Need help choosing receiver - Blu-ray Forum

mkelley · 05-07-2008, 07:54 PM

Here's your chance, folks -- I need to (finally) upgrade my receiver. I'm looking for any and all recommendations on what to at least consider.

Rather large room with almost no coverings (wood floor, few drapes), projector big screen (9 feet), 5.1 speaker system with PS3 as my player for the forseeable future. Sub-woofer is not powered (also looking for recommendations on augmenting and/or replacing it) and I have no desire to add more speakers (I like my Sony twin towers and side and middle speakers). Current system is 100 watts x 5 and this seems more than enough power for that room.

I'd prefer not to spend a fortune -- audio is important but I'm not super critical and listening to movies is all we do with the receiver (not used for anything else). But it needs to be able to decode TrueDolby HD because my present system doesn't (only DD 5.1) and I've found a few discs that only have this as the audio (would be nice, I guess, to also do DTS if my PS3 will do that).

I'm using optical audio on my present system because it doesn't have HDMI inputs, but if a new receiver has HDMI I will also need HDMI out since my projector doesn't have this (so if I use the HDMI from the PS3 it will have to go first to the receiver and then from the receiver to my projector). Does this all make sense? (I'm an old man and a little left behind by all this technology).

TIA for any information.

crackinhedz · 05-07-2008, 07:59 PM

Yamaha RX-V663

Onkyo TX-SR805

...I think two of the better options.

Woody · 05-07-2008, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkelley

Here's your chance, folks -- I need to (finally) upgrade my receiver. I'm looking for any and all recommendations on what to at least consider.

Rather large room with almost no coverings (wood floor, few drapes), projector big screen (9 feet), 5.1 speaker system with PS3 as my player for the forseeable future. Sub-woofer is not powered (also looking for recommendations on augmenting and/or replacing it) and I have no desire to add more speakers (I like my Sony twin towers and side and middle speakers). Current system is 100 watts x 5 and this seems more than enough power for that room.

I'd prefer not to spend a fortune -- audio is important but I'm not super critical and listening to movies is all we do with the receiver (not used for anything else). But it needs to be able to decode TrueDolby HD because my present system doesn't (only DD 5.1) and I've found a few discs that only have this as the audio (would be nice, I guess, to also do DTS if my PS3 will do that).

I'm using optical audio on my present system because it doesn't have HDMI inputs, but if a new receiver has HDMI I will also need HDMI out since my projector doesn't have this (so if I use the HDMI from the PS3 it will have to go first to the receiver and then from the receiver to my projector). Does this all make sense? (I'm an old man and a little left behind by all this technology).

TIA for any information.

What is your budget?

crackinhedz · 05-07-2008, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkelley

my present system doesn't have HDMI inputs, but if a new receiver has HDMI I will also need HDMI out since my projector doesn't have this

maybe Im reading this part wrong...does your projector have HDMI inputs?

anyways, with the PS3 you can output Video over the Component cable to the projector while at the same time output Audio over the HDMI cable to the Receiver...so your projector does not need an HDMI connection to receive the video.

crackinhedz · 05-07-2008, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkelley

Sub-woofer is not powered (also looking for recommendations on augmenting and/or replacing it)

Id ditch it.

JBL Venue Series SUB12

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkelley

(would be nice, I guess, to also do DTS if my PS3 will do that).

yes, the PS3 can now decode Dts-HD Master Audio.

mkelley · 05-07-2008, 08:43 PM

Um, projector has HDMI *inputs* not outputs, which is why I need them on the receiver (if I am to use HDMI to go from the PS3 to the receiver I then need to go HDMI from the receiver to the projector). Sorry for the confusion.

Budget? Well, the Yamaha listed sounds good -- under $500 for what is only going to be my theater audio seems about right. But I will consider almost any reasonable pricing (just a matter of figuring out how to pay it off :>)

Powered sub-woof looks good -- after seeing Iron Man at the Imax I was super impressed by the body moving (yet extremely clean and not over boomy) bass in their super system there and was wondering if I could even come close in my own home (I can get lots of bass, but it's not the "feel" but more of a sound).

mkelley · 05-07-2008, 09:02 PM

Oh -- stupid question time, but when looking at that powered subwoofer I notice the back has two inputs. Two inputs? Consider me remarkably dense (or just old) but I was always taught that a sub only needed one channel input (and, indeed, my current receiver only has one sub preamp out). Could I still use this sub with my current receiver? Have the rules changed in some significant way or was I always wrong?

crackinhedz · 05-07-2008, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mkelley

Oh -- stupid question time, but when looking at that powered subwoofer I notice the back has two inputs. Two inputs? Consider me remarkably dense (or just old) but I was always taught that a sub only needed one channel input (and, indeed, my current receiver only has one sub preamp out). Could I still use this sub with my current receiver? Have the rules changed in some significant way or was I always wrong?

the subwoofer can still connect using the one cable...no worries.

