AV receiver shopping

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Wills1

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Topic # 201604 26-Aug-2016 11:16

Budget up to $1200 tops. I see HN have a sale with some Yamaha options. However its difficult to find reviews.

Will be running 5.1 once I get a centre speaker. Have Diamond 9.5 fronts. Looking at an upgrade from my Denon X1000. Also does anyone know if a Diamond 10. CS would be a suitable match for my fronts?

TIA

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Reply # 1617786 26-Aug-2016 11:32

It's tricky at the moment with so many variations on specs around the likes of 4k etc.

My old Onkyo is still hanging in there after I repaired the hdmi board but I'm keeping an eye out for a replacement at the mo also.

Dingbatt

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Reply # 1617834 26-Aug-2016 12:41

What part of the country are you?

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Wills1

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Reply # 1617836 26-Aug-2016 12:45

Dingbatt: What part of the country are you?

Auckland

networkn

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Reply # 1617844 26-Aug-2016 13:05

Yamaha and Pioneer are always safe bets. Paul Money HiFi are generally open to doing good deals, I got my last 4 Yamahas from them.

surfisup1000

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Reply # 1617862 26-Aug-2016 13:36

i got a denon avr-x3100 for $1k from HN a couple of months back -- think it was half price so even with NZ's jacked up prices it was pretty good deal.

Wheelbarrow01

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Reply # 1617867 26-Aug-2016 13:43

I bought a Marantz SR5009 online from AV World (www.avworld.co.nz) for $999 recently. They ended up sending me an SR5010, possibly due to being out of stock of the SR5009. I thought it was a mistake at first, but the invoice confirmed they sent the one they intended to.

Not too sure what the difference is between them - other than the 5010 has Dolby Atmos, and full support for 4K video (SR 5009 only has partial support I believe).

I suppose it depends what features are inportant for you, but these Marantz amps appear to be jammed full of tech (wifi, bluetooth, spotify etc). They are highly rated on CNET, and soundandvision.com gave them top pick.

Check out AV World or Online HiFi who are both NZ stockists, and I think Harvey Norman may have them as well.

I can't offer you a personal review at this time as mine is still in the box, along with the B&W speakers I bought. I am itching for my lounge reno to be completed so I can finally unbox it all.

illicit

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Reply # 1617870 26-Aug-2016 13:46

The Yamahas are a great option & really good app support for wifi control via tablet or phone

MCONZ

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Reply # 1618075 26-Aug-2016 19:26

At the moment you can get a Pioneer VSX-830 on ebay.com.au shipped from Oz for NZ$625 including shipping and handling with the promo code 'CLICKNZ15'.

http://tinyurl.com/zpbfdbe

Cheapest locally is $824... Might be a good deal depending on GST charges upon arrival.

insane

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Reply # 1618103 26-Aug-2016 21:00

Quite happy with my Yamaha Adventage 730 - getting a little dated now but was in your price range

Dingbatt

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Reply # 1618246 27-Aug-2016 09:40

Wills1:
Dingbatt: What part of the country are you?

Auckland

I would endorse the comments above recommending both AVWorld and Paul Money Hi-Fi. They both have helpful, and more importantly, knowledgeable staff. Both have the full range from consumer to audiophile gear, and listening rooms as well. I have bought at least half of my HT gear from these two retailers.

The HT 'experience' is so different for each person, that in the end I normally advise people to decide what features they want and their budget, check the forums for any problems, and then use your ears and eyes with playback of a piece of media you are familiar with to decide between different receivers. Make sure the speakers they are connected to are comparable to your Diamonds, and not some $25K extreme audiophile ones.

If stores aren't willing to allow you to audition gear, then you have to question how seriously they want to sell you something.

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Dunnersfella

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Reply # 1618278 27-Aug-2016 11:31

Wheelbarrow01:

Check out AV World or Online HiFi who are both NZ stockists, and I think Harvey Norman may have them as well.

Online HiFi aren't a stockist as such... they're the importer.

I also recommend visiting Paul Money - good deals and advice.

Wills1

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Reply # 1621253 2-Sep-2016 10:19

I bought a Marantz SR5010 which I'm really pleased with. Its nice to keep within the same family too, as my favourite piece of kit is a 2226B Marantz solid state stereo receiver I have in the same room.

networkn

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Reply # 1621329 2-Sep-2016 12:01

Within budget?

Wills1

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Reply # 1621334 2-Sep-2016 12:12

networkn:

Within budget?

Not quite, $1400.

TwoSeven

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Reply # 1621366 2-Sep-2016 12:45

I have a an old Yamaha one pre-hdmi and apart from the fact it feels like it weighs 10 tons when I have to move it, it has always put out good sound and been reliable.

I am thinking of upgrading it to something lighter one day, probably to a demon unit with hdmi 2.2 and wireless features.

Software Engineer

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