HDMI passthrough question

[fifthlake]

Hello,

I have been an armchair audio enthusiast for many years and have recently be "allowed" by the wife get up from the armchair and begin to upgrade our audio and video components.

My question is about a receiver’s ability to pass through an HDMI source to the TV without having to turn the receiver on. The wife does not want to always have to turn on the receiver in order to watch TV from the satellite or the blue ray player. Can someone tell me if there are any receivers in the sub $1000 range that will do this? It seems from reading the reviews and posts here that this is only capable on higher-end units.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Adam]

Hi. There are definitely receivers that will do that for under $1000.

I know for sure that the Yamaha RX-V465, RX-V565, and RX-V665 will do that because I checked all three owner's manuals (I didn't see it in the manual for the RX-V365). Prices for those at the AH store (might be cheaper elsewhere) are $330, $430, and $500, respectively.

 

[fifthlake]

Thanks Adam,

I currently have NHT classic 3s for mains and classic 2s for the center and surrounds. I plan to upgrade the fronts to classic 4s and move the 3s to the rear. While I do not listen at reference levels, I do like a decent amount, especially in 2 channel music. Can you tell me if the Yamahas you have suggested will handle this setup? The classics do not seem to be the easiest speakers to drive.

 

[Adam]

That's a great question. I can't say for sure. I own NHT 1.5s, and I know what you're talking about. My Pioneer VSX-1015 powered two pairs of those and an NHT center channel just fine at my normal listening levels, but it sounded strained when I played it louder than normal. I got a separate amp for the front two channels, and that made a noticeable difference at louder levels (but not at my normal everyday listening levels).

You have a better chance of them being okay during stereo playback than during surround sound because you'll only be powering two speakers (so it's less demanding on the receiver), but I can't say that it'll be sufficient for you. The 665 is rated at 90W, which is less than my Pioneer was - but those ratings don't seem to be consistent from one manufacturer to the next.

The 665 (and higher models) has pre-amp outputs that would allow you to add an external amp if you decided later on that the receiver wasn't sufficient for you. The lower models don't have those.

My biggest suggestion is, if there's any doubt, buy the receiver from someplace that will let you return it and won't charge you a restocking fee. That way, you can try it out at home and see for yourself without financial risk.

 

[Phil Indeblanc]

when you do pass through the sound will come from the TV speakers, correct?
thats a desirable feature, as you dont always want the receiver ON to get a little news or surf etc. Adam makes sense, take one home first

 

[lsiberian]

I suggest you create macros. So your wife only needs one button for everything. It makes them very happy and the music gets much sweeter.

 

[fifthlake]

thanks for the advice. Yes, I (wife) need audio/video to come through the tv with while the receiver is off or in standby.

Are there any other brands besides yamaha that will do this in for ~$1000?

Thanks!

 

[fifthlake]

Thanks Adam,

We have a newborn at home and I work a lot so Im hoping to get some ideas and the purchase as I dont really have the time to do a lot of in-home trials. My current receiver is an old Sherwood (not sure of the model) and I'm happy with the sound but I'm sure any new receiver will sound jsut as good or better.

 

[math wizard]

Hello,

I have been an armchair audio enthusiast for many years and have recently be "allowed" by the wife get up from the armchair and begin to upgrade our audio and video components.

My question is about a receiver’s ability to pass through an HDMI source to the TV without having to turn the receiver on. The wife does not want to always have to turn on the receiver in order to watch TV from the satellite or the blue ray player. Can someone tell me if there are any receivers in the sub $1000 range that will do this? It seems from reading the reviews and posts here that this is only capable on higher-end units.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I have an Onkyo TX-SR806 AVR and it allows you do pass through an HDMI source to the TV without having the receiver on. This may be available on other Onkyo receivers.

 

[snmhanson]

Don't want to hijack this thread, but can someone explain how passthrough works? In particular, how do select which source to passthrough to the television when the receiver is off? Or is there only one default source that can be passed through (ie. source 1 for example)?

Thanks,

Matt

 

[njedpx3]

Don't want to hijack this thread, but can someone explain how passthrough works? In particular, how do select which source to passthrough to the television when the receiver is off? Or is there only one default source that can be passed through (ie. source 1 for example)?

Thanks,

Matt

Usually the selected input source is the last one you had active before you switched to stand-by. And remember, even on stand-by some power is going to the AVR; in other words you can not have an external power switch and completely disable the power to the AVR for passthrough to work.

Good Luck!

NJ

 

[Adam]

Usually the selected input source is the last one you had active before you switched to stand-by.

The wording of the Yamaha owner's manuals makes me think that any HDMI input can be passed through as long as any HDMI input is selected before going into standby mode. In other words, you could pass HDMI 2 through to the TV even if you selected HDMI 1 before going into standby. I don't know if that's actually the case, though, but it would be quite handy.