Receivers - help, buy now or wait?

[LostinHD]

I am very much a newbie, my last receiver was the Onkyo TX-820, that I bought in 1990. Over the past 2 weeks, I think I have read every post in the "receivers" section.......this has been very helpful and at the same time very confusing.

Here is my situation, I bought a house that has in-wall/ceiling speakers. There are 6 round speakers (surround sound) in the family room, 1 rectangular speaker in the dining room, and one rectangular speaker in the kitchen. I think the speakers are Klipsch and they are approximately one and half years old. I do not have a dvd player or a blu-ray player, but I plan to buy a blu-ray player when the second generation players come out.

The receivers that I am considering are as follows:
Onkyo 805 (problem with this one is that it runs hot and it is big, it will be placed in a built-in wall unit and it will be HOT in there).
Yamaha RX-V663 (problem with this one is it only has 2 HDMI outputs, the newer receivers seem to have 3, do I need 3?)
Yamaha RX-V863 (I think this one has more than I need because I dont think I need all the upcoding etc. because I think my TV already does that. I have a Sony XBR 4 so do I really need all that upcoding stuff?)
Denon AVR-3808 CI (not really in my price range and again I dont think I need all the upcoding stuff, right?)

Which receiver do you recommend for my situation? And/or, should I wait for newer receivers that may be released over the summer/fall? Any receiver recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

[TENSE]

you should purchase the pioneer elite 92 my friend.!
you cant go wrong with it..!!!

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by TENSE

you should purchase the pioneer elite 92 my friend.!
you cant go wrong with it..!!!

save $500 on the Elite 92.

Through May only.

[Beta Man]

I'm picturing your "In-Wall" audio rack (which I've seen a few of them, so I've got a good idea of it)


I'd recommend, REGARDLESS of what receiver you get, if you have enough room behind the components, place a VERY small, quiet fan (PC type fan basically) and connect the power to the AC-Outlet on the back of the receiver, so the small external fan runs whenever you power-on your receiver......

If you're capable, wire up small PC speakers, and build them directly into the shelves......


good luck!

[bdrex28]

I'm waiting until the Sony 920 and the Pioneer 1018 come out here shortly.

Then I'll make a decision on what's available. But I want to have most of the new receivers out first.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by LostinHD

I am very much a newbie, my last receiver was the Onkyo TX-820, that I bought in 1990. Over the past 2 weeks, I think I have read every post in the "receivers" section.......this has been very helpful and at the same time very confusing.

Here is my situation, I bought a house that has in-wall/ceiling speakers. There are 6 round speakers (surround sound) in the family room, 1 rectangular speaker in the dining room, and one rectangular speaker in the kitchen. I think the speakers are Klipsch and they are approximately one and half years old. I do not have a dvd player or a blu-ray player, but I plan to buy a blu-ray player when the second generation players come out.

The receivers that I am considering are as follows:
Onkyo 805 (problem with this one is that it runs hot and it is big, it will be placed in a built-in wall unit and it will be HOT in there).
Yamaha RX-V663 (problem with this one is it only has 2 HDMI outputs, the newer receivers seem to have 3, do I need 3?)
Yamaha RX-V863 (I think this one has more than I need because I dont think I need all the upcoding etc. because I think my TV already does that. I have a Sony XBR 4 so do I really need all that upcoding stuff?)
Denon AVR-3808 CI (not really in my price range and again I dont think I need all the upcoding stuff, right?)

Which receiver do you recommend for my situation? And/or, should I wait for newer receivers that may be released over the summer/fall? Any receiver recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

Pioneer Elite 92 or the Yamaha 863 if you can wait, give the Pioneer 1018tx a try. Can't go wrong with either of these three units (although the Elite and the Yamaha are already proven - the 1018 will be a first run).

[keene6132]

I really like Denon. I think they have an edge when considering AVRs. That's mainly what they put their resources into and thus they produce a supreme product.

I would get the 3808. Four HDMI inputs and high res. audio decoding and a lot more! I know you said it's too pricey but call http://www.electronics-expo.com/inde...enon&x=17&y=10 they will come down on the price.

