Upgrading from Onkyo 706 to Yamaha 667/767... ?

[admin_exported]

Hello,

I currently have a set-up which consists of an Onkyo TX-SR706 receiver, connected to an Epson EH-TW5000 projector, PS3 slim and HDI Dune HD Base 3.0. I have a HK HKTS 11 speaker set.

The current iBOOD offering in Belgium is a Yamaha RX-V667 at €369,95 (approx. £315). I've been tempted by this thing since I first noticed it. I was not particularly looking for a replacement for my Onkyo, but the offer got me thinking. I always felt the Onkyo was a bit overkill for my current speakers. And at the same time there are some minor annoyances. For instance, there's lots of heat coming from it (which I remedied with an AV cooler from Antec), source switching isn't always smooth and stereosound isn't that great either.

I will keep this inquiry very simple: would switching from my Onkyo to an RX-V667 make my home cinema experience (using my current gear) better?

I know the best advice would be to demo receivers (I've done this with my current gear), but I think this iBOOD offer is really sharp, at least in Belgium it is.

Also: Is there any reason (beyond increased power and extra HDMI output, both of which I really don't need) to favor a Yamaha 767 over a 667? Btw, I can get a 767 for about €500 (approx. £425).

Hope to hear from you soon!

Greetings,

Dries

 

[audioaffair]

You'll have the benefit of the latest HD sound mode decoding for blu ray and HD sources that weren't featured on the 706 two years ago, but as far as the overall performance goes, it will be an improvement, but not as much as going for say the 1067 - should budget permit.

 

[Anonymous]

You'll have the benefit of the latest HD sound mode decoding for blu ray and HD sources that weren't featured on the 706 two years ago, but as far as the overall performance goes, it will be an improvement, but not as much as going for say the 1067 - should budget permit.

I think Onkyo 706 can decode HD-audio(even 705?)

 

[Frank Harvey]

The 706 is roughly on par with the 767, so as far as quality is concerned, there's going to be very little difference, if any. The biggest difference will be switching from one manufacturer to another, as they're going to be quite different tonally. Personally, I'd wait as most manufacturers are in the process of bringing out new receivers - if you're going to change, you may as well make sure you change to something that's fully up to date. Plus, for a quality improvement, you'll have to be looking at receivers in the £1,000 region, roughly speaking.