xlr8ted Posted June 11, 2008 Posted June 11, 2008 Hello I am wanting to set up for 1st HT. I am looking for AVR's at the moment and in particular i need an AVR with optical inputs and room to expand a little. I have read a few things here and there about the AVR130 and heard it is real bang for the buck. But i cannot seem to find out how much that buck was! I have the opportunity to get a refurbished AVR130 for around $450 with 12 month warranty, does this sound like too much?? How much were they when they were sold?? Are they still usually sold?? I have had a hard time tracking them down. If it does seem like an over the top price, or just not suitable, can anyone recommend something similar?? Many thanks A
Juicester Posted June 11, 2008 Posted June 11, 2008 without even a proper search i can tell you that you can do much better than that i reckon... check this page out see the sony on that page marked at 378 with a cross through it - you'd probably pick that up for about $310 ish... comes with a couple of hdmi inputs too, and as far as i know, a 2 yr warranty. Better off buying new at your budget. $450 isn't too far a stretch from what people have been buying onkyo 605's at.....
xlr8ted Posted June 11, 2008 Author Posted June 11, 2008 without even a proper search i can tell you that you can do much better than that i reckon...check this page out see the sony on that page marked at 378 with a cross through it - you'd probably pick that up for about $310 ish... comes with a couple of hdmi inputs too, and as far as i know, a 2 yr warranty. Better off buying new at your budget. $450 isn't too far a stretch from what people have been buying onkyo 605's at..... Ah ok, thanks. I am new so please forgive me, but would that kind of AVR come with DTS? Also i have had bad experiences with Sony products in the past and i am not too sure about their reputation with AVR's as i have never bought one, do you have any opinions? Thanks A
Juicester Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 so increase ur budget and try and find a 605... might be hard tho.. Sony amps are fine in my experience - never had a problem with 2 previous models (haven't owned the one i suggested tho). Comes with a 2 yr warranty tho i think. Definitely would have DTS - in fact, it would have all modern Codecs minus the newer True HD and DTS HD ones id say...
quijibo Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 The AVR130 would kill the Sony in sound quality. I've owned an entry-level Sony receiver and they are reliable, but they are rubbish for audio quality. I'd buy the Sherwood or Pioneer amps on that page before the Sony.
Juicester Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 like i indicated, it wasn't a proper search - just pointing out he would probably be better off with a new one. My assumption was based more on a combination of video and audio requirements though - if the OP only needs it for audio and isnt interested in codecs or hdmi then sure, go something else.. he didnt really specify, and you're jumping to conclusions too. And i tend to disagree with you on sony for audio quality. Like i said, i've had two - and prefer them audio wise in many ways to my current yamaha. Personal preference.
mad89 Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 Just be careful with some of the Sony ones. My brother in law has the $1k HTIB 6.2ch package, and for some reason wont pass audio via HDMI. It just passes it through to the screen, rather than outputting it to the speakers. The manual asks for an Optical connection for Audio - as well as HDMI. Which i dont understand, because it will happily pass the audio through to the TV speakers, but not output the audio via the 6.2ch stereo. An Onkyo 605 would be great, if you can stretch the budget - and if you can find one.
xlr8ted Posted June 12, 2008 Author Posted June 12, 2008 Well i dont really want to spend more than $500.. It basically needs it to be able to use a turntable, optical from my cpu and 5.1 Jamo Speakers. I am actually starting to get confused, do i even needs an AVR if i will use my cpu as the TV so to speak. I only want an amp for AUDIO not VIDEO as my computer will do that. Does this make sense... sorry im going in circles here...
Jeffie1503561482 Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 so you basically just want anything with an optical in that does the basic DD and DTS codecs..?? none of this HD audio stuff??
xlr8ted Posted June 12, 2008 Author Posted June 12, 2008 so you basically just want anything with an optical in that does the basic DD and DTS codecs..?? none of this HD audio stuff?? Yeh in a nutshell... But, it has to be good quality audio, no rubbish. I really enjoy my music and movies and understand i cant get the DTS HD yet. Basic, with good audio quality....
Juicester Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 (edited) review 1 review 2 these may help. Also worth noting, it says in review 2 that it had a list price of $459 or something - that's US dollars i know, but it's also 5 years ago. $450 second hand certainly sounds steep. (ps- if you enjoy movies, surely the amps video qualities are important then?! ) Cheers, Chris Edited June 12, 2008 by jcjuice
xlr8ted Posted June 12, 2008 Author Posted June 12, 2008 Hey thanks Chris, I have also read these reviews and this is what made me think this AVR is right up my alley.... but it also confirmed my price concerns.... I have checked everywhere for other people selling the AVR130 but with no luck... Anyone know if there is anything similiar to this out there... it terms of price and audio quality?
