Help Decide Which Receiver

[jealkon]

OK - so I gave my son the HK AVR3600 receiver for his set-up and am now looking for a new reveiver. Am considering
Onkyo 709 for $490 refurb unit
Yamaha 867 @ $400
Yamaha A800 @ $370
Denon 2112 @ $450

Speakers are Infinity Primus 2-P363's, 2 P253's and a PC-251. I'm also currently looking for a new sub. Hooked into this will also be a Wii, Pana Blu-ray and Pana 50" plasma.

What are your thoughts on the receivers?

 

[Pyrrho]

I would probably go with the Yamaha A800 (though if you have any special features you desire, make sure whatever you buy has it before you buy). And, if you can afford it, an SVS subwoofer.

Generally speaking, people spend too much on their electronics and not enough on their speakers, if sound quality rather than features is the goal.

Yamaha also is probably as reliable as you will find in a receiver.

And for the subwoofer, I would probably go with a cylinder model from SVS, as they are a better value (price to performance ratio) and take up little floor space and are lighter and easier to move. Go with the best one you can afford.

 

[agarwalro]

Too easy.

Rush to the 2112 .

On a more serious note, all of them will be comparable in terms of performance and you will not be able to tell one from another for in-room listening. Pick one that matches your needs.

Fwiw, my Yamaha receiver's power board failed of its own accord (no power spike or shorted speaker connections) and my Denon receiver is still chugging along after 5 years. Barring exceptions, they all should be reliable. The Onkyo's were known for heat buildup and related failures, but that is easily resolved by good ventilation.

+1 for SVS subs.

 

[jcl]

The Onkyo's were known for heat buildup and related failures, but that is easily resolved by good ventilation.

Actually I think this needs to be qualified. I have an Onkyo HT-RC180, sister of the 807. It got hot, even in an open shelf system with 6" space above. Even when pulled out of the shelf and put on the floor with nothing around it, it got hot. Even left on, playing no signal, it got hot.

So I would say perhaps with Active ventilation that is easily resolved, but not with passive ventilation, at least for the 807/rc180.

I switched the speaker impedence to 4 ohm (power wasn't a concern) and turned off the video processing and it ran much, much cooler.

To the OP
The Yamaha Aventage line has a 3 year warranty, the 867 just 2. I think Onkyo gives 2 years for new, 1 year for refurb.

Check the differences between the Yamaha a700 and 800. You might get away with the 700 and save some $.

The Onkyo 709 has Audyssey MultEq XT. That's something to think about.