cant handle the lossless audio and dumbs them down to dolby digital / dts.
for my seperate bluray player i just hook up hdmi directly to the tv. the seperate bluray player is so that the kids can watch their movies withOUT the receiver being on (nor the ps3). they dont need surround to watch nemo or toy story lol
plus the seperate bluray player comes in handy, AGAIN, for late night when the kids are sleeping & me and the wife want to watch a bluray.
i dumb the seperate bluray player audio settings to downmix pcm, and my downmix setting is STEREO......thus all of the whispers & loud BOOMS are all almost the same volume thru the tv speakers.
my tv doesnt have this option, so i use the source (bluray player) to set the feature up and send the tv the proper audio.
 
donrsd said:
not having that bluray hooked up via hdmi to the receiver is a crime :mad:
your receiver doesnt have the inputs you require, but im sure you know this :D

try setting the bluray player (while its hooked up to the tv) to output its sound via LPCM, not bitstream.
also go into directv settings and find audio, then dolby digital. turn it ON.

when you get your new receiver, youll FINALLY get to hear everything in all its glory how its meant to be heard.
what your doing now is making due for a lack of a current receiver.
$$$ may be tight or whatever, but the time has come to get a shiny new receiver :cool:

PLEASE let me/us know what you get.
any help you need, just PM me or quote one of my posts so i see the notification.



thats not a bad receiver. whats your budget and what feautres are you looking for.

that pioneer is going to do what most 'current receivers' do. hd codecs, ipod, pandora, stream stuff via ethernet, 3d, multiple hdmi inputs etc.
the power on that one is 80 watts per channel. remember 80wpc is measured with one or only 2 speakers running.
when you start running 5 or 7 speakers PLUS a subwoofer, that 80wpc is coming down to maybe 60-65 wpc.
id look for something more powerful IF this receiver is going into a living room.
you dont have to break the bank.
whats your budget?

-----
the hdmi DOES transmit audio & video.
the reason i connect my apple tv & directv to the tv with an hdmi and not the receiver is simple, but 2 fold.
  1. directv & apple tv do NOT use lossless codecs. im not losing any sound by not using the hdmi directly to the receiver. which brings me to point 2
  2. since im not losing any sound quality (no hd codecs) i can use only my tv & apple tv / directv to listen to the tv. late at night, with kids sleeping, i dont want the radio blaring just to watch sportscenter. if i need 5.1 surround sound i use an optical cable from apple tv & coaxial cable from directv, turn down my tv volume to 0 and then fire up the receiver. BAM dolby digitaal (dd & dts for apple tv) on my directv.

for my ps3 i hook up my hdmi directly to my receiver as i want that beautiful lossless audio from the blurays.
the optival/coaxial cables cant handle the lossless audio and dumbs them down to dolby digital / dts.
for my seperate bluray player i just hook up hdmi directly to the tv. the seperate bluray player is so that the kids can watch their movies withOUT the receiver being on (nor the ps3). they dont need surround to watch nemo or toy story lol
plus the seperate bluray player comes in handy, AGAIN, for late night when the kids are sleeping & me and the wife want to watch a bluray.
i dumb the seperate bluray player audio settings to downmix pcm, and my downmix setting is STEREO......thus all of the whispers & loud BOOMS are all almost the same volume thru the tv speakers.
my tv doesnt have this option, so i use the source (bluray player) to set the feature up and send the tv the proper audio.
Click to expand...

Got it, somehow I misread and thought you were sending both the HDMI and Optical through the receiver, but you aren't, HDMI goes to TV. Got it. My only issue with that is having to change inputs on both the receiver and tv when changing devices. I like the idea of changing just the reciever, especially if I route the cable through the wall.

For the budget, I'm not 100% sure. I would rather "buy once, cry once" than buy cheap and regret it. When the 1022's first came out I thought they were priced around $800, I see I can get them for as cheap as $350 now. So lets set the budget at $500-600 with a high of $750 if the receiver is just such a better receiver with killer features.

