New Member; I am missing something?

[jdrocs]

Hey,
I have been browsing this forum along with reading the excellent reviews here for about a week. I am a former audiohead from the 70's looking to put together a budget system. A lot of this time has been spent looking for a receiver for 500$ or less and I think I have found it. It has been over 20 years since I purchased audio equipment; so I would appreciate all input on this; as it is very possible I am missing something in my research.

Here is the system I have narrowed it down to:
Onkyo TX-SR605
Now the reasons:
90 Watts per channel. This is my minimum (really wanted that magic # 100).
Conversion to HDMI. I need to keep my connections simple.
HDMI Ver 1.3. Do not want to have to upgrade anytime soon.
7.1; this is pretty much all that is out there now anyway.

I have a few questions:
Is there another receiver that can give me 90 watts or more with the above features for under $500.00 (less but not more)?

Am I putting to much emphasis on HDMI 1.3?

Is there anything buggy about this receiver?

I appreciate all input; both positive and negative.

 

[jliedeka]

With Onkyo, you get great bang for the buck. The HDMI 1.3 spec actually supports more colors than any existing TV will understand or reproduce. If you are using 1.3 as a shorthand for being able to decode the newer audio codecs (DTS-HDMA and Dolby True HD), there is some value to be had now.

The only reservation I would have about the SR605 is that it only has 2 HDMI inputs. That could be overkill for your needs or it may become inadequate.

I'm looking towards the receivers that accept 3 or 4 HDMI inputs. In my case, I have an Oppo DVD player that I plan to keep indefinitely. I may wish to add a BD player, a PS3 if they ever come out with good games for it, and possibly upgrade my Xbox360 plus keep open the possibility of digital cable/satellite or something else.

If two HDMI inputs will do it for you for the foreseeable future, the 605 is a great choice. If you think you may need more, think about budgeting a bit extra for a receiver that gives you more inputs.

I hope that helps. Just my 2 cents. Your mileage may vary. Etc.

Jim

 

[jdrocs]

Thanks for the input.

As far as the HDMI inputs go, I wanted to get at least two just to cover my bases. I don't play games; but do enjoy movies and music a great deal. I think (hope) two would be enough.

The toughest decision on this comes down to 1.2 vs 1.3. There are a ton of other receivers with 1.2 and 1.1 whose cost dropped to my price range. Do you have thoughts on that?

I am planning on upgrading my CD/DVD and possibly getting Blue Ray. Would that be a consideration to lean towards 1.3?

 

[jdrocs]

Now I am confused....

I just found the Yamaha RX V661 for the same price as the Onkyo TX-SR605. The only technical difference I see between is 1.2 vs 1.3....

I do not think I can mention prices here; so I will just say they are both well under 500.00.

I have heard both; and must say the Yamaha seemed like it produced a bigger room filling ht sound. Of course this was in a store with much more expensive speakers than what I will be using.

Thoughts on which to pick and does anyone know of any other technical differences between the two?

 

[Davemcc]

I do not think I can mention prices here; so I will just say they are both well under 500.00.

Go ahead, mention a price. Mazer will probably beat it.

 

[jdrocs]

Go ahead, mention a price. Mazer will probably beat it.

LOL
The Yamaha best price is actually at this store using the coupon code. I think I am going to wait and get a higher end unit (750 to 850). It will probably take me about three to four more weeks; but since it is winter time, I am saving money that is usually spent on green fees...

 

[fmw]

I agree that the Onkyo 605 provides a lot of features for the money. My own personal preference would be for a lot of performance for the money, however. My experience with the 605 has been nothing but negative. It has a poorly designed and poor performing digital processor and Onkyo won't own up to it. I would choose literally anything else in the price range. Go for better performance and don't worry so much about the features. Now you have the minority opinion as well.

My criticism deserves a recommendation so I recommend the Pioneer 1017. While its HDMI ports are pass-through rather than repeaters that just means you need to add a digital audio connection for each input device. Otherwise, it does what the 605 does minus a few codecs with a stronger amplifier and a significantly better processor. I had one once and I wish I still had it.

