Admittedly, I haven't paid much attention to the progression of home theatre technology over the last 4 years - basically since I put together my current 6.1 system.  I've finally decided to do some upgrading and get a Blu-ray player and a new receiver but I find myself now drowning in technical specs and audio formats.  It's been years since I last visited the Aperion boards, but as I've done a little catch up reading I see the helpful spirit of this community lives on, so I'm hoping for your help and recommendations.  :)

Here's what I currently have:

Onkyo TX-NR801 receiver

Xbox 360

Comcast HD DVR (I can't remember the exact make/model)

Pioneer 6070HD TV (60 inch plasma 720p)

2 Aperion 532 Powered Towers for LR, 532 Intimus center, 3 di/bi pole for the 3 rear surrounds, and a 10" powered sub.

Family room viewing area is roughly 15 x 19, but also has adjoining kitchen and breakfast area which really add to the square footage.  All of the 'real' movie/tv viewing is done in the family room space, though.

 

My Onkyo has NO HMDI ports, so I'd like to go all HDMI for my new config.  Currently the DVR uses HDMI video to the TV with an optical cable for audio to the receiver.  The Xbox does component & optical to the receiver.

My sights are pretty well set on a Samsung BD-P1600 for the blu-ray player (unless someone has a strong recommendation against it?)

What I'd really like is a good recommendation for a receiver.  I don't think I want anything as complex (or expensive) as the Denon 3808. My setup isn't terribly complex, so I don't need a ton of inputs (i.e. phono or ipod).  If it has enough HDMI inputs (3 min, ideally 4), and handles video and audio well, then I'll be happy.  I'd like to keep it in the $500 - $750 range.

I've been moderately happy with my current Onkyo - but I find it to be a little heavy handed on the effects and light on the dialogue.  CNET recommends the Pioneer Pioneer VSX-1018AH-K, which has 3 HDMI inputs or the 2009 upgrade VSX-1019AH with 4 HDMI inputs (~$500).  Would it be worth the upgrade to one of their Elite models? If so, why?  What justifies the additional $250-$500?

Are either the Onkyo or Pioneer auto-calibration methods worth a darn, or should I stick with my good old SPL and configure it myself?

Also, a seperate but related question:  I've seen mention of the HDMI 1.3a spec.  Does the latest spec also apply to the cables?  In other words, the 2 or 3 year old cables that I'm currently using - will I need to replace those to keep up with the newest spec, or can I re-use those with the latest hardware w/o a loss of functionality.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

 

If you look around you can get a 3808 for around 1000 dollars.  Check with 6th ave. electronics they usually have some really good deals.  Have had my 3808 for over a year and no problems.  Running all hdmi to denon 2500 bluray, toshiba hd player, directtv hd dvr, and xbox 360 elite.

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24 hours in a day ... 24 beers in a case ... coincidence?

Hello and welcome to the forum!  

I'd recommend going with one of the Elite models, even the VSX-01 should be a considerable step up from the VSX-1019 in terms of current delivered to your speakers. 

Check out the specs of each, you'll notice that the 120 wpc rating is at 1 KHz.  That's great and all but what they don't tell you is that you are going to lose about 20% of that power when you go to frequencies that are higher.  If you look at the VSX-01 it's rated at 110 wpc all the way up to 20 KHz. . 

Also check out the weight, the Elite model is 10 pounds heavier which indicates that the power supply and components in the box are likely of higher quality, which will ensure that you get more current per watt to your speakers.

If you go with Denon, the 2809 should give you comparable performance to the 801 but will give you the HDMI features you want and you can get it for around $800. 

I highly recommend using an SPL meter to calibrate your levels over the auto set up.  You can try the auto set up, but going back in with an SPL meter to verify that the calibration was accurate is always a good idea.

Yes previous version HDMI cables will be compatible with newer receivers, but you may lose some resolution depending on the overall quality of the cables. If they weren't cheaply made cables at the time that they were manufactured you'll be fine.  

I hope that helps but please let me know if you have any other questions.

Who are you callin' scruffy looking? 
 

 

 

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Jason Hicks
Aperion Audio Guru

The HDMI cables you have should be fine... the only thing that changes is the capabilities at the the endpoints (i.e. components) and the HDMI cable is just a transport.  For the Samsung BD-P1600 player... I have a word of caution.  It is BD profile 2.0 "ready", and in this case it means it has an ethernet jack, but the 1 GB flash memory required for full compliance is missing, requiring an accessory add-on.  This is important if you want to take full advantage of special/web-based features on Blu-Ray movies.  If not, this is a great choice, but if it is, go with the step up model, the BD-P3600... it has the 1GB of memory & comes w/ a wifi dongle, allowing greater flexibility out of the box for connecting to the internet.  Hope this helps!

Jason Hicks:

Check out the specs of each, you'll notice that the 120 wpc rating is at 1 KHz.  That's great and all but what they don't tell you is that you are going to lose about 20% of that power when you go to frequencies that are higher.  If you look at the VSX-01 it's rated at 110 wpc all the way up to 20 KHz. . 

Also check out the weight, the Elite model is 10 pounds heavier which indicates that the power supply and components in the box are likely of higher quality, which will ensure that you get more current per watt to your speakers.

It's also worth noting that it's not just in the higher frequencies where you lose power with a less current-capable receiver--it's much more impactful in the low end of the frequency range too, where bass/lower mid frequencies require much more current to be drive the speakers. Most Elite model receivers (and also comparable ones like Onkyo, Denon, Marantz, etc.) usually do a pretty good job of specifying the deliverable power into a full-bandwidth load (20hz - 20khz), and whether or not that power is delivered across only 2 channels or all channels driven. All this translates into how well the amp/receiver in question can power your speakers under real-world, ultra dynamic conditions and not just some dummy test load. Still, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what makes amplifiers/receivers different, even if the features look similar; in fact, the features and bells/whistles of a receiver are relatively cheap to include when compared to the cost of amp quality. Jason had mentioned how the power supply affects current, but it also affects sound quality/control over motion of the speakers' cones. Unfortunately, better power supply components, (i.e. larger, more massive xformers; stiff, separate/independent and/or regulated power supplies, multiple large reservoir caps, etc.) all add significantly to the parts and manufacturing cost. This is why you can find comparable features in a Pioneer standard line model vs. an Elite line model, or a Sony vs. Sony-ES model, even though they're at wildy different price points: They don't make those premium lines for nuthin', and all that extra money translates into much higher performance quality.

Hope this helps!

-Oliver

 

 

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Oliver Amnuayphol
Home Theater/Audio Guru
Aperion Audio