Suggestions on which reciever to buy RX673 vs Onkyo 616 vs

[jasku]

Hi guys,

I can shop in the US, and looking for a decent entry to mid level receiver. I had initially considered the Pioneer VSX 822, it is available for $210, but now I see the Yamaha RX 673 is down to $400, similarly the Onkyo 616, so please help me pick between the 2.

I am open to any other options too. Please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

 

[goose]

Yamaha...any day!

 

[shanmune]

Hi guys,

I can shop in the US, and looking for a decent entry to mid level receiver. I had initially considered the Pioneer VSX 822, it is available for $210, but now I see the Yamaha RX 673 is down to $400, similarly the Onkyo 616, so please help me pick between the 2.

I am open to any other options too. Please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Very tough to choose between Yamaha and Onkyo. Onkyo should be having more features compared to Yamaha at the same price range.
Make a visit to Yamaha and Onkyo websites and do a comparison of the features. More importantly, do an audition of both Yamaha and Onkyo.

 

[jasku]

Very tough to choose between Yamaha and Onkyo. Onkyo should be having more features compared to Yamaha at the same price range.
Make a visit to Yamaha and Onkyo websites and do a comparison of the features. More importantly, do an audition of both Yamaha and Onkyo.

I have auditioned the Onkyo 616 with Energy take micro, and it sounded really good, now I plan to get the BA XS 5.1 at home, help me choose between these receivers, the Onkyo 616 is now $100 cheaper than the Yamaha, does that make it a no brainer?

The only advantage with the Yamaha is their service center is in Chennai, but the Onkyo dealer claimed to have service facility too.

 

[shanmune]

I have auditioned the Onkyo 616 with Energy take micro, and it sounded really good, now I plan to get the BA XS 5.1 at home, help me choose between these receivers, the Onkyo 616 is now $100 cheaper than the Yamaha, does that make it a no brainer?

The only advantage with the Yamaha is their service center is in Chennai, but the Onkyo dealer claimed to have service facility too.

As you mentioned, Yamaha has better service network. Having said that, Onkyo offers more bang for the buck you pay. Though I don't own onkyo, there is a perception that Onkyo has some reliability problems as reported in some internet forums. At the same time, they may be exaggerated and some times only problems do get reported. There are many Onkyo owners who are happy with their receivers. To be more precise, there should be no performance difference between Yamaha and Onkyo at this price range.
So you take the final call and you won't regret going either way.

 

[elangoas]

I have auditioned the Onkyo 616 with Energy take micro, and it sounded really good, now I plan to get the BA XS 5.1 at home, help me choose between these receivers, the Onkyo 616 is now $100 cheaper than the Yamaha, does that make it a no brainer?

The only advantage with the Yamaha is their service center is in Chennai, but the Onkyo dealer claimed to have service facility too.

Onkyo too has a service center in Chennai.... Now they almost have a service center in every city...

Coming back to the features between the two.. They are almost neck to neck... Onkyo has 2 more additional HDMI inputs than Yamaha RX V 673...

Whereas Yamaha has functionality of playing songs from any iphone/ipod/ipad thru Airplay which the Onkyo doesn't have...

 

[jasku]

Thank you guys for your help, but I decided to get the Sony STR840DN, because the Yamaha price went up by $100, and wasnt confident about Onkyo.

Anyways, I was thinking of pairing this AVR with the BA XS 5.1, do you guys think it would be a good pair, or would the AVR be too strong to drive the speakers?

Thanks in advance.

 

[sash]

For HT, i feel the most important factor to consider is the power (output) of the receiver. Especially in case of dedicated HT rooms where you want to play loud, you better have ample power. Unfortunately it is very tough to make sense of the numbers the manufacturers put out. What you should do is read reviews on sites like Home Page | Sound & Vision where they put out what the receiver is really capable of. It is on the last page of the receiver review. Most receivers go to protection mode when all channels are driven simultaneously. You should compare there before making a final decision.