A/V Receiver Suggestions

[Slick]

So long story short some family members of mine did a tear down on an old theater and were allowed to take some of the super bad-ass old school speakers 

 

Anyways I was able to get my hands on some of them and I think it's time to get a receiver

 

Features I'm looking for

MHL

Wifi

Bluetooth

Android App

Smart Phone interaction support

ability to grab music off a NAS(I'm expecting any networked receiver can do this)

Anything else that is cool on a receiver?

 

I don't know all that much about receivers and I'm looking for some suggestions to narrow down my search so I can get to researching!

[X1XNobleX1X]

 

Depends what your budget is. 

[ZetZet]

Look at amazon? 

Best seller 

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR626-7-2-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B00BLGUKDE/ref=lp_14269301_1_2?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1419765208&sr=1-2

Best rating

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-V675-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B00B981F1U/ref=lp_14269301_1_1?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1419765326&sr=1-1

 

More options

http://www.amazon.com/Home-Theater-Component-Receivers-Amplifiers/b/ref=dp_brw_link?ie=UTF8&node=14269301

[Slick]

Depends what your budget is. 

 

Ignore that TBH - I want to learn in general, I also don't need it now... So if the best idea is to save up I can do that

[Geekazoid]

Linus (@LinusTech) is the all knowledgable tech enthusiasts, surely he could've helped ya (not that we mind helping Linus' significant other )?

@Slick

[X1XNobleX1X]

Ignore that TBH - I want to learn in general, I also don't need it now... So if the best idea is to save up I can do that

Your best bet would be to either go for Denon or Marantz, as they're the best sounding receivers.  

For Denon the X2000 or the X3000. 

For Marantz SR5008. 

 

The receivers suggested don't have the MHL HDMI, not sure how important it is to you. 

 

The Onkyo TX-NR828, would be my third pick in brand, this receiver does have MHL HDMI port, which is located on the front. 

[Slick]

Your best bet would be to either go for Denon or Marantz, as they're the best sounding receivers.  

For Denon the X2000 or the X3000. 

For Marantz SR5008. 

 

The receivers suggested don't have the MHL HDMI, not sure how important it is to you. 

 

The Onkyo TX-NR828, would be my third pick in brand, this receiver does have MHL HDMI port, which is located on the front. 

Not a HUGE deal as I have a chromecast - thanks for the suggestions

[Slick]

Look at amazon? 

Best seller 

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-NR626-7-2-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B00BLGUKDE/ref=lp_14269301_1_2?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1419765208&sr=1-2

Best rating

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-V675-Channel-Network-Receiver/dp/B00B981F1U/ref=lp_14269301_1_1?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1419765326&sr=1-1

 

More options

http://www.amazon.com/Home-Theater-Component-Receivers-Amplifiers/b/ref=dp_brw_link?ie=UTF8&node=14269301

Yes, I've been looking at those

[Makeishura/Taurus Silver]

Would this help? http://www.cnet.com/au/topics/av-receivers/best-av-receivers/

[.spider.]

Denon because of Audyssey room correction.

Even the cheapest Denon supports MultEQ XT which is really nice to have.

[Napper198]

It's also worth noting that there are a lot of different types of Amplifiers. The two worth mentioning are analog and digital.

 

Analog have smoother sound and are overall nicer to listen to, but they're not very power efficient and cheaper ones can lack power especially when you hit them with a lot of speakers (5 or even 7). Not a big concern if you don't want to watch movies a theater sound level. Analog is used by every manufacturer low end to high end.

 

Digital amps are relatively new to the market and are basically the opposite of analog ones. Great power efficiency, a lot of power to drive your speakers, but also a little rougher in sound, though nothing you might actually hear. AFAIK only the Pioneer SC-series uses digital amps.

 

Edit: speaking of power efficiency, beefier Amp have fans which ca be annoying at times. My personal Pioneer SC-2023 has a fan, but it is in terms of noise about level with my BeQuiet! Dark Rock 3 at 100% (without the high pitch whine of 2000 RPM) so it doesn't bother me much.

 

 

As @.spider. pointed out get something that has a automatic calibration. Audyssey MultiEQ XT or MCACC do a decent job of tuning your speakers to your room. those features are often looked upon by home theater enthusiast, but it is way cheaper than to get an audio technician every time you move something in your room or change your setup.

 

 

Dolby also just released Dolby Atmos which should improve height information in surround sound. If your shedding a lot of money on an AVR make sure it has that feature or can be upgraded later via firmware. Onkyo and Yamaha are big into that right now, but the other ones will probably follow soon.

 

A good thing to have is a programmable remote. If done right you'll only need one remote for all your home theater needs (TV, BD, DVD, AVR, you name it). This usually involves a lot of setup, a bit of learning curve and sometimes even buying a specific brand (PS3 remote works with all TVs but only with Sony AVRs) but can be totally worth it. There are the Logitech Harmony Remotes, but I always find them to be limited by software (I haven't tested the ultimate remote yet), because you just can't program custom macros.

