I sort of am a perfectionist too, and perhaps my expectations are too high-- but at a $1K price tag, it should deliver even if I had to deal with a few gripes.
What this experience has taught me and confirmed my own suspicions:
AV Receivers are a dying breed, not as much demand, so manufacturers are recycling old products with new tech (HDMI 2.1, etc) putting lipstick on it, hiring an awesome marketing crew that can tout the new features, and sell it at top dollar. Do a mild refresh each year, sell for more money; honestly probably all they can do to stay alive. Only a few brands left, and many are consolidated --> Denon = Marantz for example. I don't even know where Onkyo is right now, they've changed hands and filed for bankruptcy so many times now.
I'll probably keep this one because for movies and utilizing my surround to the fullest, it's spot on. And it would be too expensive to send back and take a gamble on another brand receiver.
It makes my living room which is quite small, a true home theater and with the right sources, good high def surround sound. Anything beyond that it's just meh..
I settled on plugging the PC into the TV directly and EARC takes audio back to the receiver. Not the ideal situation because if I want to change settings on the Yamaha while using the PC, I have to change input on the TV, there are very little controls for audio outside of the on screen display.
Sorry for the long winded post. Next time i'm going to seriously consider going a different direction. i'm about to install the musiccast app and will update if things get better with that.
Well, I certainly dont think your expectations were too high, your experience though and from others is what has had me constantly put off buying a new receiver. Our current Yamaha 5.1 which is getting on in years still delivers room shaking sound from my Two Main Paradigm Speakers, JBL Ref center channel, Yami sub and two JBL rears. However lets face it I dont trust it to even properly pass though a 4k signal so only use it for sound.
I just cant kill the receiver and at the time it was pretty basic, sound is awesome for movies (we are perfectionists for video, prefer our system to a theater) Anyway, even with 16 foot ceilings it has enough reserve for clean ear splitting volumes if pushed.
Fast forward to litterally, the last month, we sold our house of 16 years we lived in the south, stupid it took only 3 days to sell and actually be in contract. Now in an apartment for months until a new smaller one is finished being built near the coast of NC.
The system in storage and for the first time, I still cant believe I am thinking about this but Im certain I am going to do it. But for the new house Im going to get a sound bar, Sony HT-A 7000 most likely, torn between that and the Sono's Ark The ark is a bit dated, no blue tooth and reviews on the Sony surprise me they are so good. Even in whathifi.com though I am leary they seem to LOVE the Sony over the Sono's and for our new smaller "retirement" home it will be way more than capable. Though I still have a problem wrapping my head around it, wondering what the "catch" is. Most likely burn out in a couple years and it's not cheap.
It's funny you mentioned the "brands" yeah, you have to look up on the internet now before you buy something to see who owns who, most of them under an umbrella company. Some like you are aware teeter on the brink of bankruptcy or just shutting down. It's a new world now, like almost no one wants to put in an effort for anything that might take effort such as researching and setting up a sound system. All in one, take it out of a box, you're set to go. Part of it, industry fault, some stuff loaded up with marketing garbage to the point that people get confused and shut down.
The sound from them is "good enough" heck, just look at all the tiny expensive small Bluetooth speakers that at sold now.
Anyway, it sounds like you will make it work and get used to it, start to enjoy it.
There was one other comment I was going to make a couple days ago but in the past since you decided. The place you purchased it had the best price but worst return policy, you made a comment next time Amazon. Well, if you think of it, the cost would have been the same. More expensive price from Amazon, free returns. If you decided to return it now since you bought at a better price but have to pay two way shipping, the bottom line is the price maybe the same as if you bought from Amazon anyway so really no loss.
Your input has helped my decision more I think. Now I got this system in storage and how do you get rid of something, most young people would even, dont even know what to do with something with 6 speakers. Hence why there are now sound bars. I guess I could try Facebook marketplace.
