AV receiver under 35k

[neerajbisht]

Hi,
I had an old Philips HTIB and I want to upgrade it. I need suggestions for a new AV receiver under 35k. I dont have budget for new speakers at this point and will buy them at a later stage.

Here are my requirements:
1) 5.1 will do. Do not need 7.1 necessarily.
2) Already own a WDTV live. So can live w/o wifi, bluetooth, DLNA or airplay features
3) Sound Quality is most important. But how much AV receivers(with similar power specs) contribute to sound quality is debatable?
4) Usage would be 70% movies and 30% music.
5) 4 HDMI options should suffice my need.

Here are few options that I have thought about:
1) Pioneer 823K
2) Marantz 1403
3) Yamaha RX-V375
4) Denon x1000
5) Sony STR-DN104 (Gets fabulous reviews on all sites but buyers on amazon complain about HDMI issues.)

 

[Bharadwaj Bunga]

Sound Quality is most important.

If sound quality is your main prerequisite, Marantz/Denon should be the best pick.

 

[neerajbisht]

Thanks Bhardwaj.
I would like to know what contribution Av receiver would have on the final sound quality.
Should I get the cheapest receiver(with a minimum per channel power output of 60) and spend the budget on better speakers? Or should I spend more on the receivers?

 

[Bharadwaj Bunga]

Thanks Bhardwaj. I would like to know what contribution Av receiver would have on the final sound quality.

AV receivers definitely play a role, albeit not as much as the speakers. I am also making a purchase this week, so spent some time auditioning AV equipment. For speakers I've chosen Boston acoustics Soundware XS-5.1 as my budget is a bit constrained. Regarding AVRs what i found during my audition:

Music>Movies: Marantz>>Yamaha>Denon

Movies>Music: Denon>Marantz>Yamaha.

P.S: These findings are purely subjective hence I suggest you to audition and choose wisely to your taste.

Should I get the cheapest receiver(with a minimum per channel power output of 60) and spend the budget on better speakers? Or should I spend more on the receivers?

For AV equipment, it is always wise to spend more on speakers than AVRs. But if you have a decent budget you can consider better AVRs with bells and whistles. Finally it boils down to your budget and requirements. We can help you better if you specify your budget.

 

[neerajbisht]

The budget for receivers is 35k. The budget for speakers would be around 40k but I would be buying them after 6 months.

 

[Bharadwaj Bunga]

The budget for receivers is 35k. The budget for speakers would be around 40k but I would be buying them after 6 months.

If movies is your main preference Denon-X1000 is what I suggest. If music is your top priority you can purchase Yamaha RX-V 475/473. Marantz AVRs are expensive. AFAIK the best deal on Marantz you can get is this. You can get additional 10% discount using a coupon. Please note that this one is rated 50W@8ohms. (May not suffice bigger speakers with low sensitivity).

P.S: I suggest you to buy speakers to your liking first and then you can match the AVR accordingly.

 

[glen7x]

I saw a Marantz receiver at Reliance, Ascendas whitefield for 23k. Last piece offer. Not sure of it supports USB play. Go check this out if interested. Sorry, did not notice the model details.

 

[karthick raja]

Try Pioneer avrs, as its known for its VFM and also it offers more features and comparable performance in the lower price band.

 

[gilfredpaul]

Denon should be good receiver for movies...try to invest in good sub for movies.

 

[jkarthik]

For moviesioneer VSX - 523k, 823K, Yamaha RX-V375, Denon AVR X500,AVR X1000, Yamaha RX-V375, RX-V377, RX-V473

For both music and movies: Marantz NR1402,1403, Harmon Kardon AVR-70

Please audition before buy.

 

[aakashr]

Suggest you to personally demo and decide what sound you like. I personally prefer a more warmer sound while others might prefer a more bright sound. These are the different sound signatures you will get from different AVRs.

I love the warm sound of Denon / Marantz. Onkyo on the other hand plays more bright which work great for movies.