Receiver Question

[DrunkenSano]

This past weekend I went to Electronic Expo to check out on a deal for a Denon AVR-1708 Receiver at $250, I admit I haven't done too much research on receivers like I've done on TVs but I've heard pretty good things about Denon so I decided to go buy it. When I got there, the salesperson informed me that the newer model, the AVR-1609 would be better and he would even knock off $50 from the $350 original price. I was told that the difference between the 1708 and 1609 is that the 1609 is able to deliver video and audio through HDMI when the 1708 can only deliver video while audio needs to be wired through component cable. Is this true?

Second question is did I rush the purchase, I know those two Denons are probably somewhat low-end Receivers due to their price but is it really worth it to spend like $600 on a better receiver? Or are there other better receivers for the same price as the Denons?

 

[CalvinHobbes]

I'm pretty sure that is the case with the AVR-1708. The audio wouldn't use component cables since those are for video but it would use digital cables like Toslink or Digital Coax.

According to Crutchfield, the 1609 has the same limitation.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

According to Denon as well?
http://www.usa.denon.com/AVR_4...ilities_xx09_v0708.pdf
No audio capabilities over HDMI for either unit...

Are you planning on getting a Blu-ray player in the future, DrunkenSano?

What's the rest of the system you're hooking this up to? This would give us a better idea of whether the amount you're spending on the receiver makes sense for a balanced system.

 

[DrunkenSano]

Yeah, I would've bought a Panny BD-35K already if it wasn't out of stock everywhere. Tempted to buy a PS3 but been holding off on that for a standalone Bluray Player. I'm actually building a brand new setup though I'm not in a rush since space at my current place is limited. I plan on moving this year and after the move, I'll definitely be looking to buy two solid front speakers, then most likely adding a sub. Probably upgrading from there as more cash opens up. I only went to buy the receiver right now since it seemed like a pretty good deal for Denon Receiver. As for the amount, I'm sort of open. The higher the price, the slower I'll be able to upgrade, I did plan on spending atleast $1000 to start off after I move.

Since the 1609 also has no audio capabilities over HDMI, then I'll return it this weekend.

Edit Add: Another quick question, I just bought a Pioneer KURO 5020FD. Does it make a difference if I try to create a full Pioneer set like Bluray Player, Receiver, etc compared to mixing and matching different companies except for speakers.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Don't worry about mixing brands of electronics. Even speaker vs. sub is not really a concern... so just your speakers themselves would be good to match.

Since Blu-ray is in your future, getting a receiver that can do audio over HDMI would be a good idea. Just looking off pricegrabber, the price for the 1609 seems fairly good compared to regular prices, but it's not really an amazing deal either.

Do you have a receiver that you can use for now?
I'm tempted to say hold off on the receiver purchase as long as possible since receiver features tend to get better all the time. You'll get the best bang for your buck by waiting to upgrade that.
Just for example, if you were to buy nice speakers today, they'd still be nice speakers several years from now, but a nice receiver bought today would be lacking features that you might want a few years from now. A year from now, the next generation ~$350 16xx denon might have audio over HDMI for example.

Of course if you're buying your first receiver, then you've got to get one

You can certainly get a receiver with audio HDMI capabilities for the price you paid though. There's a thread here about a refurbished Marantz for $300 that has what you want (Denon and Marantz are part of the same parent company).

 

[DrunkenSano]

I think I'll take your suggestion on holding off on buying a receiver since it isn't necessary for me to get a new one right now, main reason why I purchased it is it seemed like a really good deal at the time, most likely an impulse buy following my KURO purchase. I will probably reassess my Home Theater plans in a couple of months, take the time to do research on audio now since my TV is set for a very long time. Thanks.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Sounds like a plan.

While you're researching and waiting, make sure to go out and demo some different options do educate yourself. Check out the "auditioning" section of the sticky thread.

 

[DrunkenSano]

Will definitely do so, and I'll probably dip into AVSforums too if I can sort through all that data over there.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Good idea. There's a ton of stuff to read over there