Looking for the best sounding cheap receiver

M

movingtarget75

Audiophyte
The HDMI board on my Onkyo HT-R580 receiver is starting to go out and I'm looking for a replacement receiver.

I have a modest system--just the Onkyo home theater in a box speakers that came with the HT-R580 and a Polk PSW505 subwoofer--that I use exclusively for watching blu-rays.

I'm looking for a receiver that provides the best sound for the price but most reviews tend to focus on features I don't care about such as wi-fi and airplay. I've been looking at receivers in the $300 to $450 but sound quality seems to be a lower priority for many reviewers.

Since the HT-R580 I already have is a 7.1 system I would like to stay with that configuration (or possibly a 7.2) but would consider a 5.1 receiver if I could find one that was clearly superior.

Any suggestions on a superior sounding budget receiver?
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
There are two parts I want to discuss.

Part 1:

I think you may have unrealistic expectations. There is little out there which is going to sound much better/worse than what you were using before. A/V receivers have a job to decode digital audio, which most do reasonably well. Some higher priced ones do a fair bit better, but those are models well outside of your budget, so hardly matter. At your budget, you have an extensive list of models which will work just fine, but not sound one bit better.

Why?

Because your speakers suck.

Don't shoot the messenger, but Onkyo produces great packages for the money. You get a lot of value there, but you don't get a lot of quality in the speakers. The receivers tend to be decent (see part 2 below), but the speakers tend to be very low quality. I wouldn't avoid their receivers at all, and, in fact, I would recommend them at your budget because you have other, far more important needs, than a new receiver.

You need speakers. I would strongly suggest you go speaker shopping. Listen to different models within your budget, starting with left/right mains, and adding a center if you can swing it, then consider some surround speakers. But, you need speakers if you want an improvement in sound quality. I can tell you first hand what I experienced, and what others will echo. When I bought my first home theater in a box (HTiB) kit, a Kenwood system, I was happy. But, I felt like you that something was lacking, so I went out and bought $1,000 in speakers (a great deal at the time), and a $2,800 A/V receiver. Well, the speakers showed up first. What the heck! I gotta try them out, so I pull the Kenwood speakers out of the mix and I plug in my new Def-Tech BP30 speakers, and the sound difference was astounding. Flat out, amazing how much difference there was between the cheap speakers and the good speakers on the same A/V receiver. The details that I was missing was suddenly present. Not only was it cleaner sound, but it played far louder than the smaller/cheaper speakers could at the same volume level. It was just a much more efficient design. When I received my $2,800 receiver a few weeks later, I was psyched, but really, the nice receiver offered almost zero improvement at normal listening levels. It was not the receiver which was creating the sound, it was just delivering the power. It is the speakers which deliver the sound, the speakers which matter, and the speakers which ultimately are what disappoint many people.

Now, if you want to 'crank' your system, there is no A/V receiver in your price range which will deliver. Cheaper products like this have smaller amps that overheat more easily and shut down more readily. Even receivers up to $1,000 new have this issue. About the only way I've seen systems crank out power without thermal overload, for hours on end, is with external dedicated amplifiers. That gets into some pricey systems, but it allows you to crank it for hour after hour without system shutdown. So, any receiver in your price range is going to handle more reasonable sound levels for long periods of time.

I would recommend you pick something up from Accessories4Less...
Home Theater Receivers | Accessories4less

No specific model is going to be worlds better than others. Denon and Yamaha are models I prefer, but they will still go into thermal shutdown if driven to hard.

If you DO want to have the capability of adding an external amplifier to drive things at some point, then you must get a receiver which has 7.1 preouts on it. If you look at the back of this model, you can see that it has this feature (bottom center)...
MARANTZ SR5005 100w X 7ch 3-D Home Theater Surround Receiver | Accessories4less
Most cheaper A/V receivers don't have analog 7.1 preouts on them.

There are, in fact, only two which do under $450 on the A4L website. The one listed above and this one. I would think this Yamaha may be a bit better.
YAMAHA RX-V773WA 7.2 Channel Network AV Receiver w/Wireless Adapter | Accessories4less

Part 2:

Now we have a different topic of discussion...

Why did your old receiver fail?

Did you spill water on it? Was there an electrical issue in your home? Did something else occur?

Most likely: Did you run it loud and have it in a tight space?

The first options are perhaps once-in-a-lifetime events. Sucks, but it happens. I lost a TV once because of a marble. I don't expect to ever have that occur again (and my kids still owe me a TV!). You also do want to consider a good power conditioner, but the last thing, that's the number one killer of electronics.