 

Brands of AVR makers:

Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer, Marantz, Sony, Yamaha, Harman Kardon.

Edited January 1, 2015 by Napper198

[Kherm]

If you don't mind spending a bit more the Yamaha Aventage Receivers will do everything you throw at them, and more

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/aventage/rx-a740_black_u/?mode=model

 

Or, if that is too expensive, you can try a different Yamaha receiver

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/rx/rx-v477_black_u/?mode=model

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/av-receivers-amps/htr/htr-4066/?mode=model#tab=product_lineup

[.spider.]

I don't like Yamaha's Cinema DSP, I consider it as useless.

Why would you want your Audio with extra reverb effects?

[genkifd]

It's also worth noting that there are a lot of different types of Amplifiers. The two worth mentioning are analog and digital.

 

Analog have smoother sound and are overall nicer to listen to, but they're not very power efficient and cheaper ones can lack power especially when you hit them with a lot of speakers (5 or even 7). Not a big concern if you don't want to watch movies a theater sound level. Analog is used by every manufacturer low end to high end.

 

Digital amps are relatively new to the market and are basically the opposite of analog ones. Great power efficiency, a lot of power to drive your speakers, but also a little rougher in sound, though nothing you might actually hear. AFAIK only the Pioneer SC-series uses digital amps.

 

Edit: speaking of power efficiency, beefier Amp have fans which ca be annoying at times. My personal Pioneer SC-2023 has a fan, but it is in terms of noise about level with my BeQuiet! Dark Rock 3 at 100% (without the high pitch whine of 2000 RPM) so it doesn't bother me much.

 

 

As @.spider. pointed out get something that has a automatic calibration. Audyssey MultiEQ XT, Cinema DSP or MCACC do a decent job of tuning your speakers to your room. those features are often looked upon by home theater enthusiast, but it is way cheaper than to get an audio technician every time you move something in your room or change your setup.

 

 

Dolby also just released Dolby Atmos which should improve height information in surround sound. If your shedding a lot of money on an AVR make sure it has that feature or can be upgraded later via firmware. Onkyo and Yamaha are big into that right now, but the other ones will probably follow soon.

 

A good thing to have is a programmable remote. If done right you'll only need one remote for all your home theater needs (TV, BD, DVD, AVR, you name it). This usually involves a lot of setup, a bit of learning curve and sometimes even buying a specific brand (PS3 remote works with all TVs but only with Sony AVRs) but can be totally worth it. There are the Logitech Harmony Remotes, but I always find them to be limited by software (I haven't tested the ultimate remote yet), because you just can't program custom macros.

 

Brands of AVR makers:

Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer, Marantz, Sony, Yamaha, Harman Kardon.

 

Various comments are not quiet correct as there is no digital amplifiers. every amplifier is analogue. Pioneer uses Class D amps which does not mean they a digital.

[Napper198]

Various comments are not quiet correct as there is no digital amplifiers. every amplifier is analogue. Pioneer uses Class D amps which does not mean they a digital.

I was using simpler terms, but my statement still holds true. When you compare class D amps with more traditional class A, AB, B or C amps you'll understand, what I meant.

 

I don't like Yamaha's Cinema DSP, I consider it as useless.

Why would you want your Audio with extra reverb effects?

 

I have no idea about Yamaha AVRs and was just doing a quick search and thought that was their calibration system, but if it's in reality just a crappy DSP I apologize and correct my post.

[genkifd]

I was using simpler terms, but my statement still holds true. When you compare class D amps with more traditional class A, AB, B or C amps you'll understand, what I meant.

 

you are still incorrect as Class D amps are not digital. The Classes of amps is normally determined by the method of power usage and delivery so nothing got to do with digital.

 

Theoretically, Class A "the least power efficient" is the best sounding then Class A/B.   

[Stagea]

So long story short some family members of mine did a tear down on an old theater and were allowed to take some of the super bad-ass old school speakers 

 

Anyways I was able to get my hands on some of them and I think it's time to get a receiver

 

Features I'm looking for

MHL

Wifi

Bluetooth

Android App

Smart Phone interaction support

ability to grab music off a NAS(I'm expecting any networked receiver can do this)

Anything else that is cool on a receiver?

 

I don't know all that much about receivers and I'm looking for some suggestions to narrow down my search so I can get to researching!

 

Hey Luke, 

 

Welcome to the fun world of building a home system.  With the stiff competition in the marketplace, it is quite difficult to make a "wrong" decision as long as you stick with the major brands. You can get a better experience if you watch the details closely, however.

 

First, check that your intended bitstreams are supported for decode (chances are, they would be). Most receivers are sold by posting this support, so most makers don't leave this out. The fun parts follow.

