buying a receiver

[xreaperx22]

hello all im in the market to buy a good receiver and i found a good deal on a denon avr-x3000 for 200 bux, but im not sure if thats a good receiver or not,i dont mind buying used as long as it sounds good, I currently have a pair of BIC Acoustech pl980's
and plan to get the surrounds and sub later,but in need a good receiver,main thing for me is it has great sound,dont care about remotes or hdmi and all that any advice would be great thanks

 

[KEW]

the 3000 is a fine AVR and that is a good price for one.
It does not have the best version of Audyssey like the later 3000 series do (the 3300 and 3400), but if you are just looking for a good AVR you should be fine (given the normal concerns of buying used - do your best to check it out).
If it doesn't work out, I can recommend Accessories4Less (sell refurbished units) as an alternative:
https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html

Similar to the 3000 is this Integra DTR-40.3 for $220:
https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/intdtr403/integra-dtr-40.3-7.2-ch-x-110-watts-thx-networking-a/v-receiver/1.html
Integra/Onkyo got a bad reputation for heat/HDMI failures. they have come up with a solution and I feel comfortable buying there refurbished gear (especially since Integra backs a 2 year warranty on it - they would be foolish to offer a 2 year warranty on units that still had the faulty boards).
Integra is really having to eat crow for their faulty boards so that is why this unit is such a great deal (and 2 year warranty is unusual for refurb).

Overall, if you know what you are doing, you can usually find a good deal on Craigslist (and the Denon is a good deal).

Another option is to give us a link for Craigslist for your area and we will see if there is anything especially good.
An earlier Yamaha would be ideal, but more recently they have been cutting too many corners!

 

[xreaperx22]

thanks for the response,i also seen an integra for sale but didnt know much about them and thanks for that link i will check it out asap!

 

[xreaperx22]

im really liking that dtr-40 has good wattage and is bi-wiring capable which is nice,ill probably never use the hdmi inputs cuz im connecting my computer to it with optical cable,i did find a marantz for around 220 used but its only like 50 watts which kinda sux but i heard marantz makes some good stuff.

 

[xreaperx22]

i wanted to thank you KEW for that link and recommendation,after looking at about a million receivers i think im def going with that integra 40.3 cant beat the 2 year warranty for a used receiver plus it has everything i want in a receiver i just wish i could find some decent reviews on it but thats ok..thanks alot man!

 

[KEW]

That Integra is a uniquely good deal even among accessories4less offerings!
At $20, I consider this cheap insurance (I add ventilation to all of my amps/AVR's that see regular use). I just keep mine on the low setting and plug it into the back of the AVR so it turns on when the AVR does.:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JLV4BWC/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These fans on low are not bad, but you will still hear them between songs if you room is good and quiet.

 

[xreaperx22]

cool thats a good idea,and i have a ton of extra computer fans laying around from a couple builds i worked on so that shouldnt be a problem,i have a few 140mm fans that would work perfectly

 

[lovinthehd]

Some info on Integra / Onkyo https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/integra-vs-onkyo-whats-the-difference.50510/

 

[xreaperx22]

a few people keep warning me about the overheating issues that onkyo had,did the integra also have that problem? or will the fans be enough to keep it cool? lastly would it still overheat even tho im not using any of the hdmi's?

 

[lovinthehd]

a few people keep warning me about the overheating issues that onkyo had,did the integra also have that problem? or will the fans be enough to keep it cool? lastly would it still overheat even tho im not using any of the hdmi's?

My Onkyo from that area ran relatively warm, then last year had the hdmi/network board issue that Onkyo/Integra avrs were famous for, and after repair I swear it runs a bit cooler (but didn't put a thermometer on before/after to check). An external fan should do the trick, even in a somewhat confined space (but if you provide plenty of free air around it, it may not matter much). The hdmi board I'd guess is always on, you might minimize processing by not using the on-board video processing...

 

[xreaperx22]

how much did the repair run you? if it was pretty cheap i would just get the 40.3 and have it fixed lol

 

[lovinthehd]

It was repaired under the extended warranty Onkyo created to deal with those made between 2009-2012, that extended program expires this year. Some have speculated that these refurbs at A4L may already have been refitted....

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

For only $200, the Integra or Denon wouldn't hurt so bad if they malfunction a few years later.

Regarding sound quality, I have all the faith in the world that both have excellent sound quality.

 

[xreaperx22]

ok so i bit the bullet and bought an integra 40.3,but fedex man i hate fedex,dude left it there in front of my door without knocking,im glad i heard it when he placed it there otherwise it would surely be stolen,i opened the door and seen he was halfway down the hallway so i gave him a few choice words as he departed lol.

 

[KEW]

ok so i bit the bullet and bought an integra 40.3,but fedex man i hate fedex,dude left it there in front of my door without knocking,im glad i heard it when he placed it there otherwise it would surely be stolen,i opened the door and seen he was halfway down the hallway so i gave him a few choice words as he departed lol.

That is pretty dumb of him as FedEx would be held liable for it!
I wonder if he had a buddy who was waiting to grab the AVR in about 5 minutes if you had not come to the door?
In the future, ask A4L to require signature for delivery (I think they do this as standard policy for anything over $500). It may cost an extra $5 or something, but sounds like it would be worth the assurances!

 

[KEW]

a few people keep warning me about the overheating issues that onkyo had,did the integra also have that problem? or will the fans be enough to keep it cool? lastly would it still overheat even tho im not using any of the hdmi's?

Since Integra is providing a 2 year warranty (highly unusual for a refurbished unit),I am inclined to believe they used the "fixed" HDMI board in these refurbbed units.
However, I would call A4L and ask them about it. No guarantees they would know the answer, but they have on occasion impressed me by having good knowledge of these products!

 

[Verdinut]

im really liking that dtr-40 has good wattage and is bi-wiring capable which is nice,ill probably never use the hdmi inputs cuz im connecting my computer to it with optical cable,i did find a marantz for around 220 used but its only like 50 watts which kinda sux but i heard marantz makes some good stuff.

There is no practical advantage in bi-wiring speakers. That's marketing bullshit from speaker cable manufacturers. Selling twice the amount or length of speaker wires just brings more profit to the manufacturer and the dealer.

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

For your information, the bi-wiring of speakers has nothing to do with any amplifiers features. That only depends as to whether the speaker cabinets have binding posts connected with jumpers or not.

 

[lovinthehd]

The DTR-40.3 isn't particularly bi-wiring capable, any amp is capable of that, that's more a thing for extra wire and the terminals on your speakers. It does have a passive bi-amp feature which is nearly as meaningless. You might want to read this article
https://www.audioholics.com/frequent-questions/the-difference-between-biamping-vs-biwiring

 

[xreaperx22]

i was thinking the bi-wiring was a term for bridging the amp on the receiver,some receivers will say bi-wire capable for fronts only or something like that which would produce instead of say 110 watts would be 220 or something like that.But live and learn,thanks for the info.

 

[lovinthehd]

i was thinking the bi-wiring was a term for bridging the amp on the receiver,some receivers will say bi-wire capable for fronts only or something like that which would produce instead of say 110 watts would be 220 or something like that.But live and learn,thanks for the info.

That would be bridging an amp, which modern receivers generally aren't capable of, and bridging is often not beneficial anyways as it reduces impedance capability (if the amp is suited to bridging in the first place). Bi-amping is what quite a few receivers now have as a feature, to go along with the biwiring/biamping terminals on speakers; both about marketing mostly.