N

Newfang

Enthusiast
Hi all,

Looking for a new AV reciever to upgrade to hi-res audio. Currently have a hand me down Pioneer Eliete VSX-33. It's been solid but only plays DD and DTS, I usually run it on DTS 24/7. I'm not quite as knowledgeable as many of the members of this site so I wanted to ask for recommendations here. Don't want to break the bank but willing to spend a few extra bucks to avoid any buyer's remorse.

My current setup is a 5.1 running Polk Signature Series S35 center, S50s fronts, S10s rears and an HTS10 sub. No future plans to upgrade to 7 or 9 channels or run 2 subs truthfully. The room won't quite allow for it. Thank you in advancd for any replies.
 
Truthslayer

Truthslayer

Full Audioholic
If your happy with your current avr's power and sound, then no need to upgrade. Just get an outboard DAC that's capable of playing the files you want.
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
Don't be afraid of buying "Extra Amp Channels" in terms of a 7 or 9 channel AVR. Shop for the best features you need to achieve your goals.

Many here, myself included, like to recommend looking at last years closeouts. Something like the Denon 3500, for example. It's a strong candidate at a great price, and you would have access to many of the newer technologies... just short of the next step for HDMI. ;)

Regardless, there are many, MANY options... but you can shop super-smart right now and come away with something that can easily take you another 5+years down the road. :)
 
N

Newfang

Enthusiast
Thanks guys. That's why I posted here. I guess this raises another burning question. I think I'm getting hung up on audio formats and telling myself there is a world of difference I am missing between standard DTS vs newer formats. Hence the desire for a newer AV reciever. In doing some research, although an upgrade, it may be negligible for my current 5.1 at the moment. Thoughts...
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
Thanks guys. That's why I posted here. I guess this raises another burning question. I think I'm getting hung up on audio formats and telling myself there is a world of difference I am missing between standard DTS vs newer formats. Hence the desire for a newer AV reciever. In doing some research, although an upgrade, it may be negligible for my current 5.1 at the moment. Thoughts...
I'm not near the expert on this stuff that can tell you how much better this DAC is against that, and so forth. What I can say, I have... a lot of the modern market comes down to feature set. You want Hi Res audio. Probably a good idea to make certain you are 4k compatible going forward, and with that, HDR, too. If you want to upgrade, then check off all the boxes:
Do you need analog inputs?
How many HDMI?
Do you want pre-outs in case you ever decide to add an Amp?
Etc....

Only you can decide what is right for you.

I saw some comments dating back to 2001/2002 for that [Panny]. I would think that an upgrade on a 19 yr old design would likely offer some improvement. Just my 2¢, there. :)
 
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S

snakeeyes

Audioholic Ninja
Thanks guys. That's why I posted here. I guess this raises another burning question. I think I'm getting hung up on audio formats and telling myself there is a world of difference I am missing between standard DTS vs newer formats. Hence the desire for a newer AV reciever. In doing some research, although an upgrade, it may be negligible for my current 5.1 at the moment. Thoughts...
Not sure if you buy Blu-rays but they aren’t all DTS anymore. You’ll want a new receiver so you can decode in Dolby TrueHD rather than falling all the way back to regular Dolby Digital.

Dolby TrueHD and DTSHD MA are very similar to each other. You have 7.1 channels or if you run in 5.1 both formats sound similar to regular DTS. Like I mentioned some Blu-rays have Dolby only. For many years they were all DTSHD MA.

The new upmixers Dolby DSU and DTS NeuralX are also a lot better than the old Prologic 2 and Neo6 upmixers. And they can upmix all the way up to to 7.1.4 (simulating Atmos or DTSX)

Dolby Atmos and DTSX require height or ceiling speakers. I’m actually in the process of installing ceiling speakers so I can’t comment too much on that. I’m going for 5.1.4. (5.1 plus 4 ceiling speakers)

Also you can now rely on HDMI. Since version 2.0 it’s been rock solid. You’ll want a lot of HDMI inputs.

Good luck! :)
 
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