Audio receiver under $330 to go with these Monoprice 10565's?

[Crow550]

Updated questions on page 2.

Got it on sale for $228.71 along with mounts, speaker wire and plugs + shipping.

It's a 5.1 set but I will be getting two more Satellite Speakers to make it 7.1: http://www.monoprice.com/Category?c_id=109&cp_id=10906 (Maybe down the line I will add another Sub for 7.2 which a simple RCA splitter should don for that.... Maybe as it may be overkill since this will be my room. LOL!)

Since the Speaker system has a 1 year Warranty I guess I can wait a little for any Black Friday deals or whatever.

Primary use of the TV is mainly PC gaming and Netflix streaming as well as Blu-Rays of course. I already have a network switch hooked up so features like Wifi on a receiver are not needed.

 

[gus6464]

There were some good black friday deals last year in receivers. I know best buy had a pioneer elite for $250 marked down from $599. If you can wait a little I say wait for the BF stuff and you should be able to get a good receiver for cheap.

But you really can't go wrong with Onkyo, Yamaha, Denon, etc. I like Denon and Onkyo right now because they come with Audyssey. If you go for one with Audyssey check for MultiEQ.

 

[queequeg99]

If you have a Fry's near you, wait until this happens again (sure to happen soon):

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2346687&highlight=denon

This is a really really good price on a full featured reciever. The high level of Audyssey room correction is great.

Onkyo also offers really good features for the money, although you should carefully google any models you're interested in to ensure that they don't suffer from heat issues.

 

[NutBucket]

Fry's also has some good deals on older versions (year-old models) of the Yamaha Aventage receivers. I was looking into one when I thought my Denon had kicked the bucket. You typically lose nothing by going with a year-old model. Seems like all the latest receivers have added is better network streaming/i-sheep interfaces.

 

[Crow550]

So I should hold off on the YAMAHA RX-V573BL which is $288.88 at NewEgg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16882115375 would it be worth adding a one year Warranty?

Do have a Fry's but the gas it would take to drive there would take away on much savings....TBH.

 

[queequeg99]

The big plus for me for the Denon is the Audyssey MultiEQ room correction, which will EQ your entire system (including the subwoofer). As far as I know, no other room correction system in this price (or perhaps any price range) will EQ the sub in addition to you other speakers.

Of course, you can get the Yamaha and dial in the sub by hand. I'm sure if you google around a bit you'll find tips on how to do this. It isn't like a DIY colonoscopy or anything. Also, Yamaha stuff tends to be pretty good quality.

 

[Crow550]

What about Yamaha's YPAO?

So.... If I keep my eyes opened I can score a deal on like a Denon or Onkyo with Audyssey MultiEQ which is the top auto audio config system that makes audio setup simple & awesome.

 

[queequeg99]

What about Yamaha's YPAO?

Most recent AVRs will have some sort of room correction. If you go over to avsforum.com, you can learn a lot more about the different systems. Onkyo and Denon (and perhaps a few others) license the Audyssey system. I believe YPAO and the system Panasonic use (MCACC) are proprietary to their stuff. You'll find adherents to every kind of system. However, Audyssey is the only one that will EQ your sub (although you need to get MultiEQ or higher to get this functionality). The other systems will EQ everything except your sub (which you will need to dial in by hand).

As for the job each system does on the non-sub speakers, I would again point you to avsforum.com. I have had only two modern AVRs and both are Denons (which I have come to love) so I have a pretty narrow view of the world in this regard.

One thing to keep in mind with any room correction system is that they attempt to correct for your specific room. Since all rooms are different in size and configuration, results can vary widely. Audyssey has worked very well for me in two different systems in very different rooms. However, there are people on avsforum who have pretty strong feelings about this stuff and more than a few who feel strongly that any room correction system screws their systems up. Go figure.

 

[boomhower]

I've got the little brother to the 573, the 473 and really like it. Previous to it I had a Denon 1612 that got killed by lightening. I actually like the Yamaha better as the Denon tended to be a little flaky switching between inputs which was a pain in the rear when using macros.

