Worth buying new receiver?

[tsupersonic]

I have been using a hand me down (thanks dad) Onkyo TX-SR501, along with a 5.1 Bose speaker setup (I know, go ahead laugh! , it was free!) for my home theater. This setup is 13 years old, but works very well to this day. My question is it worth upgrading the receiver to something modern to get new features like HDMI passthrough, network streaming, etc.? Being out of the loop, what other features do newer receivers offer? I appreciate good sound, but I am by no means an audiophile.

Devices I have - Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Chromecast. No cable, just OTA channels. Between the three of these devices, I can stream Netflix, Youtube, content from my NAS, etc.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Railgun]

but works very well to this day.

is it worth upgrading the receiver to something modern to get new features like HDMI passthrough, network streaming, etc.?

You kind of answered your own question. Do you WANT or NEED those features?

I don't bother with HDMI passthrough. It's all or nothing, mainly because TV speakers suck.

As for streaming, I would think chromecast will cover that for you but I don't know all of its cababilities. You can also leverage the xbox for that.

 

[Fayd]

You kind of answered your own question. Do you WANT or NEED those features?

I don't bother with HDMI passthrough. It's all or nothing, mainly because TV speakers suck.

As for streaming, I would think chromecast will cover that for you but I don't know all of its cababilities. You can also leverage the xbox for that.

if the TV is good, HDMI passthrough works well. the audio comes back to the reciever via optical from the TV. That said, the OP is probably thinking of HDMI decoding. HDMI passthrough is literally just bouncing the HDMI signal through the reciever, without decoding or stripping audio.

 

[purbeast0]

personally i would upgrade. you will get hdmi ports (and many of them most likely) and you can get something that has audyssey with it. you will probably get network compatibility as well.

but if none of that matters to you, then stick with what you have until you NEED to upgrade.

 

[poofyhairguy]

you can get something that has audyssey with it.

Huge

 

[RearAdmiral]

Huge

If one does it correctly. I know I didn't do it well at all my first few times:

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/audio-processing/68407-audyssey-multeq-faq-setup-guide.html

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=159948

I read those pages and then followed the 8-Point Basic Setup Mic Pattern using 6 points as I only have MultiEQ. Sounded quite a bit better.

 

[Sattern]

If you aren't having any problems after 13 years I think you should just wait for it to blow, you'll save some money and potentially be able to buy a newer model when those come out.

 

[tsupersonic]

Huge

If one does it correctly. I know I didn't do it well at all my first few times:

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/audio-processing/68407-audyssey-multeq-faq-setup-guide.html

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=159948

I read those pages and then followed the 8-Point Basic Setup Mic Pattern using 6 points as I only have MultiEQ. Sounded quite a bit better.

This looks interesting. I have never calibrated my surround sound system properly - I know there are settings on the receiver for speaker distance. I just moved very recently, so I might have to try tweaking these settings.

You kind of answered your own question. Do you WANT or NEED those features?

I don't bother with HDMI passthrough. It's all or nothing, mainly because TV speakers suck.

As for streaming, I would think chromecast will cover that for you but I don't know all of its cababilities. You can also leverage the xbox for that.

I appreciate everyone's responses. I think I will stick with what I have, until it dies, or "the next big thing" comes out. I haven't followed AV receivers, so I figured I'd ask the experts.

I was wondering about HDMI passthrough because my TV only has 3 HDMI in ports, and up until recently, they were all occupied. Luckily the Xbox One has a HDMI in port (for cable), but the 360 happily works, as does the Chromecast. I don't use my TV speakers - why use TV speakers when I have a surround sound system sitting right there? I have a optical out from the TV to the receiver, so for the rare times I watch OTA, or use the Chromecast, I rely on the surround sound system.

 

[tsupersonic]

if the TV is good, HDMI passthrough works well. the audio comes back to the reciever via optical from the TV. That said, the OP is probably thinking of HDMI decoding. HDMI passthrough is literally just bouncing the HDMI signal through the reciever, without decoding or stripping audio.

Ah, yes, I figured HDMI passthrough meant me gaining access to extra HDMI ports. I don't rely on HDMI for audio - I have my Xbox 360/Xbox One hooked up via HDMI to my TV, but use the optical out ports on both devices to feed sound through my receiver/speakers.

If I were to buy a new receiver, I would plug in the devices (HDMI) straight to the receiver rather than the TV, and still use optical out from the devices for sound. I think that's how it would work, but not entirely sure.

 

[purbeast0]

This looks interesting. I have never calibrated my surround sound system properly - I know there are settings on the receiver for speaker distance. I just moved very recently, so I might have to try tweaking these settings.

audyssey can make your speakers sound SSSSSSSOOOOOOOO much better it's crazy. when i first hooked up my speakers (and i have pretty good speakers) i tried watching a movie without calibrating it and i was like 'wow this sounds pretty bad' and then i ran audyssey, and was like HOLY SHIT right after. i just had to adjust the bass a bit (turn it up, even though my version of audyssey can calibrat dual subs) and man, it sounds ridiculously good now. it will make your speakers sound like totally different/better speakers.

 

[tsupersonic]

audyssey can make your speakers sound SSSSSSSOOOOOOOO much better it's crazy. when i first hooked up my speakers (and i have pretty good speakers) i tried watching a movie without calibrating it and i was like 'wow this sounds pretty bad' and then i ran audyssey, and was like HOLY SHIT right after. i just had to adjust the bass a bit (turn it up, even though my version of audyssey can calibrat dual subs) and man, it sounds ridiculously good now. it will make your speakers sound like totally different/better speakers.

Interesting, good feedback. I will make sure this feature is available on the next receiver I buy (whenever that happens)

 

[Railgun]

Regarding HDMI passthrough, you guys are talking about ARC, not passthrough. Passthrough is the the ability to watch the source, through a receiver, without the receiver being on.

ARC is the TV audio being sent back to the receiver.