Also do any of these receivers also serve as an amp? Like if I were to buy a record player and run it to the receiver.

ETA: So when the 1022 says "2 Channel ALC" that only works for stereo?
 
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I was the third responder to your question and will add some to that. First, I would research Onkyo's reliability record. I was one of the many who had the HDMI part fail and Onkyo's response to this was not exactly terrific, as others have mentioned. There should have been a recall. Lots of units in the landfill right now.

The Denon is just fine, as are other brands. I stay away from stuff made in China as much as I can.

As for the future-proof remarks, it would be understood that you would want a modern design and posters here are right in advising you to get devices with those specs. Likely 80% of owners have no clue what these acronyms are or how to access them...

I think it is a good time to buy, even to spend more than you want, because it doesn't appear that modern, even more entry level receivers are going to be obsoleted right away.
 
The DRis said:
Got it, somehow I misread and thought you were sending both the HDMI and Optical through the receiver, but you aren't, HDMI goes to TV. Got it. My only issue with that is having to change inputs on both the receiver and tv when changing devices. I like the idea of changing just the reciever, especially if I route the cable through the wall.

For the budget, I'm not 100% sure. I would rather "buy once, cry once" than buy cheap and regret it. When the 1022's first came out I thought they were priced around $800, I see I can get them for as cheap as $350 now. So lets set the budget at $500-600 with a high of $750 if the receiver is just such a better receiver with killer features.

Also do any of these receivers also serve as an amp? Like if I were to buy a record player and run it to the receiver.

ETA: So when the 1022 says "2 Channel ALC" that only works for stereo?
Click to expand...

damn, i had an entire book on here written and my power cut off :mad:

2 channel alc = ONLY stereo, no 5.1
step up a few models to get that feature.
the vsx 1122 HERE offers ALC for all listening modes :)
you could get better for a few more bucks, but i was just giving you an example.

and YES - if you bought a record player, dual casette deck, another videogame system (n64, dreamcast, nes etc) you just hook it up to the receiver (or tv if you choose) via standard composite cables. red/white (yellow for video) and it will pass the picture to the tv AND play the audio (record player/casette)
the receiver is the 'brain' of your entire home theater

carlgo said:
As for the future-proof remarks, it would be understood that you would want a modern design and posters here are right in advising you to get devices with those specs. Likely 80% of owners have no clue what these acronyms are or how to access them...

I think it is a good time to buy, even to spend more than you want, because it doesn't appear that modern, even more entry level receivers are going to be obsoleted right away.
Click to expand...

im with you 100%.
bite the bullet now and save the money over the course of the next 507 years.
if you go cheap now, youll be spending more on a new receiver in 2-3 years.
 
donrsd said:
damn, i had an entire book on here written and my power cut off :mad:

2 channel alc = ONLY stereo, no 5.1
step up a few models to get that feature.
the vsx 1122 HERE offers ALC for all listening modes :)
you could get better for a few more bucks, but i was just giving you an example.

and YES - if you bought a record player, dual casette deck, another videogame system (n64, dreamcast, nes etc) you just hook it up to the receiver (or tv if you choose) via standard composite cables. red/white (yellow for video) and it will pass the picture to the tv AND play the audio (record player/casette)
the receiver is the 'brain' of your entire home theater
Click to expand...

Yeah, I started comparing more of the models yesterday now that I knew to look for the ALC.

"For a few bucks more" what do you recommend? The 1122 is definitely in range.
 
The DRis said:
Yeah, I started comparing more of the models yesterday now that I knew to look for the ALC.