 

[Anarchist420]

id get a harman kardon if they still have any older 7.1 models that are inexpensive and on sale. i like my 3490 a lot now that i corrected for my room and position by moving the speakers to the appropriate place.

wish i had better speakers and some more money to buy more cds, but those problems arent due to the hk3490.

you have to pay a lot for a good yamaha and onkyo sucks or at least i heard that their stereo receiver ran really hot, had significantly less instantaneous high current capability than an hk3490 (which is the same price if its on sale), and that it sounded really different than my hk3490 which sounds closer to a vaccuum tube amp.

 

[Crow550]

So.... Many.... Choices....

I like the idea of everything being auto EQ'd and I realize sometimes depending on the room it could be off a bit.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. I am keeping my eyes peeled for deals this Month.

I'm upgrading from a cheapie set I bought back in 2002: The Interact DSS-900: http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/review-interact-dss-900-5-1-digital-surround-system.19440220/ all I can say is that it was better than using TV speakers.

 

[alkemyst]

Amazon had the Yamaha HTR that matched the 473 for < $200 yesterday.

Accessories4less.com I would recommend. Don't buy Marantz from them unless you want to risk things. That is the source of their only complaints. They offer them REALLY cheap but you have to pay shipping both ways and Marantz won't honor the warranty.

It's all stated in their ToS.

 

[Crow550]

Thanks for the Accessories4less.com link.

Tomorrow I am gonna cruise around some retail shops and see if they have any good sales or clearance deals going on.... See if they match some of these online deals as I gotta pick some stuff up anyways....

Anyone ever do 5.2 or 7.2 setups? Would stereo Subs be worth it at all? For that matter would getting a 7.1 receiver and using a dual RCA plug for both Subs be the same as getting a 7.2 receiver? Things I might consider down the line....

Course been also been eying some of those Gaming sub-woofer chairs but it I don't think it would be needed....LOL! Plus reviews seem mixed....

Any who the quest for a good A/V Receiver moves forward.

 

[Number1]

Thanks for the Accessories4less.com link.

Tomorrow I am gonna cruise around some retail shops and see if they have any good sales or clearance deals going on.... See if they match some of these online deals as I gotta pick some stuff up anyways....

Anyone ever do 5.2 or 7.2 setups? Would stereo Subs be worth it at all? For that matter would getting a 7.1 receiver and using a dual RCA plug for both Subs be the same as getting a 7.2 receiver? Things I might consider down the line....

Course been also been eying some of those Gaming sub-woofer chairs but it I don't think it would be needed....LOL! Plus reviews seem mixed....

Any who the quest for a good A/V Receiver moves forward.

Yes you're RCA splitter will work. The same subwoofer signal is present on both sub outputs on the 5.2/7.2 receivers.
As others have said, you can't go wrong with a recent Denon/Onkyo or even Yamaha receiver. Just make sure to get one with the features that are important to you.

 

[iRONic]

Today's woot;


Pioneer VSX-1023-K 7.1-Channel Multi-Zone Networked A/V Receiver with AirPlay, HTC Connect, & Pandora Streaming - $299.99

 

[iRONic]

Anyone ever do 5.2 or 7.2 setups? Would stereo Subs be worth it at all? For that matter would getting a 7.1 receiver and using a dual RCA plug for both Subs be the same as getting a 7.2 receiver? Things I might consider down the line....

I'm using two sub woofers on an Onkyo 7.1 AVR. The RCA splitter works fine but it isn't technically "stereo."

 

[queequeg99]

I'm using two sub woofers on an Onkyo 7.1 AVR. The RCA splitter works fine but it isn't technically "stereo."

Just to add to this comment: you shouldn't really get stereo bass effects from a well configured system. Unless you have some weird room treatment issues or if you've set your crossover too high, you shouldn't be able to locate your sub by ear, so stereo effects shouldn't be present at the low end. Instead, I always thought the point of using 2 subs was to actually eliminate any ability to localize the source of the sub (i.e. make the bass more all encompassing such that the source cannot be determined by the listener). I've used two subs connected via a splitter for this exact purpose.

