dack Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 I thought my Bluray HTIB was amazing when I first set it up, but over the weekend I borrowed my parent's BD-P3600 and put it through the HTIB and now I want to be rid of it. It's just so clunky and slow and you can hear the laser moving around as the disc plays. Plus, it looks like a better picture for sure on the 3600. So, I want to buy a receiver as my next component. My question is, though: is it cheaper getting an older receiver that doesn't have the new HD audio processing? I.e. do you get a better bang for your buck in terms of quality vs new features if you buy an older reciver. If so, what would you recommend for less than, say, $600? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Triode Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 (edited) It depends on the older receiver. I have the first ever THX receiver by Onkyo (1994) - the TX-SV919THX and while it has discrete RCA inputs for 5.1, once connected however, the receiver becomes a dumb power amp (all receiver functions are not connected to the outputs). The only way to have my new Oppo93 (which has 7.1 RCA output) connect to the receiver as a component is to get a DB25 to 6 channel RCA snake cable from infinitecables in Canada ($150 cost) and to connect it to my 919's external decoder DB25 input connection. This way I still am able to use all the features of the receiver and my Oppo93. The 919 (designed and developed by Tom Holman of Skywalker ranch studios) has discrete 5.1 channel amplifiers (100wpc for LCR and 50wpc for rears) and is said to have better sound reproduction that it's successor the 939. Basically, Onkyo cheapened their successive top of the line receivers after that. This is evidenced by the weight of the transformers/power supplies. So to answer you question, it is yes, older receivers can be generally better bang for your SQ buck than new ones and a 919 was sold for around $350 on Ebay recently. Since current BR players have inbuilt processors, I see no need to upgrade my 919 to something newer except perhaps convenience. Edited October 14, 2011 by triode12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jel Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 You should be able to get something like a Yamaha V1800 S/H for arround the $600 mark. A good quality modern AVR that does all the HD sound decoding. You should also be able to find other manufacturers with 2-4 year old gear that was mid to upper tier in its day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuzArt Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 You should be able to get something like a Yamaha V1800 S/H for arround the $600 mark. A good quality modern AVR that does all the HD sound decoding. You should also be able to find other manufacturers with 2-4 year old gear that was mid to upper tier in its day. Correct, I just bought an RX-V1800 for about that money. I'm very happy with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redone Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 (edited) If you are planning on using the on board decoding on the Blu-Ray player using RCA outputs into the AV unit you will have a -15db bass reduction problem. I had a Marantz SR-6300 AVR with 6.1 connected via RCA to a Sony BPD-S550 Blu-ray player and I had to have the Bass jacked up to compensate for the reduced LFE. It was a fine when I compensated for the reduced LFE but until then the difference was unacceptable. This link explains the issue with the bass reduction in the 4.) Scotty, We Need More Bass! section. http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/How_To_Set_up_a_Blu-ray_Player_Using_Multi-Channel_Analog_Outputs_And_Why.shtml Good luck. Edited October 15, 2011 by Redone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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