People think they can stack cable boxes and other equipment on top of their A/V receiver. They think they can put the receiver into an enclosed cabinet without ventilation. They think that just a couple of holes for ventilation is sufficient to properly cool their devices which crave cool air and open airflow.

Obviously, I'm not sure what applies to your situation, but if the reason for the failure of the Onkyo was due to running it hard, without sufficient airflow, then you need to correct that issue. It is NOT a failing on the part of the manufacturer, it is your issue. You have to run volume at levels which are reasonable to the product you have purchased, and if you want more, you have to put the money into the system to get more... if this applies to you at all.

But, it is something you want to address so that you get years of trouble-free use out of your A/V receiver.

Oh, and I sold my old Kenwood just a few years ago, still working fine, and that Yamaha which I purchased to replace it over ten years ago is still working great. So, airflow, and decent power really can keep things running (along with some luck).
 
zieglj01

zieglj01

Audioholic Spartan
The HDMI board on my Onkyo HT-R580 receiver is starting to go out and I'm looking for a replacement receiver.

I have a modest system--just the Onkyo home theater in a box speakers that came with the HT-R580 and a Polk PSW505 subwoofer--that I use exclusively for watching blu-rays.

Any suggestions on a superior sounding budget receiver?
No, not for them Onkyo speakers - a so called better receiver, will not help those speakers.
 
M

movingtarget75

Audiophyte
There are two parts I want to discuss.

Part 1:

I think you may have unrealistic expectations. There is little out there which is going to sound much better/worse than what you were using before. A/V receivers have a job to decode digital audio, which most do reasonably well. Some higher priced ones do a fair bit better, but those are models well outside of your budget, so hardly matter. At your budget, you have an extensive list of models which will work just fine, but not sound one bit better.

Why?

Because your speakers suck.
Let me rephrase the question: what is the best sounding receiver in the $300 to $450 price range.

I appreciate that my speakers are not any good but I didn't ask "what receiver can make my speakers sound better?" I asked what the best sounding receiver was in this price range.

Within the next year I hope to upgrade my speakers but right now my current receiver is going out and if I don't repair or replace it the quality of speakers I have will be irrelevant.

Based on reviews I'm under the impression that receivers do provide a small, but discernible difference in sound quality. Is this correct?

While I don't expect to notice any difference in my current setup with a new receiver, all things being equal, if I end up spending $400 on a new receiver I'd rather it be the one that provides the best sound for the price rather than "has Wi-fi and Airplay" even if the difference in sound quality is, subjectively, 1 or 2 percent.

Or are all receivers in this price range basically the same and just pick the one that's on sale when I'm ready to buy?
 
J

Jimz711

Full Audioholic
Since features are not an issue for you, I would look to the previous year's models you can probably find a good bargain for under $300 and it will sound as good as anything in your price range.
 
Adam

Adam

Audioholic Jedi
Let me rephrase the question: what is the best sounding receiver in the $300 to $450 price range.
Welcome to the forum!

One big difference between brands is the auto calibration software that they use. Some (like Denon, Onkyo, and Marantz) use Audyssey. Yamaha uses their own YPAO, and Pioneer uses their own MCACC. I've used MCACC for about eight years, and I recently got a chance to try Audyssey. If you sit in about the same location all of the time, they are about the same to me. If you have multiple seating locations (for example, sometimes I sit in the center of my speakers, and sometimes I sit in a chair off to the side), then Pioneer wins because MCACC can store multiple configurations (at least the Advanced MCACC version can) and receivers with Audyssey can't. I tried four receivers with Audyssey around and slightly above your price range, and none of them could store more than one calibration set.

So, I'm a fan of Pioneer. I've seen the VSX-1123 in the low $400s on sale, and that would be my pick. If you're going with Audyssey, I found the Onkyo TX-NR626 and Denon AVR-E400 very comparable in power and sound. The Onkyo has more features (including a universal remote) and connections for the money.
 
afterlife2

afterlife2

Audioholic Warlord
Hopefully you can get the Onkyo repaired. It has some good features. These budget speakers are highly praised and the cheapest you will find them for:

Get 2 or 4(If you want a 7.1) Might be Out of stock, but keep checking: Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Andrew Jones Designed 80 Watt 2-Way Bookshelf Stereo Speakers SPBS22LR - Micro Center

Get 1, Might be Out of stock, keep checking: Pioneer SPC-22 Andrew Jones Designed 90 Watt 2-Way Center Channel Speaker SPC22 - Micro Center

Alternative fronts buy 2 as they are sold separately: Pioneer SP-FS52-LR Andrew Jones Designed 130 Watt 4-Way Floorstanding Speaker SP-FS52-LR - Micro Center

Get 1: Dayton Audio SUB-1200 | bad robot Store

Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
mtrycrafts

mtrycrafts

Seriously, I have no life.
The HDMI board on my Onkyo HT-R580 receiver is starting to go out and I'm looking for a replacement receiver.

