Home Theater catch-all

Malor do you have any recommendations for stores or marketplaces where I can find a used receiver online?

The last time I bought receivers, I got them from third-party sellers on Amazon. One was a two-year-old model that had been run in a sales room for about a year, and the other was just on clearance because it was last year's model and they wanted to move it out. I got outstanding prices on both, and both have functioned perfectly.

I think that was probably about seven years ago, though, and the Amazon marketplace may have changed by now. My experience was good, but it was a long time ago.

I thought I'd update this in case anybody is curious about it, I decided to get a bit more for my money and ordered a refurbished Denon AVR-X2200W from Accessories4Less.

IMAGE(https://hometheater365.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/xxx.jpg)

I'm really looking forward to getting rid of so many extra cables in my setup. In addition to not having HDMI capabilities, my Marantz never had enough digital audio ports to handle everything, so I had to use a component switcher. It was a pain in the butt to keep track of everything back there whenever I had to mess with things.

omg so many HDMI ports. That thing is heaven.

Side topic: My son is old enough now (8 months!) to stand up against the TV stand, and his monkey arms can reach the TV. Any tips on getting baby gunk off an LCD screen?

When I got my receiver years ago, I thought 4 HDMI ports would be enough. For a while, it has been. Now I'm dealing with a PS3 that seems to be dying, and considering replacing it with a standalone bluray player and a streaming device. That will put me one HDMI input over.

Alternately, are any of the bluray players that run Netflix/Amazon any good at doing those things? When I was looking at it a while ago, it seemed like the streaming apps were pretty slow on the bluray players. With as often as we stream, I want something that works quickly.

Chaz wrote:

Alternately, are any of the bluray players that run Netflix/Amazon any good at doing those things?

Nope. No matter what any review or impression you read says assume that person has wildly low standards for how responsive and reliable the Netflix app should be.

I've got experience with two different blu ray players myself both at the upper end of the lineups for consumer players, and another just below that I helped my dad pick out for him and my mom to watch movies with.

All three were garbage for watching Netflix. Everything from constant interface lag while in the app to playback failure requiring an unplug and reboot of the player and any other really annoying but regularly occurring problem that might slowly drive you crazy.

Basically it's the same situation with most TV's with built in apps. Even if they seem ok initially they will almost definitely at some point be garbage.

In my personal experience, built-in apps (on Blu-Ray players or TVs) have always suffered from slow UI and a distinct lack of updates from either the manufacturer or app developer. They don't hold up against dedicated boxes like Roku and Apple TV.

Not helpful in your situation Chaz but I hate most built-in Smart TV apps with a passion.

Chaz wrote:

When I got my receiver years ago, I thought 4 HDMI ports would be enough. For a while, it has been. Now I'm dealing with a PS3 that seems to be dying, and considering replacing it with a standalone bluray player and a streaming device. That will put me one HDMI input over.

Alternately, are any of the bluray players that run Netflix/Amazon any good at doing those things? When I was looking at it a while ago, it seemed like the streaming apps were pretty slow on the bluray players. With as often as we stream, I want something that works quickly.

most streaming devices today allow you to cast from your phone/tablet. Do all your navigation on your phone/tablet and you can avoid the player's clunky app interface. I've never had a problem with my TV's Netflix app, using it this way, though YMMV of course.

I'm usually in the camp that really doesn't like apps built into smart devices, so my preference is going to be getting a player and a streaming thing. I'm just not sure where that puts me price-wise. It's $40 for a Fire stick, plus the cost of a blu ray player, and I don't really know what those are going for.

Honestly, if they decided to knock the price of the original PS4 down to ~$200 to clear them out, I'd lean that way, but since I'm watching my second PS3 die, I'm kind of hesitant to rely on Sony stuff lasting.

So...Is it time to trade in my 1080P projector for a 4K? Are prices coming down?

Great deal on this SVS sub

Will definitely pack a wallop.

Is this the right place to get advice on buying a new or used lower end stereo receiver?

I have some old speakers that should do just fine for now, but the TV audio is really getting on my nerves.

I also looked at this, but I really know very little about audio. I'm not that picky, but I don't want to buy something cheap that's going to be little better than my TV.

