Lost Z-5500 Remote, looking for receiver alternatives

[Inferno0032]

Hey,

I lost my Z-5500 remote, and can't seem to track down a replacement, and don't particularly want to buy a 50 dollar remote.

I'm considering buying a reciever that will input all of my audio sources, maintain the "digital" aspect of the audio, and then pass it to the Z-5500s, as I'm currently using them as a HT setup.

A few questions:
One being, will I be able to control the volume using the receiver? If I set the Z-5500s at a "medium" volume, and then adjust the output volume from the receiver to the 5500s, will that control the volume?

Second, what would be the best receiver to look for in the 100-200 range, keep in mind that I plan on adding real HT speakers to this receiver later, and looking for the best future-proofing as well.

Thanks alot guys!

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Do I have this right?

You want to input sources to a receiver.
You then want to use the receiver's digital output to send a digital signal to the Logitech z-5500 control pod.
You want to control the volume level with the receiver's remote.

 

[PM650]

I don't think you're going to find a receiver that will re-encode a decoded DD/DTS stream, especially not for $200. Personally, I have yet to see such a feature, but there may be something out there that will do it. The closest you'll be able to come to this for under $200 is to use a receiver's preamp outputs with the 6-ch analog inputs on the 5500's. All that this will change is the bitstream will be decoded in the receiver rather than by the z-5500s, which may be better anyways, depending on the quality of the DACs used in both devices.

Also: http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=lo...=PCA_Speakers&_odkw=logitech+z-5500&_osacat=0

 

[Inferno0032]

Most remotes sell for 20+, I'd rather spring for a universal at that point.

You understand what I'm looking to do correctly.

I don't need the receiver to do full digital output, but it seems as thought it would be better than my current setup, which is input into TV, output to Red/White into the "music" input on the receiver.

Plus, I eventually want to build a real HT setup, so which receiver would fit this need for under 200, preferably?

Thanks guys!

 

[PM650]

Well, it's really debatable about how much you could call something in this price range future-proof. The real changes in receivers today involve HDMI related video & audio processing; short of that, not a lot has changed in the HT arena for close to a decade, with the exception of gradual improvements in room optimization technologies and additional standards to add on top of DD/DTS.

Here're some options based on the current lines available:
Pioneer VSX-519V-K - $198 shipped
Onkyo TX-SR307 (refurb) - $180 shipped
Sony STR-DH700 - $220 shipped
Yamaha RX-V365BL - $230 shipped
The Yamaha HTR-6130BL is also available for $210, but shipping is $30, putting it above the 365.
Interestingly, the RX-V363 is identical in all respects to the current replacement for it, the RX-V365 (see comparison), while costing $20 less on amazon.

From the above, you need to make a choice: do you want HDMI audio decoding? Only the sony & pioneer will handle it in this price range. I generally consider sony to have the lowest quality amplifiers, with pioneer's low-end coming in second, so there is a compromise imo. The other receivers don't do anything particularly special to justify the extra expense, the yamaha especially; at least the onkyo has Audyssey Dynamic Volume + Dynamic EQ.

The trend in recent times has been to provide more features at the expense of legacy/non-HDMI connectivity & amplifier size - it should be no surprise that current offerings in this range are universally 20lb 5.1-only light-weights. If you're considering older models, you can get a much better deal on a receiver with a few less features (even more-so with used or refurb).

Older models still won't be able to decode HDMI audio in this price range, but you'll have beefier amps. One particular receiver that is put into your price range is the year-old Denon AVR-589, which features Audyssey MultEQ, a step up from the TX-SR307's Audyssey 2EQ. Needless to say that used/refurb will put a ton more receivers into this range, I've always liked Pioneers VSX-101x (VSX-101x = year 200x model) units, they use the Elite platform with less features, but a much larger amplifier section than the VSX-91x unit (91x is one step below the 101x).

Maybe if you can provide a bit more detail on what functionality is needed, this can be narrowed down more.

 

[funboy6942]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Remote-Control-...ViewItemQQptZPCA_Speakers?hash=item2303e80c92

I found a remote for $35 shipped, unless you rather go shell out $300+ for a different system that is.