Can someone point me to a few threads/articles so that I can figure out which to buy.

DTS vs Dolby?

Which features are necessary, which are fun?

I plan on 7.1 with 8os b/c size of room = huge, then 4 Qs8s, center not sure, sub not sure. Oh, and I will be using some sort of projection for visual (prob a mitsubishi or optoma of some sort).

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction...

Few pre-empts... Cost should be under 1500 delivered so not features too crazy; I am educated enough to find thx irrelevant; I don't care about which manufacturer so if one has better tech than others then steer me there...

I know this is a rehashed subject but I am looking for articles debating the pro/ cons of all the stuff in receivers today. The only receive that I have ever had is an old (at one point in history) top of the line Luxman stereo receiver circa 1979. So even though I am only 30 (I inherited it from my father), I need a few primers to bring me up to speed.

Thanks for your patience,

Ben

Haven't seen any good articles recently but will keep my eyes open. I have to say, though, that in the price range you're looking at (even $1000) you aren't going to have to do much picking and choosing of features -- any modern receiver at the high end is going to have pretty much every feature you could ever want. As far as I know the latest round of receivers have all the Dolby and DTS modes, for example...

The main variables at the high end are things like power, useabiliity (fancy remotes etc..), built in / automatic EQ, ability to run 4 ohm speakers at high power (M80s) etc...

BTW how big is your "huge" room and how loud do you like to listen ? Wondering if a lesser receiver or pre/pro plus outboard power amp might be a better solution ?

Huge = 20 x 30 x 8.5

Thanks,

Ben

You might want to go to the audioholics website and do some looking around. Axiom seems to favor Denon, Harmon Kardon and NAD because they seem to be able to drive the 4 ohm load of the M80s a little better.

Not much help, but maybe a little.

If you're using 80s in a large room, don't use one of those receivers that promises 150x5 that's less than 40 lbs.

I recommend you get a refurbished NAD off of spearitsound, or a refurbished harman kardon off of harmanaudio. They conservatively rate power, so when they say over 100 watts per channel: they mean it. And you'd need a lot of power in that huge room. Both are under your budget.

There are many other pros and cons. However, the reason people go to the 80s over the 60s is usually more power handling.. and if you're doing that, you'll want a receiver that can put out a lot of power.

Neb, welcome.....

Most receivers will be able to decode dvd's that are produced in BOTH DTS and Dolby. I'm not sure I've ever seen a receiver that is Dobly OR DTS. Now some do have THX certification and some do not. You will find many discussions on if THX certification is a big deal or not. A few years ago receivers were on 5.1 capable, meaning 5 channels (left,right,center, rear left, rear right) and the .1 is the Sub. Most dvds are still in 5.1. However, there are a few DVD's out there produced in 6.1 or above. It would be a good idea to buy a receiver that can be used in the future. That is why I purchased a 7.1 model. Also, some receivers have built in features like Dolby Pro Logic IIx, which will take 2 channel and 5.1 channel sound and matrix it into 7.1.

ps: not sure if I would call receiver features fun, but I guess you could put it that way.

That room size is going to make your life easier -- the dimensions are pretty good w.r.t. room modes (peaks in the low frequency response related to room dimensions) so I don't think room EQ is going to be a big factor for you.

If you can get more power for the money by going with a "slightly less than the newest" model (eg. I went with an HK 630 because I didn't care about the fancy room EQ in the 635) that would probably be your best option. The refurbs seem to be a good way to get a *lot* of receiver for the money... you might want to spend less than your budget and keep some money aside for a power amp to drive the mains in the future.

Have you given much thought to room arrangement yet, ie distance from seating position to speakers ? That is usually a factor in determining how much receiver power you need... ie an arrangement in one side of a large room doesn't need the same power as something where you are using the entire room for listening. Save some $$ for a powerful sub as well; you're probably going to need it

thasp: 20-25 years ago, weight was a good metric of a quality power supply. I'm not so sure that weight is a good metric any more. In the mean while, there have been better transformer materials developed such as "hypersil" which will drastically reduce overall weight. "Switching" power supplies have also become "standard" in much electronic hardware. So, I think that you need to look a little further than just the weight metric to determine the quality of an amplifier.

Just checked over at Harmonaudio and saw the refurbished AVR 8000Z for $898. That is a steal! It has internal amps 5x110w with preouts for an external 2 channel amp giving you 7.1. If you want to go with a receiver as opposed to separates, this unit seems to be an unbeatable combination of features, quality, flexibility and power.

I'll say one thing: that old HK is just gorgeous! WHy in @#$% did HK ever quit using that chassis?

Neb,

I am just two months or less into buying my receiver, speakers and then amps. I would look at audioholics for a midrange receiver that has the features you want like upconversion. Denon or HK. I'd look at aan amp at the same time. Adcom, Anthem, Nad, Outlaw. Try to find a combination that fits your budget if you have one. If you don't have one and have money to spend, look at AV123 Emotiva line.

Thanks for all who replied...

I've finaly decided on the HK DPR-2005. I just purchased one from Ebay (reconditioned from HK) for $601. I am very happy with the deal.

Thanks for all your help,

Ben

I love the look of the older HKs as well. That is a sweet looking unit.