[abanks8]

A friend asked me to help revamp his electronic setup up (condo open concept).  What would you recommend for a receiver (under $2k)?  He would use for TV, movies, music and karaoke.

[bacobits1]

Look at Marantz. Some very good reviews.

[rollo]

  NAD for starters. Dennon, Marantz, and do not forget Yamaha VG sound. IMO most of the reciever's are equal in features and sonics. However each manf has a house sound. So go listen and determine which you prefer that simple.


charles

[FireGuy]

Look at Marantz. Some very good reviews.

+2    Accessories4less.com

Factory refirbed units at a killer price.

[Phil A]

Accessories4less as noted is good. Technology changes, and, if I were to spend that kind of money I'd wait until Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and full 4k compatibility are commonplace

[JoshK]

Accessories4less as noted is good. Technology changes, and, if I were to spend that kind of money I'd wait until Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and full 4k compatibility are commonplace

The 2k budget is a bit tight or I'd highly recommend getting a pre-pro or receiver with pre outs and spend a bit more on good amps (Outlaw are cheaper).  Amps don't become obsolete, the receivers/prepro do. The processors are constantly being dated within a year, much like DACs in the audiophile world, so I wouldn't put too much of my budget into that part.   I still have an Onkyo NR905 which I paid ~1500 for 7 years ago and used it up until I replaced it with a Marantz AV7702 pre-pro ($2000 on this alone) but then I don't care to keep up with the latest and greatest for the most part.  I do think the newer ATMOS, DSU, DTS:X, etc are a real game changer and wouldn't pass that over (object processing versus placement).  4K and 3D aren't really high priorities in my opinion.  The availability of 4K material seems suspect (virtually non-existent and even the future looks shaky).  Unless you have a huge dedicated FPJ screen, I highly doubt you could tell the difference anyway.  3D is a geez whiz and cool for a couple of releases, but that is about it. 

example:
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/7125.html   $1k for 7 x 125w.  Designed by Morris Kessler of ATI, a superb designer.
Then 1K for a pre-pro/receiver with pre outs?   Might be harder to find, and I am not up on the models, but its possible.  Actually look at this one http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/marav7702/marantz-av7702-multichannel-a/v-preamplifier-with-dolby-atmos/1.html.   I really like Marantz and I own this one.  They are on top of the short list these days.  That puts you $300 over budget...but you get the point, receivers are disposable and have a shelf life of maybe 3-4 years if you aren't chasing the latest greatest, so I'd rather invest in great amps for the long haul and spend what your willing to part with for the pre-pro/receiver.

[RDavidson]

I bought a Yamaha RXA-1000 back in 2011. What caught my attention about this model was that they didn't skimp on the overall quality of construction, particularly with regard to the amp section (first year of the Aventage line) : This was in comparisson to the feature-laden models from other manufacturers in the same price tier. At the time, unless one had the money to purchase the top-of-the-line or second to the top of the line receiver, the amplifier sections in most receivers left much to be desired and typically had cheap lightweight switching type power supplies. Things may be better now with regard to amp quality in the mid-level tier. I'm not sure. I haven't looked at receivers in a long time.

On the flip side, the RXA-1000 has virtually no video processing. It has upconversion for legacy video to HDMI, but otherwise just has video pass-through. This is actually a good thing to me. If you have a good Blu-Ray player/processor like an Oppo, any other video processing is entirely redundant. So why pay for it, unless maybe you intend to hook up a whole house system, right? Then, one might need the extra video processing flexibility. The Yamaha gets daily use in the family room and has been entirely problem-free.

This isn't so much a plug for Yamaha as it is just info for consideration. I made my choice based on needs and priorities. I couldn't afford a TOTL receiver in 2011, so I prioritized amp quality over features. Audio processing (internal DAC) was also carefully considered. Hopefully this helps narrow your search.

[nickd]

I just bought the Pioneer SC85 receiver while it was on sale about three weeks ago.
Lots of features and power, sounds good too. A disclaimer though I don't use it for my primary music rig. I use it for TV and Theater duties wired in 7.1 configuration. Nice "I Pad App" interface and room correction package. Easy set up too. My choice for "sound quality only" would be NAD. But because I wanted a cool running "green" receiver and had a modest budget (the Loaded NAD units are $2-3K), I picked the Pioneer SC85.

[asliarun]

I'm currently using an entry level Marantz slimline as a pre-pro (purchased from accessories4less  ) - paired with Dayens Ecstasy integrated amp (i only need two channels). I wholeheartedly recommend the pre-pro + power amp approach in this price point. Every 5 years or so, if nothing else, HDMI specification increases and room correction eq improves significantly, and then right away, the older models that don't support this become obsolete and their resale price drops like a stone. At least with separates, the power amp will still retain its value and will not need to be replaced as well.

I was trying to find a replacement for the Marantz, and it is actually frustrating. I can only find two choices in the sub 1k price point (maybe I didn't look hard enough). Outlaw Model 975 and an Emotiva model that I can no longer see in their website - were the only models that I could find.

[milford3]

The Marantz SR 7008 at musicdirect for half price.  I have the SR 7008 for HT and just adore it.



http://www.musicdirect.com/p-138839-marantz-sr7008-surround-receiver.aspx

[Doublej]

Another brand to consider, Anthem.

[Johnny2Bad]

+1 on Anthem. A little over $1000 to the top model @ $2000.

[jpm]

I'm very happy with my Denon x-4000. It has pre-outs, support for 2 sub-woofers and Audyssey MultEQ XT32 with SubEQ HT, amongst a laundry list of other features. 

At the time I got mine, it was the cheapest option with MultEQ XT32. The current refurb price of ~$600 leaves plenty of room in your budget to add separate amps as others have suggested. 

I was sorely tempted by the ~$1k Nuforce AVP-18 at the time, but product availability, uncertainty about support with the Nuforce / Nuprime deal as well as a desire not to spend more time with configuration than using (why I like Audyssey) won me over.

[abanks8]

Thanks everyone for your feedback.  You have give me much to consider.  I plan to take my friend shopping tomorrow.

[abanks8]

Back from shopping and my friend purchased the Marantz SR7009 (I thought the SR7008 was good enough). 

[milford3]

Enjoy the Marantz SR 7009.  Set up is a bit tricky so give a least half a day for this.