older 7.1 AVR recommendations

[Tailspin70]

My current Yamaha receiver does not have HDMI inputs so I use optical connections and thus have to downmix to DD 5.1 (AC3) audio. I am not ready to invest in an Atmos/X setup so I am looking to buy a cheap 7 channel ~100W receiver with HDMI connections that would allow me to play lossless tracks like DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD. There are likely folks upgrading and selling their old receivers and I would like to know what brands/product lines were the fan favorites in the last 5 years to know what to look out for.

 

[lovinthehd]

I'd stick to the major brands, Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, Sony, Onkyo, Pioneer generally. Too many models to list depending what feature set you want. Maybe post up something you're interested in for comments....but most gear is still available online for review of features/manuals etc....

 

[Eppie]

I'm still running a Denon AVR-2310ci (not for sale ) that would check those boxes. It just lacks 4k support. 105W into 7 channels or you can run 5.1 and connect 2 channels to a second zone. It has upscaling to 1080p and great connectivity for older gear (I still have a PS2, Wii and VCR that I use on occasion) in addition to 5 HDMI ports and optical in. Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD support. It has Audessey acoustic room correction with dynamic volume, line outs and LFE sub out. Pretty full featured when I got it and and I'm still happy. I'll likely keep it until the Panasonic 1080p plasma dies and I need to upgrade to 4k or 8k or whatever the next standard is.

 

[Tailspin70]

I guess I can get more specific for advice. I'm seeing Denon 1910,1911, 2310 and Yamaha v567, v765, v673 in my price range. Any model I should avoid?

 

[lovinthehd]

I guess I can get more specific for advice. I'm seeing Denon 1910,1911, 2310 and Yamaha v567, v765, v673 in my price range. Any model I should avoid?

Don't know of any issues other than perhaps poor care with previous owner (like lack of ventilation e.g.)

 

[Tailspin70]

Looking at the reviews and comments, it looks like the only issue with the yamahas is the hdmi board can fail rendering the unit useless. My current receiver is yamaha as well so it may be an easier switch to go with a 765 or 673/675 since I already know how to setup all the DSP modes.

 

[lovinthehd]

I doubt board failures with Yamahas generally (or even in single instances) arre meaningful in the greater picture as Yamaha generally has very good reliability ratings....older Onkyo/Integras had issues with hdmi/network boards particularly. Some others, my Pioneer failed from such. Yamaha tends to be safe but perhaps not as good REQ type implementation....