Best A/V Reciever for Christmas.

[bacot11]

I recently have been doing lots of research recently on new recievers. Through forums and professional reviews, I have narrowed down my choices between the Onkyo 705, Yammy 663, the Pioneer 1018, and the Yammy 863.

I need pre-outs, HDMI 1.3a Switching not up-converstion (already have hd inputs), good sound quality (most imortant), under $500, preferably around $400, and the unit needs to run cool as my placement will be in a entertainment center that leaves little room. All the recievers have some of these things but not all.

I like the Yammy 663 because of its the bang for your buck, and will be a great step up from my Yamaha RX-V650 (which I love). However, the lack of more that 2 hdmi in's could be an issue down the road (does have 2 sub preouts). The 704 is great because of the thx certification (and features), but the heat seems like it would become a major issue in my situation. The Pioneer is a nice middle ground, but I have heard bad things about their actual power output. The yammy 863 is my ideal choice, but it is out of my budget (a lot of extra money for basically one more HDMI in).

Any input will be greatly appreciated as Christmas is right around the corner, and I need to make a decision. Like I said I have a yamaha Rx-v650 so I am yamaha bias, and in need of a neutral opinion. The rest of the system is as follows: Sony rss-6000 fronts, Kenwood ks-706ht 5.0 speaker system, and two yamaha 215 8" subs. Panasonic th42px75u, ps3, and directtv hd box.

[Beta Man]

It certainly looks like you've done your due-diligence, so you should be able to work with any of them, but If you like the Yammy, get the yammy..... there are always HDMI switchers you can buy if you need them later

[BinaryLinguist]

Take a look at the Marantz SR-4002. Does everything you need and (IMHO) will give you a better sound quality than the others. Just bought one for the bedroom.

[CosmoKid]

THX certification is a joke. You gain nothing, only George Lucas does. Pay George his money, you get THX certifications. THX means nothing. Never base your buying decision on this.

[kpkelley]

If I were you I would keep an eye on the RX-V863 as it can be had today for under $600. Not too far from your budget.

Link

Also, if you don't mind refurbished receivers, check out this Marantz SR5002.

[TENSE]

pioneer elite sc-09, sc-07, or elite vsx-94txh.

[dobyblue]

You can get the TX-SR805 from Amazon for $599 with free shipping and a two year warranty, a great receiver for the price, particularly for a larger room.

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-SR805...6099351&sr=8-1

Originally Posted by CosmoKid

THX certification is a joke. You gain nothing, only George Lucas does. Pay George his money, you get THX certifications. THX means nothing. Never base your buying decision on this.

Yet oddly the Denon 5308CI with THX Ultra 2 certification far exceeds its 150 watts/ch rating whereas the non-THX certified Denon 4308CI runs only 114w/ch with all channels driven despite its 140w/ch rating.

Saying that you gain "nothing" is not true. What's important is to keep it in perspective. You're not going to see THX certification on a $70,000 pair of Martin Logan Statement E2 speakers, but they're hundreds of times better than the Klipsch THX certified speakers.

Again, keeping it in perspective is important. THX doesn't mean "better", but it isn't a giant joke either, certainly not for the prices you're seeing some companies present Ultra2 certified receivers for right now.

Originally Posted by kpkelley

If I were you I would keep an eye on the RX-V863 as it can be had today for under $600. Not too far from your budget.

Link

Also, if you don't mind refurbished receivers, check out this Marantz SR5002.

Might want to be weary of some of those dealers though. A4L is an authorized Denon/Marantz dealer and they're definitely legit, but for the 863 you're not going to find it much under $899 from a dealer worth their weight in salt, and an authorized one.

[BACsader]

Well, we really aren't sticking to his $500 price limit. Personally, I would go with the Pioneer. I know that the Onkyos run hot, not particularly sure about that model. The Yamaha v-663 is a great receiver, but Pioneer has the best auto calibration which most people will swear by, including me. You get 3 HDMI inputs, 130w/channel, it runs cooler than competing Onkyo receivers, and it does have pre-out.