"For a few bucks more" what do you recommend? The 1122 is definitely in range.
Click to expand...

ill have to look around.
me, personally, ive always been a fan of the SC series.
i know the SC 05, 07, 25, 27, 35 & 37 use the ICE AMPS (which i love)
the newer sc 50 & 60 series use a newer technology. i havent heard them yet, so i cant compare.

ask around in different forums.
i told you about going to bluray.com
if you want a pioneer elite, pose the question of which pioneer elite, what features you want and a price.

i would offer MORE HELP, but i havent really researched many receivers besides the sc models and some newer onkyos......but im not too fond of the onkyos compared to the elite's
 
donrsd said:
can a cheap pair of iphone ear buds tell the difference from a compressed 192kb mp3 to an SACD uncompressed rip?......the answer is yes.
Click to expand...
All right, I'll stop arguing. But, how on earth would you know that? It would require putting those white things in your ears. *shudder*

----------
The DRis said:
Yeah, I started comparing more of the models yesterday now that I knew to look for the ALC.

"For a few bucks more" what do you recommend? The 1122 is definitely in range.
Click to expand...

What's a "few bucks more"? Onkyo's 818 is below $900 on the street. It's a ridiculous value, I'm actually looking at it instead of their preamp that's over $2000. Has close to the same DAC as the preamp, a high-end dual processor video setup, decent amp, and (arguably) the best room setup on the market right now, Audyssey XT32.

The street prices really hit these receivers sometimes. They have had some issues with midrange models just below this one, though. Those would probably be a wait-and-see at this point. Maybe firmware upgrades would fix them in a couple months.
 
I've had my Onkyo setup for a couple of weeks now. It's excellent, great sound and superb picture quality. Handles 3D well too, one caveat though. If you buy the unit with speakers, the sub-woofer isn't really up to the job, and I replaced mine with a much more powerful Sony that I had in my bedroom.

On the whole though, great value for money, all my devices including the ATV plug into it and work well.
 
Macman45 said:
I've had my Onkyo setup for a couple of weeks now. It's excellent, great sound and superb picture quality. Handles 3D well too, one caveat though. If you buy the unit with speakers, the sub-woofer isn't really up to the job, and I replaced mine with a much more powerful Sony that I had in my bedroom.

On the whole though, great value for money, all my devices including the ATV plug into it and work well.
Click to expand...

EBAY
Acoustic Audio HD xx
xx = 8, 10, 12 or 15 inch woofer.
you can bid on them or offer a price.
i got a black 15" woofer for $90 brand new.
1000 watts / 500 rms. i dont even touch that much.

multiple people got the HD12 for under $100 all day.

best value subwoofer youll find.
destroys any crummy polk sony, infinity subwoofer.

again, there is a post on bluray.com forums under SPEAKERS.
just look for the subwoofer category
 
Any recommendations on universal remotes? I'm thinking about getting a Harmony 650. Harmony One would be nice, but that's 3X the price ($150 vs. $50)
 
GarrettL1979 said:
Any recommendations on universal remotes? I'm thinking about getting a Harmony 650. Harmony One would be nice, but that's 3X the price ($150 vs. $50)
Click to expand...

If I might make a suggestion... keep an eye on refurbs from Logitech. I got my Harmony 900 refurb from Logitech for $150. It's worth it.
 
MBPnoob said:
If I might make a suggestion... keep an eye on refurbs from Logitech. I got my Harmony 900 refurb from Logitech for $150. It's worth it.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

----------

p.s. I ended up going with the Yamaha RX-v373. Really happy with it so far!
 
donrsd said:
setting the bluray player (while its hooked up to the tv) to output its sound via LPCM, not bitstream.
also go into directv settings and find audio, then dolby digital. turn it ON.

when you get your new receiver, youll FINALLY get to hear everything in all its glory how its meant to be
Click to expand...

when you get a new AVR that can decode uncompressed audio, don't forget to change your sources back to bitstream. Chances are a mid range AVR will run circles around your sources decoding audio.

Audio is one of those areas that is easy to not set things up correctly of you don't know what you're doing or you don't read. If you choose the Denon route [I love my AVR-3311ci is the living room, except its only a 7.1 :( ] read Batpig's Denon to English site. http://batpigworld.com/
 
carlgo said:
Look for a model that has at least 3 HDMI port in (ATV, BR, DTV) and 1 out for the TV. This is the modern and best way to set up HT these days.

