Hello:

I am in the market for a receiver, and my price range is between
$400-$700. I will be using it for:
Home theatre, Xbox, and PS3 (when it comes out). I want something that
would last me for a longtime, since new technology is introducted every
other year.

I am planning to get Axiom Speakers (M60s), can someone please advice a
good receiver for me?


TIA!

Hello,

I too have been searching for a reciever in this same price range
( my 25 yr. old unit died recently so I finally have an excuse to
upgrade). I've done a ton of searching and reading on the net and it
seems to me the best bet is to go with a factory refurbished unit.
These are available from many top notch manufacturers such as Denon,
Marantz, Pioneer, Harmon Kardon etc. and are usualy quality tested MORE
thoroughly than they were originally, they come with manufacturer
warranty ( provided you order from factory authorized dealer ), and are
WAY cheaper. Your $400-$700 could easily get you a thousand dollar
unit. You could get even more for your dollar by looking into used
peices on sites like audiogon, ebay, etc. A little bit of a risk here
since you don't really know who you're dealing with but these deals
"usually" work out OK if you're willing to take the gamble.
After you've checked out all the possibilities the next step is to
narrow your options by deciding on the features you want. There's tons
of options and each brand is a little bit different in what they
emphasize.
Once you narrow it down to just two or three choices comes the
hard part. Different brands DO sound different. What sounds so-so to
one person could sound absolutely tremendous to someone else. "Good"
sound is totally subjective. Avoid depending too much on advice here,
even an "expert" can steer you wrong by having you get what HE likes
instead of what you like, although getting some input wouldn't hurt.
The thing to do at this point is to try and audition them for yourself
by visiting some dealers but BEWARE; first off, hearing a unit with the
store's speakers dosn't really show how they'll sound with yours and
even if they happen to have exactly the sane speaker setup you intend
to use they will STILL sound different in the showroom than they do in
your home. Even just changing the location of the speakers within the
same room can have a HUGE effect on the sound. Picking the perfect one
may not be easy but use your judgement, trust your instincts, be
careful and you'll find it's worth the trouble as you enjoy the hell
out of it for many years to come !!
Good luck !
p.s. Thanks for the post, I was a little bored tonight and typing all
this out kept me out of trouble for a while.

Mag Gam wrote:

I am in the market for a receiver, and my price range is between
$400-$700. I will be using it for:

The Yamaha RX-V657 A/V Receiver with a MSRP of $550 was one
of The Perfect Vision's (a sister publication of The Absolute Sound)
product of the year in the A/V Receiver category.


GeoSynch

Thanks for your replies!

I am more concerned with my components. I am planning to buy a PS3, and
I currently use my TV for mostly, xbox, DVDs, and HD content. I want a
good reciever for my speakers (which I am planning to get too).

I want something that will last me a long time, eventhough the
technology is going to change :-(

"Mag Gam" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello:

I am in the market for a receiver, and my price range is between
$400-$700. I will be using it for:
Home theatre, Xbox, and PS3 (when it comes out). I want something that
would last me for a longtime, since new technology is introducted every
other year.

Have you got that backwards? I would think that rapidly advancing
technology would suggest that the receiver doesn't have to last a long time,
since it will soon be replaced by newer technology.

Norm Strong

said:


I am in the market for a receiver, and my price range is between
$400-$700. I will be using it for:
Home theatre, Xbox, and PS3 (when it comes out). I want something that
would last me for a longtime, since new technology is introducted every
other year.


Have you got that backwards? I would think that rapidly advancing
technology would suggest that the receiver doesn't have to last a long time,
since it will soon be replaced by newer technology.


'Dedicated Follower Of Fashion", The Kinks.

Some of us want quality in our lives, quality that lasts.
Does a Quad 44/405 look outdated to you?

--

- Never argue with idiots, they drag you down their level and beat you with experience. -

Uncle Troll wakes up and shoos the flies away from his long gray beard.

Have you got that backwards? I would think that rapidly advancing
technology would suggest that the receiver doesn't have to last a long time,
since it will soon be replaced by newer technology.

What kind of receiver do you have, Normy?

Normy,

Sorry. I do have to backwards....

So, my question is, does anyone have a OLD receiver they still use for
the day-to-day things? I want something that would last me for a
longtime....I was looking at the Denon AVR-1906. Any opinions?

