question about audio receivers

[Jackstraw_1969]

Originally Posted by ColinM

I used to have a hard on for Sony ES. The little mouse remote was pretty cool. Then I waited and looked around and found Denon was more to my liking.

To each their own.

It's been a good unit for me......although I have to admit it's going on 10 years old, so I really should be in the market for an upgrade.....don't tell my wife tho!

[Jackstraw_1969]

Originally Posted by CATyler610

How about a turntable to go with that amp?
http://www.audiofederation.com/catalog/turntables/

I'll stick with my Technics 1200 thankyouverymuch......

[Tapeworm]

If you still believe a simple stereo amp is all you want, hit ebay, there are some real steals, if you know what you want.

[SIBLY]

I have an older (last series before 5.1 emerged) mid-level Yamaha. Mine switches video as well. But too old for componet input. Still sounds great and never had any problem. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

I am TV shopping, and it is a nightmare. So much out there. I am looking at DLP and LCD rear projections (42"-50"). The true flat screens are too much money. I have been looking at Sonys, Panasonics and Toshibas. I won't buy an RCA, Zenith, Smsunbg or a no-name.

Anyone with experience in this line of fun?

[ColinM]

Sony WEGA models are the shit. If you have the scratch, get an XBR model. My firend had a 20" WEGA flat tube and it was INCREDIBLE. Of course we had to be within 5 feet, but hey, good times, right?

TV shopping is tough because of the multiple choices. Just make sure you like the remote. My dad hates his, but can't exactly return it now 4 years later.

[RainDawg]

I highly recommend the Yamaha Natural Sound series of recievers. I bought one last year after trek through all of the "high end" audio stores in the delaware valley, and it has fantastic sound and a nice array of options for anything less that $1000. It's an A/V reciever which means it can decode DTS, Dolby Digital, and also act as a Composite/S-Vid/Coponent video gateway, a VERY nice feature if you've got a bunch of devices to control with it (I've got my PC, VCR, Nintendo, DVD Player, Turntable, and Antenna).

Stereo recievers are more for controlling non-video devices and usually do not have multi-channel capability. But if that's all you're using it for, there are certainly some very nice stereo units out there. But, for the multitude of purposes these things serve these days, I'd recommend an A/V unti that you can grow with instead of being limited by.

[CATyler610]

Originally Posted by SIBLY

I have an older (last series before 5.1 emerged) mid-level Yamaha. Mine switches video as well. But too old for componet input. Still sounds great and never had any problem. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.

I am TV shopping, and it is a nightmare. So much out there. I am looking at DLP and LCD rear projections (42"-50"). The true flat screens are too much money. I have been looking at Sonys, Panasonics and Toshibas. I won't buy an RCA, Zenith, Smsunbg or a no-name.

Anyone with experience in this line of fun?

I bought a 32" Toshiba flat screen about 18 months ago. I've been mostly pretty happy with it but the sound from the tv alone isn't rich enough, it has to run through a av system. It's a beast though, weighing in at about 150 pounds and 22" deep. I was a little bummed though because right after I bought it I got a nice work bonus that would have let me afford the 36" or a flat panel. I have a relatively small living room though so I can live with the 32".

For the record I decided on a Denon system yesterday and picked up an avr-1705 receiver and a dcm-380 cd player. A HUGE improvement over the lower tiered 8 year old jvc components that I was living with.

[RainDawg]

Good choice. Denon is absolutely a high quality unit, and it was a close choice between that and the Yamaha when I was buying. They are comparable units, and it really just comes down to the preference in sound at that point.

Congrats on your new home theater system!

[ColinM]

If your TV has component video capability, you're in good shape. Component DVD out to receiver, to monitor component out.

When you switch from component source to composite source on the remote (DVD to VCR) it will do it all for you. Of course, the unit can't do anything about the shitty picture of a VCR...

[CATyler610]

Originally Posted by RainDawg

Good choice. Denon is absolutely a high quality unit, and it was a close choice between that and the Yamaha when I was buying. They are comparable units, and it really just comes down to the preference in sound at that point.

Congrats on your new home theater system!

I looked pretty hard at the Yamahas it was really down to those two brands and I could have gone either way. I got a better deal on the Denon though.
Now that Phase II is complete I can focus on the triumvirate finale and start planning my surround sound speaker system. I'm running a pair of Klipsch SB-3 bookshelf speakers which sound great but now that I have all this power I need to listen to The Closing of Winterland in glorious surround sound.

[RainDawg]

BTW...I am going to move this to Technobabble...seems that it would get some more response there.

[katnapz]

Originally Posted by Scott

Dark Side of the Moon in SACD is an experience all to it's own.

Bah!...to me DSotM sounds much better sourced from the original quadraphonic source(s) to DTS...and why in the world they still haven't (re)released WYWH in surround is a mystery to me. If any album should be floating around your head it's definately that one.

Keeping on the thread subject though, I have a Yamaha receiver and am happy with it. I haven't looked at receivers for about two years now so I'm out of the loop, but one thing I'd make sure I could do is set the balance on each speaker with the remote "on the fly." Must be my hearing, or the way different things are mixed but I usually find myself either raising or lowering something while I'm listening. Either the voices are too soft in a movie compared to the special effects or the rear channels don't envelope me into the "experience" as much as I'd like.

[RainDawg]

Watch out...the Katz and the Dawgs are in the house now . to Yamaha!

[katnapz]

Originally Posted by RainDawg

Watch out...the Katz and the Dawgs are in the house now . to Yamaha!

I never thought of that connection before!

Hope we never end up fighting like Katz and Dawgs...

[dmb2much]

Originally Posted by RainDawg

I highly recommend the Yamaha Natural Sound series of recievers.

Another Yamaha fan here!

RX-V890
RX-V995
RX-V1300 (Current.... Love it! Just wish it had OSD while using the Component out... Can't see the goddamn speaker levels on the small display, from my listening throne)