Posted: 2/18/2008 2:29:42 PM EDT
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I need an AV receiver to go with my new HDTV, a SHARP LC-52D92U. I want a short list of receivers that are all good and am not trying to find the one and only "best". I want to buy once and cry once. I'm looking at the SONY 5300ES, as it is highly rated. What other makes/models should I consider. I'm setting a street price budget of $1200 because I can get the 5300 for that (or less). I want to be assured I have connections for everything I currently envision with some room for growth. I do not want to come up short with connections when I get it home or have to compromise signal quality because not enough of the right type of connections are available. Sources I want to accept: PC PS3 DVD player VHS player Video camera playback Feeds I want to provide: HDMI HDTV (<-- I've read this is the best way to feed the TV, is that correct?) Audio to 5.1 or 7.1 Audio to subwoofer Audio to wireless headphone transmitter Analog video to VHS VCR Video and audio back to the PC for possible recording. I've already been over to AVSForums seeking advice but can't seem to get any response. |
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I purchased 5300ES from CDW for $1,125. Which i thought was rather bizzare since I typically have found CDW to not have the best prices on computer euqipment and I never considered them for home A/V either. I did a lot of research on a home AV receiver since I was replacing pretty much everything in my family room home theater setup (TV, Recever, DVD) had to be replaced as my almost 10 year old Sony XBR rear projection set was dying. The trickle down effect of the conversion to HD is simply amazing...as in amazing amount of money to spend! Depending on your background in AV equipment, etc, I'd take the advice of who ever posted that you should check on the AVS Forums. Great source of info and others experiances. The ARFCOM of consumer electronics. I narrowed my list down to the Sony, the Denon 3808, Yamaha 3800 and a little bit at the Onkyo's and Intrgra's. I'll admit some natural bias towards the Sony ES since I've had a lot of luck with various ES components for the past 15 years or so. PLust i purchased a Sony KDL-52XBR4 LCD TV so I wanted everything to work well together (without having to spend a lot of money on a universal remote right now). Overall I"m very happy with it, but have not spent a ton of time on the various sound fields and playing with a lot of settings. I did the auto setup and a few tweaks. Look for the "owners thread" on the avsforum for a lot of background and i'll try to help too. My last major purchase for the HT will now be either a PS3 or a dedicated BD player in the next few months.. then Ill be "complete"...lol. well until I decided to build a dedicated HTPC. Some of the biggest advantages that the 5300ES offers is the 6 HDMI inputs it has, plus a full set of traditional inputs, video up conversion of non-HDMI sources, the latest Dolby and DTS surround sound and a slick, easy to use UI for set up. |
Been there, done that. No one ever answers my questions over there. I have asked questions about speakers, HDTV's and now AV receivers. I guess we total newbies are beneath them, or something. In general, they do not seem to respond to newbie questions. That is in stark contrast to the generous exchange of information on AR15.com. The post above was originally posted on AVS Forums but got only one response which was to try and sell me a different unit with no explanation of why that was a better unit. |
If I purchased one and it had all the connectivity I require and was fully compatible with the HDTV, then I would be happy. I hope I can take it home, plug everything into it turn it on and it works 100%. I would be unhappy if I got it home and had to give up some fidelity because I ran out of the proper type of inputs (or outputs). If I lost some functionality because of an incompatibility between the receiver and the TV I would be unhappy. |
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Get a Pioneer Elite receiver. Best bang for the buck, period. www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/HomeEntertainment/AV-Receivers/EliteReceivers Every input gets upconverted to the HDMI output. Simply Awesome. |
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I hope I didn't screw up. I just purchased a SONY STR-DA5300ES for $1k (NIB). I picked this unit because it had so many inputs including six HDMI inputs and offered video upscaling with HDMI output. That means it can convert even from the older 480i up to 1080p and send it to the TV via a single HDMI cable. I hope this unit just disappears after the inital connections are made. If I never see it again, I will know I picked the right unit and have gotten my money's worth. SONY STR-DA5300ES |
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The SONY also does this, so in that regard I'm okay with the unit I bought. I got a tracking number today, so it's on its way. So are the speakers. The 52" LCD is awesome. Really, it is awesome when you see it. While watching the Oscars last night, it was as if Scarlet Johansen was in my living room. Did you see that red dress??? |