Popular budget receivers?

M

Monkeypillow

Gawd
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
880
The last time I was in the market for a receiver, Onkyo's 605 was the popular budget choice. I want something with similar processing capabilities but with more HDMI inputs and (if it can be had for around the same price) better audio quality.

Cool-running is also a plus, as the 605 runs hot.
 
Interesting thread, I'm actually looking for something to run in-line from my X-fi to my headphones, I have powered speakers that I rarely use, but would like more power and external volume to my headphones while not losing what processing my X-Fi provides....I've considered the Auzen Forte...but dunno if it's really worth the price...a couple of guys recommended getting either a dedicated (and rather, stupidly expensive) dedicated headphone amp or a stereo reciever. I'll look into those. Cheers.

Addition: I do know my father's Onkyo reciever kicks ass for headphone amplification compared to my x-fi, but that thing is outta my price range lol.
 
I forgot to mention that this will also be used to drive headphones, so I'd like it to be good for that as well.
 
Well both the pioneer 1019 and onkyo 607 are around $400...which is rediculous for my needs, but I could see if you take advantage of their processing and output cababilites being very useful. From what i've heard many recievers have decent headphone outputs, but tbh, I am still researching this myself.
 
Do "budget" and "HDMI capable" apply to the same receiver?
 
Monkeypillow said:
The last time I was in the market for a receiver, Onkyo's 605 was the popular budget choice. I want something with similar processing capabilities but with more HDMI inputs and (if it can be had for around the same price) better audio quality.

Cool-running is also a plus, as the 605 runs hot.
Click to expand...
Consider the Denon AVR-1909 ($395.00+ Free Shipping).
That is pretty much a replica of an Onkyo TX-SR606, but runs a lot cooler. People claim the remote control in the Denon is horrible, but I don't know what's your tolerance level. Also, Denon is known to not be user friendly, specially writing the worst manuals in history, but who cares, you can figure it out. Is a pretty good receiver with plenty of connectors and features, so give it a try.

NOTE: I have never used that vendor myself, but they do have a good rating according to Google Shopping.

H-Money said:
maybe the pioneer 1019 or onkyo 607
Click to expand...
I don't know about the Pioneer, but Onkyos run very hot, and he doesn't want that. But if he is willing to waste 10 minutes, he can mod it and add fans inside. I did this with mine, and you won't believe how much cooler it runs. PICS HERE. However, the 607 is a waste, unless he needs 7.2 instead of 7.1. And even then, there are cheaper methods to achieve 7.2.
I think the 606 is more bang for your buck. If he is willing to mod it just like mine, the 606 might be a better deal than the Denon. But God do I love the display on the Denon, it just says: "buy me, I look badass!". Aside from the screen, the other physical difference between the two is the material. Onkyo uses metal for the entire body, while Denon uses metal only for the case, and plastic for the front cover.

If interested, check it here: Onkyo TX-SR606 ($319.99 + Shipping).
And yes, this vendor I do trust, I've done business with them before. I got my own 606 from them. They sell Factory Reconditioned items, so they are identical to a new unit. They do warn you that some parts might be missing, but I was missing absolutely nothing from mine, everything was still in the original sealed wrapping.

Kursah said:
Interesting thread, I'm actually looking for something to run in-line from my X-fi to my headphones, I have powered speakers that I rarely use, but would like more power and external volume to my headphones while not losing what processing my X-Fi provides....I've considered the Auzen Forte...but dunno if it's really worth the price...a couple of guys recommended getting either a dedicated (and rather, stupidly expensive) dedicated headphone amp or a stereo reciever. I'll look into those. Cheers....
Click to expand...
Creative is not known to put the best DAC in their soundcards, so here is my suggestion:
If you have one of the recent X-Fi models with optical out, I recommend you use that, and hook it to a receiver. That way you can connect your headphones to the headphone amp in the receiver, and maybe plug those speakers you use rarely too. Heck, you can even connect your TV too if you have any, and control it all conveniently from a single device.

