what receiver should i get?

[ccheng187]

Just another topic about receiver. Im trying to build a system, so far i only have a good sub (svs pb12).
Im currently looking at the onkyo txsr605, the thing that confuse me is every receiver work the same but the TrueHD, DTS-HD® Master Audio feature in the onkyo interest me. So will this make a big difference?
I'm planing pairing up with some tower speaker in the future.

 

[ccheng187]

anybody?

I just want to get a receiver that is good for future expandsion like adding big tower speakers and what feature should i look for?

Im thinking about something around $500.

 

[MDS]

I'm a long time owner of Onkyo receivers and would recommend them in general; however, the support for the new lossless formats is not a big deal yet. Only the HD DVD formats support the new lossles format and as yet none of the HD players will pass the lossless format in bitstream so the receiver can decode it - they all decode it and send the receiver PCM.

So basically the support for the new lossless formats is a non-entity as of now. It will become useful when the players can send the full bitstream and can be considered a good hedge against future requirements if you see yourself upgrading to a HD-DVD or BluRay player in the future; otherwise it is a non-issue at the moment.

As receivers go though the 605 is a fine receiver with many useful features and would be a good buy unless you plan to use an external anp. The 6xx series does not include pre-outs and so would not be suitable for that purpose but otherwise I don't think you'd be disappointed.

 

[patnshan]

I am pretty sure that any receiver that has 7.1 channel inputs will allow these new formats if you run all channels analog from the HD player. Am I wrong?

Pat

 

[MDS]

I am pretty sure that any receiver that has 7.1 channel inputs will allow these new formats if you run all channels analog from the HD player. Am I wrong?

Pat

Nope, you are correct. I was just pointing out that receivers are starting to incorporate the decoders for the new lossless formats but there is no way to actually use them until the players can send the format in bitstream format.

 

[rnatalli]

I have always been a fan of Harman/Kardon receivers. Most if not all of their receivers have preamp outs so adding an amp on later is always possible. Their power ratings are generally conservative so what you see is what you get.

 

[Vanhoecke]

I have an Onkyo 605 in my family room. I used it for the last month+. It's a great receiver for the price (I paid $399). MDS is correct. There are no pre-outs except for the sub. That being said, its still a great low end receiver, good set of input connections, very flexible set-up.

 

[jcPanny]

Receiver options

anybody?

I just want to get a receiver that is good for future expandsion like adding big tower speakers and what feature should i look for?

Im thinking about something around $500.

For upgradability,
Look for a receiver w/ pre-amp outputs and HDMI audio processing. The Yamaha RX-V661 is a good option in your budget with these features (HDMI 1.2a).