Timma said:
... I would like to poll all you guys on the $550-$800 class of receiver. What features of the models in this price range have made you all hot and bothered? aka GUI, setup, configurability, bells and whistles, etc. I am not too into the video switching and conversion but any positive feature is always a plus.
Here's what matters in the long run
Amplifier power - look for 75 to 100 watts per channel rated at continuous power (RMS) from 20 to 20,000 Hz at 8 ohms impedance at a stated level (usually no > 0.1%) of total harmonic distortion (THD). Do not sweat differences of 10-20-30 watts as it will make little difference. To make a real difference, you must double or triple the power.
Input & Output Jacks - Count up all the gear you plan to plug in to your receiver. You probably have a TV, DVD player, possibly a VCR or a cable box, and maybe a phonograph. Check out the manufacturers websites for pictures of the assorted jacks on the backs of the AV receivers and decide if they meet your current and future needs. This can be complex, but is important. You don't want to run out of input jacks.
Bass Management - Allows you to integrate the sound of a subwoofer with the other speakers. Look for crossover points that allow you choices as low as 40 or 60 Hz and as high as 80-100 Hz.
Owner's Manual - A good manual is very important when you first start using your receiver. Later their importance fades. I mention this because Denon manuals (I have a Denon receiver) are famous for being terribly written. I have looked briefly at Onkyo and Yamaha manuals and they appear to be much better. Despite this, you should still consider Denon.
Auto Setup & Room Equalization - In the old days, 2-channel stereos had a balance knob that you adjusted until the 2 speakers sounded equally loud, balancing the left and right channels. Now that there are 5 or more channels, balancing them is not so easy. Most AV receivers come with a method, using a built-in pink noise tone, which allows you to adjust the volume of each channel, one at a time, until they were all equal in volume. This is hard to do by ear, and is much better done with a hand-held sound meter. Buy or borrow one (Radio Shack - about $50). I didn’t know how important this was until I eventually got a sound meter and balanced all the channels properly. It should definitely be done. It is somewhat complicated to do, and most people never bother to balance the channels at all, or try to do it by ear, which works poorly for most people.
Because multi-channel surround sound in movies also involves making moving objects sound realistic, the relative arrival times of sounds from the different speakers is important. This required telling the computer chip in the receiver how far away each speaker is from a central seating position, accounting for the numerous room sizes and furniture arrangements that people have. It can be easily done with a tape measure, but many people never bothered with that as well.
Yamaha was first to automate this whole process about 2 years ago. They called it Yamaha Parametric room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO). It uses a small microphone (included with the receiver) and a computer chip to generate test tones, estimate the distances from each speaker to the microphone, and adjust the volumes of each channel to an equal level. I’ve never used it, but apparently it works pretty well. Only some of the higher priced models have it. Now the other makers are copying Yamaha, but they are probably still in the lead in developing this. Denon and Onkyo now have it too. Remember, it is a useful convenience, but it is not essential because you can always do it manually with a tape measure and meter.
Audio channels - Get at least 5 channels, although most AV receivers now have 6 or 7. Many people use only 5. Nearly all DVD movies have 5 discrete audio channels. The 6th and 7th channels (both in the rear) are artificially derived from those 5, and might be useful in a very large room. In movies, the most important channels are the front 3, left, center, and right. The rear channels are less important, and you shouldn’t spend a lot extra for them.
Appearance & Remote Control - Appearance always matters. It’s your decision. The remote control is also important, ultimately it’s more important than the control panel of the receiver. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to judge whether or not I like a remote control without first using it for a month or two.
Price & manufacturer's warrantee (if any)
I think all those other features are much less important.
