Advice on new AV Receiver please

[Raigmore]

My old and hitherto reliable Denon AVR 2800 Receiver is finally on the blink and looks like I'll have to get a new Home Cinema Amp. My budget for this is £500 tops and I have narrowed the choice down to three:

1. Denon AVR 2808

2. Onkyo TX SR-806

3. Yamaha DSP AX-863

I have a Panasonic Viera 42" Plasma TV with HDMI, Sky-HD box (HDMI), Panasonic HDMI DVD player and a Sony HDD DVD Recorder (non-HDMI, with Component/Coaxial AV connections) in the system. My Speaker system is Definitive Technology Pro-Monitor 80 5.1 with 150 Watts per channel output. I might be able to upgrade to 7.1 in the future.

Of the 3 Receivers mentioned above, Denon & Yamaha have a Power Rating of 105 or 110 watts per channel, whereas Onkyo is 180 Watts per channel. But the problem with the Onkyo receiver is its physical bulk; unlike the other two, it will not fit into the designated slot in my Triksom stand and I'll have to rearrange everything.

I do not know how significant those power output figures are, but am merely mentioning them as I read the specs on the websites. Please can someone advice me which one to go for. Thanks.

[rwniel]

Out of those three, my personal choice would be the Yamaha - it's got a very dynamic, yet natural sound. But as always, it's worth arranging an audition to see what you think. I wouldn't get too hung up on the power output rating figures as there's never an indication of whether a manufacturer is using the same measurement method.

Robert

[Raigmore]

Thanks rwneil. Am I right in thinking that with these HDMI Receivers, the HDMI cables from the DVD Player and Sky HD box will plug into the HDMI inputs of the Receiver and a single cable from its HDMI output jack will connect to the TV?

Assuming that this is correct, will I still benefit from Digital Optical (Sky HD box) & Coaxial (DVD Player) cables going to the corresponding inputs on the Receiver as they are now doing with the old non-HDMI Denon?

[splobber]

Thanks rwneil. Am I right in thinking that with these HDMI Receivers, the HDMI cables from the DVD Player and Sky HD box will plug into the HDMI inputs of the Receiver and a single cable from its HDMI output jack will connect to the TV?

Yes

Assuming that this is correct, will I still benefit from Digital Optical (Sky HD box) & Coaxial (DVD Player) cables going to the corresponding inputs on the Receiver as they are now doing with the old non-HDMI Denon?

You can do away with the optical/coaxial cables as the sound will be taken care of through the HDMI lead.

[Raigmore]

Thanks Splobber. Unless someone else warns of a glitch, I have decided to get the Yamaha.

[Philo]

Yes



You can do away with the optical/coaxial cables as the sound will be taken care of through the HDMI lead.


BUT, you only get Dolby Digital through the optical on SKY HD.

Seems to be a sky thing..

[Raigmore]

BUT, you only get Dolby Digital through the optical on SKY HD.

Seems to be a sky thing..
Someone in th AV Forums said the same thing. No real problem because I have an Optical cable going in at present and it is only a question of plugging that in too.

[rwniel]

Yes, that's still the case I think even with the newer SkyHD boxes - over hdmi you only get stereo sound otherwise (hence the need to use an optical digital cable in conjunction with it). I guess it was done that way, so that a hdmi cable plugged directly into the television will give sound from the television's speakers.

You'll have hdmi and optical/coaxial connections into the av receiver and then a single hdmi cable to your television (which therefore simplifies switching).

Robert

[Raigmore]

Thanks. Incidentally, I finally settled on the Onkyo TX SR-706 Receiver after listening to the 606 at a friend's place this morning. Ordered from The Home Cinema Centre in Edinburgh - £450 (the advertised £500 defaults to £450 when the 'buy' link is used) with free delivery and 2-year warranty. Above all, I was more impressed with the staff's knowledge and helpfulness there than the local Richer Sounds who did not have it in stock anyway.

Thanks for your help & advice.

[rwniel]

Make sure you give it plenty of ventilation, as the Onkyo models do tend to run quite hot.

Robert