Hi guys, I was wondering if you could offer some advice to this newbie (both in terms of this forum and the big bad world of home cinema):
I am looking to buy an AV receiver to drive a speaker set that is as yet un-purchased, but I am probably going to invest in a Kef 2005.3 package. Based on reviews and the hype surrounding them, I think I've narrowed down my receiver to either a Sony STR-DA2400 or an Onkyo TX-SR607, but I'm at a loss as to which one I should go for. The Onkyo is a WHF 4-star receiver that's going for £499 (the absolute top of my receiver budget) whereas the Sony has 5 stars (albeit in a review that is over 6 months old) and is available for £449 on amazon. The extra 2 HDMI inputs on the Onkyo wouldn't make any short-term difference to me as, for the time being, I'd only be running Sky HD and a Sony BDP350 Blu-ray player into the receiver via HDMI. I also wouldn't be that bothered about the extra .1 capability of the Onkyo, nor the Pro Logic IIz. However, I am very taken with the idea of the Audyssey system regulating the volume levels irrespective of source (my wife goes mad when the decibels double when switching from an HD channel or blu-ray to standard tv!), and as someone who would be running a PS2 and an Xbox 360 through the receiver, I also like the sound of the Onkyo's dedicated gaming sound settings. Otherwise, it's difficult to tell the two apart, at least in terms of how it would make a difference to me (apart from the £50 saving of the Sony over the Onkyo).
I'm not going to get a chance to demo either of these receivers, nor would I really know what to be checking for, so I am very much putting myself at the mercy of WHF expert reviews and the advice of the good folk on this forum. Any tips you could give me please would be greatly appreciated.
I am looking to buy an AV receiver to drive a speaker set that is as yet un-purchased, but I am probably going to invest in a Kef 2005.3 package. Based on reviews and the hype surrounding them, I think I've narrowed down my receiver to either a Sony STR-DA2400 or an Onkyo TX-SR607, but I'm at a loss as to which one I should go for. The Onkyo is a WHF 4-star receiver that's going for £499 (the absolute top of my receiver budget) whereas the Sony has 5 stars (albeit in a review that is over 6 months old) and is available for £449 on amazon. The extra 2 HDMI inputs on the Onkyo wouldn't make any short-term difference to me as, for the time being, I'd only be running Sky HD and a Sony BDP350 Blu-ray player into the receiver via HDMI. I also wouldn't be that bothered about the extra .1 capability of the Onkyo, nor the Pro Logic IIz. However, I am very taken with the idea of the Audyssey system regulating the volume levels irrespective of source (my wife goes mad when the decibels double when switching from an HD channel or blu-ray to standard tv!), and as someone who would be running a PS2 and an Xbox 360 through the receiver, I also like the sound of the Onkyo's dedicated gaming sound settings. Otherwise, it's difficult to tell the two apart, at least in terms of how it would make a difference to me (apart from the £50 saving of the Sony over the Onkyo).
I'm not going to get a chance to demo either of these receivers, nor would I really know what to be checking for, so I am very much putting myself at the mercy of WHF expert reviews and the advice of the good folk on this forum. Any tips you could give me please would be greatly appreciated.