Favorite classic Home Theater Receiver of all time

[Chad lee]

My favorite Home Theater receiver of all time is the Onkyo TX-DS939. This thing was a beast in every way. It had over 100 watts for all five channels and was emensly powerful and also THX Certified (one of the first to do it). I absolutely loved the bottom separate hidden screen. The volume knob was also motorized and solid. At it's introduction the 939 was the best Home Theater receiver in the world. It could hold its own against many separate components too. At the time the rear panel connections were seemingly endless. Every AV or Audio input / output that you could ever want was there. It was one of the first to have included a self calibration mic for speaker setup. Even today there has never been so much packed into a receiver with a solid build quality as the 939. It was truly ground breaking for it's time.

 

[gene]

My favorite Home Theater receiver of all time is the Onkyo TX-DS939. This thing was a beast in every way. It had over 100 watts for all five channels and was emensly powerful and also THX Certified (one of the first to do it). I absolutely loved the bottom separate hidden screen. The volume knob was also motorized and solid. At it's introduction the 939 was the best Home Theater receiver in the world. It could hold its own against many separate components too. At the time the rear panel connections were seemingly endless. Every AV or Audio input / output that you could ever want was there. It was one of the first to have included a self calibration mic for speaker setup. Even today there has never been so much packed into a receiver with a solid build quality as the 939. It was truly ground breaking for it's time.

Yep I salivated like Pavlov's Dog as a teen walking into the high end room at a Circuit City to see that Onkyo beast on full display in all its glory.

See:

 

[Tasuke]

i own both the 2001/2002 PIONEER ELITE VSX-47TX, and the 1990/1993 VSX-D1S.

the two best Receivers i've ever owned, the D1S served long and well since i picked it up back in 2003,
finally developing issues just this year (2022) and i jumped at the opportunity
to try out the VSX-47/49TX series for cheap via a complete, seemingly-well-cared-for 47TX off the BAY.

though i'm fond of late-80's Hi-Fi~A/V styling, -such as that of the D1S-
make no mistake, the build and finish of the 47TX is in another class altogether..

it is a 60+ lb. Whopper, with a fantastic sound quality to match.

Easily the best AVR i've yet owned, and, -with it's Battleship-build seemingly to last the ages-
probably the best i ever will. i do pray it lasts me a good long time to come...

- VSX-47TX -









-VSX-D1S -

 

[MrBoat]

My favorite is the Denon 3805. Actually, it's the only AVR I have owned and it was well outdated by the time I got it. I liked the sound and power so much that when a second came along, still in it's original box for $75, I bought it. First one was free. I have been using them since 2017 with the original one used every day since. It's 100% for music.

No, it does not have HDMI but I am stubbornly dated and likely wouldn't bother with it for my 2 channel use. What I like the most about it? It's pretty much a sure bet to have enough headroom and low distortion for just about anything I want to power with it. I don't have it hooked up to a TV and end up just using the onboard menu. I like the fact that it does not have analog pots for the controls. But, I keep the dust off/out of it and it still looks new.

 

[Tasuke]

PIONEER VSX-47TX (2001/2002) updated photos;

(replaced the small, stock isolator puck feet with much larger, 1980's/1990's PIONEER Polycarbonate feet,
and double-layered the bottom panel with duplicate copper bottom plate from an EBAY seller's parts-donor unit)

 

[Bobby Bass]

My favorite is the Denon 3805. Actually, it's the only AVR I have owned and it was well outdated by the time I got it. I liked the sound and power so much that when a second came along, still in it's original box for $75, I bought it. First one was free. I have been using them since 2017 with the original one used every day since. It's 100% for music.

No, it does not have HDMI but I am stubbornly dated and likely wouldn't bother with it for my 2 channel use. What I like the most about it? It's pretty much a sure bet to have enough headroom and low distortion for just about anything I want to power with it. I don't have it hooked up to a TV and end up just using the onboard menu. I like the fact that it does not have analog pots for the controls. But, I keep the dust off/out of it and it still looks new.

Great receiver. Bought the same in 2007 for my 7 channel setup connected to Sony 60 inch projection TV. Top of the line at the time. Plenty of power and inputs for CD, turntable and DVD players. Great sound processor with different theater settings. Still have it in the closet. May use it at the lake house in the future.

 

[MrBoat]

Great receiver. Bought the same in 2007 for my 7 channel setup connected to Sony 60 inch projection TV. Top of the line at the time. Plenty of power and inputs for CD, turntable and DVD players. Great sound processor with different theater settings. Still have it in the closet. May use it at the lake house in the future.

I ended up with two of them. When these things came out, I was still using 30 year old gear and had no idea of what surround sound was about other than the obvious. Actually, I still don't know, but how they market 2-channel these days just makes AVR the better value and performance, especially used. By current 2-channel standards, I'd be able to comparatively afford half of the power, or in other terms, no headroom. Factor in multiple bypass options, and these old receivers end up being highly multifunctional and reliable.

The next time I am tempted to impulse buy some budget Class D import amp/gadget, I'm just going to buy another orphaned and previously noble AVR to play with instead for about the same money.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

My favorite AVR of all times is a Yamaha AVR that does everything I want it to do.

 

[fmw]

I too have been a loyal Pioneer customer in the past. My home theater is driven by a great Pioneer Elite AVR which replaced another one that is in storage to get some more modern features.

 

[M Code]

My favorite AVR of all time is my Harman/Kardon AVR7550HD... It has great power into 4 Ohms, analog/digitizer bass manager, full process Logic 7, and incredible Room EQ software developed by HK's internal R&D team...
Still kicking after 14 years as the last HK AVR..

Just my $0.02...

 

[dlaloum]

My favorite AVR of all time is my Harman/Kardon AVR7550HD... It has great power into 4 Ohms, analog/digitizer bass manager, full process Logic 7, and incredible Room EQ software developed by HK's internal R&D team...
Still kicking after 14 years as the last HK AVR..

Just my $0.02...

The last descendant of the Lexicon lineage...

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I am shocked TLS Guy hasn’t crashed this party yet to tell everyone that their favorite AVR suck because they are AVR.

 

[Movie2099]

I am shocked TLS Guy hasn’t crashed this party yet to tell everyone that their favorite AVR suck because they are AVR.

oh, you just wait!

 

[Movie2099]

My favorite Home Theater receiver of all time is the Onkyo TX-DS939. This thing was a beast in every way. It had over 100 watts for all five channels and was emensly powerful and also THX Certified (one of the first to do it). I absolutely loved the bottom separate hidden screen. The volume knob was also motorized and solid. At it's introduction the 939 was the best Home Theater receiver in the world. It could hold its own against many separate components too. At the time the rear panel connections were seemingly endless. Every AV or Audio input / output that you could ever want was there. It was one of the first to have included a self calibration mic for speaker setup. Even today there has never been so much packed into a receiver with a solid build quality as the 939. It was truly ground breaking for it's time.

The Bose Lifestyle 38 system! Tops the cake!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

oh, you just wait!

Yeah, I'm waiting for TLS Guy to tell us how Gene's favorite 100-LBS Denon AVR suck so badly because it's just an AVR, not a "separate" AVP.