Mag Gam said:

So, my question is, does anyone have a OLD receiver they still use for
the day-to-day things? I want something that would last me for a
longtime....I was looking at the Denon AVR-1906. Any opinions?

No warranty on electronics more than 1 year old. So solly.

Bill:

THANKYOU!

Clear and Simple!!!!! Star deserved!

"Mag Gam" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello:

I am in the market for a receiver, and my price range is between
$400-$700. I will be using it for:
Home theatre, Xbox, and PS3 (when it comes out). I want something that
would last me for a longtime, since new technology is introducted every
other year.

I am planning to get Axiom Speakers (M60s), can someone please advice a
good receiver for me?


TIA!

A freind of mine had me help him research receivers a short time ago and he
wound up choosing a Pioneer VSX-1015TX. 120wpc x 7, THX certified with DTS
decoding as well.

IIRC he paid $399.00 plus shipping from an internet vendor. He is very
happy with it and I believe it is at least as good or better as anything in
the same feature range. Lots of features, learning remote, and very
versatile.

On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 23:59:34 GMT, wrote:


A freind of mine had me help him research receivers a short time ago and he
wound up choosing a Pioneer VSX-1015TX. 120wpc x 7, THX certified with DTS
decoding as well.

IIRC he paid $399.00 plus shipping from an internet vendor. He is very
happy with it and I believe it is at least as good or better as anything in
the same feature range. Lots of features, learning remote, and very
versatile.

What would you say drives those 7 channels, Mike? I mean for $399.
Just a friendly question.

"paul packer" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 13 Feb 2006 23:59:34 GMT, wrote:


A freind of mine had me help him research receivers a short time ago and
he
wound up choosing a Pioneer VSX-1015TX. 120wpc x 7, THX certified with
DTS
decoding as well.

IIRC he paid $399.00 plus shipping from an internet vendor. He is very
happy with it and I believe it is at least as good or better as anything
in
the same feature range. Lots of features, learning remote, and very
versatile.

What would you say drives those 7 channels, Mike? I mean for $399.
Just a friendly question.

According to the manual and their website description, MOSFET amp, THX
certified.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pn...etailComponent

I've heard it driving 2 different set of speakers and it has no
peculiarities that I can discern.

On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 20:40:32 GMT, wrote:


What would you say drives those 7 channels, Mike? I mean for $399.
Just a friendly question.

According to the manual and their website description, MOSFET amp, THX
certified.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pn...etailComponent

I've heard it driving 2 different set of speakers and it has no
peculiarities that I can discern.

840Watts for under $500! It's incredible what they can do these days.
Plus it has "mid-night listening", whatever that may be, and a
loudness control. I think I'll get two.

"paul packer" wrote in message

On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 20:40:32 GMT,
wrote:


What would you say drives those 7 channels, Mike? I
mean for $399. Just a friendly question.

According to the manual and their website description,
MOSFET amp, THX certified.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pn...etailComponent

I've heard it driving 2 different set of speakers and it
has no peculiarities that I can discern.

840Watts for under $500! It's incredible what they can do
these days.

It has a built-in RTA and comes with a measurement mic. It will
automatically equalize itself and its speakers to match the room.

Plus it has "mid-night listening", whatever
that may be,

"mid-night listening" nets out to be dynamic range compression. Loud
passages are attenuated so that you don't wake up the neighbors with an
unexpected loud passage.

and a loudness control. I think I'll get two.

Given that you only have headphones and no proper speakers, it seems like
extreme overkill, Paul. I think a Wavac is more your speed.

"paul packer" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 15 Feb 2006 20:40:32 GMT, wrote:


What would you say drives those 7 channels, Mike? I mean for $399.
Just a friendly question.

According to the manual and their website description, MOSFET amp, THX
certified.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pn...etailComponent

I've heard it driving 2 different set of speakers and it has no
peculiarities that I can discern.

840Watts for under $500! It's incredible what they can do these days.
Plus it has "mid-night listening", whatever that may be, and a
loudness control. I think I'll get two.

Be my guest, you won't be sorry, unless of course you're one of those people
with a stick up their ass about something that costs less can't sound as
good as something that costs more.

