vv132

Hey guys i'm in the market to get a new reciver. I got a display of panny 58 inch 750z plasma and speakers i ordered are svs sbs-01 5.1 surround sound (will upgrade to 7.1 later). Now with this set up I narrowed down my choices to these two. Can you guys suggest me which one to get, the pro and cons of each? Please help me out here as i need to get this, in the next couple of days.

Thanks
V

Robinson_A

Having been the writer to have both the Yamaha and now the Onkyo you pose an interesting question. Quite possibly, or at least until Denon releases their new line up of receivers, the only two receivers in the sub $1000 catagory worth considering. I love the Yamaha. I find its sound and surround sound decoding options to be exceptional. What I dislike about the Yamaha is that it's a nightmare to setup and the remote is far from even being average. The Yamaha has a lively, punchy sound that can be a bit lean and bright if you pair it with the wrong components but do your homework and it's KILLER! Plus it's now $899 vs. the Onkyo's $999.00 retail price. That extra hundred may or may not be a deal breaker. While I'm in the middle of my review of the Onkyo and don't want to jump the gun until I spend more time with it, I will tell you this. The Onkyo's menus are THE BEST I've ever encountered PERIOD. It has an extra HDMI input (3 total to Yamaha's 2) It supports HDMI 1.3 both in video and audio. The sound is not as lively or punchy but I could see you mating the Onkyo with a wider range of products. It looks WAY better in my rack than the Yamaha. That being said, the Onkyo is huge, and it gets super hot. You're going to want a lot of room for it to breathe. If you're willing to hold off my full review will be published shortly. But that's my two cents. If state of the art is your ultimate goal the Onkyo may be more current by a matter of days. If cost versus performance is your ticket it may be a toss up.

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vv132

Hey thanks for the reply. The price difference really doesnt matter to me. In the 805 does it upconvert any signal. Is this a major advantage point in the yamaha? Does it make a great difference which is useful? Also does the ultra thx2 and hdaudio in the onkyo really outperform the yamaha sound wise? I've also read that the onkyo processing chip is much better than the yamaha's is this true? So far in your opinion which one would you choose for your own personal use?

Also with my components listed above will it work well with the yamaha?

deacongreg

Andrew, just a question about the Onkyo. Are you saying that the Onkyo has a more neutral or sound that leaves less of a signature on the music? As opposed to the punchy sound of the Yamaha?
And, are you finished with the McIntosh yet, or just enjoying it?!!!!

deacongreg

Andrew, just read the thread on the new Integra receiver. What do you think of it, now compared to either the Yamaha or Onkyo? It seems to have everything a receiver should have, unless you need more power.