But if headphones is the only device you will ever use, the Auzentech Forte is probably the best deal.
 
I'm not really interested in modifying it. I don't necessarily need it to run cool, but it would be nice.
 
Odin75 said:
Creative is not known to put the best DAC in their soundcards, so here is my suggestion:
If you have one of the recent X-Fi models with optical out, I recommend you use that, and hook it to a receiver. That way you can connect your headphones to the headphone amp in the receiver, and maybe plug those speakers you use rarely too. Heck, you can even connect your TV too if you have any, and control it all conveniently from a single device.

But if headphones is the only device you will ever use, the Auzentech Forte is probably the best deal.
Click to expand...

My X-Fi sounds good, but it's an oooooold model. It's sans X-Ram (who cares) Creative X-Fi Xtreme Music PCI card. It's been a gem since the day I installed it tbh, had less issues than higher-end x-fi's so I stuck with it. I'd get a reciever, but damn...prices are just-as-bad if not waaay worse than the forte for not much more good it sems. I' listen to music (mostly rock, think metallica, disturbed, zombie, celldweller, nin, etc) and play lots o' games. So odds are I'll go the auzen route, give the fiance my old x-fi which'll be an upgrade from her onboard on her GB P35-DS3L and we'll both be happy. I just wish that the Auzen was a tad cheaper tbh. Thanks for the suggestions!
 
DeViLdUdE said:
Marantz 4002 ($299 refurb/$350) new (http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...r-80w-x-7ch-HDMI-home-theater-surround/1.html) I have one and just the weight of it you could tell quality..
Click to expand...

That thing looks [H]awt. Dolby headphone could be useful, and you don't see many receivers with that. Since they bothered to put Dolby headphone on it, it's probably pretty good at driving headphones. Is that a reputable dealer?

Is the fact that it doesn't support DTS master and Dolby TrueHD that big of a deal?


Would I be better off with the pioneer mentioned earlier?
 
I would definitely throw a vote in for Marantz. Their amp section is ALWAYS good. And usually their DAC is at least decent if not good.
 
Alai said:
I would definitely throw a vote in for Marantz. Their amp section is ALWAYS good. And usually their DAC is at least decent if not good.
Click to expand...

Then that's what i'll most likely be getting.

Paired with a couple pairs of headphones, a pair of ELT525s and a yet to be determined subwoofer, it should make for a good college setup.
 
Monkeypillow said:
...Since they bothered to put Dolby headphone on it, it's probably pretty good at driving headphones....
Click to expand...
I don't know, but I don't expect it to be much different than any other receiver in its price range. Just have in mind that having Dolby Headphone doesn't mean anything. Pretty much all Asus and HT-Omega soundcards support it, yet only like 2 models actually have headphone amps. It's just simple software.

Are you going to be connecting this receiver to a computer for any chance?
Because if you are, I think CMSS-3D does a better job, at least for games. I'm just saying this, because I can't picture you watching a movie with headphones. Games is understandable tho'.

Monkeypillow said:
Is that a reputable dealer?
Click to expand...
Accessories4Less ?
Yes, they are trustworthy. I have purchased from them before, and I had no problems. Head over to the AVS forums, and you will find more people with the same positive response.

Monkeypillow said:
Is the fact that it doesn't support DTS master and Dolby TrueHD that big of a deal?
Click to expand...
Well, aside from that, the Onkyo and Denon I suggested are 90watts, instead of 80watts. Also, they both support Audyssey. Plus, I'm not sure the Marantz upscales video, but the Onkyo upscales to 1080i, and the Denon to 1080p. And if you are interested, they also support Zone2.

But hey, it's your call.

Monkeypillow said:
Would I be better off with the pioneer mentioned earlier?
Click to expand...
He never said anything about the Pioneer, nor have I ever used it, so I honestly can't speak for it.
 
Odin75:

Denon can sometimes have overstated watts. Onkyo are generally solid with their stated watts. However, Marantz and Harmon Kardon OFTEN have UNDERSTATED watts.

