New user in need of advice

[vita]

Hey everyone,
I'm pretty much in the dark with regard to home theatre. I've tried to read up in the forum for the past 2 days and decided to just join and ask my question. I recently bought an LG 55in 240Hz LED tv. It's my first HDTV (a big upgrade from the 32in sony low def tv I bought in 2002). I need to upgrade my home theatre as well. I've only used 2 "theatre-in-a-box"'s before, and was satisfied with the sound. I had planned to buy another that is HDMI capable, but stopped by a high end store near my house and was stunned with what's available. Basically I want to know if something like a Denon 5.1 375W DHT-590BA model (around $600 for everything) can even come close to the $800 receivers that they sell in the specialty store. I was told that they have basic receivers for $350ish, and that to get one that will HDMI upconvert, I have to spend $800. The Denon appears to upconvert and come with speakers for only $600. What am I losing out on with the Denon? Will I lose any picture quality by sending a bluray or HD cable through a cheaper receiver?

Thanks a lot,
vita

extra info: I have a 1080i cable box, an xbox 360 (using HD component cable), and will be obtaining a bluray player by xmas

 

[AVRat]

Welcome Vita. That's a nice size display and your HT experience will benefit from an audio upgrade. It would help to know the size of your space and if you're in an Apt. or House. At this point you should really start to work on building a better HT audio setup. Since you're somewhat satisfied with your current HTiB, I'd suggest using what you can from it and starting the upgrade with its weakest parts. It would help to know what it is, hopefully the speakers are 8 ohm.

Generally, the weakest part of any HTiB is the sub and a good one will increase your HT experience by a couple orders of magnitude. The Outlaw LFM-1 Plus is currently on sale and is an excellent performer but it's only good till 9/30. http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/lfm1plus.html

Depending on which HTiB you have the receiver may also need to be replaced based on the features available. At this point I'd recommend the Onkyo 607 for a little under $400 as a good option.

Then as money becomes available you can start replacing speakers.