 

What speakers would those happen to be, and how big would the room be? Are you looking at playing at reference level or just a comfortable listening level (10db or so below reference)? This would help you decide on how powerful the receiver you'd need. As you already know, power ratings on receivers are deceiving -- one can be a distorted max on a single channel at a certain frequency, whilst another can be done with barely any distortion with a full range signal and with all the channels driven. The performance can also vary significantly between workloads in some devices, whilst others can perform consistently no matter what is introduced. An adequate amp section on the receiver is the first thing to look for (adequate is different for every use because of individual needs). 

 

How is your room like? What's the shape? Do you have lots of soft surfaces, or is it mostly made up of reflective surfaces? A powerful room EQ feature in the receiver can go a long way in terms of compensating for speaker response and room interaction. Most receivers have some form of Auto EQ, but they are not made equally. Some rooms need it more than others (particularly in the lower frequencies), but it is never bad to have. I love tuning systems manually (both by ear and with the help of a powerful RTA) as it tailors the sound to my preference, but most people are okay with auto-calibration. 

 

As for the channel count, most people are fine with 5.1. Long rooms with lots of space behind the listening area may get some benefit from 7.1. Height information (from the likes of Dolby Atmos) and wide channels (like Audyssey DSX) can help if you have lots of space and speakers. More channels is the rave right now, but the basics done right is almost always better than an elaborate setup done poorly.

 

Other features and conveniences are stuff that you already mentioned. Most makers have some sort of DLNA support, Bluetooth streaming, handheld device integration, etc.

 

 

Ivan

[Stagea]

It's also worth noting that there are a lot of different types of Amplifiers. The two worth mentioning are analog and digital.

 

Analog have smoother sound and are overall nicer to listen to, but they're not very power efficient and cheaper ones can lack power especially when you hit them with a lot of speakers (5 or even 7). Not a big concern if you don't want to watch movies a theater sound level. Analog is used by every manufacturer low end to high end.

 

Digital amps are relatively new to the market and are basically the opposite of analog ones. Great power efficiency, a lot of power to drive your speakers, but also a little rougher in sound, though nothing you might actually hear. AFAIK only the Pioneer SC-series uses digital amps.

 

 

Class D switching amplifiers for home theater are also common in some less mainstream brands like Rotel, NuForce, TacT, Mark Levinson, Classe, D-Sonic, Wyred4Sound, Bryston, Jeff Rowland, etc. Class D can be analogue or digital controlled, but they always output in analogue. 

 

What I long to see in home theater is a direct digital path similar to what is now available in some integrated HiFi amplifiers. I think it will take a while to implement in home theater though because of the extra layer in surround decoding and the required security features in handling the decoded signal in digital form.

[Stagea]

Not a HUGE deal as I have a chromecast - thanks for the suggestions

If you are after a good quality product that would last for years, stepping up to a NAD, Rotel, Marantz, Arcam, Cambridge Audio, etc. may be worth it. In my experience they deliver a finer experience without the cost of more premium brands (those brands often heard in audiophile circles). They are usually a bit behind when it comes to the latest features, however (except maybe for Marantz, which is now following Denon's product release cadence). They are sort of an in-between between HiFi and mass-market Home Cinema.

 

For the latest cool features, the mainstream brands excel on that. The usual suspects integrate the most functionality at the lowest prices since they sell by competing in feature set and follow tight release schedules (annual or semiannual for most of these companies).

 

Mainstream Brands = tends to have the latest toys and the widest range of features; tends to be very adaptable to a wide range of installation scenarios

 

Semi-premium Brands = tends to have a more premium build and tighter component tolerances; tends to bench better when it comes to fundamentals (high output; low noise & distortion); tends to have fewer features

 

High-end Brands = tends to have very tight tolerances and have very few dedicated features; usually benches very well; usually needs multiple dedicated parts that work together as a system  

[Lord Gaben]

If you can afford it I would recommend this,

 

http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-RX-A1040BL-7-2-Channel-AVENTAGE-Receiver/dp/B00KFF4M3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422517100&sr=8-1&keywords=RX-A1040

[Stagea]

Class D switching amplifiers for home theater are also common in some less mainstream brands like Rotel, NuForce, TacT, Mark Levinson, Classe, D-Sonic, Wyred4Sound, Bryston, Jeff Rowland, etc. Class D can be analogue or digital controlled, but they always output in analogue.

What I long to see in home theater is a direct digital path similar to what is now available in some integrated HiFi amplifiers. I think it will take a while to implement in home theater though because of the extra layer in surround decoding and the required security features in handling the decoded signal in digital form.

It's been a while since I wrote this, and Direct Digital home theater had arrived in the high end since (thanks to Lyngdorf). I hope the tech trickles down to mainstream receivers soon.

[-BirdiE-]

If I were you, I'd make sure to get one that supports HDCP 2.2 (going to be required for most 4K content). Even if you don't plan on going to 4K any time soon, if you decide to go 4K in 5 years from now when it's cheaper and becomming the standard, the last think you want is to also have to buy a new reciever.

[Maximoose]

Go with a basic A/V receiver and then get a internet TV box to do all of those special things.