EDIT: HDMI functionality is a must.

Dakuna wrote:

Is this the right place to get advice on buying a new or used lower end stereo receiver?

I have some old speakers that should do just fine for now, but the TV audio is really getting on my nerves.

I also looked at this, but I really know very little about audio. I'm not that picky, but I don't want to buy something cheap that's going to be little better than my TV.

EDIT: HDMI functionality is a must.

that's not a receiver. Most stereo receivers don't have HDMI, so I would look for a low end 5.1 receiver from Yamaha or Onkyo, like this one.

This one is a bit cheaper, I guess because it doesn't support 4k (passthrough only)?

Dakuna wrote:

This one is a bit cheaper, I guess because it doesn't support 4k (passthrough only)?

yeah looks like it's just a slightly older model, pretty much identical except for the 4k support. Should be great for you.

I'm guessing shipping to Canada would probably nullify most of the savings, but you can get that same Yamaha model refurbished from accessories4less for $100 less than the amazon price. Might be worth checking into, though.

Yamaha HTR-3067.

fleabagmatt wrote:

I'm guessing shipping to Canada would probably nullify most of the savings, but you can get that same Yamaha model refurbished from accessories4less for $100 less than the amazon price. Might be worth checking into, though.

Yamaha HTR-3067.

Looking into that now - thanks! This is part of the problem, I have no idea where to even shop

EDIT: Yes, unfortunately $75+ shipping/handling US$ will make that a no sale for me.

Alrighty!

I am posting this in conjunction with my purchasing a house in another thread. We are soon to be in the process of finishing the basement in our newly acquired digs over the course of this spring and possibly early summer and I am going to be installing a surround sound system (5.1 is fine with us) and I wanted to get some ideas on a good receiver that I can anchor this system around. I don't have a ton of expertise in this area, save what I have gleaned from GWJ, Tom's Hardware etc...so I wanted to get an idea of what I should approximately be spending, what brands to lean towards and if it's feasible to get any components used (though all the speakers I purchase will be new).

If you have an opinion on speakers or any other peripherals, then I am open to suggestion as well.

I will add that I am not in the market for a HTIB.

Thanks in advance!

We just finished our basement this past month and I ended up doing a 5.1.4 Atmos set up (I figured why not). My take-away from shopping for a new A/V receiver was that you can do the job quite well and with fairly reasonable expense (under $1k) if you're only worrying about driving a 5.1 or even a 7.1 setup. Once you start driving 9+ it gets prohibitively more expense. My sense is that if you're planning to stick with 5.1 setup and don't intend to expand later, then you'll do really well spending about $500-$800. (That should still net you 4k support, HDMI upconversion, wifi connectivity, etc.).

I ended up finding a Marantz "flagship" (in its class) unit from 2015 (I think; it's a SR7010) as an open box for just a bit over $1k and, although I'm no audiophile, I think it's amazing paired with some Klipsch speakers that I bought ridiculously cheap off a friend of mine. (Marantz's current flagship receiver at this level is over $2k and contained no new features I cared about.)

I can't begin to tell you how much I love having this finished basement and home theater set up (I've got a 96" projector screen and 1080p projector). It's so much more inviting and comfortable than I though it would end up being and watching movies and playing games down there is incredible. I'm never moving. Good luck! I hope you have similar results!

Heh - I finished our basement a couple of years ago and built a similar home theater setup. I'm a big fan of Denon receivers and went with a slightly older version of this AVR-X1300 receiver. I tend to stick around the ~$500 level and so far this has had more than enough features for my purposes.

With respect to used, that's absolutely a viable route. I still have an old Denon 5.1 receiver I bought in 2000 that's good as new. You can also go with an older model that's been discontinued or is being clearanced. Manufacturers are constantly updating their models but often there isn't all that much difference from year to year.

Speaker-wise, I'm also a big fan of Klipsch. I have a full 5.1 set of Klipsch Synergy speakers and they're fantastic in combination with that Denon receiver.

I'm a big fan of Klipsch speakers in general. If you're wanting to go more budget, Yamaha receivers are pretty solid and offer good bang for your buck performance. You'd have to check reviews on whatever specific one you're looking at, though.

