Need an AV Receiver

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  wildtiger670 on 05/01/2011 - 18:32

  +1

  I bought the VSX-520 from Harvey Norman Melbourne) the day after boxing day, for about $350. It sounds absolutely phenomenal (well, speakers help it). Price may have gone up since though, it was cut down from about $450.

  • 

    MMMan on 05/01/2011 - 19:06

    Cool. I'll check them out. Somehow whenever I shop for electronics, Harvey Norman never comes to mind.

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  gevidian on 06/01/2011 - 11:42

  +1

  You could also take a look at the Pioneer clearance site for lower prices on previous gen models.

  https://shop.pioneer.com.au/itf/phx/phoenix.nsf/Index

  • 

    MMMan on 06/01/2011 - 17:51

    That's an awesome idea. Was quite set on the 819H until I realised I should probably get something with hdmi 1.4 just in case… Damn!

• 

  llama on 06/01/2011 - 15:34

  +1

  Also ExtraStock for refurb / discontinued Onkyo and others. Couple of nice cheapies (no upscaling) in there for $500 or so

  http://www.extrastock.com.au/

  • 

    MMMan on 06/01/2011 - 17:55

    Thanks. Didn't even know about these clearance sites until gevidian & yourself mentioned it. Really tempting prices but the hdmi 1.4 is a bit of a worry in case I upgrade to a 3D capable TV, which is highly likely I will soonish.

    • 

      llama on 06/01/2011 - 19:02

      The thing that I found with all the cheapies is that they:

      a) don't have enough HDMI inputs

      b) Don't upscale / upconvert Component, Svideo, Composite to HDMI

      What that means is that you end up having to switch the source at the TV anyway, since the receiver cannot do it for all your sources. That makes using the system really GirlFriend Unfriendly and thus annoying.

      I am not buying any more AV Receivers until I can get something that can handle ALL my inputs without needing a separate switchbox and/or input switching on the TV.

      • 

        MMMan on 06/01/2011 - 19:38

        Really? That seems kinda stupid that they'd put component input on these receivers but doesn't spit the signal out to the TV. Not expecting the budget model to do any upscaling but at least a passthrough at 480p. The only analogue source I have is a Wii that I don't use anyway…

      • 

        llama on 07/01/2011 - 09:59

        They have Component In and Out (so they spit the signal out) - that isn't the problem.

        Let's say your Cable TV box is Component and your DVD is HDMI… if you switch to "TV" on the receiver, you ALSO have to switch the TV across to Component Input.

        Then when you want to watch DVD, you have to switch the Receiver to DVD AND switch the TV from Component to HDMI Input.

        And since there is usually only 2 or 3 x HDMI inputs, you are limited with the number of devices before you have to use a "lower level" input anyway.

        Myself I have HDMI on the DVD and Media Player, and Component on the Cable TV and Wii. We are continually switching the TV Source and it drives the whole family bonkers. Mother-In-Law is completely unable to use it (but it doesn't keep her away however)

      • 

        MMMan on 07/01/2011 - 12:58

        Oh! Didn't know that. So these budget receivers only does switching within groups of input types, not between all inputs. Better do more research as to which is the cheapest one that'll spit everything out via hdmi.

      • 

        llama on 07/01/2011 - 13:23

        Yeap - If you want everything to be outputted via HDMI, then you need unconverting / upscaling. The $999 Harmon Kardon at Extrastock has that capacity. I doubt that anything in the $500 range will however.

      • 

        gavinshim on 12/01/2011 - 12:59

        Get yourself a Harmony One from Logitech. I think I paid $160 for mine but it's worth its weight in gold.

        Press "Watch TV" and your TV will switch on, change to component input, and your receiver will power on and change to the TV setting.

        Press "Watch DVD" and your DVD turns on, receiver changes to DVD, and the TV switches from component to HDMI input.

        Trust me, once you have set it up right, it takes 1 button press to get things happening. It is pretty much idiot proof. When things don't switch on or turn to the right setting, you press "Help" and it automatically cycles through your equipment and changes it to the right input etc…

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  MMMan on 07/01/2011 - 18:06

  Thanks to what llama alerted me to regarding HDMI upscaling, I reckon the Denon AVR591 is probably one of the cheapest unit that has it as well as HDMI 1.4 passthrough. Anyone know of a good place to buy that from in Melbourne? Harvey Norman offered it to me at $570. Good? No?

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  hecatonchires on 09/01/2011 - 23:58

  What make and model of receiver is so annoying llama? I want to add to my 'do not want' list.

  I have a Pioneer VSX-919. It has 3 HDMI in, a some component, some AV, no SVHS. My only connection to the tv is a hdmi cable. I have no problem switching between sources or having to change input on the TV. To simplify life, I picked up a Harmony One. Totally worth it.

  The pioneer discount shop has the VSX-1019 (+1 hdmi, +minor features to my model) for $650. That sounds like a bargain deal to me - they were $1100ish new before bargaining.

  From what I can see the major benefit of hdmi 1.4 is to allow your devices to phone home with details of what you are watching. There's not much benefit to the end user, except for "rich deep multimedia content streamed to your deskto… I mean TV". Its the same marketing argument used by intel mmo chips, windows 95 and powerpoint.

  • 

    llama on 10/01/2011 - 10:24

    ANY make or model of receiver that DOESN'T have upconversion is annoying.

    The VSX-919AH allows up-converting conventional analogue inputs to HDMI which simplifies AV connections by carrying video and digital audio all in one cable

    That's why you aren't having any problems. The majority of cheap AV Receivers do not have upconversion… so if you feed them with a Component source (like a Wii) then you must also have a Component cable running to the TV. Then, apart from changing the source on the receiver, you also must manually switch over the Source on the TV to view the Wii.

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  cheaper on 16/01/2011 - 09:03

  I offered $340 for RV367 in Bee Lee and they accepted it. I then went to JB Hi Fi and offered $300 for VSX-520 and they accepted it as well, I end up buying VSX-520 as I just want the cheapest one between the two.