You have good points about Zone 2 and video upscaling (not sure what the Marantz is capable of) though.

MonkeyPillow:

That sounds like an amazing setup for college. I wish I had it.
 
Dolby headphone would be good if I wanted to use headphones with an xbox or something. Primary use will be PC, but I will watch some TV. What receiver would you recommend?

So how would you go about connecting everything for games? Soundcard with cmss 3d connected directly to headphones? Can you apply cmss 3d then output the digital signal to the reciever to power headphones or speakers?

Someone mentioned a Pioneer 1019.
 
My onkyo 605 has zone 2 capabilities, but i've never used them. Mainly because it doesn't support digital inputs for the second zone.
 
Monkeypillow said:
...Paired with a couple pairs of headphones, a pair of ELT525s and a yet to be determined subwoofer, it should make for a good college setup.
Click to expand...
Monkeypillow said:
Dolby headphone would be good if I wanted to use headphones with an xbox or something. Primary use will be PC, but I will watch some TV. What receiver would you recommend?
Click to expand...
Ok you see, now this changes everything. I really tho' this was for the real deal. Is such a simple setup, that you might not need all the extra features the more expensive receivers have. Heck, you might even be better of from a 5.1 receiver, instead of a 7.1.
The only good thing the new receivers have is video upscaling, which is very important. But we need to know the resolution of your TV. If it is 480p, you don't need it, because the Xbox outputs at that resolution, and that's pretty much the resolution of SD channels. If it is 720p, 1080i or 1080p, then you will need it. SD channels look bad enough already in LCD screens, you don't want to make it worse by not upscaling the image.

But yeah, now the Marantz looks like a better deal for your needs as far as audio goes. I'm still unsure if it scales video, but ask DeViLdUdE since he has one.

Monkeypillow said:
So how would you go about connecting everything for games? Soundcard with cmss 3d connected directly to headphones? Can you apply cmss 3d then output the digital signal to the reciever to power headphones or speakers?
Click to expand...
You can do it both ways, either analog or digital. But, since you are going to be running 2.0 and 2.1, then digital is the best method. Send 2.0 PCM to the receiver using an Optical cable, it will already have the CMSS-3D and EAX effects from the soundcard (If it's an X-Fi), and then the receiver will be in charged of adding the bass.
However, for the Xbox, a receiver with Dolby Headphone will be the method of doing it, since that's outside the soundcards reach. As for regular TV, don't add any processing, because it will sound bad if you do.
 
When you say that the marantz looks better for my audio needs, do you mean that it has superior audio to the other receivers mentioned, or that it supportsmy needs without costing as much as the others?

I will be moving to 5.1 at some point. The television is 1080p. I'd rather spend the extra few hundred dollars to get something with proper video scaling capabilities. DTS master and Dolby TrueHD are nice as well, but not required as long as it can handle muli-channel PCM. I don't want to cheap out on something and end up having to upgrde later on. Ideally, this will last me at least 5 years or so before I upgrade.
When I do make the move to 5.1, will digital not be the best method?
 
Last edited:
Monkeypillow said:
When you say that the marantz looks better for my audio needs, do you mean that it has superior audio to the other receivers mentioned, or that it supportsmy needs without costing as much as the others?
Click to expand...
The second one.
I honestly don't believe any of those receivers suggested will sound considerably better than the other, they are all great brands. So at that point you have to focus on features instead.
There is no point in getting a 7.1 receiver if you were only going to use 2.1, unless it was at a really good price. But now that you say you will upgrade to 5.1, it makes it easier to recommend. Also, I can't tell if a company is LYING about their specs, I just said that the Onkyo and Denon were rated at 90watts, while the Marantz was 80watts, all measured at the same 8ohms.

