noparadise
Novice Member
Hi,
Once upon a time, I had a brief, expensive and unsatisfying experiment in 5.1 sound with an Arcam AV amp and a Bose setup. I went back to putting together a stereo system, and haven't looked at the field for over 10 years and I need help.
I want to add a surround receiver to my existing stereo setup, as some TV sound seems to be missing a centre speaker (no matter how the audio is set up), and I am thinking it's time to see what the 21st century has to offer. The plan is to augment the existing system and I simply haven't got the space (or spousal approval) to go beyond 5.1. I have enough loudspeakers of reasonable quality to get running, so that part can wait for now.
So I am looking for a 5.1 AV receiver that will allow me to switch between HDMI inputs and drive center and rear speakers without compromising the existing setup. I want it to be relatively cheap, so I am looking at buying secondhand. Therefore I am asking for your help with the blindingly huge choice out there - I like the look of Denon gear, but even then there is just so much of it, and there may be good alternatives. I don't want to click "buy it now" and then have to sell it on because of some technical or functional gotcha, or because it just sounds like crap - "Good enough" is fine, I am not after kilowatts of audiophile home cinema, I just want the telly to sound better, but one has to draw the line somewhere.
So far, the list of requirements is:
Once upon a time, I had a brief, expensive and unsatisfying experiment in 5.1 sound with an Arcam AV amp and a Bose setup. I went back to putting together a stereo system, and haven't looked at the field for over 10 years and I need help.
I want to add a surround receiver to my existing stereo setup, as some TV sound seems to be missing a centre speaker (no matter how the audio is set up), and I am thinking it's time to see what the 21st century has to offer. The plan is to augment the existing system and I simply haven't got the space (or spousal approval) to go beyond 5.1. I have enough loudspeakers of reasonable quality to get running, so that part can wait for now.
So I am looking for a 5.1 AV receiver that will allow me to switch between HDMI inputs and drive center and rear speakers without compromising the existing setup. I want it to be relatively cheap, so I am looking at buying secondhand. Therefore I am asking for your help with the blindingly huge choice out there - I like the look of Denon gear, but even then there is just so much of it, and there may be good alternatives. I don't want to click "buy it now" and then have to sell it on because of some technical or functional gotcha, or because it just sounds like crap - "Good enough" is fine, I am not after kilowatts of audiophile home cinema, I just want the telly to sound better, but one has to draw the line somewhere.
So far, the list of requirements is:
- has a line level (volume controlled) out that I can use to drive the front speakers on the existing system
- present a control API to the local network
- will decode whatever formats I am likely to come across (probably dts and dolby?)
- does not look or feel like 1970s Amstrad
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