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a cheap receiver for my first setup

H e n r i

H e n r i

New Member
Hi guys, music enthusiast & new here

I'm looking for a first, nice sounding, low buck setup for my apartment. I think bookshelves speakers will be enough for the space.
BEFORE EVERYTHING
I know that it will not be a perfect setup, but I ain't got much cash and not everything is available nearby without paying an arm in shipping..
sooooo moving on!

I've had my hands on a pair of used mission m71, they seemed reasonable quality for the price (100$ cad)

Now, I'm looking for a receiver, and in my area I've come across two used receivers that seem fair, but as I don't know much I would appreciate little advice. My priorities are reliability and versatility.

Harman Kardon HK 330vi
vs
Denon DRA 365r

Both are available between 50 and 100 cad

Which one would you recommend and why?

if you have another suggestion it's fine but I may not find any in my area or for a fair price

Thanks a lot !
 
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While your receivers do have a AM/FM radio section your question is not related to that aspect of them. I going to move this over to the solid state forum where it will get more exposure.
 
Condition is the major concern. Remember, these are 40 - 50 years old and WILL need service.

Now, you can pay a pretty penny for a unit that supposedly been serviced/refurbed or pay a bit less and plan on having it serviced yourself.

Or, reconsider posts 5 and 6. I've bought several refurbs from A4L with no issues. Keep in mind that most modern receivers don't offer a phono input, though.

For $100, it's hard to argue with this.

https://www.accessories4less.com/ma...00-watts-natural-sound-stereo-receiver/1.html

Dunno if they ship to Canada, though.
 
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Okay thanks you all!
I havent measured the service old units might need ..

From what I can understand a new unit from Yamaha like the rs202 for around a 150 bucks would make more sense. I'll look for that.

Are there other brands / models that I should consider ?
(I really like knobs, I might prefer something else than the almost buttons-only rs202 ..)

. . . .

@Punker X thank you for moving the post, I had not realized I chose the wrong category lesson's learned now, I guess

@the skipper sadly A4L seems to be limited to US domestic market
 
I looked at Skipper's Yamaha on A4L, and there is an option for shipping to Canada. Look under the Shipping Tab. It's there. So, don't give up yet...!
 
StimpyWan said:
I looked at Skipper's Yamaha on A4L, and there is an option for shipping to Canada. Look under the Shipping Tab. It's there. So, don't give up yet...!
Click to expand...

Well, thanks
This site is misleading, is says "
*Sold exclusively within the US only. No shipments allowed outside the US!"
In the description :o
 
They put that note in pretty much by default. So, always check the Shipping link, to find out for sure. Oh, the Yamaha R-N303 adds a 2nd knob. Though, the price doubles! I never knew knobs were so expensive? :biggrin:

I get it now. The 303 has a built in DAC. Nice. :)
 
Members have this covered. I'll add: avoid a receiver with spring clip speaker binders. You can dress up your system with low cost speaker cables and banana plugs. For example, take a look at Monster Z-Series cables.
 
I would try to stay within Canada as shipping that Yamaha into Canada would be expensive PLUS you have to convert the US to CAD and it gets much worse for you.
 
Out of the two you listed in your first post, I'd lean towards the HK. Generally, for strictly music use, I'd steer towards a stereo/2 channel unit versus an A/V receiver, at least when looking at budget-friendly options.

If you want to go new instead of vintage (which it sounds like you do), entry level models from Yamaha (already posted by others) or Onkyo would be my first choices.
 
If you come across something NAD, I've never been disappointed in their sound. I bought an AVR for $100 and a receiver for $80. Both sound beautiful.
 
Taketheflame said:
Out of the two you listed in your first post, I'd lean towards the HK. Generally, for strictly music use, I'd steer towards a stereo/2 channel unit versus an A/V receiver, at least when looking at budget-friendly options.

If you want to go new instead of vintage (which it sounds like you do), entry level models from Yamaha (already posted by others) or Onkyo would be my first choices.
Click to expand...

AVR's from the mid-2000's are tremendous value. You can get a TOTL unit sometimes for well under $100. They will be rated 125-150 wpc which is more than enough. The higher end models will have multiple digital inputs for use with on-board D/A chips. Bluetooth was not invented, which if important would not make an older AVR an option. Soundwise, TOTL AVR's will sound just as good as modern BPC receivers most of which are built to a price point.
 
SoCal Sam said:
AVR's from the mid-2000's are tremendous value. You can get a TOTL unit sometimes for well under $100. They will be rated 125-150 wpc which is more than enough. The higher end models will have multiple digital inputs for use with on-board D/A chips. Bluetooth was not invented, which if important would not make an older AVR an option. Soundwise, TOTL AVR's will sound just as good as modern BPC receivers most of which are built to a price point.
Click to expand...
I actually didn't know that used TOTL units could be had that cheap...I figured it's a case of KISS (keep it simple, stupid) at this price point, where the more features that get crammed into one unit and the cheaper it is, the more of a compromise it becomes - surely that's still the case with new units?
 
Taketheflame said:
I actually didn't know that used TOTL units could be had that cheap...I figured it's a case of KISS (keep it simple, stupid) at this price point, where the more features that get crammed into one unit and the cheaper it is, the more of a compromise it becomes - surely that's still the case with new units?
Click to expand...

All true. With TOTL AVR, less compromises were made to hit a price point. However, KISS is always wise. More to muck up the recipe and more that can break. For stereo duty, I always select Analog or Bypass mode. And yet, the prospect of getting a 125 wpc receiver for cheap is alluring.
 
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