 

[Crow550]

Sorry I should have said dual Subs and not Stereo.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

A few years ago I was looking for a recevier. Wanted a Yamaha but settled on a Pioneer.

Quite frankly, the sound from my 20 year old Pioneer recevier is better than the new receiver's sound quality. But I needed the newer technolgoy and a working rmeote for the thing ;-)

 

[alkemyst]

Thanks for the Accessories4less.com link.

Tomorrow I am gonna cruise around some retail shops and see if they have any good sales or clearance deals going on.... See if they match some of these online deals as I gotta pick some stuff up anyways....

Anyone ever do 5.2 or 7.2 setups? Would stereo Subs be worth it at all? For that matter would getting a 7.1 receiver and using a dual RCA plug for both Subs be the same as getting a 7.2 receiver? Things I might consider down the line....

Course been also been eying some of those Gaming sub-woofer chairs but it I don't think it would be needed....LOL! Plus reviews seem mixed....

Any who the quest for a good A/V Receiver moves forward.

IMHO most would do better with a single sub than two. Unless your room is huge and/or has wave issues...a second sub can actually worsen the experience.

That said most go way too much in the sub department and get cheap on their mains.

5.1 is more than adequate for most rooms as well. Too many try to force a 7.1 setup and end up messing up the soundstage.

 

[Crow550]

I checked out BestBuy and they didn't have any great deals....

Speakers and Accessories came. Still looking around....

As for 7.1.... Many Streaming rental services like Vudu or M-GO will only offer 7.1 or Stereo track and not a 5.1 track for a good chunk of Titles....

I will be using 5.1 for awhile. Then plan to upgrade to 7.1. Course who knows when exactly I will decide. Same with adding a second Sub.

 

[Meghan54]

Find some "real" stereo shops locally and see what sort of used equipment they have. Most decent ones will give a warranty on their trade-in's, albeit a short one like 90 days, but you can get very nice equipment on the "cheap" this way.

 

[queequeg99]

As for 7.1.... Many Streaming rental services like Vudu or M-GO will only offer 7.1 or Stereo track and not a 5.1 track for a good chunk of Titles....

If you play a 7.1 track through an AVR that is set up with a 5.1 speaker configuration, the AVR will simply mix the rear channels with your surrounds. You don't lose any sound. Of course, you do lose the potentially better spacial definition that 7.1 can provide IF you have a properly set up 7.1 system. As noted in another reply, a poorly set up 7.1 setup can screw up your sound. Unfortunately, many 7.1 systems are forced into areas where they are not appropriate because most room configurations don't easy allow speaker placement directly behind the listener's seating position (often because a sofa is backed up against a wall). 3 feet distance is generally considered the minimum. If you get closer than they, the rears may be emphasized too much compared to the other speakers.

 

[Number1]

A few years ago I was looking for a recevier. Wanted a Yamaha but settled on a Pioneer.

Quite frankly, the sound from my 20 year old Pioneer recevier is better than the new receiver's sound quality. But I needed the newer technolgoy and a working rmeote for the thing ;-)

I would not recommend a Pioneer receiver. The only one I owned failed after 2 years of use and it was in a ventilated cabinet. Never again for me considering that my first ever receiver, an 80s vintage Technic unit lasted for well over 25 years.
I think you're so used to the sound of your old receiver that nothing else sound good to you. The technology today is much more advanced and the resulting sound is far better. And then again, it's a question of personal taste.

 

[Number1]

IMHO most would do better with a single sub than two. Unless your room is huge and/or has wave issues...a second sub can actually worsen the experience.

That said most go way too much in the sub department and get cheap on their mains.

5.1 is more than adequate for most rooms as well. Too many try to force a 7.1 setup and end up messing up the soundstage.

I actually use 3 subs in my 7.3 home theater adjusted with Audysey MultEQ xt and the subs complement each other very nicely . I can't tell where the bass is coming from and when I want to listen to rock, I crank the bass way up. The resulting sound shakes the entire house. Very nice.

See my sig to see what my system looks like. I have made some change since but essentially this is my audio system.