Which receiver...

[Unregistered]

Limited budget.....try and keep it under $300.

I guess I've narrowed my search to 3 receivers:

Yamaha RX-V550
Pioneer VSX-D914-K
Onkyo TX-SR502

I'm leaning towards the Pioneer because of the auto setup. This will be my 1st HT setup so this sounds good.

All 3 receivers have close reviews from cnet http://reviews.cnet.com/4502-6466_7-0.html?tag=pick&orderby=-7eRating&qt=&100021id=7784118&1000036id=&500792id=&501414id=&500815id=

Are there some other recievers I should consider in this price range? Is the auto calibration something I don't need(Is it easy to sep up the speakers manually

jeff - newbie

 

[gregz]

Hi Jeff,

I guess nobody's has the familiarity with those three receivers to give you a comprehensive answer, but from my own research those three brands plus Denon and Kenwood should be more or less equivalent in quality and power within a given price range.

The biggest differences will be in feature set, user interface, and aesthetic design - which you'll have to make the call.

BTW, $300 is a good starting price for a nice solid receiver. The only feature I recommend (that most if not all should have) is pre-amp out for at least the two main speakers for later expansion if you want to add an amp.

Happy hunting!