Cinema AV for stereo setup

[Wareaglefan21]

Hey guys,

I'm a broke college student, beating my head against the wall trying to break into hi-fi. Film is my first love, but music is right up there with it- i listen mostly on vinyl. I currently am in a rather small apartment, so i'm using a 2.0 stereo setup (Dali Zensor 3's), but as I have many a/v sources (currently xbox, blu ray, cable, computer, as well as turntable) it seemed best to get a full featured receiver rather than dedicated stereo amp- keeping the wires down to the minimum is ideal, and hdmi inputs seem the best way to do so. Essentially, i need a well balanced system that can handle music and movies with equal panache, and will scale up as I move from small apartment to larger spaces in the future and add speakers to bring the total to 5.1, maybe more eventually.

Secondhand is fine, HDMI is requirement. Phono stage is plus but not at all required. Networking i could take or leave. Pure power is overrated, especially in such a small space. I don't need 900 watts.

The kicker- my budget maxes out around $400 US (~250 GBP), and I'd rather veer towards the low end if possible. Obviously, this forum leans toward much more established enthusiasts with more flexible budgets, but I was hoping for a few good options.

I had been considering the Yamaha RX V377, but i'm not sure how well it would do with a stereo setup. That said, there is a good deal currently that I had been leaning toward - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-RX-V377-5-1-Channel-A-V-Home-Theater-Receiver-HDMI-4k-USB-YPAO-3D-HD-/291219364189?pt=Receivers_Tuners&hash=item43ce06d95d

Thanks for all your help, sorry I'm longwinded.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

The Zensor 3s are great speakers, so don't be afraid to send some power through them, they're up to the job.

I would stay well away from buying refurbished receivers from the States if I was you. Just think about the hassle if it arrived damaged, or developed a fault.

Ideally, brand new is best, and try to get a 5 year warranty with it. Richer Sounds charge 10% of the purchase price for their 5 year warranties, and if you don;t use it, you can claim the money back after 5 years. No brainer.

http://www.richersounds.com/products/home-cinema/home-cinema-separates/av-receivers#2

If you wanted to go the 2nd hand route, there are loads of bargains out there, but remember the possible pitfalls of buying used goods without warranties.

I used to own a Sony STR-DA2400ES, which had a decent built in phono stage, and you could pick one of those up at a reasonable price. The STR-DA5400ES would also be a good receiver. The price of these seems to have gone up since I sold mine a year or so ago, so they must be quite highly rated still.