How to choose a receiver?

[SPAZZ2500]

Newbie here. I bought a HTIB about three years ago and have been satisfied up till now with its fuction. Then I found Audioholics.com and now the system that I have seems underpar. I am thinking about starting to build a new system starting with a receiver. I have been rezearching alot and still have many questions. So here goes with the questions so don't be so upset at the stupidity that they may present.

1) What should I look for in the receiver? I do like looks but I really want a good preforming unit. I am willing to spend a $1000.00 on this unit so I guess that limits my selection.

2) I like the receivers from Yamaha and Pioneer. Who has the better receiver and why?

I am really into DVD movies and music. I love 5.1 and above. I watch a lot of HD programming with the 5.1 sound and want to get the most out of it. I have a SHARP HD LCD TV which rocks but now I want really awesome sound.

I guess what I am saying over alll is that I want a really solid receiver that will last and have reallly excellent sound. Each day I get more and more obsesed with sound. The system that I have is a JVC HTIB with 5.1 sound that decodes DTS and Dolby Digital.

Thnaks for listening.

 

[Rocky]

If i were you, id go with the Yamaha RX-V2600. Check it out, it can be had for around 850-900 leaving plenty of room for shipping.

 

[jcPanny]

How to choose.

To answer your question. Decide on your speaker system upgrade first. Then purchase a receiver that will be capable of driving them and has the features you need.

The Yamaha RX-V2600 is a great receiver, but without upgrading your HTIB speakers, you will see little or no audio improvement.

 

[SPAZZ2500]

Hey JCPanny

What is a worth while 5.1 speaker system to get? Any suggestions? Should I go cubed or larger?

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Bookshelves, not cubes. You want a two way bookshelf with at least a 5.25" woofer and a large dome tweeter. The ohm rating and spl on the speakers will determine how powerful a receiver you'll need to listen up to reference levels with minimal distortion.

$1000 will buy you a Pioneer VSX74 online, which will drive just about any surround speaker setup (not counting planar or ribbon style speakers). $500 will buy last years Yamaha RXV 2500, and $700 will buy last years Denon 3805. If you have a flat screen tv with HDMI inputs, you may want the newer models with HDMI inputs. That way you can connect and switch all components through your receiver with minimal cabling. Component cables will still work, but with a lot more wires.

If you really want cubes due to size constraints, I'd consider a speaker package along these lines - just stay clear of Bose.

http://www.hsustore.com/vt12.html

 

[markw]

Two very, very significant sentences that should be memorized.

Decide on your speaker system upgrade first. Then purchase a receiver that will be capable of driving them and has the features you need.

Such complex thoughts and yet so succinctly worded. Excellent work, JP.

 

[jcPanny]

Speaker suggestions

Give us some details on your room layout, listening preferences (HT vs. Music), number of speakers (5.1, 7.1, etc.), and your budget and we will give you some ideas.

For about $900, the new SVSound 5.1 speaker package would make a great HT system.
For less, check out bookshelf speakers from BIC and Athena.
For more, check out Axiom, PSB, Paradigm, Klipsch reference . . .

 

[markw]

If you're on a budget...

... I'd upgrade the speakers first. A pair of efficient speakers could probably be handled by your current receiver for the time being.

IMNSHO, you could do a lot worse than an Athena setup. You should be able to get a more than decent setup for under a grand.

Check out http://www.audioadvisor.com.

Then, when you can scrape up a few hundred more, go for that receiver.

 

[SPAZZ2500]

hey jc paNNY.

My listening preference is about 50:50. I love a great home theatre experience with rich subwoofer sounds and I also like to listen to cds with a rich subwoofer sound. I guess I need a happy medium. I have a 5.1 sytem and have a 10 X 14 room. My budget would be around 2000 dollars.