Best Entry-Level Receiver for PS3/Blu-ray? Let's have it out!!

[Another_Dude]

While I'm rather new here, it seems that the same question comes up time and again:

I have a Blu-ray player (usually a PS3) and I want the lossless audio. How little can I spend to get it?

Well, there are a handful of options and this thread will be about comparing those receivers that will do what you want them to do for just a few Benjamins.

We'll leave the speakers and sub(s) out of the discussion for now. This is all about the receiver.

The players:
Onkyo TX-SR606



Sony STR-DG720



Yamaha RX-V663



Now, I'd guess there are other brands out there that will do what you want them to...but these are the three names that come up the most often. If there is another receiver in this price range that should be included please let me know and I'll add it to this post.

The reason these three were chosen is because they will accept PCM over HDMI. They don't have to do any special decoding of the newest lossless codecs because you're PS3 already does it. Connect your PS3 via HDMI to any of these and you can enjoy lossless PCM, Dolby TrueHD, or DTS HD-Master Audio. You can pay more for a receiver that decodes, but you have a PS3 so you don't have to. All three of these receivers are 7.1, if you choose to add the last two speakers.

You add 6 or 8 speakers (5.1 or 7.1) and a couple of cheap HDMI cables to these receivers and you're off and running.

Crutchfield Comparison Page

Many of the differences/features shown on the comparison won't be used by the guy with a PS3. Is it really going to matter to you if the receiver has RCAs or S-Video for the front input?

The poll should allow folks that have already been down this road to vote for what works best for them. Until each manufacturer rolls out their new products for '09 these are what you can choose from to get lossless surround sound with your PS3 on a tight budget.