Entry level HT receiver

skora

Distinguished
Nov 2, 2008
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Hey all, been some time since I've been in the forums. Glad I could find my way back.

After having surround speakers in a box for 3 years, I've finally run the wire and install the ceiling speakers for the rears only to find I don't have a functional receiver. I'm using a crappy KLH R5100 as a temp gap filler but it only has coax digital audio in (optical is busted.) So my cable box has SS, but no love for my optical only DVD player. While I could get a optical/coax converter for $30, I don't trust this receiver and plan to scrap it once its replaced. This was used when my Sony STR-DE995 lost one of the channels and eventually all of them. The display indicates the signal in and decoding is properly functioning.

This will be a very budget minded solution but I want it to be feature full enough to last a few years. I think I've narrowed down to a few options and looking for feedback or other suggestions.

1. I could put my Sony STR-DE995 in the shop and spend $25 for them to look at it and up to another $100 to fix it if its fixable. This has no HDMI input/outputs which isn't a terrible thing right now. Maybe a factor down the road.

Looking at newegg at these three options:
2. $230 - Yamaha RX-V467 5.1 refurb unit
3. $250 - Onkyo TX-SR508 7.1 dual zone (some reservations because of quality issues relating to HDMI output verified at several sites)
4. $300 Yamaha RX-V567 7.1 refurb unit

This will be driving Athena Audition series F2 left/right, C1 center, P400 sub, and some 5.25" Phoenix Gold in ceiling rears. I also have Athena bookshelf and rear center stored right now, so down the road in a different house, I could consider more than a 5.1 setup. Not a critical factor though.

Thanks for the time reading and any help you can offer.