smart way to spend the money?

[chrisivan]

I've been lurking for the past 2 or so weeks trying to gain some knowledge but it seems that what I am after is not that popular a subject.

I am currently upgrading my HT since it is more than 10 years old. I purchased a Plasma TV a few months ago and love watching cable HD programs (video component out to TV and optical out to AVR), have a Sony 400 disc dvd player with upconversion capability (HDMI output to the TV and digital cable out to AVR) and a Pioneer 301 disc CD player to cut down the clutter but am still running the old JVC 6008V AVR and it's accompanying HT speakers/sub. Speakers & sub are of course going to be upgraded in the near future but this is my problem.

The new AVR's have a lot of features such as multiple video/component/HDMI switching which seem very attractive but unless the settings can be put into memory you seem to be constantly adjusting because each component output you use seem to have a particular setting that looks best on that specific component when displayed on the TV, i.e.: the DVD player picture settings are always different from the cable box settings or is this just in my MIND.

I am looking to upgrade my AVR and am not so sure if I should focus on these video switching capabilities or stick to an AVR with a lot of audio input capabilities (if such an animal even exists) and if I ever run out of inputs for the TV, then use a HDMI switcher. I am aware that DSP/speaker balancing or EQ capabilities might be even a better capability of the AVR so as to make life easier for me. The budget is $1000 (less is better so I can spend more on the speakers & sub) with the goal of the best sound potential and long term use. I am not looking for reference quality so please fire away with your opinions and recommendations.

Thanks in advance.

 

[j_garcia]

You do not have to run video through your AVR, and most AVRs just pass through video signals, they should not modify them ideally, though some of the newest ones can do "upconversion". You are correct though that different settings are needed for different video sources, and that should be handled at the display to be honest. That is why I am a fan of Sony TVs, because it allows you to store different settings and I use those for the different devices, as my PS3 and Blu-Ray has very different settings than my DVD player and CATV.

What will also be of great use in helping you choose a receiver is what speakers you have and how big your room is.

 

[chrisivan]

You do not have to run video through your AVR, and most AVRs just pass through video signals, they should not modify them ideally, though some of the newest ones can do "upconversion". You are correct though that different settings are needed for different video sources, and that should be handled at the display to be honest....<snip>

What will also be of great use in helping you choose a receiver is what speakers you have and how big your room is.

Thanks for the response,

I dont run the video through the AVR (no ability to do this) and other than minimizing cable clutter for the HT; dont see any reason why unless somebody set's me straight.

The room is approx 4-4300 cubic feet. The present speaker/sub is what came with the JVC AVR (4 bookshelves & 1 JVC sub); an eventual upgrade will take place but I'll start a different thread on speaker/sub selection in the future.

 

[chrisivan]

Wow, the silence is deafening Anyway, I've been looking more and seem to be drawn towards the Yamaha line (like the 5990 etc) when I came across the Emotiva LMC 1 & LPA 1 because of the $200 off to be raffled to some lucky members. The only thing lacking in this combo that I really want is the ability to automatically calibrate your system but it sure looks like a great value, a downright STEAL.

Anybody with experience on these products, pro-cons, suggestions?

 

[markw]

There's no silence on this end.

A very good suggestion was offered but apparantly overlooked. As Mr. Garcia suggested, you should be looking at speakerts first.

Some speakers present difficult loads for some receivers. Once you decide on speakers, then start worrying about getting the proper receiver to drive them to their full potential.

And, by assuming video switching will be done at the monitor, you open up many more possibilities.

 

[Nick250]

Choose your speakers first, the amplification will depend on that. The Emotiva package looks pretty nice, I agree. Most of your budget should go to wards speakers because that's where the sound quality part comes really comes into play. My rough guide is 65% of your audio budget goes to the speakers. There are a ton of very good receivers in the $600 to $1000 range.

Nick

 

[chrisivan]

Thanks and your points are well taken. After more than 10 yrs of school/training and about 100K in student loans, a new house, a couple of vehicles and one child in college, allocating spending can be rude in my world. I also didn't want to muddy things up too much since this is a Receiver thread and there might be too many off-topic conversations that undoubtedly will enter the mix.

My intentions are get a sub first then speakers to follow; HSU or SVS sub either of which have an excellent selection, decent price, seem to be very well received and both with very good customer service. The speakers considered are the Klipsch (2) RF-52's, (1) RC-52 or 62 and the rears are still up in the air such as the (2) RS-42's or (2) Hsu HB-1's. It is doubtful that any of these will tax the AVR to the point of possible problems.

 

[jcPanny]

Video Calibration

specific component when displayed on the TV, i.e.: the DVD player picture settings are always different from the cable box settings or is this just in my MIND.
Thanks in advance.

Chris,
You can't really do a fair video comparison with your current setup. The TV itself will effect the picture when using the different component and HDMI inputs, this is why some TVs will let you calibrate each input independently.
If you wanted to compare the picture of the DVD vs. Cable you would have to use HDMI (or component) output for both. If there are differences, you should be able to adjust the picture settings on the source (DVD, cable box, etc.) to compensate. Setup discs like AVIA and DVE are good for video calibration.

One "feature" of the more expensive HDMI receivers is a single HDMI connection from receiver to the TV. Any entry level receiver will include component video and can always connect HDMI directly from the source to the TV.

 

[markw]

For your video needs, I think you're gonna be looking at a different TV.

A few upper end TV's allow individual settings for each input but I don't think you can count on a receiver to do that.

At best a receiver will pass through what you input to it. It may upscale and/or up-convert but, as far as having individual video adjustments for each input, I really can't really think of any that will allow that.

But, the good news is that you've chosen speakers are fairly easy to drive so finding a receiver shouldn't be either difficult or expensive, depending on how many "features" you want. Since that video thing seems to be an non-issue, you're good to go, receiver-wise.

 

[chrisivan]

Thanks for the replies and sorry for the confusion about "calibration".

By calibrating, I mean sound calibration technologies such as YPAO, MCACC, & Audyssey seem cut down on the endless trial & error and get you in the ballpark with your speakers/sub much quicker. The fine tuning to individual tastes are the only variable.