Denon produced sound is good but my first unit has gone bad. Only audio out but no video. Repairing is not worth I believe because it will cost like buying new 2nd hand unit.

My 2nd Denon now sometimes has weird symptom like it takes too long time to reach preset sound volume

Sounds like a QC/QA issue with Denon. But this is anecdotal experience. Getting 2 bad units in a row can have bad taste in your mouth though.

I wonder if I should go for the cheapest, the Nihon-made Onkyo?

every brand or model has potential bad units.

10 years ago, i bought an onkyo, trouble free, still working.

2 years ago, i bought the onkyo sr252, arrived unable to power up, had to return to seller...

replaced with denon x520bt, all good since.

the current X250BT is an upgrade of the 520bt, i believe.

which is why i suggested it to you when u first asked yr question in another thread.

Yeap, havent got around to it yet. Not an urgent thing but suddenly today they all go price drops! hahaha

the denon and onkyo are similar in terms of features and capabilities, both support 4k hdr but not atmos/dtsx.

just make sure it comes with current firmware as some sellers have old stock with old firmware.

ah, this is the kinds of comment I appreciate. What about the Pioneer in terms of hardware? I dont think I even the sources for atmos /dtsx. Only will be using it on netflix. Maybe just "prologic" hahahaha. WIll use a google chrome cast.

The firmwares I can upgrade myself right? download, pt in USB, then do something...?

if u do not have atmos setup or not playing atmos/dtsx much, dtshdma and ddtruehd are very fine for yr 5.1, which both the onkyo and denon can handle.

will be good enough for most purposes, incl 4kHDR bluray videos. they both also have PLII, dts:neo THX, etc.

netflix, u get dd/dd+5.1 depending on device.

firmware upgrading - i can't comment much as i have never done so, never had to. i suppose u need to know where to get the right one.

pioneer... never checked that one, never used this brand, can't comment.

This post has been edited by AVFAN: May 2 2019, 04:19 PM

okay, I am leaning towards Denon due to its BT then. just got to sleep on it before pulling the trigger

Nice choice btw

The Denon?

Yeah, me too contemplated with the same choice as your before and my first choice is this denon. Some said denon has warm sound than onkyo. I'm surveyed online, entry level onkyo plagued with hdmi board problem and pioneer vsx series not good compared with rx series.

if u happy with the Denon, go ahead

stick to ur 5.1 and BT music to it, enjoy the heck out of it

electrical products nowadays very dependant, either u lucky or not, thats all

Mine 1 year