Help choosing an entry level receiver

[Afro-Ninja]

I've been doing a lot of browsing but still have questions, and I found this place in the process, so I thought I might post up a thread and see if I can get some input.

I've recently been looking at two pioneer models- the vsx-1019ah-k
[link removed because I don't have 5 posts]

and the elite VSX-21TXH
[link removed because I don't have 5 posts]

I started off with a yamaha model similar to the 1019ah-k but returned it after reading some reviews. I'll tell you EXACTLY what I'm looking for in a receiver:

1. The most important feature I want is video switching/ hdmi conversion. I want to be able to plug ANY device into the receiver and only have to keep one hdmi cable from my receiver to tv. Even an NES system. I really don't care about actual upconversion. in fact, I'd prefer passthrough. I don't want the receiver doing work trying to upconvert the NES's 8-bit graphics to HD, I just want them displayed on the screen. Is this a reasonable request?

2. Modest power consumption/heat issues. If I've got my xbox connected and playing some games, I expect there to be some power consumption. But again, I don't want this thing to be running full blast if I'm just playing some old school systems on it. The pioneer 1019ah-k runs at 350 watts compared to the elite's 400, but I've seen lots of reviews complaining about the heat that the 1019ah-k gives off.

That's it, that's really all I'm worried about... I would prefer good sound quality and 7.1 support if possible but I'm not an audiophile so that takes a bit of a backseat.

now that I think about it, would I be better off with a lower model receiver and a standalone video switcher? I really don't know much about standalone models, I guess it's off to google again...

thanks for any input

 

[Afro-Ninja]

I'm guessing you guys don't take too kindly to newbies with these kind of questions

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum! Sorry, I just didn't see your post yesterday.

I'm a big fan of the VSX-21 (my friend has one, and I have a VSX-23). I believe that it will do everything that you want. I don't use the internal amps in my VSX-23, so this might be a bit apples-to-oranges, but it runs nice and cool. My older VSX-1015 ran hot even with the internal amps off, so it's a nice change for me.

The VSX-1019 is a big disappointment, IMO. The 1000-series used to be a great choice because of the price and the Elite-level quality that went into them. The 1019 changed that, and it's a big step down from the VSX-21, I think.

 

[Afro-Ninja]

thanks adam!

I still feel like the elite is kind of overkill for what I want, but it seems to be the most reliable. this might sound dumb but I kind of am trying to keep an eye on power consumption. but then again I don't watch tv/ play games *that* much so it's probably nothing to worry about...

 

[Nomo]

thanks adam!

I still feel like the elite is kind of overkill for what I want, but it seems to be the most reliable. this might sound dumb but I kind of am trying to keep an eye on power consumption. but then again I don't watch tv/ play games *that* much so it's probably nothing to worry about...

Power consumption of a receiver really shouldn't be a consideration between models. The worst offender in my set-up is the TV. It probably consumes 5 to 10 times the power of my receiver even at high volumes.

 

[nm2285]

Welcome to the forum! Sorry, I just didn't see your post yesterday.

I'm a big fan of the VSX-21 (my friend has one, and I have a VSX-23). I believe that it will do everything that you want. I don't use the internal amps in my VSX-23, so this might be a bit apples-to-oranges, but it runs nice and cool. My older VSX-1015 ran hot even with the internal amps off, so it's a nice change for me.

The VSX-1019 is a big disappointment, IMO. The 1000-series used to be a great choice because of the price and the Elite-level quality that went into them. The 1019 changed that, and it's a big step down from the VSX-21, I think.

Adam:

could you elaborate on the differences you perceive between the 21 and the 1019? i am also considering both receivers. do you see the 1019 as a step down not only from the 21 but also from receivers from other manufacturer's in the same price range (implying that the 21 is a big step up compared to most other receivers in the $500-ish price range).

thanks!

 

[cjsiv]

I you are interested in video conversion check out the denon 1910/790. The Anchor Bay chip is phenomenal in this price range. Even though cnet.com screwed their comparo (denon should have scored much higher, but the idiots didn't configure it properly) they ran the video test and denon was the best of the bunch. Also has full audyssey processing with dynamic eq/volume.

 

[Afro-Ninja]

oh nice, thanks for the denon suggestion. it looks like a quality component that covers my needs, and is a bit cheaper than the elite