...also, bestbuy has "no interest for xx months" on items $499 and up, but the deal usually changes from week to week.

Yamaha RX-V663

(This receiver actually has an option to use two subwoofers! 7.2 audio.)

mkelley · 05-08-2008, 04:48 AM

Thanks for all your help -- I've ordered the Yamaha and the JBL sub woof and I think I'll be very happy (well, perhaps my *budget* won't be so happy, but...)

Now I guess I need to hook my PS3 to the internet to get the latest downloads, right? So I can have DTS?

(And I'm hoping that the receiver is smart enough to just figure all this out -- one thing I really hate about my old receiver is that it's so stupid it needs lots of help just trying to get Dolby Digital right. With all these audio choices I hope I can just put the blu-ray disc in and hear good sound without having to think about it too much. I'm very old :>)

05-07-2008, 07:54 PM	#1
mkelley Active Member Member since:Dec 2007	Need help choosing receiver Here's your chance, folks -- I need to (finally) upgrade my receiver. I'm looking for any and all recommendations on what to at least consider. Rather large room with almost no coverings (wood floor, few drapes), projector big screen (9 feet), 5.1 speaker system with PS3 as my player for the forseeable future. Sub-woofer is not powered (also looking for recommendations on augmenting and/or replacing it) and I have no desire to add more speakers (I like my Sony twin towers and side and middle speakers). Current system is 100 watts x 5 and this seems more than enough power for that room. I'd prefer not to spend a fortune -- audio is important but I'm not super critical and listening to movies is all we do with the receiver (not used for anything else). But it needs to be able to decode TrueDolby HD because my present system doesn't (only DD 5.1) and I've found a few discs that only have this as the audio (would be nice, I guess, to also do DTS if my PS3 will do that). I'm using optical audio on my present system because it doesn't have HDMI inputs, but if a new receiver has HDMI I will also need HDMI out since my projector doesn't have this (so if I use the HDMI from the PS3 it will have to go first to the receiver and then from the receiver to my projector). Does this all make sense? (I'm an old man and a little left behind by all this technology). TIA for any information.

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05-07-2008, 07:59 PM	#2
crackinhedz Super Moderator Member since:Feb 2007 Home Theater Gallery:10 Blu-ray reviews:8 Trading Score:19	Yamaha RX-V663 Onkyo TX-SR805 ...I think two of the better options.

05-07-2008, 08:43 PM	#6
mkelley Active Member Member since:Dec 2007	Um, projector has HDMI inputs not outputs, which is why I need them on the receiver (if I am to use HDMI to go from the PS3 to the receiver I then need to go HDMI from the receiver to the projector). Sorry for the confusion. Budget? Well, the Yamaha listed sounds good -- under $500 for what is only going to be my theater audio seems about right. But I will consider almost any reasonable pricing (just a matter of figuring out how to pay it off :>) Powered sub-woof looks good -- after seeing Iron Man at the Imax I was super impressed by the body moving (yet extremely clean and not over boomy) bass in their super system there and was wondering if I could even come close in my own home (I can get lots of bass, but it's not the "feel" but more of a sound).

05-07-2008, 09:02 PM	#7
mkelley Active Member Member since:Dec 2007	Oh -- stupid question time, but when looking at that powered subwoofer I notice the back has two inputs. Two inputs? Consider me remarkably dense (or just old) but I was always taught that a sub only needed one channel input (and, indeed, my current receiver only has one sub preamp out). Could I still use this sub with my current receiver? Have the rules changed in some significant way or was I always wrong?

05-08-2008, 04:48 AM	#9
mkelley Active Member Member since:Dec 2007	Thanks for all your help -- I've ordered the Yamaha and the JBL sub woof and I think I'll be very happy (well, perhaps my budget won't be so happy, but...) Now I guess I need to hook my PS3 to the internet to get the latest downloads, right? So I can have DTS? (And I'm hoping that the receiver is smart enough to just figure all this out -- one thing I really hate about my old receiver is that it's so stupid it needs lots of help just trying to get Dolby Digital right. With all these audio choices I hope I can just put the blu-ray disc in and hear good sound without having to think about it too much. I'm very old :>)

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