Help me pick a reciever

[guggas]

So I have these speakers setup, Infinity Primus™ Theater 5-pack II Home theater speaker package at Crutchfield.com

and I need a reciever. I have looked at the lower end pioneer recievers and have a question. Between the 521, 821 and 1021 will there be any noticeable difference in sound quality with the speakers i have, or is the incresed in price just based on the extra features like "airplay" and 2nd zone?

If the 521 is rated at 80 watts @ 8ohm and my speakers 100w at 8ohms does that mean i need more power for my speakers?

The prices I'm looking at are $159-521, $200-821, $300-1021.
The biggest thing i like about the 1021 is the iphone apps, but i dont think thats enough to make me pay nearly double over the 521. The second zone would be mildly usefull, (still not enough) I would probably never use the 7.1

However if the 1021 will sound significantly better with my current speakers, then I could justify the $300 over the $159.

Also I'm not bent on getting a Pioneer I could go with the Denon 1312 or a Yamaha under $300.
My main desire is a reciever that will sound best with my current speakers without overpaying for features I will not use. I also watch blurays and i dont know how much that matters.

Sorry for rambling, thanks for input!!

 

[Crackerballer]

You won't need the power difference for your speakers, so make your decision SOLELY off features. Think about the future too, how many HDMI inputs you'll need, etc. Any you've listed should be good, and it looks like the core components are similar on the 521 and 821.

 

[guggas]

Ok. Based on that, I could probably get the 521 and be just fine. The features of the Denon 1312 seem about the same to me, but its $100 more. Is there any reason I would want the Denon over the pioneer?

 

[agarwalro]

Definitely get the Pioneer then. If you have not planned for it, also add a subwoofer since the speakers are not capable of producing the low frequencies with authority and definitely not the LFE.

 

[lsiberian]

I always go for the cheapest receiver with pre-outs I can find. Those tend to have the features I want and the reliability.

 

[Crackerballer]

And the thing about Preouts is you never need them until you do. And by that I mean I just bought my Onkyo like 4 months ago. I thought "this will give me all the power I need for a while" and then the EMPtek sale popped up, I ordered new towers, and needed an amp. Luckily, the Onkyo has preouts. So you won't need them until suddenly you find a deal on a nice set of floor standings, or power hungry bookshelves and need an amp.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I always go for the cheapest receiver with pre-outs I can find. Those tend to have the features I want and the reliability.

None of Pioneers mentioned above has pre-outs, but you might not need it unless you change to really power hungry speaker or use the system in really large spaces.

This should cover all basis:
Onkyo TX-NR708 7.2-Channel 3-D Ready Network A/V Receiver | Accessories4less

 

[lsiberian]

None of Pioneers mentioned above has pre-outs, but you might not need it unless you change to really power hungry speaker or use the system in really large spaces.

This should cover all basis:
Onkyo TX-NR708 7.2-Channel 3-D Ready Network A/V Receiver | Accessories4less

I will need them when my speakers are finished(gotta work the baffles), but they also tend to come on quality builds.

 

[afterlife2]

www.woot.com has a pioneer.

 

[Crackerballer]

None of Pioneers mentioned above has pre-outs, but you might not need it unless you change to really power hungry speaker or use the system in really large spaces.

This should cover all basis:
Onkyo TX-NR708 7.2-Channel 3-D Ready Network A/V Receiver | Accessories4less

I own this receiver and I'm very happy with it so far. I also got a 2 year warranty from Onkyo for $40.

 

[guggas]

I pulled the trigger on the pioneer 521 last night. Thanks for the input guys.
Next up is a subwoofer, any reccomendations on a subwoofer?

I don't have any particular budget, I just want something thats a good bang for the buck that will work well with what I have. I dont need anything supper fancy, but I do want it to be good enough that it will contribute to, rather than detract from the overall sound.

Thanks

 

[lsiberian]

I pulled the trigger on the pioneer 521 last night. Thanks for the input guys.
Next up is a subwoofer, any reccomendations on a subwoofer?

I don't have any particular budget, I just want something thats a good bang for the buck that will work well with what I have. I dont need anything supper fancy, but I do want it to be good enough that it will contribute to, rather than detract from the overall sound.

Thanks

Good subs cost money. You can get a Dayton Sub-120, but it's still not that great. A great sub costs around 1k.

 

[guggas]

Can I get anything decent for under $300? or is that like "trying to get decent sound in a public lavatory" lol

 

[lsiberian]

Can I get anything decent for under $300? or is that like "trying to get decent sound in a public lavatory" lol

For someone new to home theater a Dayton Sub-120 from parts-express would fill the bill.

 

[afterlife2]

I pulled the trigger on the pioneer 521 last night. Thanks for the input guys.
Next up is a subwoofer, any reccomendations on a subwoofer?

I don't have any particular budget, I just want something thats a good bang for the buck that will work well with what I have. I dont need anything supper fancy, but I do want it to be good enough that it will contribute to, rather than detract from the overall sound.
Thanks

Cool. Let us know how you like it. If you got a small to medium size room Outlaw M8. I got mine when it was on sale for xmas. The little woofer shakes my walls. Don't skimp on a cheap woofer.
M8 Powered Subwoofer