As for features, there's TrueHD, Video Upscaling, Zone2, Audyssey, and Bi-Amping.
Lets skip TrueHD and Video Upscaling for now. Zone2 is fine for a home with different rooms, when one room can listen to different music, but definitely not useful for a small dorm room. As for Bi-Amping, I'm only sure the Onkyo supports it, not sure about the others. This is for when you upgrade to 5.1, you can perhaps move your current speakers to the back, and get higher end speakers as fronts with Bi-amp. That basically just gives more power to the main speakers, transferring it from the unused 2 channels in the 7.1 receiver.
Now there's Audyssey, which is a very tricky technology. I does a good job at measuring your room, setting speaker distance, and figuring a good Crossover. The tricky part is their Dynamic EQ. For some reason I was never able to get it perfect for all my speakers, the center channel was problematic, but then again I have a horrible room. The room is completely square, which is BAD for 5.1+ setups, but also very small for all the stuff I have. However, when it works it sounds fantastic, shame I had to turn it off because it gave my center channel problems. In part I don't blame the technology, but my room itself.

Monkeypillow said:
I will be moving to 5.1 at some point. The television is 1080p. I'd rather spend the extra few hundred dollars to get something with proper video scaling capabilities. DTS master and Dolby TrueHD are nice as well, but not required as long as it can handle muli-channel PCM. I don't want to cheap out on something and end up having to upgrde later on. Ideally, this will last me at least 5 years or so before I upgrade.
Click to expand...
Before you decide if LPCM is fine, have you considered if the devices you use supports it?
I know players like the PS3 support it, but do you know if YOUR blu-ray player does? I'm just saying, because you want to be sure, and not find out that it defaults to DD when it detects your receiver doesn't support TrueHD.
And if you plan to use the computer to get LPCM, you do know that the Asus HDAV1.3 is pretty much the only soundcard that supports it right now. The rest are either going to convert it into DD with DDL, or just give you plain 2.0 PCM.

But remember, this is not whether you will hear the difference or not. It's about you understanding, and been aware of how it works.

As for Video Upscaling, that is necessary specially if you have a 1080p HDTV. You don't have to worry about your PC, it already upscales. Neither will you worry about the blu-ray player, they output at 1080p, so it's irrelevant if it upscales, you already have your PC for regular DVDs.
The problem will be your Xbox, I believe it outputs 480p. That pretty much leaves the Denon 1909 as the receiver of choice, since is the only one with 1080p upscaling from the ones mentioned. The Onkyo upscales to 1080i, but all "i" resolutions look horrible when reading moving text. And about the Marantz, I'm not sure it even upscales at all, I read their website with no luck.

Monkeypillow said:
When I do make the move to 5.1, will digital not be the best method?
Click to expand...

There are different methods to go about this. You either get a more expensive receiver with a good DAC, and go digital. OR, you can cheap out on the receiver and get an expensive soundcard and go analog. The latter can turn out to be cheaper, but there are more complications. Either option, you have to consider the devices you will be using, and the connections available to them.

Your computer will be fine either way, as long as you get a good soundcard. Now, what about your other devices? You can probably connect your Xbox to the receiver or soundcard via optical, and then decide to go digital or analog from there depensing on the best component. However, if you decide to get a Xbox 360, or a PS3, that turns into a bad idea.

Similar situation applies to your TV. When you use the regular tuner built-in to watch tv, does it have any audio outputs other than analog. If it has digital, you can decide where to connect it, and which DAC to use. But if analog is all it has, you are better of connecting to a receiver directly.
But what if you have a cable provider? Is it an analog coaxial cable, or do they give you a box? If it's coaxial, just use the receiver. If they give you a box, you can pick, as long as there is an option for optical. But if it's so advanced that it gives you HDMI, then again turns into a bad idea, and is better to use the receiver.

As you can see, there is a million ways to go about it. But if plain convenience is what you seek, and a very cheap solution, just stick to a receiver to connect everything. It will make your life easier. So far I would recommend the Denon 1909, because of all the features, and 1080p upscaling. But try to look for the cheaper 5.1 versions with equal features. Just know that there is no right or wrong way to do it, just how much does you pocket can afford.
 
