Polk Audio Monitor 70 receiver suggestions?

[pheria]

Hello!

I'm very new to home theater audio setups. I just got my first place that isn't a dorm room not too long ago and have been steadily upgrading my HT in general.

I'd say the part I'm most lacking a good sense of direction in is that of AV receivers.

A little background:

Currently I'm using Logitech Z Cinema 2.1 PC speakers connected to the audio out on my TV . I decided to upgrade when I noticed an audio lag in music games. When using a AV switch with a 3.5mm connection instead of the audio out, the lag disappeared. So I decided it might be time to upgrade the audio department along with some better routing. I'm hoping a receiver won't have as much lag as going through my TV and then to my speakers. :x

Where I am now:

I've just ordered a pair of Polk Audio Monitor 70's and a PSW505 for a 2.1 setup and am seeking a receiver to complement it.

I've been looking at some midrange receivers, like the Onkyo-NR609 and the Pioneer VSX-1021-K. I need one with 3D support, and would really like something that does the speakers at least a little justice.

Do you think either of these would be a good fit for my setup, or do you have any other suggestions for around the same price range? ~$400. If so, I'd love to hear them! It's also fairly important to have a number of legacy connectors.

I'm a big gamer and frequently use retro systems. So I have about 2 component, 2 HDMI, and about 4-5 composite.

Thanks for any input!

-Pheria

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum, Pheria!

I think that either of those receivers would work just fine with those Polks. My current receiver is a Pioneer (as was the one before it). I really like their MCACC auto calibration system. Onkyo uses Audyssey, which is also popular. Looks like both have just enough inputs for you (two component and four composite, so maybe one short on the composite).

Newegg has been offering the 1021 for $300 every weekend for the past month or so, and they are again this weekend. The link here contains details for this weekend. I've also seen the 609 for $300 recently.

 

[pheria]

Thanks a lot!

Especially for the deal information. I was starting to wonder why Amazon's prices seemed to be beating Newegg's by so much, but the difference seems to have been hiding in the promo codes.

I do have a supplementary question about the Pioneer receiver, and perhaps about receiver behavior in general. I looked at the rear panel and the manual. It seems that there are certain selections for what I want to view / listen to, like "DVD" for example. But, different types of inputs (component, composite, HDMI) share the same label.

There's a DVD HDMI, component, and composite. I understand I can specify in the receiver which to use when I select "DVD", but doesn't that render the other "DVD" inputs useless? I get the impression that it's not possible to use all of the listed inputs?

Thanks again for the information. I don't know many people that are really into AV stuff, and it's been a bit challenging to find suggestions. I think my girlfriend will be happy I won't spend hours nightly researching this stuff anymore soon too. =]

 

[Adam]

Hey, glad that I could point you towards some deals!

Some of the inputs on the back are assignable, so you can use them for other input sources. The labels are the default values. I know for sure that the HDMI, digital audio (coax and optical), and component video inputs are assignable. You can see that in an image of the back panel of the Pioneer, and you can also download the users manual from the Pioneer website. I suspect that the composite video and analog audio inputs are not assignable. You can, however, rename inputs - that won't change how they look on the remote, or course , but it will display the name that you pick on the front panel.

 

[sholling]

Newegg has the Denon AVR-1712 on sale for $280 right now. I'd take that over the Pioneer or Onkyo because of Audyssey MultiEQ. Sale details with code.

Newegg.com - Denon AVR-1712 7.1-Channel AV Surround Receiver

 

[pheria]

Hey guys,

I know it's been a while but now all of the deliveries, holidays, a damaged grille returns are done I thought I'd provide an update of how it all turned out.

I think the Pioneer is a great receiver to use with these speakers. I can go comfortably loud, and the sound really fills the large living, dining, kitchen room area that all kind of melds together.

For anyone else with the same concern I had about the receiver, I can confirm that it is a valid one however. I wasn't really concerned about the names of the inputs, but rather if I could use them all at once. The composite and the component inputs share an audio input. Connect two devices to the component and composite both labeled "DVD", and there's only one spot for "DVD" on audio. Basically, any component device you connect must take the place of an available composite input of the same name. If you use two component inputs, you will have two less composites available to you.

While component inputs are assignable, you won't be able to assign it to something that also isn't already a composite input. So it's really unavoidable. The standalone audio inputs for CD and the like also can't be configured to be used with a component or composite input.

You can share an analog and a digital input on under the same labeling, though. If there's no HDMI signal, it'll check for analog (either component or composite). So at least there's that.

Again, thanks everyone for all of the advice. I'm happy with the setup, even if I still have to use a composite AV switch to access all my retro stuff.