Need HDMI Receiver

[CDN]

I am having a difficult time finding what I need without spending a fortune. Less than $1k is my budget.

I am getting the samsung 52" LCD 5271 or the Pioneer 50" Plasma 5010 in a matter of days. Both are 1080p. I am debating that decision elsewhere. What I need help on here is the new HDMI Receiver to go with. I have Klipsch speakers RB-5 and SB-1 and will be getting a center channel the Klipsch RC-52. I guess I like Klipsch. I also have the Klipsch KSW-10 Sub. All of the speakers are old (10yr+) but I like them alot. I probably need some bigger speakers for my fronts so expect some new bigger Klipsch.

I want at least 3 HDMI 1.3 inputs (Blue-ray, HD Cable-box and a new Upscaliing DVD/DVR Recorder). I really believe any receiver people buy for home theater should have Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. Let me know if this not true. This has me leaning towards the Onkyo TX-SR705. I also like having a USB port for firmware updates but this does not have that. Of course I have CD multichanger, VCR and some other stuff I will probably all hook up. I also expect to bet a UPS/surge protector for the whole shabang.

Am I missing anything big?

Dano

 

[bass addict]

I am having a difficult time finding what I need without spending a fortune. Less than $1k is my budget.

I am getting the samsung 52" LCD 5271 or the Pioneer 50" Plasma 5010 in a matter of days. Both are 1080p. I am debating that decision elsewhere. What I need help on here is the new HDMI Receiver to go with. I have Klipsch speakers RB-5 and SB-1 and will be getting a center channel the Klipsch RC-52. I guess I like Klipsch. I also have the Klipsch KSW-10 Sub. All of the speakers are old (10yr+) but I like them alot. I probably need some bigger speakers for my fronts so expect some new bigger Klipsch.

I want at least 3 HDMI 1.3 inputs (Blue-ray, HD Cable-box and a new Upscaliing DVD/DVR Recorder). I really believe any receiver people buy for home theater should have Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. Let me know if this not true. This has me leaning towards the Onkyo TX-SR705. I also like having a USB port for firmware updates but this does not have that. Of course I have CD multichanger, VCR and some other stuff I will probably all hook up. I also expect to bet a UPS/surge protector for the whole shabang.

Am I missing anything big?

Dano

I would recommend the Pioneer as it is one of the few displays that properly scales/deinterlaces a signal. The Onkyo is a great receiver, I would also check out the 805 for a few bucks more. It is probably the best bang for the buck receiver out there right now (I sound like a broken record player ).
You're right, none of these receivers can be updated via an ethernet connection. You'd have to go Denon or step up to the 905 to get that. All your newer receivers are going to be able to decode all the new sound codecs with the exception of maybe DTS MA

 

[Seth=L]

The Onkyo TX-SR705 is a great value of a receiver. It should power the Klipsch relatively easy and if you ever needed more power it has preouts to facilitate a power amplifier. Most Blu-ray and HD-DVD players available process the Dolby True HD, and Dolby Plus. More and more are able to decode DTS-HD MA as well. After processing the bitstream of HD audio it can send out 7.1 LPCM to any receiver with a repeating HDMI port and 7.1 capability.

If you get a receiver that is capable of processing Dolby True HD, Dolby Plus, DTS-HD MA over bitstream you won't be able to utilize this feature until capable Blu-ray players come out, to my knowledge Blu-ray has yet to release a player that is capable of passing bitstream HD audio, that doesn't mean you are missing the experiance, just where the bitstream gets decoded. If you need a better explaination I would be more than willing to explain in greater detail.

You might also consider the Yamaha RX-V861 or a earlier Marantz or Denon with the HDMI repeating feature.

 

[bass addict]

The Onkyo TX-SR705 is a great value of a receiver. It should power the Klipsch relatively easy and if you ever needed more power it has preouts to facilitate a power amplifier.

Klipsch's are so efficient I doubt he would ever need any more power than the receiver supplies.

to my knowledge Blu-ray has yet to release a player that is capable of passing bitstream HD audio.

It not only comes down to the player but also the disc. I believe that all current hi def discs will not allow the information to be decoded and passed via bitstream. It has to be decoded in the player. This could change but it is really up to the studios.

 

[Seth=L]

Klipsch's are so efficient I doubt he would ever need any more power than the receiver supplies.

The Klipsch are efficient, but from what I have read and experienced with Klipsch is they don't sound their best without enough "grunt" behind them. They go loud because they are efficient with low wattages, but they have a tendacy to be a difficult load for many mid-fi receivers.

It not only comes down to the player but also the disc. I believe that all current hi def discs will not allow the information to be decoded and passed via bitstream. It has to be decoded in the player. This could change but it is really up to the studios.

I hadn't heard that about the discs, very interesting I will look into that.

 

[bass addict]

The Klipsch are efficient, but from what I have read and experienced with Klipsch is they don't sound their best without enough "grunt" behind them. They go loud because they are efficient with low wattages, but they have a tendacy to be a difficult load for many mid-fi receivers.

I agree with you and think that's true with any speaker. As good as my M60's sounded driven off the receiver, they sounded that much better hooked up to my Cinenova Grande.

I hadn't heard that about the discs, very interesting I will look into that.

I'll see if I can dig up the article that went into it in more detail.

 

[Mooney]

i also joined today, to pose pretty much this same question.

i had my mind set that i needed hdmi 1.3 and dts-hd and dolby true hd, but i was also under the impression that i needed the 1.3 for 1080p which isn't the case. i was leaning towards the onkyo 705, but if i can get a better reciever for the same or a little more money without the new hd formats that i could end up never using, perhaps that is the road to go.

i also have a $1000 budget, and klipsch speakers (rb-10, rs-10, rc-10, velodyne dps12)

any suggestions? i would already own the 705 if my salesman would have gotten me a price from onkyo. i have been waiting for him over a month.

suggestions on how to best go about purchasing the reciever from the east coast of canada would be appreciated, too. thanks.

 

[CDN]

You might also consider the Yamaha RX-V861 or a earlier Marantz or Denon with the HDMI repeating feature.

Thanks for the info. That Yamaha has only 2 HDMI and no usb. Any other ideas? I will look at Denon but those are $$$$.

 

[CDN]

The 905 looks great. Every step you make up causes me to drool but you have to draw the line somewhere.

 

[Seth=L]

Thanks for the info. That Yamaha has only 2 HDMI and no usb. Any other ideas? I will look at Denon but those are $$$$.

I hadn't realized the Onkyo TX-SR705 had USB.

Edit: I just looked at the Onkyo TX-SR705. It does have 3 HDMI inputs but does not support the USB interface.