A buddy of mine asked me to get him some speakers and set him up with a complete system. He’s a smart guy, but when it comes to electronics, he’s dangerous. I need to find him a decent receiver that will be difficult for him to screw up after I get it set up. I had thought I’d just get him a 3808, but have had second thoughts. I know he’ll end up screwing something up with that receiver. It’s just too complicated for him.

I haven’t bothered looking to see what’s out there in the last several months. Anyone have some suggestions?

It isn’t driving much, just some of the new Axiom Accent speakers and an EP400 in a real wood Walnut finish. Price isn’t an issue either.

It needs 3 HDMI 1.3 inputs.

I think all the receivers are getting fairly complicated and can be messed up easily, at least you are familiar with the 3808 and would be of more help to him when he screws it up There is a locking feature on the 3808 which I believe prevents changes to the amp from users, but I also suspect it is only available to Custom Installers, I have never looked into it, just thought I would mention it.

Yeah, Mike; as far as I know nobody's written "HT Receivers for Dummies" yet. The first unit that comes to my mind as being relatively simple is the Onkyo 507(4 HDMI 1.3). At a higher price level the NAD receivers make a point about being simpler to operate and the 765 might be considered(but no audio on HDMI).

The best solution for him is not a specific receiver but a good universal remote. This will allow you to not sacrifice anything on the receiver selection but still make it so simple that he can't easily mess things up. Help him set up the remote then let him go. The locking feature is also a good idea and can be found in the lower end Denons as well. Probably others too.

For remote recommendations I'd suggest...
Harmony remotes if you plan on keeping things really simple for him. URC remotes if you want to take the time to also simplify more complex operations for him.

I second the recommendation by my esteemed colleague from Prince Edward Island. What he needs is a simple User Interface, which means the Remote, not the receiver.

I've been really happy with the new Onkyo TX-SR607 so far.