Home audio & video forum: A/V Receiver and Playstation 3 Blu-Ray Home Theater

with HDMI, the best one that you can buy is the Onkyo 605. It has HDMI ports and will decode all of the HD Audio tracks. It is a little above what you are looking to pay though as it is $399.

If you could spend the extra I would definitely do it as it is a great receiver which has gotten stellar reviews and has great features, especially in this price range.

Check the internet and see if you can find it a little cheaper. But even if you can't, I think that it is the best choice and worth going a little over budget.


Good luck

OP, remember that HDMI's only advantage in quality improvement is to get lossless audio. If it can't handle audio, it's like having a solar-powered flashlight.

Please look at the Yamaha 663. Similar price to 605, yet has pre-outs, matrixes hi-def over 7.1. It does not have simultaneously variable x-over points, just a selectable universal.

If it was me, Id get the 663 without question, but that's me.

What the heck is "HDMI control"? Do you mean CEC? Lip sync is not a big deal, any receiver has delay settings already built in. You want to recommend a receiver purchase on the basis off not using your tv's remote?? Misguided. The receiver is doing a ton of things, and they are all audio based. Ok, you can use VP, but it's not worth it with anything less than 1k.

There are HDMI switchers one can buy. And you are assuming that he does not have enough slots on the TV itself. If you use the separate slots on the TV, then you can adjust picture settings per input, something you can't do by using the receiver's HDMI output.

I think you're full of it. I will repeat that the only improvement in quality of video or audio reproduction with HDMI on the receiver is for the lossless audio.

The receiver's most important functions include the ability to handle AUDIO signals, decode, matrix, bass mgmt, room correction, and amplify the various channels. To choose solely off the basis of a video switcher is misguided to say the least.

To buy a receiver with HDMI that cannot handle audio is lame. For the same performance you can spend about 1/3 the price w/o HDMI. You're going to pay 300% more just to have a possibly unnecessary switcher?

Instead of buying a $10,000 car, would you instead just choose the $30,000 car because it came with a better cup holder. Well, I actually would get more use out of the larger cup holder than a receiver's HDMI inputs that can't handle audio. If I had such a receiver you can be absolutely guaranteed I wouldn't even use them, and rather opt for direct video connections in this case.