Video Asylum

Posted by Bob_Clarke on February 20, 2011 at 18:56:49

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone had any opinions about this...

I have tons of 2ch Hi Fi gear, and I really don't want to spend a lot of money on 7.1 right now. I want a good surround A/V receiver that won't break the bank. I'm not interested in the most features, just something that will sound very good.

I have a set of Energy Connoisseur speakers (C1, C5, C7, CC1's) and a DIY Adire Audio Tempest 15" woofer (remember those?), a Sharp Aquos 42" 1080P TV, which I use with a Yamaha RXV-1500 (http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/hifi-components/stereo-receivers/rx-v1500_blacku/?mode=model) brand new, for around $180. Sounds like an absolute steal to me. Both receivers are very similar, and they have the "Digital Top Art" feature, which (at least according to the salesman) may be the reason why I like my RX-V1500 so much. As I said before, I really can't complain - 5.1 SACDs were simply stunning through the system.

The 661, though, seems to me to be a lesser model - the only advantage is the HDMI switching, and the fact that the 661 can pass audio thru HDMI (I know it's an older model, but for the price, I can't complain). Power output seems to be the same - 90 WPC vs. 120 WPC, 20-20KHz. The 1500 is quite a bit heavier. Not a real big difference between the two units.

I'd keep the 1500 but with no HDMI audio pass thru, I think I'd not be able to enjoy Blu-Ray as much as I'd do with the 661. Even though it's an older model, it has everything I think I'd need (I'll only use an XBox and a Blu Ray player with it, so 2 HDMI inputs are enough). Obviously, I'd need a Blu-Ray player which decodes DTS Master Audio and DD, and pass it through HDMI. Still seems like a good buy.

What would you do?