Mr. Bug Eater, congratulations on having your stick removed. Too bad
another one seems to have grown back spontaneously.

840Watts for under $500! It's incredible what they can do these days.
Plus it has "mid-night listening", whatever that may be, and a
loudness control. I think I'll get two.

Be my guest, you won't be sorry, unless of course you're one of those people
with a stick up their ass about something that costs less can't sound as
good as something that costs more.

I think paulie is a lot closer to you -- i.e., someone with a stick up his
butt about nothing can sound better than the cheapest box no matter how
much it costs.

In article .net,
says...

According to the manual and their website description, MOSFET amp, THX
certified.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pn...etailComponent

I've heard it driving 2 different set of speakers and it has no
peculiarities that I can discern.

Looks like a remarkable deal. I've never seen a THX certified receiver
at such a low pricepoint.

One thing that I noticed: on the specs they list THD at 0.2% - I fully
confess my ignorance of such things, but is that possibly audible? The
only reason I bring it up is that, for example, the Denon receiver I own
(2106) has somewhat similar specs (lower power though and not THX), but
they list THD at 0.08%

Would these still largely sound the same below clipping?

--
Bill

Bill Riel said:

One thing that I noticed: on the specs they list THD at 0.2% - I fully
confess my ignorance of such things, but is that possibly audible? The
only reason I bring it up is that, for example, the Denon receiver I own
(2106) has somewhat similar specs (lower power though and not THX), but
they list THD at 0.08%

Would these still largely sound the same below clipping?

Whatever you do, don't audition it before buying it. That would spoil the
surprise.

"Bill Riel" wrote in message
t
In article
.net,
says...

According to the manual and their website description,
MOSFET amp, THX certified.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pn...etailComponent

I've heard it driving 2 different set of speakers and it
has no peculiarities that I can discern.

Looks like a remarkable deal. I've never seen a THX
certified receiver at such a low pricepoint.

One thing that I noticed: on the specs they list THD at
0.2% - I fully confess my ignorance of such things, but
is that possibly audible? The only reason I bring it up
is that, for example, the Denon receiver I own (2106) has
somewhat similar specs (lower power though and not THX),
but they list THD at 0.08%

Would these still largely sound the same below clipping?

Likely, yes.

A modern power amp putting out 0.2% THD is most definately clipping, and one
putting out 0.08% THD is probably clipping a little as well.

IOW if the rated power was backed off say 5%, both amps would have 0.02% THD
from 20-20K.

In article ,
says...
"Bill Riel" wrote in message

[...]

Would these still largely sound the same below clipping?

Likely, yes.

A modern power amp putting out 0.2% THD is most definately clipping, and one
putting out 0.08% THD is probably clipping a little as well.

IOW if the rated power was backed off say 5%, both amps would have 0.02% THD
from 20-20K.

Ah, thanks for the answer - (another ignorant question coming up): does
that mean that the quoted THD levels are for the stated "maximum" output
levels (eg 100 watts with my Denon or the 120 watts for the Pioneer)?

--
Bill

George M. Middius wrote:

Bill Riel said:

One thing that I noticed: on the specs they list THD at 0.2% - I fully
confess my ignorance of such things, but is that possibly audible? The
only reason I bring it up is that, for example, the Denon receiver I own
(2106) has somewhat similar specs (lower power though and not THX), but
they list THD at 0.08%
Would these still largely sound the same below clipping?

Whatever you do, don't audition it before buying it. That would spoil the
surprise.

Bad advice. Bill should audition it before buying. He can then
examine the layout of the controls and buttons on the receiver and the
remote. Are they logically laid out? Are they clearly labelled? Are
they easy to use?

--124

"Bill Riel" wrote in message
t
In article ,
says...
"Bill Riel" wrote in message

[...]

Would these still largely sound the same below clipping?

Likely, yes.

A modern power amp putting out 0.2% THD is most
definately clipping, and one putting out 0.08% THD is
probably clipping a little as well.

IOW if the rated power was backed off say 5%, both amps
would have 0.02% THD from 20-20K.

Ah, thanks for the answer - (another ignorant question
coming up): does that mean that the quoted THD levels are
for the stated "maximum" output levels (eg 100 watts with
my Denon or the 120 watts for the Pioneer)?

Yes.