On screen display is nice.

One with a microphone method for setting up the speakers is a good idea.

Don't sweat over watts or magical sound unless you have a great big and perfect listening room. In the average rather terrible room the speaker set up is most important.

No need for expensive cables, but get flexible ones. Some fancier cables are way too stiff so that they look impressive, but are hard to hook up sometimes.

Really, really consider a universal remote like a Harmony One. Soooooo much better.

My advice is to spend what you have to in order to get these features. You will be living with them for a long time. My set-up is the same as yours and I ended up with a Denon 1612, but undoubtedly there are other models out there now.
Click to expand...

This is excellent advice. Right on the mark. I went for HDMI 4 in and 1 out to have a little breathing room. When you're shopping, I'd recommend that you choose something that has assignable HDMI inputs. That way you aren't tied to a particular input. You can change their purpose as needed. Mine has 1 dedicated to BR and three assignable to anything. It does indeed come in handy when you need to get creative. I currently have a fairly high end Pioneer and have had three Pioneer's that worked their way up the ladder to where I am now.

I fully agree on the Harmony One. You simply can't buy a better universal for the money. It's an amazing device.
 
avaloncourt said:
I fully agree on the Harmony One. You simply can't buy a better universal for the money. It's an amazing device.
Click to expand...

unfortunately, I can't really afford that one, and even if I could, I'd be worried about its durability. I have a 2 year old who likes to pretend everything is a robot, and I'm pretty sure the harmony one would be no exception.

So now I'm debating harmony 650 vs. urc R50. At first I was planning on going with the harmony, but there are quite a few bad reviews out there which are making me hesitant.
 
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gpiney said:
I've always been a fan of Yamaha products. They have a new receiver that fits your bill for a few bucks more RX-V373. HDMI 4in-1out, Front usb for iPhone/iPad hookup, 5.1 Dolby TrueHD. $249 from Amazon.

Here is a link to the Yamaha site:

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx/rx-v373_black_u/
Click to expand...

I just bought this receiver and I love it so far. I have two Polk audio 60s right now and a psw10 and cs1 on the way to complete the front!

I got it for 200 bucks at best buy ( sale)
 
GarrettL1979 said:
Thanks for all of the suggestions! I might go with one of the Denons you posted links to, Don. Any thoughts on Sony's receivers?
Click to expand...

I would stay away from Sony. I had Sony receivers for years, and then had to replace one last year. The sound was just horrible. Returned the Sony for a Denon 1612, and the difference was night and day. Love the Denon. Great sound and great price.
 
GarrettL1979 said:
unfortunately, I can't really afford that one, and even if I could, I'd be worried about its durability. I have a 2 year old who likes to pretend everything is a robot, and I'm pretty sure the harmony one would be no exception.
Click to expand...

I now have this mental image of your two year old in an Optimus Prime outfit charging down the hall with a Harmony One remote in hand! :D
 
GarrettL1979 said:
unfortunately, I can't really afford that one, and even if I could, I'd be worried about its durability. I have a 2 year old who likes to pretend everything is a robot, and I'm pretty sure the harmony one would be no exception.

So now I'm debating harmony 650 vs. urc R50. At first I was planning on going with the harmony, but there are quite a few bad reviews out there which are making me hesitant.
Click to expand...


ive had harmony remotes for years now.
my just turned 3 year old knows to NOT touch Daddy's electronics or tv :mad:

your son will be fine with the remote, just make sure to lay down the law and/or hide the remote when he will be around.

ive also been letting my kid use my ipad 2, and now ipad 3, for the last year or so.
she knows to ASK when she doesnt want it so i can get it from her.
just teach him the ropes with electronics......if that doesnt work, then get him back when he has his own electronics/house at 35 years old and let your beer spill on HIS remote lol
 
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