Jeffie1503561482 Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 Yeh in a nutshell... But, it has to be good quality audio, no rubbish. I really enjoy my music and movies and understand i cant get the DTS HD yet. Basic, with good audio quality.... RRP $499: http://www.yamahamusic.com.au/products/avi...ers/RX-V363.asp has hdmi video switching as well, so you could do dvi out from your pc to hdmi in on this?
Juicester Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 actually i'd second that one jeffie put up. you can get them for around 350-400 i think..
quijibo Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 Isn't that very similar to your Yamaha amp that you suggested earlier sounded worse than an entry-level Sony? Anyway, my original recommendation would have been to go with an entry-level Yamaha. As most of the reviews and owners speak highly of the audio quality and features. But if you want real quality audio you will need to spend more. At $450 for a second-hand HK AVR (I assume you are buying off the ebay seller, I'd actually pick the AVR-132) it is a resonable deal. But for a little more cash there are better options.
Juicester Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 Isn't that very similar to your Yamaha amp that you suggested earlier sounded worse than an entry-level Sony?Anyway, my original recommendation would have been to go with an entry-level Yamaha. As most of the reviews and owners speak highly of the audio quality and features. But if you want real quality audio you will need to spend more. At $450 for a second-hand HK AVR (I assume you are buying off the ebay seller, I'd actually pick the AVR-132) it is a resonable deal. But for a little more cash there are better options. glad ur in here looking for a fight dumbass. and the one i 'seconded' is an entry level yamaha amp, so you're agreeing with me.
Juicester Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 what? what am i supposed to think? you rubbished my first post and didn't even contribute to the OP's question until late in the piece, and when you did contribute you only suggested something already mentioned. I didn't answer the OP's question because i know everything (like you seem too), i posted in here to help out - unlike yourself.
xlr8ted Posted June 12, 2008 Author Posted June 12, 2008 Thanks for your help everyone... I like the idea of the Yamaha at the moment, seems to have good specs so im heading into JB tomorrow to have a listen, plus its also new. I appreciate everyones input here, its made the decision alot easier. Cheers A
quijibo Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 Look, the fact that he was after a HK AVR was enough for me to think he was after something a little better than a cheap audio video switch. My original post was actually aimed at responding to the question about the reputation of Sony AVRs. Which if you look around there is a lot of critical disappointment with their sound quality. At $450 there is nothing similar in quality, so I refrained from a recommendation. And yes I did agree with you on the Yamaha. I would have recommended it earlier, but in comparison to the HK AVR it would fall well short in sound quality. Frankly any entry-level receiver will have shortcuts in amplifier stages and will provide lesser quality audio. HK, Marantz, Onkyo, Denon, Cambridge and a few others are somewhat of an exception to this, but their entry-level models are usually far more expensive. I'm not an expert on this, but I would never recommend an entry-level Sony amplifier due to its audio quality as after owning one. In fact when I first joined this board and asked about them I was advised of their poor audio quality and a few people told me to avoid them. After owning one I know why as after upgrading from it I was absolutely shocked to hear how bad it was in comparison.
jakes Posted June 12, 2008 Posted June 12, 2008 It basically needs it to be able to use a turntable , optical from my cpu and 5.1 Jamo Speakers. One thing you might need to think about is the fact that many avrs don't have phono inputs any more, so if you're planning to use a turntable, you'll either have to have a turntable that has a built-in pre-amp, or you'll need to get an external phono pre-amp so that the input levels are correct when you plug it into your receiver. From looking at quickly at the yamaha receiver that was linked above, it doesn't have a phono input, so you'll have to consider whether pre-amplification for your turntable will be an issue.
Jeffie1503561482 Posted June 13, 2008 Posted June 13, 2008 lets not forget: http://www.eastwoodhifi.com.au/SPECIALS.HTM since you dont need all the fancy stuff, run out models of higher priced items are worth a look, like the CA 540R, Yam 559, 461, 459, marantz 3001 are all going for your price point.
xlr8ted Posted June 13, 2008 Author Posted June 13, 2008 (edited) EDIT: Sorry just read above re turntables Edited June 13, 2008 by xlr8ted
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