Need A/V receiver help, please:

[Acebird]

I have a Pioneer vsx-21txh, which supports a multi-room and source output (from Zone 2), while Zone 1 receives input from cable TV, a Blu Ray DVD player, a cassette player and a turntable. While the receiver worked perfectly for 4 years, it now causes the TV (Sony Bravia KDL-52V5100) to switch off and on.


Disconnecting the A/V receiver from the TV, and connecting the cable directly to the TV eliminates the problem, so I am certain that the problem is with the receiver.


No one has been able to find the cause. Unless someone can suggest the cause of the problem that might be easily fixed, I will be forced to buy another receiver. (I live in Panama, so there are no certified repair techs that I can find.)


I need a receiver which supports a 5-speaker surround sound system with one subwoofer, as well as having Zone 2 capability to drive a box controlling speakers throughout my apartment.


Can anyone recommend a particular moderately priced unit with good sound that provides a "zone 2?"

 

[XEagleDriver]

Acebird,
You have lots of options, many modern receivers have no issue with supporting 5.1 and a Zone 2.
Look into the product lines at Denon, Yamaha, Marantz and Pioneer to start.
- I am not a fan of Onkyo, but many others would disagree with me.
If you would be kind enough to define "moderate" as a US dollar range, we can be more specific.

Cheers,
XEagleDriver

 

[Acebird]

Acebird,
You have lots of options, many modern receivers have no issue with supporting 5.1 and a Zone 2.
Look into the product lines at Denon, Yamaha, Marantz and Pioneer to start.
- I am not a fan of Onkyo, but many others would disagree with me.
If you would be kind enough to define "moderate" as a US dollar range, we can be more specific.

Cheers,
XEagleDriver

Many thanks. I would like to keep it under$500. What might you recommend?

 

[Acebird]

Many thanks. I would like to keep it under$500. What might you recommend?

 

[XEagleDriver]

Acebird,
The $500 max helps.
Beyond the 5.1 and Zone 2 requirement, the next step is to determine which of these common features (or others you know of) are must have/nice to have/don't need or want items for you:
a) Equalization (Audessy, MCACC, YPAO, etc.)
b) Bluetooth
c) Wifi or Airplay
d) Approximate power requirement (50W, 75W, 100W, etc.), aka What brand/model speakers do you have?
e) Preamp outputs
f) Support for Apple products (iPhone, iPad, etc.)
g) Phono input
h) . . .

Look at the AccessoriesForLess website to get an idea on the art of the possible in that price range (I do not know if they will ship to Panama).
- Do not eliminate 7.1 or 7.2 receivers, in favor of only 5.1 units, the former are more common these days and may provide greater value even though they have the extra amps. In addition, if the extra amps are "assignable" they provide a great deal of flexability to your set up [bi-amp, additional zone(s), etc.]
- You will get the most bang-for-the-buck with a B-Stock or Refurb purchase.

Cheers,
XEagleDriver

 

[Acebird]

Many thanks. What's your view of this one:
ONKYOTX-NR636 7.2 Atmos A/V Receiver
It's $329, but seems to have all the whistles and bells I need and perhaps some I don't.

 

[XEagleDriver]

Acebird,
IMHO Onyko is known to be feature rich at low cost, but not necessarily having the best user interface or reliability. See this forum discussion, for an example about this specific model.
- It is just one piece of data, and there are probably many others who are happy and having no issues.

Like I said earlier, I am not a fan of the brand and would neither buy for myself or recommend in lieu of the other manufacturers I listed earlier (Dennon, Yamaha, Marantz, or Pioneer).

Your $$, your call. Be careful to not get too enamoured by features you will either rarely or never use.
- IMHO proper feature set/adequate power, reliability (or solid reputation for it), and a user friendly interface top the list in picking a receiver.

Cheers,
XEagleDriver

 

[Acebird]

Actually, having looked at several A/V receivers with Zone 2 capability -including the poor customer service findings on the Onkyo products - (I don't need anything fancy, as I have simple, baseline surround sound speakers), I find many reviews (on Amazon) that indicate a good number of these receivers freeze or cut out. That's the primary problem I have with my otherwise excellent Pioneer Elite, so I am looking to obviate that problem - especially as I believe it puts a power-surge problem on everything connected to the receiver.

 

[Acebird]

Many thanks. I agree completely on the unnecessary features. What I am looking for is a recommendation for reliability and great customer service (chat or phone) if I have a problem.

 

[herbu]

Look at this: http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/denavrx3100w/denon-avr-x3100w-7.2-receiver-wi-fi/bluetooth/airplay/1.html

Being a 7.2 AVR, it gives you a couple options for your "Zone 2". Since you're only using 5.1 in your main room, you can configure the last 2 powered channels to drive normal speakers in a second room. Or you can use the Zone 2 pre-outs run to a separate amp for the second room.

Denon is a good brand w/ good customer support. It is perhaps the most popular brand among people here.

 

[Acebird]

MANY thanks. I'll check it out. Amazon's price is CONSIDERABLY greater!

 

[fmw]

While I'm aware of the Onkyo reliability issues, I think their customer service is fine. I'm a Pioneer user and Pioneer recently sold their home audio division to Onkyo. I've use the Onkyo customer service twice and found it responsive and useful. I had a problem connecting my receiver to my local digital music files. As it turned out, the unit couldn't navigate my network. I finally gave up trying to use that feature but the Onkyo people were knowledgable and helpful. Fortunately I still have an operational Squeezebox which can navigate anything.

 

[herbu]

I still have an operational Squeezebox which can navigate anything.

Yeh, I have one too. But without SIRI, she can't hardly navigate to the grocery store.

 

[fmw]

Who is Siri? The chauffeur?