Onkyo, Pioneer, Sony, other?

[BobGall]

I'm a newbie here looking for recommendations.
I need to replace my reciever. My budget is about $500. I've looked at Pioneer (1015TX), Onkyo (SR602), and Sony (DE998).
Ease of operation and remote is a big issue in my house, I can't the only one who can operate it.
Comments appreciated.
Bob

 

[avliner]

Hi,

I'd suggest you to avoid the Sony.
As for the others, 2 good options, indeed.
Try to perform an A/B test for sounding purposes and also consider what your needs are, in terms of additional gears to be connected in the receiver.

As far as user comments goes, the Pioneer seems to be the best bet.
Good luck in your research.

Cheers /Avliner.

 

[jcPanny]

Yamaha option

I would add the Yamaha RX-V1500 to your list. They have a new model out so the price has been reduced to $500 at many authorized dealers. Read the audioholics review of the RX-V2500 model which is the same weight and has a couple more features.

 

[WndrBr3d]

If I were you, I'd kick back your receiver cost $100 and use that towards buying a Harmony Remote. This would make your remote option a complete success with your family.

Then you could go with a decent mid-range Harman Kardon AVR335 ($434 @ OneCall) which could power your Home Theater.

This way you'd have it all, decent AVR and VERY easy to use remote.

 

[malvado78]

That Onkyo can be had for $229.00 on UBid and is a great buy at that price.

 

[Brandst]

I just recently replaced my Sony 995 with a Marantz 7500, and the differences are astonishing. Most of the Sonys will sound overly processed and a bit more artificial than a good low to mid range unit from HK or Onkyo. Without changing anything but the receiver in my system the imaging improved significantly, especially outside the sweet spot. So, skip the Sony and get a better quality AVR, it may not have the features and may seem like your getting less, but trust us, your getting alot more of what counts.

Steve

 

[BobGall]

Lack of Lip Sync a Big Deal?

Thanks to all who offered advice.
The Pioneer 1015 doesn't have lip sync delay. Is this a big problem?
Bob

 

[scorrpio]

I'd say that ability to sync sound to video is a must. Now, lips moving a bit out of sync with speech is not that big of a deal, but when you are watching an action movie, and explosions don't sync with BOOMs, that is annoying. And if you use your HT to play games (especially online deathmatching), sound-to-video sync is especially important.