time to consult the Gods

[Mr Black]

ok... I am looking for an AV receiver. I have a Panny plasma, a Wii, a basic cable box, a blu ray player and an older DVD player to hook into it. My speakers are in my ceiling and came with the house, so I don't know what kind they are. I'm not sure making the move to 3D would be wise for me (from what I'm reading) so if I can save some money, I'd be interested in an older model. I'd like to find something that has the pass thru feature and upconverts the analog signals. Any suggestions would be incredibly helpful as my brain is beginning to swell.

 

[slashbinslashbash]

Refurb Onkyo TX-SR607 at Accessories4Less for $280:

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...atts-channel-7.2-Home-Theater-Receiver/1.html

It does upconversion from analog to HDMI. Onkyo 60x series is the cheapest of their line that does it, normally runs about $450-500 retail. The 607 is an older model (current model is 608) and the refurb makes it darn cheap. I've got 2 family members running 605's, I run a 703, never had any problems with them. Plenty of power, plenty of inputs, plenty of features, nice Audyssey room correction.

 

[Mr Black]

ah... thanks! what if I upped my budget to around $500? or would that be crazy?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Do you have a subwoofer?

 

[Mr Black]

yes... it's a Yamaha powered sub... I was thinking about grabbing one of those little Jamo guys I saw for $100

 

[Anubis]

ah... thanks! what if I upped my budget to around $500? or would that be crazy?

upping your budget would get you some more power, more inputs, depending on the specifics some will have 2 zones and 7/9.1 modes and maybe preouts

other then more HDMI inputs you most likely wont need any of that

 

[slashbinslashbash]

Yeah, IMO the 607 is really just about everything that most people could want, unless you've got a 3D TV, 7 or more HDMI sources, 3 or more component-video sources, a record player that requires a phono input, or a really big room that needs lots of power. Getting a nicer (~$250) sub or some other speakers (it would help to know if your in-ceiling speakers are good or crap) would give a bigger benefit than going from the 607 to a $500 receiver.

 

[Mr Black]

they are 8", round, in-ceiling speakers and they do sound pretty good. Nothing for me to go by, unfortunately, unless I take them out.

 

[Mr Black]

ok, I found this one at Newegg for $500... anyone know if this is a good deal? Pioneer VSX-1120-K. Thanks again for your help!

 

[slashbinslashbash]

ok, I found this one at Newegg for $500... anyone know if this is a good deal? Pioneer VSX-1120-K. Thanks again for your help!

Yes, it's probably a good deal, but the 1120 doesn't offer much that you'd need as opposed to the 1020, which is $400 at Newegg.

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/receivers/pioneer-vsx-1120-k-fl

The only things the 1120 has that the 1020 doesn't:

*Binding posts for the height/Zone 2 speakers, as opposed to spring clips (you've never mentioned a 2nd zone or going for a 9.1 setup)
*An RS-232 port for system automation/integration purposes
*A special circuit to eliminate jitter when hooked up to Pioneer BRD players (as if jitter is a big problem)
*A Marvell chipset to handle 1080p upconversion instead of an Anchor Bay chip.

 

[Mr Black]

is the Marvell chip that much better than the Anchor Bay? Yeah, I only worry about jitter after a few cups of coffee thanks!

 

[slashbinslashbash]

I doubt it, but hey. Maybe the OSD is different because of the different chips. That could sway me one way or the other.

 

[Mr Black]

ok, last question and then I'll buy something I think I've narrowed it down to the Denon AVR-1911 or the Pioneer VSX-1120. The Pio would be abut $75 more. I came to the conclusion that with my TV being a bit older that I'd probably jump on a 3D set when the prices came down.

 

[Anubis]

Get the Pio its worth the extra 75$