My Wish List

[PJZ]

Hi all,

I have a 46" plasma which we purchased a few months ago that is waiting for an AV system. It's been a few years since my last receiver purchase and I have a wish list of what I would like to do, but want to make sure I make an informed decision. I already have an upscaling DVD player kicking around which I'll probably recycle and use here. I also have a PS3, Wii and several iPOD's.

So here's my wish list:
1) iPod integration: be it with an accessory dock or built-in, is a necessity. I would prefer one with a remote that can nagivate the iPod menus and hopefully display the cover art and videos on my TV.
2) Network integration: I just purchased a NAS solution and am in the process of transferring the bulk of my music/videos. This sounds like a great application for it.
3) 7.1 Channels: I'm looking for a 7.1 receiver even though I may use a 5.1 speaker setup from another system, at least initially.
4) Multi-room or multi-zone: I also want a receiver that will give me this flexibility.

I'm probably in the $500-600 range so I realize that doesn't give me the greatest options. And based on my budget, I don't know if the networking feature is an option based on the prices I've seen thus far. I was a DJ for ~20 years and have amassed a sizeable collection of music over the years and I would love to access it directly from the NAS if possible. Apart from my wishlist, I also have some confusion concerning the HDMI options. It appears there are different "levels" of HDMI connectivity. How do I tell if it's pass-thru or something else, or what exactly should I be looking for? I only want to use the single HDMI cable and have everything routed to my surround system. Is there anything else I should be on the look out for?

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

PJ

 

[Timmy245]

hey PJ
im no "expert" on all of this but ill share my opinions with you anyway
in the $500 - $600 range i would be looking at:
Denon AVR-789/1909 90w per channel x 7ch
Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital Surround EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx decoding, upscaling to 1080p, audysey multi eq room correction and setup, audysey dynamic volume and dynamic eq, zone 2, 3 hdmi in 1 out you will need to buy an ipod dock for this receiver (denon ipod docks are available seperately) RRP $599

Onkyo Tx-SR606 90w x 7ch HDMI V1.3a repeater (4 in/1 out, 1080p compatible) HDMI 1080i upscaling powered by Faroujda DCDi Edge, dd plus true hd all the latest audio formats and dolby codecs, audysey dynamic eq, compatible with RI dock for ipod, multizone. RRP $499

Yamaha RXV-663 Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and DTS-HD Master Audio, 95w x 7ch, iPod compatibility via Yamaha Universal Dock, multi-zone control compatibility, upscales analogue video to 1080p and also has pre-amp outputs incase you wish to add more power in the future, but only has 2 hdmi in 1 out. RRP $549

pioneer VSX-1018AH-K DTS-HD/Dolby TrueHD all the latest audio formats, 120 W x 7ch power, Phase Control, Advanced Sound Retriever, Advanced MCACC, HDMI repeater, upscalingto 1080p, multizone USB Memory Audio Ready, and iPod Digital Playback (Made for iPod) ipod can be connected via usb into this amp 3 hdmi in 1 out. RRP $599

sorry but im unsure if these include the wireless network functions maybe someone else could help you out there. Oh and the prices are from the websites so im sure you could find them cheaper
but all of these IMO are very nice receivers
hope ive helped a bit
~TiM~

Also the yamaha 663 doesnt support audio through HDMI as far as i know do you will need an optical or coax for that but the other three all carry audio through hdmi
so for the denon, onkyo and pioneer if you had either one of those amps you would connect an hdmi cable from the amp to the tv and then connect your other components such as your ps3 straight into your amp also via hdmi you dont have to connect to the amp from the ps3 via hdmi but obviously it gives you a full hd picture with the wii of course you cant connect via hdmi as theres no out on the wii for a hdmi cable.
the yamaha is still a great amp only difference in the setup is that you will need an optical cable for the audio and an hdmi cable for the video because the audio wont travel throught the hdmi
btw all those amps are the latest version of hdmi 1.3a

 

[Thunder18]

hey PJ
im no "expert" on all of this but ill share my opinions with you anyway
in the $500 - $600 range i would be looking at:
Denon AVR-789/1909 90w per channel x 7ch
Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital Surround EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx decoding, upscaling to 1080p, audysey multi eq room correction and setup, audysey dynamic volume and dynamic eq, zone 2, 3 hdmi in 1 out you will need to buy an ipod dock for this receiver (denon ipod docks are available seperately) RRP $599

Onkyo Tx-SR606 90w x 7ch HDMI V1.3a repeater (4 in/1 out, 1080p compatible) HDMI 1080i upscaling powered by Faroujda DCDi Edge, dd plus true hd all the latest audio formats and dolby codecs, audysey dynamic eq, compatible with RI dock for ipod, multizone. RRP $499

Yamaha RXV-663 Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and DTS-HD Master Audio, 95w x 7ch, iPod compatibility via Yamaha Universal Dock, multi-zone control compatibility, upscales analogue video to 1080p and also has pre-amp outputs incase you wish to add more power in the future, but only has 2 hdmi in 1 out. RRP $549

pioneer VSX-1018AH-K DTS-HD/Dolby TrueHD all the latest audio formats, 120 W x 7ch power, Phase Control, Advanced Sound Retriever, Advanced MCACC, HDMI repeater, upscalingto 1080p, multizone USB Memory Audio Ready, and iPod Digital Playback (Made for iPod) ipod can be connected via usb into this amp 3 hdmi in 1 out. RRP $599

sorry but im unsure if these include the wireless network functions maybe someone else could help you out there. Oh and the prices are from the websites so im sure you could find them cheaper
but all of these IMO are very nice receivers
hope ive helped a bit
~TiM~

Also the yamaha 663 doesnt support audio through HDMI as far as i know do you will need an optical or coax for that but the other three all carry audio through hdmi
so for the denon, onkyo and pioneer if you had either one of those amps you would connect an hdmi cable from the amp to the tv and then connect your other components such as your ps3 straight into your amp also via hdmi you dont have to connect to the amp from the ps3 via hdmi but obviously it gives you a full hd picture with the wii of course you cant connect via hdmi as theres no out on the wii for a hdmi cable.
the yamaha is still a great amp only difference in the setup is that you will need an optical cable for the audio and an hdmi cable for the video because the audio wont travel throught the hdmi
btw all those amps are the latest version of hdmi 1.3a

The Yamaha RX-V663 does in fact support lossless and pcm audio via HDMI as well as dual subwoofer outputs.
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=567571&CTID=5000300
Also you're not likely to find networking features in an AV receiver at that price point. It's usually reserved for the more expensive models unfortunately. If you can live without it and can wait a few months, you may want to wait for the Pioneer VSX-1019 with a rrp of 500 and included an ipod cable that will allow the receiver's remote to operate the ipod's functions from afar and will include a GUI of the content on the iPod.
It is also USB memory ready.

 

[Timmy245]

Oh thanks thunder
i must have misread or got the wrong info
cheers

 

[Thunder18]

No worries. The 63 series Yamaha's are actually a pretty good deal for the money.