Which A/V receiver is better for HDMI and THX/DTS. I prefer Yamaha, can anyone tell me other brands/models?

Question

I prefer Yamaha, can anyone tell me other brands or any particular model of Yamaha which supports all the audios and produce the best quality with the HDMI compatibility?

Answer 1

I am personally a big fan of the Denon receivers.  If you like to listen to music as well as use it for movie/tv, Denon provides the best mix in my opinion.  and as far as best quality with HDMI starting with their 2308 series and up, they offer 1080p scaling, which is a nice feature when you still have some non-hd components *cough* nintendo wii *cough*

Answer 2

Denon is way to go Onkyo is decent but as far as THX models unless your speakers are built for THX standard i wouldn't bother with it. When you do go for HDMI switching receivers make sure they are HDMI 1.3 and if you are going to be running Hi-def sound formats you should check into higher end models (ones which can decode HD format sounds). But if i were you i would wait. The price should come down soon enough, you have to pay for a high price for a future proof hardware. Oh and make sure they can take the format your TV is running (some are still 1080i)

Answer 3

Pioneer makes a few thx models and know from experience they have GREAT customer service.  Denon makes a few also. Denon's are usually very highly rated but a little expensive. Harman Kardon makes some really good ones not sure about thx certs, but harman is expensive and break alot. (read reviews at amazon for all these you will see)  Onkyo makes some very good ones that are usually inexpensive but if something happens you are stuck because they have notoriously AWFUL customer service.  Go to amazon find ones you like and read user reviews. Also Cnet.com has editor reviews of alot of receivers.

Answer 4

I agree with everyone so far, but I'm with you on this one. Yamaha makes really good sense.

THX, at least back when George Lucas owned it, was a certification process that was tough to pass. If you had a "THX" theater system in your home, you could be sure that the system met the highest standards. Now that THX has been sold, their label is starting to show up on HTiB systems. lol

If you do a little research on the theoretical side of surround, you will find that prominant professionals disagree about many things. One glaring disagreement is over the need to have more speakers in the rear than in the front. Even with no formal education on the subject, one can instinctively make the case that it might be better to have more speakers in the front than the rear. I tend to agree.

But, you don't have to pick between the two if you choose Yamaha, it does both well!

Yamaha has spent a lot of time and money on their Topart processing which sounds amazing in a system with 5 front and 4 rear speakers. Remember, first and foremost Yamaha is a musical instrument company, even though that's not where most of their money comes from. The sound reproduction people and the instrument people work closely when it comes to achieving natural sound, and it shows in their nicer receivers.

I typically choose Yamaha for my custom installations BECAUSE they run the best of both worlds, THX and the prominant-sound-stage, well. This also allows plenty of room for growth. Start with 5.1 if that's what the budjet permits, then 7.1, then 9.1, then 9.2 and so on... It's a little pricey, but the RX-Z11, is designed for 11.2 to 11.4 and it's unbelievable!

So far as other brands, Pioneer Elite is a fine choice and Onkyo has made a comeback with good options. Marantz is excellent and you could even use their lower line, Denon. I would avoid Harmon Kardon due to reliability issues.

As has been said by other responders here, be sure to stay with the nicer models from any manufacturer so you will be up to date with HDMI v1.3 and so you can decode HD audio from Bluray disks.

Answer 5

Onkyo, Denon and Harmon Kardon all make great receivers too.

From what I've heard and read...Onkyo would be a sound choice.