I've read too much, help!

[dekard]

I've been reading and reading about receivers for a home theater system. I've got a good understanding of the technologies involved (for the most part) but I'm having trouble finding the right receiver.

Here's what I'm looking for.

HDMI inputs\output
Component\S-Video inputs with upscaling to HDMI output
Automatic calibration
5.1+ channels
80+ watts of power per channel
On Screen GUI would be nice, but not required.

I live in a 1,200 square foot apartment and can't have anything too awfully loud so the preference would be towards SQ versus volume. My budget on this is as low as possible, preferably below $400, ideally at $300.

I know this is asking a lot and I've see a lot of receivers that come close. Here's the listing of receivers that seem to be close to what I'm looking for.

Denon AVR-1708 (pricey and doesn't upconvert to HDMI, afaik. Also, no audio over HDMI?)
Yamaha RX-V661 (no upconversion)
Onkyo TX-SR605 ($379 from Amazon and seems to offer everything)

So, as you can tell, I'm leaning towards the Onkyo TX-SR605 since it has the features I'm looking for in a great price. I've heard that some aren't thrilled with the quality of it, popping perhaps from time to time. Then, some have said its a nit-pick to complain about this receiver.

So, I'm looking for comments, preferably from owners or those who have spent quality time with these units. If you recommend one of these, please let me know. If there's another you like I'd love to hear about it. And yes, I've read the threads here on these receivers but I'm not seeing the answers to the above questions.

 

[dekard]

The Harmon Kardon 247 is looking pretty interesting too. I'm hearing a little about video upscaling issues from 480i sources to 1080p, mainly that it doesn't look that great. But, most of the information I'm seeing on that is from the first half of the year so I'm not clear if its been corrected now or people just gave up on it.

HDMI 1.1 is the spec the receiver supports, which I'm not sure is a deal breaker for me. I've got a 5.1 setup and I'm most interested in excellent sound quality at moderate volumes from dvds (eventually hd-dvd\blu ra), hd tv shows, music and my older ps2. So, I'm not sure the limitation of 1.1 will be a deal breaker, I'm tending to think I can easily live with it.

 

[jcPanny]

Receivers

Any receiver in your price range with HDMI 1.2 or 1.3 should work well for your application. The pre-amp outputs on the Yamaha RX-V661 are nice if you plan to upgrade to a larger room or house some day. I wouldn't stress too much on format conversion to HDMI or video scaling in your price range. Running an extra s-video or component cable from the receiver to the display is not the end of the world. Yes, some of the >$1500 receivers have really good video upscalling but don't expect much for $3-400. Instead, get a good upscalling DVD player or maybe HD-DVD.

 

[gotstabnoel]

I'm basically in the same boat as yourself. I'm really looking into the 605, read numerous reviews and the competition. At first a home theater in a box would do for me, but I want something for the bang for the buck. The features you suggest is EXACTLY what I would want. I mean, its disheartening to hear replies that state, "$300/400 systems will basically not do well in upscalling". I just recently received a 32" Sony Bravia LCD and im very happy with the quality. I would like to have surround sound, but it's a small room. I'd like it mainly for movies, but at the same time, I don't need crazy sounds! I'm hoping to use the system later down the road for a living room once I decide to move out (i'm a college student). So would any recommend the 605 for a starter? I like the idea of hooking up just one HDMI input to my LCD and haveing my PS3 and XBOX 360 hooked up via HDMI to the receiver, then my Cable HD DVR and Wii to the receiver via component and upconverting it to high quality without loosing quality in HD shows. Is that possible? SORRY TO mooch off ur thread!

 

[jcPanny]

Receiver upscaling

Gotsta,
Every fixed pixel display includes a scaller that converts the input signal to its native resolution, thus every HDTV does video upscaling. They advantage is when a certain souce (DVD player, receiver, etc.) can upscale better than your display. Even a high end scaler can only do so much for a low res SD cable cable signal. It will look better, but it wont look like HD.

The larger the screen size, the worse a low res SD signal looks. Your 32" sony is smaller and probably includes a good scaler so I wouldn't worry too much about the upscaling feature on a receiver in your price range.

 

[dekard]

Any receiver in your price range with HDMI 1.2 or 1.3 should work well for your application. The pre-amp outputs on the Yamaha RX-V661 are nice if you plan to upgrade to a larger room or house some day. I wouldn't stress too much on format conversion to HDMI or video scaling in your price range. Running an extra s-video or component cable from the receiver to the display is not the end of the world. Yes, some of the >$1500 receivers have really good video upscalling but don't expect much for $3-400. Instead, get a good upscalling DVD player or maybe HD-DVD.

Just to clarify, the HK 247 with HDMI 1.1 wouldn't be recommended? If so, I'd love some more information on why the 1.2 or better spec is that important. Thanks for the response!

 

[jcPanny]

HDMI receivers

HDMI 1.2 allows streaming of SACD over HDMI. I am not sure but I think HDMI 1.2 is required to stream lossless multi-channel PCM (from BluRay or HD-DVD) but 1.1 might work.

Most receivers started including HDMI 1.1 a couple years ago so I am suprised that HK still has it on new models when Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo, and Pioneer models include HDMI 1.3 and 1.2.

 

[dekard]

HDMI 1.2 allows streaming of SACD over HDMI. I am not sure but I think HDMI 1.2 is required to stream lossless multi-channel PCM (from BluRay or HD-DVD) but 1.1 might work.

Most receivers started including HDMI 1.1 a couple years ago so I am suprised that HK still has it on new models when Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo, and Pioneer models include HDMI 1.3 and 1.2.

Streaming SACD to me is of no value, I never listen to CD's anyway. The lossless multi-channell PCM would be nice but I understand that lossy compression will still work over 1.1, allowing full multi-channel sound, if not at 100% quality.

I'd rather have the lossless sound but since I don't own a blu ray or hd-dvd player right now I'm not entirely sure its worth blowing my budget on. I mean, I've been quite happy with the dd\dts sound I'm currently getting from my sp-dif cable and I'm sure the new technology would allow at least that level of sound quality, right?