Looking for a decent receiver, pioneer VSX-D812 or VSX-D912k?

[50]

Hello, I need a new receiver and I'm thinking about getting a pioneer. I will never buy a sony receiver ever again after my last one just died after 3 years. I want 6.1 and I want as many dolby digital inputs as possible. I saw a couple weeks ago some Onkyo and Yamaha receivers around this price but they had only 2 inputs which kept me away. Anyways both these pioneer systems seem excellent except for one major feature NO ON SCREEN DISPLAY. I'm not sure I can live with a receiver without a display. The main differences between the two are 60 watts of power (or 10 per channel), better remote, and this speaker setup feature only available on the 912. Is it worth it for the extra 80 bucks? Should I look for something else(my budget is 350)?

812
912

 

[nsafreak]

Hmmmm the receiver I purchased a Harman Kardon AVR-230 is out of your price range at least at Circuit City at $500. Although you may be able to find it for less at other online retailers. Don't let the power output fool you on this receiver. While the two Pioneers say they can output 100 watts to each channel that is doubtful, they probably put out less to all 6 channels. A lot of manufacturers (including Pioneer) don't give true output ratings for when a receiver is cranking all 6, they'll do it just for the 2 fronts. Harman Kardon on the other hand when they say the receiver can output 50 watts per channel they mean all 6 channels. If anything they underrate it as some stereo review magazines have gotten higher numbers than what Harman Kardon advertises.

Enough of the sales pitch for Harman Kardon though . You might also want to look at some receivers from Onkyo and perhaps Yamaha and Denon. But personally since I love my AVR-230 I highly recommend HK.

Edit: Some extra info on the HK unit I have just for your info. It does have an onscreen display and it has the ability to setup the speakers via microphone that's built into the remote. Will it get it spot on every time? Probably not but it takes a lot of the work out of it and it gets it to the point where you can just do a little fine tuning and get it suited to your tastes.

 

[50]

Yes I did know about the power ratings and how the lower tier manufcaturers put higher ratings. Wattage is really not much of a concern to me esp since I have a small living room and small low grade speakers. I forgot to mention how I was looking for a receiver which will last at least 5-10 years. Should I spend the extra $ for a HK or a higher tier manufacturer?

 

[nsafreak]

I'd say it'd be worth it. HKs tend to last quite a while and are well worth it. Other high tier manufacturers like NAD, Denon, and Onkyo typically have long lifespans. It's like your mother always says, you get what you pay for

 

[DaveSimmons]

Pioneer is a good budget brand, I and my brother both have VSX-555's we got for the laserdisc RF input a couple of years ago and both are still working fine. My mom has either the 812 or 912 (I think the 912) and is happy with it.

Denon, H-K are a step up in quality, Onkyo less so. Be careful buying online since the cheap places like etronics.com sell grey-market no-warranty recievers.

I'll be upgrading to probably a Denon 2805 or 3805 later this year, but they're way out of your range and not even available yet.

 

[nsafreak]

It might also be a good idea to go to a local audio shop (no NOT someplace like Circuit City or Best Buy) to let them suggest something to you. Usually a good audio shop can take what equipment you have along with your room size & budget and recommend a good solution. I don't know of anyplace local to you but check around. I purchased my Paradigm PDR-10 subwoofer (and will be purchasing more speakers) from a local shop called Cherry Creek Audio.