124 wrote:
George M. Middius wrote:

Bill Riel said:

One thing that I noticed: on the specs they list THD at 0.2% - I fully
confess my ignorance of such things, but is that possibly audible? The
only reason I bring it up is that, for example, the Denon receiver I own
(2106) has somewhat similar specs (lower power though and not THX), but
they list THD at 0.08%
Would these still largely sound the same below clipping?

Whatever you do, don't audition it before buying it. That would spoil the
surprise.

Bad advice. Bill should audition it before buying. He can then
examine the layout of the controls and buttons on the receiver and the
remote. Are they logically laid out? Are they clearly labelled? Are
they easy to use?

--124

That won't get it done.
I suggest you download and carefully read the manual. Is it clear and
does it make sense? Go the store and see if you can step through the
setup menu and program input selection (optical or digital etc).
Make sure the speaker setup selection is clear. Are you gonna use a
sub and use the receiver bass control? Check that out.

My Pioneer manual is ok... I looked at a Yamaha and it was IMO,
better. Others I've seen are awful. One thing to note as well... the
written manual that came with mine was a 3"x5" 60 page booklet with 6pt
type. Reading that thing in anything other than direct bright light
was impossible. You'll be glad to download something you zoom to
normal size.

ScottW

In article .com,
says...

124 wrote:
George M. Middius wrote:

Bill Riel said:

One thing that I noticed: on the specs they list THD at 0.2% - I fully
confess my ignorance of such things, but is that possibly audible? The
only reason I bring it up is that, for example, the Denon receiver I own
(2106) has somewhat similar specs (lower power though and not THX), but
they list THD at 0.08%
Would these still largely sound the same below clipping?

Whatever you do, don't audition it before buying it. That would spoil the
surprise.

Bad advice. Bill should audition it before buying. He can then
examine the layout of the controls and buttons on the receiver and the
remote. Are they logically laid out? Are they clearly labelled? Are
they easy to use?

--124

Well, I appreciate the advice though I'm actually not in the market for
a new receiver as I'm quite happy with my Denon. I just found the price
& features of this Pioneer very impressive.

However:

That won't get it done.
I suggest you download and carefully read the manual. Is it clear and
does it make sense? Go the store and see if you can step through the
setup menu and program input selection (optical or digital etc).
Make sure the speaker setup selection is clear. Are you gonna use a
sub and use the receiver bass control? Check that out.

The bit about the manual is good advice: While I really like my Denon,
the manual is pretty crappy imo. I've had the unit long enough that I
have it figured out, but getting it set up was kind of confusing and the
manual could have been much better written and organized.

Having said that, it is a receiver I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

--
Bill

ScottW wrote:

124 wrote:
George M. Middius wrote:

Bill Riel said:

One thing that I noticed: on the specs they list THD at 0.2% - I fully
confess my ignorance of such things, but is that possibly audible? The
only reason I bring it up is that, for example, the Denon receiver I own
(2106) has somewhat similar specs (lower power though and not THX), but
they list THD at 0.08%
Would these still largely sound the same below clipping?

Whatever you do, don't audition it before buying it. That would spoil the
surprise.

Bad advice. Bill should audition it before buying. He can then
examine the layout of the controls and buttons on the receiver and the
remote. Are they logically laid out? Are they clearly labelled? Are
they easy to use?

--124

That won't get it done.
I suggest you download and carefully read the manual. Is it clear and
does it make sense? Go the store and see if you can step through the
setup menu and program input selection (optical or digital etc).
Make sure the speaker setup selection is clear. Are you gonna use a
sub and use the receiver bass control? Check that out.

My Pioneer manual is ok... I looked at a Yamaha and it was IMO,
better. Others I've seen are awful. One thing to note as well... the
written manual that came with mine was a 3"x5" 60 page booklet with 6pt
type. Reading that thing in anything other than direct bright light
was impossible. You'll be glad to download something you zoom to
normal size.

Good advice. And I agree with you that nothing beats a proper
audition. At the very least, if one is unhappy with a product, one
should be aware of the return policy before buying. Makes much more
sense than worrying excessively about sound quality. These days,
things like THD, frequency response, and signal-to-noise ratio are
probably acceptable even in a $200 US receiver from brands like Sony,
Panasonic, Pioneer, Yamaha, JVC, and--the nightmare of every
subjectivist--the infamous Kenwood. I would add that if one has 4 ohm
speakers and intends to listen loudly for many hours at a stretch, one
may want to know if the receiver can handle 4 ohm speakers.

