# Budget AV Receiver recommendations?



## christruk42 (Mar 17, 2021)

Hi guys, I'm looking for a budget AV Receiver for my 2 Elac F5 floor standing speakers. Primary purpose is for music listening..and occasionally for watching movies on my LG C8. I have no plans to add additional speakers now.
Do I need a 7.2Channel Denon X1500H ?
or a basic X250BT 5.2Channel does the job ?
or any other brand/model suggestions ?
Thanks!


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

If all you're going to use are 2 speakers than you don't really need a receiver that has more than 5.x channels of amplification. You should really consider getting a center channel though as the configuration you'll have will be little more than amplified TV speakers when watch movies. Some AVR's have a 'phantom' center setting - which passes that channels information to the left and right speakers to try and imitate a center - but it's usually not implemented very well so it tends to sound a bit odd.


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## Brian Steele (Jan 3, 2011)

As plans can and do change, there are some cheap 7.2 A/V receivers that can meet your needs. I'm currently using this one, after my Yamaha RX-V673 stopped working due to a failed DSP chip: 7.2ch Dolby Atmos HDR 4K AV Receiver | STR-DH790 | Sony US


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## Da Wiz (May 8, 2019)

Plenty of stereo receivers have been made over the years and a few companies even make new stereo receivers. So for 2 speakers, you don't NEED anything more than 2 channels (stereo) on the receiver. If budget is the main concern, I would look for a USED receiver made between 2012 and now (because something happened to mid-priced and higher receivers right around 2012, a rather substantial improvement in sound quality, from penalty box sound earlier than that from most brands to surprisingly good sound after this evolution. Look for a mid-line receiver from that era, something that sold new for say, $1200 to $1500 or close to that range and pay the least amount possible for an AVR of that era which will likely be 5.1 or 7.1. Used, the cost should be quite manageable. I have never shopped for an AVR there, but Audiogon is a reputable marketplace for stereo and home theater equipment and you might find something there (they have classifieds and auctions). I don't find AVRs that were originally "cheap" to have benefitted the sonic level jumping that happened around 2012 for mid-line and top-line AVRs. You can, for example, buy a new stereo AVR for under $300, but I would choose an older $1500 AVR with 7.1 or 5.1 channels from, say, 2015 for $300-ish just to get better sound quality from the older product. YMMV


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## rdcollns (Oct 13, 2013)

Da Wiz said:


> Plenty of stereo receivers have been made over the years and a few companies even make new stereo receivers. So for 2 speakers, you don't NEED anything more than 2 channels (stereo) on the receiver. If budget is the main concern, I would look for a USED receiver made between 2012 and now (because something happened to mid-priced and higher receivers right around 2012, a rather substantial improvement in sound quality, from penalty box sound earlier than that from most brands to surprisingly good sound after this evolution. Look for a mid-line receiver from that era, something that sold new for say, $1200 to $1500 or close to that range and pay the least amount possible for an AVR of that era which will likely be 5.1 or 7.1. Used, the cost should be quite manageable. I have never shopped for an AVR there, but Audiogon is a reputable marketplace for stereo and home theater equipment and you might find something there (they have classifieds and auctions). I don't find AVRs that were originally "cheap" to have benefitted the sonic level jumping that happened around 2012 for mid-line and top-line AVRs. You can, for example, buy a new stereo AVR for under $300, but I would choose an older $1500 AVR with 7.1 or 5.1 channels from, say, 2015 for $300-ish just to get better sound quality from the older product. YMMV


I second this. I bought a Yamaha Aventage receiver used on ebay for half price, and it was only a year old. Most people baby their equipment, and this was in perfect condition. The sound quality is so far beyond the midline Onkyo I owned before it, even my wife can clearly hear the difference. You can get a lot more bang for your buck, and most of these receivers will easily last 20 years. The only drawback is that the video capabilities regularly change, so mine will do any HD switching, and convert analog signals, etc, but it won't do 4K, but that didn't come out until the year after I bought anyway. Today's receivers are coming out with 8K, but if you don't plan to buy an 8K display, or don't plan to use your receiver for video switching, this is just added cost for features you won't use, and a receiver that is only a couple years old will be far less expensive to you.


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