Recommendation on new AVR

Sony STR-DN1040

 

I replaced my Onkyo with a Denon a few years ago, and really like it. Mine of course is an older model now, current model would be around the X1000.

 

I had Sony way back when and they ran very hot and burned up soon.
Then I went to Onkyo and that was a big improvement.
When the Onkyo died I switched to Yamaha. We have 5 of them in the family. We are happy campers.
Link to several Yamahas. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstemplatemapper.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=-8535748500550015668&id=pcat17071&type=page&ks=960&st=categoryid%24abcat0202003&sc=Global&cp=1&sp=%2Bcurrentprice+skuidsaas&qp=soldby_facet%3DSold+By%7EBest+Buy%5Ereceiverfeatures_facet%3DReceiver+Features%7EHDMI+Inputs%5Ebrand_facet%3DSAAS%7EBrand%7EYamaha&list=y&usc=All+Categories&nrp=15&fs=saas&iht=n&seeAll=&browsedCategory=abcat0202003

You will get lots of recommendations for Denon and I do not have a minute of experience with them.

After you read what people like, go to the local store and see and hear them for yourself.

 

I've been using Sony AVRs for decades and never had one run hot, burn up, or wear out. Your issue "way back" with your Sony AVR was a isolated one. The STR-DN1040 received excellent reviews from CNET and others. Denon, Onkyo, Sony, and Yamaha all make fine products. My advice to the OP is to go to the Crutchfield website for research. They have a wide variety of Cambridge Audio, Denon, Marantz, NAD, Onkyo, Sony, and Yamaha AVRs along with the most informative product discriptions and photos.

 

I am a Yamaha bigot myself but you will find a *lot* of brand loyalists here. Now is a good time to shop for close outs on last years models however and you may get a step up or two for the same money. I consider most of the brands fairly interchangeable but I have always enjoyed the Yamaha's ability to flow natural sounds across a broad range of price points. There are Onkyo people that swear by them and really feature sets at price points are incredible with them.

If I was looking today I'd likely peek at the Integra, Yamaha, Denon, and even sample Pioneer. I would avoid Sony myself not because they are bad but because to my ear they have a colder sound lacking fullness in the lower midranges. (you might find them perfect) I still get this even from my Sony BDP-S100ES BluRay players which I discovered a major audio uplift swapping for a Panasonic DMP-BDT500 so at least to my ear the Sony equipment is still a bit harsher sounding. (than I like)

Take media you are familiar with DVD, BluRay, CD, etc and try systems using speakers similar to what you have.

Don "most of the major names are comparable" Bolton

 

Best way I know is to visit local retailers (not Beast buy) and look at what they have that did not sell thru last year. The pickings may be slim but deals can be made. A locally owned business can price barter and at some point getting it off the shelf even at a break even is better than sitting on something that won't turn and have to go for a loss or write off.

Also retailers like these have "whales", customers that buy new all the time and dump their year old stuff when they do. These are people and deals you can only find through the local retailers.

The web is great for finding known items at the best price in current mass retail demand. There is no substitute for community relations with local retailers though. You can learn much about their business, their staff actually are enthusiasts of what they sell so they know what they are selling.

In order to sell a particular line they (smaller retailers) must commit to a minimum order and place it pre season, then hope they can turn it all before next. What didn't turn may be that gem you are looking for. If they are advertising heavily other than brand co-op stuff (manufacturers will share advert costs if their stuff is the add content) then that is overhead you the consumer has to pay for. Local mom-n-pops can be your friends.

I have one retailer in the city that uses the co-op advertising with Sony so much he gets massive pay backs which he applies to a major inventory purchase (making his cost minimal) and marks it down accordingly till its all gone (nobody can compete) I got two 52 inch XBR TVs a few years back for less than the list price for one.

Don "the journey is full of learning and perhaps oppurtunity" Bolton

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I would also recommend Denon. They usually come out with their new models somewhere between April and June. So if you can limp along until then you can either get a great deal on the old models being phased out, or pick up one of the new ones. The new ones will probably have HDMI 2.0, so if you think you might get a 4K TV some day you might want to wait for them.

 

I have used a Onkyo 609 and am currently using a Sony

STR-DN1040


you can check them out as well while shopping

 

If you like Sony, make sure its the ES line...I was originally a Pioneer guy, moved up to Yamaha, and now I'm into the Denon's....

 

Can you hook up a digital coax or optical cable from the DTV receiver to the AVR and make it work for you for good sound ?

 

That sounds analog. There should be no generic hum from digital connections. As jimmie57 rightly asks do you have digital connections here? this sounds like you have composite audio connections in play here.

Do you perhaps have BOTH a digital and an analog connection from the audio outs on your PCM source devices? If so lose the analog.

Don "forgive me if I'm projecting a 'tude here, just trying to help" Bolton

 

HDMI is fully digital and you are right about the HD codecs. Despite optical having the bandwidth, the manufacturers all got together on leveraging HDMI. It forced sales of new equipment after all.

So the next question is your HDMI cable routing if it could be picking up some interference thats oscillating in the analog realm somehow. And lastly is the TV on when you are consuming PCM? Some of the TVs can punch out some analog hum but normally thats using composite connections.

Do you have an alternate source for your PCM signals? An optical/coax out CD player? An older DVD player that has HDMI? Is it your BluRay player doing this to you?

This is really an odd one. I am most curious how a digital audio path can produce what describes as an analog hum.

Please note I am not an audio equipment engineer, and I did not stay in a holiday inn express last night. I am only an enthusiast that has spent far too much of my kids inheritance on such toys (i've six home theater/music systems in my home currently) this is to say I've spent a lot of time futzing with these toys and through the various evolution iterations of equipment from DLP to LED.

Don't waste your time on my questions unless you feel compelled to attempt to locate the source of the problem before you spend on new equipment only to have the same issue.

One thing that comes to mind are the HDMI settings and if they are set to pass power in addition to signal, and/or are they set to control connected devices?

Don "new toys are fun" Bolton

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Oh man ! That's really something to imagine !

 

This goes back fourty or more years but unplug the PS3 and turn that plug over and reconnect (wall plug) back in the day we had to do that to eliminate buzz in our amplifiers. Pre polarized plugs and recptical days.

Hmm my old PS3s have grounded polarized plug do the newer ones have an external power supply with two wire?

Clueless here I'm afraid

Don "but you knew that already" Bolton


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