[digibob]

I am waiting for the Pioneer VSX-1018TXH receiver that comes out around June. I saw this one at CES. It was very impressive.

[Leaffan]

Originally Posted by TENSE

you should purchase the pioneer elite 92 my friend.!
you cant go wrong with it..!!!

As I live in Canada I got the Pioneer VSX-9120TXH, which is the Canadian equivalent to the Elite 92 and it's awesome. HDMI 1.3, Dolby TrueHd and DTS Master HD support!

Talk about future proof and great performance...all for $600.

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by digibob

I am waiting for the Pioneer VSX-1018TXH receiver that comes out around June. I saw this one at CES. It was very impressive.

]

what color is that??? your picture is too small.......

[LostinHD]

Okay, I am a little perplexed, all you guys talk about on these message boards are Onkyo, Yamaha, Denon...........and now you are recommending Pioneer? Did I miss something? There are very few threads on here that talk about Pioneer and believe me I think I have read just about everything on here. I am open to Pioneer, but I kind of want to know why you are recommending it, like what do you like about it or what important specs does it have. Thanks again

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by LostinHD

Okay, I am a little perplexed, all you guys talk about on these message boards are Onkyo, Yamaha, Denon...........and now you are recommending Pioneer? Did I miss something? There are very few threads on here that talk about Pioneer and believe me I think I have read just about everything on here. I am open to Pioneer, but I kind of want to know why you are recommending it, like what do you like about it or what important specs does it have. Thanks again

I don't recall ever recommending Onkyo (maybe I have as an "option" at it's price point for the entry level 605 )

Important Specs??? I pick my equipment based on how it performs... so I recommend auditioning things (speakers in-home, but I usually do side-by-side in store for receivers because it's so much easier)

I do like Denon, and sister company Marantz, and Rotel, and some Harmon Kardon, and I don't care for the sound of Sony, Onkyo, and I think "Better" is available at the price-points required to get a good Pioneer.... but again, it's all personal taste. Yamaha would be my $350 choice if I needed it to decode the HD Audio.

[digibob]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

what color is that??? your picture is too small.......

Sorry, this is the first picture I have ever posted. I am still try to figure out how posting pictures work.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by LostinHD

Okay, I am a little perplexed, all you guys talk about on these message boards are Onkyo, Yamaha, Denon...........and now you are recommending Pioneer? Did I miss something? There are very few threads on here that talk about Pioneer and believe me I think I have read just about everything on here. I am open to Pioneer, but I kind of want to know why you are recommending it, like what do you like about it or what important specs does it have. Thanks again

I recommend by a persons need - I will always recommend Yamaha's (I just like em) if a person has the disposible cash - I will move up to Pioneer Elite. There are alot of receivers that I could recommend but most people don't want to pay the price (Marantz comes to mind and Rotel). My first pick is the Yamaha 863 (tested and proven), but I have used the Pioneer top of the line consumer product before and it wasn't that bad and had a lot of bang for the buck. You will have to listen to it for yourself and decide if you like it

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by prerich

There are alot of receivers that I could recommend but most people don't want to pay the price (Marantz comes to mind and Rotel).

Got a Marantz for $350 so they make them at the same price points as other comparable units..... It really does come down to personal taste in the end.

[Ectoplasm]

I own a Marantz 8002. It doesn't run very hot, and sound quality is stunning. It doesn't lip-flap.

A downside of it (some would consider it an upside) is that there aren't many buttons on the front of it. You have to open the door to get to them.

Construction quality is top-notch, and it looks great. Only does HDMI 1.3a pass-through though. Marantz figures you don't need it these days, as most better DVD players are already upscaling.

The 7002 model is very nice, as well.

[LostinHD]

Well, I took your advice and went out and bought the Pioneer Elite VSX-92TXH and it is a really nice receiver, but unfortunately once all the cables and wires are connected to the back of the receiver, it does not fit into the built-in cabinet, so I am back to square one. I am disappointed that I have to return it and start looking for another receiver and I got a really good price on it too, $799...now I will probably have to pay more.

So is there a different receiver that I should try? The recevier will have to measure approximately 16 1/2 inches in depth or less because the cabinet is 18 inches deep.

Thanks for your help.....