I’m looking for opinions and advice on a good, (perhaps not necessarily "the best") a/v receiver around $800.
How many speakers? 4K good enough? You can do really well with a factory refurbished one from accessories4less and get more for your money. I have purchased from them 3 times with never any issue.
New? $800 is pretty light to get anything good. I think whatever Yamaha has at around that price point is going to get you a better amplifier section than other brands. Denon is probably holding down that price point better than most.
I’ve run three Yamaha models at this price point over the years and they’ve done the job. Depends on your goals, sound-friendliness of the room, quality of speakers, etc.
Possibly helpful: https://www.accessories4less.com/ma.../receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html
Need more information about your needs to make a real recommendation, but if 7.2 is enough it's hard to beat a refurbished Denon AVR-X2700H for $699.
At the moment I have two, Focal Chorus V bookshelf speakers. Looking to get speakers for surround sound.
I think this is a really challenging question to answer with any degree of certainty. I spent many years consumed with Home theater. As soon as concert DVD's and surround sound were a thing, I was in. Forums like this, audio magazines, demos at shops, I spent a lot of time fussing with the details. I peaked in 2007 and spent 20K building a system. I think it was a Denon 3800i or a Denon that cost $3,800 back then, hard to remember but the internal amp wasn't very good at all and I added an external amp, that was a very big improvement. I was never into watching movies or TV so slowly my two channel system became where I spent all my time. The HT got boxed up and some of it sold to buy better equipment for the stereo. About five years ago I bought a marantz slim line AVR to use for near field listening in my office. The amp section was indeed terrible but the pre amp or processing section was fantastic. The parts that work like a computer and a TV were incredibly convenient. That Marantz recently failed, I'd say heat got the better of the processing board and its beyond repair. I'd like to replace it with something in the price range you are looking at. I really think its a coin flip as far as sound quality is concerned. The market for high end for AVR's has really diminished, the vast majority of the consumer market is cool with a sound bar. The "Flagship" AVR talk is very quiet and its mostly a race to the bottom making the lowest price point possible. I don't think the parts of these receivers that drive speakers has changed a bit and there is a good chance its worse in a cost savings effort. The video processing changes a lot from year to year and to a lesser extent, the DSP and DAC. So if you don't need 8K or even 4K video processing, connectivity to your Iphone, BT or streaming, you can buy used, spend about $200 and there is no loss in sound quality. For me, I'm thinking the cheapest Marantz that has pre outs for an amp is the best option. I like the "brains" of the Marantz better than a Denon or Yamaha. But any used Arcam with and HDMI would likely be the best choice as far as driving speaker and sound quality.
Anthem AVM60 11.2 Channel AV Processor w/ARC Lightly Used | eBay Compelling option at the price point.
Also, Onkyo is decent at this price point. This is about the least expensive AV receiver with a phono input and the most top of the line technology. As a general rule, at $800 or so on up, especially in the $1,000+ range, they usually have phono inputs and those usually are those with the most top of the line technology. AV receivers are all about the technology. Amazon.com: Onkyo TX-NR6100 7.2 Channel THX Certified Network AV Receiver : Electronics Check Craigslist or eBay (local pickup preferred so that you don't have to pay shipping and handling unless you can find a highly rated seller) for older AV receivers if you don't need the most top of the line technology. For me, a decent receiver at a thrift store from the past, no matter if it is AV or just 2 channel stereo as long as it has pre-outs as I do not need the latest AV sound trends. Since my turntables both have built in phono preamps, I can use them if the receivers do not have phono inputs, but if they do have phono inputs, I use the phono inputs. I do use DACs to connect the audio to the receivers if they don't have analog outputs and only for this reason and I were to end up using vintage receivers (those from the Pro-Logic era on back) and in fact, that is what I use in my bedroom right now. The living room has the bigger TV (50") and very small speakers, my bedroom has the full stereo and a very small TV (32").
Used Anthem MRX520 even if it means stretching your budget - Anthem in a different league from Denon/Yamaha/Onkyo etc. at that price point.
As there are still 4 days to go in the auction I can guarantee you it won't stay at that price point!!!!!
Agree with used Anthem suggestion. Arcam also a good choice if you can find something at a suitable price.
Is a 5.1 system ridiculously out of date at this point? Or is still viable in the age of the soundbar?
A decent quality and well set up 5.1 system is easily superior in SQ to any soundbar. A soundbar offers other potential advantages like WAF.
Denon AVR-S960H 7.2-channel home theater receiver with Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®, Apple AirPlay® 2, and Amazon Alexa compatibility
Call me a cynic but I think 5.1 is more than enough. Actually, I think 2 is enough if you get the right two. It's like that SNL skit/commercial about the razor with ten blades for shaving.
Soundbars are wonderful for smaller rooms. For larger rooms 5.1 is still preferable in my experience, even if it's a soundbar matched with wireless rear surrounds and sub, which is Sonos-based in my case. It depends on the room. I have the Sonos Arc and can pick up on the effect from up firing speakers here and there but, if I had a cathedral ceiling I'd want down firing speakers hard wired into the ceiling.
I have a 5.2 (two subs) system and I'm quite happy with it. I actually have speakers on the ceiling, back and front walls that are going unused. Those additional speakers might work for an Atmos type system. But it's a small room and my main interest is 5.1 music not movies. There is NO way any soundbar is going to compete with a well configured and setup 5.1 system. As far as suggestions for an AVR the Anthem and Arcam are great suggestions. That's the direction I'd go in. Anthem's ARC and Arcam's Dirac are excellent room correction systems. But both brands are pricey. In the more moderate price range Denon, Marantz and Yamaha would be great options.
Agreed, its more about the room. I think you can get there with 5.1 if you have good speakers that are well powered and make some effort at treating the room. But....you have to admit there is some degree of marketing in an effort to sell more equipment.
The cathedral ceiling effect is interesting. In my prior home my HT viewing area was over the shorter width of the room, where the cathedral ceiling ran on a parallel line to the couch and didn't have a major effect on the sound. When the room is configured such that the viewing area is the longer length of the room, the additional height is a PIA.