I've got a dedicated Yamaha stereo amplifier for a turntable setup which is fantastic and clean looking. I also have a budget 5.1 receiver that's been great although wouldn't do HDR because it's a few years old now.

I still really like Denon receivers.

For speakers right now if I was shopping and wanted the best bang for the buck I'd buy a full set of Elac stuff. Andrew Jones has kind of killed it in the amazing sound for not that much money range for years now with those previous sets of Pioneers and now all of the Elac products.

cartoonin wrote:

Alrighty!

I am posting this in conjunction with my purchasing a house in another thread. We are soon to be in the process of finishing the basement in our newly acquired digs over the course of this spring and possibly early summer and I am going to be installing a surround sound system (5.1 is fine with us) and I wanted to get some ideas on a good receiver that I can anchor this system around. I don't have a ton of expertise in this area, save what I have gleaned from GWJ, Tom's Hardware etc...so I wanted to get an idea of what I should approximately be spending, what brands to lean towards and if it's feasible to get any components used (though all the speakers I purchase will be new).

If you have an opinion on speakers or any other peripherals, then I am open to suggestion as well.

I will add that I am not in the market for a HTIB.

Thanks in advance!

I would steer you towards something that allows 7.1 at a minimum. Consider it future proofing.

Good info! Thanks all!

Accessories4less is a good place to look for a refurbished receiver on the cheap. I picked up a Denon there not too long ago and I've been really happy with it.

Now it is the speakers that are the weak link in my system (an old 5.1 set of Acoustic Research Edge) and I've been drooling over the SVS Prime bookshelf sets, although that is a far off upgrade at this point.

fleabagmatt wrote:

Accessories4less is a good place to look for a refurbished receiver on the cheap. I picked up a Denon there not too long ago and I've been really happy with it.

Now it is the speakers that are the weak link in my system (an old 5.1 set of Acoustic Research Edge) and I've been drooling over the SVS Prime bookshelf sets, although that is a far off upgrade at this point.

I've been using the Satellites as my front speakers, plus subwoofer they're quite nice. Might be worth considering the 5.1 package, which includes a decent sub if your room isn't too big. I'd say the only limitation is if you're looking to listen at very high volumes.

fleabagmatt wrote:

Accessories4less is a good place to look for a refurbished receiver on the cheap. I picked up a Denon there not too long ago and I've been really happy with it.

Now it is the speakers that are the weak link in my system (an old 5.1 set of Acoustic Research Edge) and I've been drooling over the SVS Prime bookshelf sets, although that is a far off upgrade at this point.

Ooooo, nice link! I haven't been there before, but I did spot some Yamaha, Denon and Onkyo units in there.

I loved the sound of the two Denon receivers I've had, but unfortunately, both of them died shortly after leaving the warranty period (probably mentioned elsewhere in this thread). They don't have a reputation for poor reliability, but at this point I wouldn't buy one again.

On the speaker front, I ended up going with the Energy Take Classic 5.1 setup when I was doing my new house a few years ago. The sound is great and (at the time) was more than loud enough for a room that was 15x30 in Hawaii, where the back doors were open 24/7 and we get torrential rain on a metal roof.

Here's a question I can't wrap my head around - say a filmmaker in the EU creates a film at 25p. What happens to that content when someone in the US (or other NTSC region) tries to play back their film on their TV? Is there a pulldown or other kind of conversion that occurs?

T-Prime wrote:

Here's a question I can't wrap my head around - say a filmmaker in the EU creates a film at 25p. What happens to that content when someone in the US (or other NTSC region) tries to play back their film on their TV? Is there a pulldown or other kind of conversion that occurs?

25p content is usually in PAL format and won't play at all. If it is converted to NTSC, then it will be converted to 30p/60i through 5:6 pulldown. Movies in the UK and other PAL territories are still shot at 24fps and are sped up about 4% for PAL TV playback.

So our cheap Vizo soundbar has stopped working, and I want to get a receiver and upgrade to a full on 7.1 system. Part of the reason why is that the house already has 4 rear speakers built into the wall/ceiling courtesy of the previous owners. They are still wired, but before buying a receiver my wife wants me to make sure theses speakers are actually still working.

How would I go about testings these 4 speakers?