--124

124 wrote:
ScottW wrote:

124 wrote:
George M. Middius wrote:

Bill Riel said:

One thing that I noticed: on the specs they list THD at 0.2% - I fully
confess my ignorance of such things, but is that possibly audible? The
only reason I bring it up is that, for example, the Denon receiver I own
(2106) has somewhat similar specs (lower power though and not THX), but
they list THD at 0.08%
Would these still largely sound the same below clipping?

Whatever you do, don't audition it before buying it. That would spoil the
surprise.

Bad advice. Bill should audition it before buying. He can then
examine the layout of the controls and buttons on the receiver and the
remote. Are they logically laid out? Are they clearly labelled? Are
they easy to use?

--124

That won't get it done.
I suggest you download and carefully read the manual. Is it clear and
does it make sense? Go the store and see if you can step through the
setup menu and program input selection (optical or digital etc).
Make sure the speaker setup selection is clear. Are you gonna use a
sub and use the receiver bass control? Check that out.

My Pioneer manual is ok... I looked at a Yamaha and it was IMO,
better. Others I've seen are awful. One thing to note as well... the
written manual that came with mine was a 3"x5" 60 page booklet with 6pt
type. Reading that thing in anything other than direct bright light
was impossible. You'll be glad to download something you zoom to
normal size.

Good advice. And I agree with you that nothing beats a proper
audition. At the very least, if one is unhappy with a product, one
should be aware of the return policy before buying. Makes much more
sense than worrying excessively about sound quality. These days,
things like THD, frequency response, and signal-to-noise ratio are
probably acceptable even in a $200 US receiver from brands like Sony,
Panasonic, Pioneer, Yamaha, JVC, and--the nightmare of every
subjectivist--the infamous Kenwood. I would add that if one has 4 ohm
speakers and intends to listen loudly for many hours at a stretch, one
may want to know if the receiver can handle 4 ohm speakers.

Definitely, though I think most will these days. The only other thing
I noticed
was the more features and channels the things have... the hotter they
run.
If you plan to put it into a cabinet.. be aware of the heat output.
I only wanted a 5.1 system and they're getting harder to find but
my little no features Pioneer works great and was noticeably cooler
than their
larger models. Stuffing a big 7.1 unit into a cabinet
and cooking it is asking for trouble.

ScottW

On Thu, 16 Feb 2006 12:58:43 -0500, George M. Middius cmndr
[underscore] george [at] comcast [dot] net wrote:


I think paulie is a lot closer to you -- i.e., someone with a stick up his
butt about nothing can sound better than the cheapest box no matter how
much it costs.

Assuming this is indeed English, as it seems to be skirting the edges,
it appears you haven't read any of my posts in praise of my Marantz
PM8200 amp ($1600 AU) over budget Rotel and NAD models I've owned.

Hmmm..looks like you're wrong this time, George. Now let's see a most
humble and perhaps even grovelling apology. :-)

paul packer said:

I think paulie is a lot closer to you -- i.e., someone with a stick up his
butt about nothing can sound better than the cheapest box no matter how
much it costs.

Assuming this is indeed English, as it seems to be skirting the edges,
it appears you haven't read any of my posts in praise of my Marantz
PM8200 amp ($1600 AU) over budget Rotel and NAD models I've owned.

How profligate of you. Shame, shame, shame.

Hmmm..looks like you're wrong this time, George. Now let's see a most
humble and perhaps even grovelling apology. :-)

OK, sorry. You should have realized, being sort of an RAO veteran, that
your participation in this example was incidental. The real target was
duh-Mikey's moronic generalizing.

On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 07:43:35 -0500, George M. Middius cmndr
[underscore] george [at] comcast [dot] net wrote:


Hmmm..looks like you're wrong this time, George. Now let's see a most
humble and perhaps even grovelling apology. :-)

OK, sorry.

Er...that wasn't quite what I had in mind.

Even Arnie managed a better apology than that just yesterday. Of
course, he did go on the attack again immediately.