I have no personal experience with the Yamaha receivers but I read a lot of good things about them as well. Give up a few features and get a better receiver. You'll be glad you did.

Incidentally HDMI 1.3 gains you absolutely nothing today. It might in the future but even that is cloudy. Don't worry about it.

 

[jdrocs]

I agree that the Onkyo 605 provides a lot of features for the money. My own personal preference would be for a lot of performance for the money, however. My experience with the 605 has been nothing but negative. It has a poorly designed and poor performing digital processor and Onkyo won't own up to it. I would choose literally anything else in the price range. Now you have the minority opinion as well.

I like the Onkyo's feature set as well; but like the Yamaha's sound better. It just sounded like it filled up more space. Of course this was at two different stores as well.

My biggest concern is sound, then feature set. I have not purchased a pair of high end speakers since the 70's. They were DLK 1.5's. This was back when all my bud's wanted Boise speakers. So going against the grain is not something I concern myself with. But it also gives you an idea of how far behind the eight ball I am when it comes to today's AV world.

On a side note, I had really nice Sony receiver, dual cassette, turntable, amp,and pre-amp back then as well. Figured I could not go wrong with Sony, so I also bought one of the 1st Sony Beta's to come out to. Maybe Sony has just been cursed since they came out with the beta. I know this much, back in the 70's if you owned a Techniques or Sony anything, you had a decent setup. The major players in audio have changed a lot!

I am going to keep researching and listening till I find the receiver I can't live without for under $850.00.

 

[B3Nut]

The difference in sound was caused by the different room, and if the speakers were different that would be by far the biggest factor. With all processing disengaged and played at matched levels, receivers pretty much all sound the same provided you don't clip the amplifiers. The Yamaha RX-V661 and Pioneer VSX-1017K are IMHO worth looking into. The Yamaha even has a phono input if you still have a turntable.

DLK speakers....IIRC those were the house brand of Schaak Electronics...some of the guys over at Audiokarma have those, they're well-spoken-of. You definitely got better speakers than your friends who bought Bose.

 

[jdrocs]

The difference in sound was caused by the different room, and if the speakers were different that would be by far the biggest factor. With all processing disengaged and played at matched levels, receivers pretty much all sound the same provided you don't clip the amplifiers. The Yamaha RX-V661 and Pioneer VSX-1017K are IMHO worth looking into. The Yamaha even has a phono input if you still have a turntable.

DLK speakers....IIRC those were the house brand of Schaak Electronics...some of the guys over at Audiokarma have those, they're well-spoken-of. You definitely got better speakers than your friends who bought Bose.

Ex got the old stereo (phono) and DLK's to boot. I will take a look at those systems. Thanks for the info. I do miss those DLK's and they were legendary. Big simple looking bookshelf speakers that pretty much blew away any of the mainstream speakers of that time.

For front speaker sound, I would still to this day take them over Bose 901's...

 

[jliedeka]

I don't have a lot to add. I will say that Yamaha is a decent choice for a receiver. I have an older unit that I want to upgrade but that's more about connectivity and newer codecs. Otherwise, I'm happy with the sound.

I would think about how important features are. If you are thinking about getting a BD player, how important will support for newer audio codecs be? Most discs will probably have a basic DD or DTS track so you'll be able to get at least 5.1 with any receiver.

Jim

 

[jdrocs]

I don't have a lot to add. I will say that Yamaha is a decent choice for a receiver. I have an older unit that I want to upgrade but that's more about connectivity and newer codecs. Otherwise, I'm happy with the sound.

I would think about how important features are. If you are thinking about getting a BD player, how important will support for newer audio codecs be? Most discs will probably have a basic DD or DTS track so you'll be able to get at least 5.1 with any receiver.

Jim

Yamaha is at the top of my list. If I can find the 1800 for 850.00 (reputable authorized dealer) shipped, it will be a no brainer. The Marantz, Onkyo, and Denon systems in that range will be looked at also.

Thanks for the info. James

 

[jdrocs]

I do not see a lot of threads on this receiver. Is there something wrong with the Denon 1908?

I appreciate all input; both positive and negative.