I have a modest system--just the Onkyo home theater in a box speakers that came with the HT-R580 and a Polk PSW505 subwoofer--that I use exclusively for watching blu-rays.

I'm looking for a receiver that provides the best sound for the price but most reviews tend to focus on features I don't care about such as wi-fi and airplay. I've been looking at receivers in the $300 to $450 but sound quality seems to be a lower priority for many reviewers.

Since the HT-R580 I already have is a 7.1 system I would like to stay with that configuration (or possibly a 7.2) but would consider a 5.1 receiver if I could find one that was clearly superior.

Any suggestions on a superior sounding budget receiver?
Welcome.
You received good advice so not much more can be said if you want to keep your speaker package. Reviewers have not a lot left to talk about after all the features as you will not hear differences or hardly much to talk about.
So, if you are out of warranty buy another brand in your price range that meets your needs beyond sonic differences.
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
Let me rephrase the question: what is the best sounding receiver in the $300 to $450 price range.

Based on reviews I'm under the impression that receivers do provide a small, but discernible difference in sound quality. Is this correct?

Or are all receivers in this price range basically the same and just pick the one that's on sale when I'm ready to buy?
Sorry if got lost in everything else, but yes, the last line you say is exactly it. A/V receivers typically sound very similar. Their job is to process the audio cleanly from the digital source, which most do very well, then amplify it cleanly, which also is done well by the major brands.

Adam kind of went through a lot above to come down to that same conclusion.

Denon/Marantz, Yamaha, Pioneer, Onkyo

Onkyo offers the most bang for the buck, but also is the least reliable IMO. It doesn't sound ANY better, it doesn't sound ANY worse, but why the heck did your HDMI board fail? I mean it, that truly is a major issue to consider. If you have proper 'everything', then you may want to consider someone other than Onkyo.

I often consider Yamaha and Pioneer on the same level with a good mix of features for the money and good quality. Not as many bells and whistles as Onkyo, but higher reliability in the long run.

Denon/Marantz (same company) generally have been built a bit better than most others and typically offer the least added features for the money. Less power at the same price, but better build quality. But, in recent years the line between them and Yamaha/Pioneer has really started to narrow down.

Some people like Pioneer, some prefer Yamaha, etc. So, I would go with what really offers the most bang for the buck for you. Not the 'added' features, but maybe the one with more power (measured at 8 ohms, with .1% or less of THD), maybe one with the preouts which I described above. Maybe one with a few more HDMI connections on it because you may want to have a lot of HDMI sources.

There simply isn't a receiver I've heard of that jumps out as a quality leader. The reality remains that they all sound very good, but the jump in quality you will get when you do (eventually) replace the speakers will simply floor you.

Definitely check on whether you can get a warranty repair!
 
M

movingtarget75

Audiophyte
Thanks for all of the tips, just what I was looking for.

As per the advice of afterlife2 I contacted the Onkyo support center and have several options to try before writing off my Onkyo receiver.

I may have become over eager in replacing it.

I said the HDMI board was going out--that was a self diagnosis based on some other comments I had read concerning that model.

Here's what happens: every time I watch a movie the video will cut out for 4 to 10 seconds (static and then a black screen) while the audio will keep playing. This happens once or twice per movie. It's not an ongoing thing but it does happen at least once every time I watch something for more than 20 minutes. When I rewind the missing video plays just fine. I assumed it was a HDMI board going out partly because I would like an excuse to upgrade my home theater.

The Onkyo customer service tech (Manny) offered several things to try:

1. Power cycle the unit.
2. Master reset the unit.
3. Plug the HDMI cable into a different slot.
4. Try different HDMI cables.
5. Try a different blu-ray player.

Since the unit is out of warranty I will have to pay to have it repaired if necessary. Manny told me about Onkyo's trade-in policy.

If you trade in your old Onkyo receiver you can get a factory refurbished model of your choice for a significant discount. As an example he said a refurbished 616 could be purchased for $205. I'm going to stay away from that specific model because of the plethora of negative comments posted on Amazon, but it's still a good option to have.

Should repairs be necessary it would probably cost a minimum of $100 so at that point it would probably be better to trade-in or upgrade.

So I have some options.

If one of those solutions fixes the problem maybe I can upgrade my speakers...
 
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