I'll toss in a vote for the Denon 1909 (also known as 789). I have one and it is great for a not so expensive receiver. Also look for 1910, not sure how the price on that one is, but its the newer model.
 
If you could spend a mere $50 more, you can step up to Marantz's Big Boys reciever. :D

If i could, right now, sell my H/K AVR-347 and buy a 7001, i would, as I trust Marantz's build quality more then Harman's.

The only thing i dont know about it 100% is if it accepts multi-PCM from a blu-ray. Im quite sure it does, but it states nowhere that it will.
 
DragonDude said:
If you could spend a mere $50 more, you can step up to Marantz's Big Boys reciever. :D

If i could, right now, sell my H/K AVR-347 and buy a 7001, i would, as I trust Marantz's build quality more then Harman's.

The only thing i dont know about it 100% is if it accepts multi-PCM from a blu-ray. Im quite sure it does, but it states nowhere that it will.
Click to expand...
Yesterday, I sold my Denon AVR-988 and ordered a Marantz SR7001. It should be here by the 14th. :D
 
Mr. Wolf said:
Yesterday, I sold my Denon AVR-988 and ordered a Marantz SR7001. It should be here by the 14th. :D
Click to expand...

Let me know how it goes. Thanks to your favorable experiences with Dell, I'm currently enjoying my new 3007WFP-HC.

Couldn't find it on that site -- what benefits does the 7001 have over the 6001?
 
Last edited:
Monkeypillow said:
Let me know how it goes. Thanks to your favorable experiences with Dell, I'm currently enjoying my new 3007WFP-HC.

Couldn't find it on that site -- what benefits does the 7001 have over the 6001?
Click to expand...

Will do! I don't think there are huge differences between them. The one that most interested me was the 7001 has a better DAC. What I didn't notice was that they have a refurb 6001 for just $349! I only saw that a new 6001 had the same price as a refurb 7001. I'll just keep telling myself the 7001's better DAC was very well worth the extra $150. :p

If you order a Marantz, be sure to use the discount code FREESHIP to get free FedEx ground shipping.
 
Monkeypillow said:
The last time I was in the market for a receiver, Onkyo's 605 was the popular budget choice. I want something with similar processing capabilities but with more HDMI inputs and (if it can be had for around the same price) better audio quality.

Cool-running is also a plus, as the 605 runs hot.
Click to expand...

Denon - 789

Good bang for buck. No heat issues.
 
All AVR's run hot, at least the decent ones do.

The best deal I feel you can get is the HK AVR 247 & 254 refurbished from HK, they also give you a 2 year warranty. HK has an Ebay store.

I picked up my 247 for $200 and the 254 for $230. There is no better deal for that price.
 
Get off this forum and join a real AV forum to ask this question. You wouldn't go to a cooking forum for a car question would you?

http://www.avsforum.com/

My vote for recent past price to performance was for an Onkyo --- the SR-605 was a good receiver to be sure. Likewise the SR-805 (my receiver). My receiver previous to the SR-805 was a flagship Denon AVR-5700. The SR-805 is very comparable soundwise (It is nearly 10 years newer). The SR-606 and 806 actually were slightly lesser models in specs as compared to their previous model. I've not read up on the SR-607 and 807 --- so can't advise there. The Onkyo' do run warmer --- but they are well within engineering specs. I don't put Pioneer or Yamaha within the same class as Denon or Onkyo. I'd prefrer HK or Marantz over a Pioneer or Yamaha, but still recommend Denon and Onkyo. Also what the heck was the poster talking about with crappy Denon manuals? My AVR-5700 manual was superb. The Denon remotes usually receive low marks, but to me a remote isn't a deal breaker...you just get used to what it has and go on with life.
 
I liked my Denon AVR-988 until I heard a Marantz SR7001 recently. I thought the 7001 was much better for music and equal, if not better, for movies. The Denon has a few more features, many that I never used, and better video processing. I always directly connect my video source to the monitor so a receiver's video capabilities are never a factor for me. For pure sound and build quality, I've not found a better receiver under $1000 than Marantz.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top