Denon AVR-1610 vs 1611

[prism]

Right now Amazon has new 1610s priced at $299, which seems like a pretty sweet deal. However, I know that the 1611 is the newer version of it. That being said, I'm a relative newcomer to the audio world, and I don't know what most of the differences between the two models are, besides the 1611 having one more HDMI input. The comparison on Denon's website (isn't letting me link for some reason) has terminology that I just don't understand

Can anyone enlighten me on whether I should spring for the 1611? Both of them have HDMI passthrough which is a must; I just want something that will be relatively future-proof, something I can add a preamp to in the future.

 

[s44]

The 1611 removes the second component in and the component out as well as the second optical in and two composite inputs. In other words, it's not meant to be used with legacy devices.

The 1611 has two more power amps for 7.1, but with an actually lower power consumption spec I suspect each of the channels is a bit weaker. Both should output reasonable wattage in real-world conditions, but neither is "future-proof" in the sense of being a potential part of a pre/power amp setup: no pre-outs, no multichannel analog ins.

The 1611 has HDMI 1.4a instead of 1.3a, which matters if you're planning to go 3D at some point.

If you're planning to upgrade for more amp power, look at the refurb Onkyo 707 from A4Less ($400). If you want 3D on top of that, you'll have to stick to this year's midrange+ models -- that is, pay a lot.