Help! Despair over AV receiver purchase for the last 6 months

Some pretty interesting ideas here. Will surely explore these as a backup if nothing else works out. Thank you.
I used this solution with one of my old receiver as interim solution. But connected with optical instead of RCA. Only drawback is you can not use DD+ and you should change your FTV Audio settings to LCM or Dolby to check what works. But it does the job done. I can lend it to you for testing as I’m not using it now.
 
I used this solution with one of my old receiver as interim solution. But connected with optical instead of RCA. Only drawback is you can not use DD+ and you should change your FTV Audio settings to LCM or Dolby to check what works. But it does the job done. I can lend it to you for testing as I’m not using it now.
Thanks, Sumanth, considering the prices and availability, I am more inclined towards this stopgap solution. I will PM you.
 
Oops, missed this. I went ahead and purchased a new Yamaha aventage A2A. It was the only thing that I found at sane prices in my city.
H,
Sorry for your experience, but glad you found a fix.
Could you drop a line comparing the Yam and the Onky?
Also, your opinion about any Denon-Marantz you have experienced?
Regards
 
Are there no good repair and servicing centers for Denon or Marantz or multibrand AVR servicing centres in general? I was about to buy an AVR but this thread and in the last few months some of the complaints made me wonder as whether I may continue with the sound bar itself. Cus for the extra punch I stand to suffer if something goes wrong post warranty period.
 
Are there no good repair and servicing centers for Denon or Marantz or multibrand AVR servicing centres in general? I was about to buy an AVR but this thread and in the last few months some of the complaints made me wonder as whether I may continue with the sound bar itself. Cus for the extra punch I stand to suffer if something goes wrong post warranty period.

I am waiting for the avr stock to replenish. I am looking for a Yamaha AVR. Though they are fairly reliable, I am not without any apprehension.

Recently took a demo of IndiQ speakers with a humble Norge amplifier. It sounded good for me with movies as well. Not a match to an AVR, obviously.

I am seriously considering to settle with an amp. I realise I will be missing out a lot. But honestly, I don't have the patience or energy or time to chase the dealer to get my AVR fixed. Or to include AVR's health in my prayers.
 
Richie street in Chennai which is known for good servicing standards has a backlog of old dysfunctional AVRs which made me take yet another step backwards. Because TVs can be serviced swiftly, within no time but not the same with audio components especially AVRs. Infact at the moment Denon's 250 and 550 entry level AVRs are favourably placed in current state of affairs for a use and throw bet rather than high end products with uncertainty in my opinion. But unfortunately the ears will start looking for better sophistications in equipments. Already there is a trending thread "is avr needed for music" supporting IA or stereo solutions.
 
Infact at the moment Denon's 250 and 550 entry level AVRs are favourably placed in current state of affairs for a use and throw bet rather than high end products with uncertainty in my opinion.
Was just today chatting with an FM about this.
These two especially seem damn well spec'ed for first timers who want to test the waters first.
 
All these AVRs
Richie street in Chennai which is known for good servicing standards has a backlog of old dysfunctional AVRs which made me take yet another step backwards. Because TVs can be serviced swiftly, within no time but not the same with audio components especially AVRs. Infact at the moment Denon's 250 and 550 entry level AVRs are favourably placed in current state of affairs for a use and throw bet rather than high end products with uncertainty in my opinion. But unfortunately the ears will start looking for better sophistications in equipments. Already there is a trending thread "is avr needed for music" supporting IA or stereo solutions.
All these AVRs include a hidden tax component called 'LUCK' in addition to the numerous taxes. If it goes kaput, good luck getting it repaired. Recently, the NAD T757 that I acquired from a forum member went kaput. Most of the guys over here in Chennai are comfortable with Denon, Marantz and Onkyo, but not NAD. After hunting for over a month, found just one person who confidently said he will repair - all works now, except the preouts. Imagine this problem happening on a brand new NAD that one would have purchased for over a lac and goes kaput a couple of years later. No support, no nothing. Just think of this as just another 'tax' with no returns and only heart burn. As long as your luck is intact, enjoy the music! Sorry, I'm just frustrated with the sky high prices for hifi components and the dirt-grade support.
 
All these AVRs

All these AVRs include a hidden tax component called 'LUCK' in addition to the numerous taxes. If it goes kaput, good luck getting it repaired. Recently, the NAD T757 that I acquired from a forum member went kaput. Most of the guys over here in Chennai are comfortable with Denon, Marantz and Onkyo, but not NAD. After hunting for over a month, found just one person who confidently said he will repair - all works now, except the preouts. Imagine this problem happening on a brand new NAD that one would have purchased for over a lac and goes kaput a couple of years later. No support, no nothing. Just think of this as just another 'tax' with no returns and only heart burn. As long as your luck is intact, enjoy the music! Sorry, I'm just frustrated with the sky high prices for hifi components and the dirt-grade support.
Yes, can understand your frustration. But I guess that may be true with most other brands too. The repairing standards don't seem too high here & adding to the woes are the non-availability of spares.

Very few people have the knowledge and skill to repair electronics in India.
Most of the service centers replace the entire circuit board or module as it is faster and more profitable.
So better to keep the fingers crossed & enjoy the music/movies while everything plays properly.
 
All these AVRs

All these AVRs include a hidden tax component called 'LUCK' in addition to the numerous taxes. If it goes kaput, good luck getting it repaired. Recently, the NAD T757 that I acquired from a forum member went kaput. Most of the guys over here in Chennai are comfortable with Denon, Marantz and Onkyo, but not NAD. After hunting for over a month, found just one person who confidently said he will repair - all works now, except the preouts. Imagine this problem happening on a brand new NAD that one would have purchased for over a lac and goes kaput a couple of years later. No support, no nothing. Just think of this as just another 'tax' with no returns and only heart burn. As long as your luck is intact, enjoy the music! Sorry, I'm just frustrated with the sky high prices for hifi components and the dirt-grade support.

Where does the problem lie?

Is it poor workmanship in these great companies? Poor QCs?

No way.

Denon and Yamaha are in the business for more than a century. Add Marantz in the loop, all together they have the technical expertise of 250+ years.

Then what is going wrong? The older amps and receivers of these companies are still rock solid. So they do know how to get things right.

What changed? Just the attitude towards the business and the customer.

Now with all the advancements in technology, reliability is going backwards. Sad.


The companies are so wrong, ymmv. One doesn't change an AVR or amp like a smartphone. This generation isn't that gullible.

The Covid scene and ensued lockdowns sure have generated a lot of demand in this niche sphere. But it won't take long for the newbies to realise that their money is well spent elsewhere.​
 
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Yes, can understand your frustration. But I guess that may be true with most other brands too. The repairing standards don't seem too high here & adding to the woes are the non-availability of spares.

Very few people have the knowledge and skill to repair electronics in India.
Most of the service centers replace the entire circuit board or module as it is faster and more profitable.
So better to keep the fingers crossed & enjoy the music/movies while everything plays properly.

Use and throw attitude of the greedy corporations are understandable. We have no options.

But the technicians fleecing the customers, whatever their justifications maybe, are digging their own graves.
 
Use and throw attitude of the greedy corporations are understandable. We have no options.

But the technicians fleecing the customers, whatever their justifications maybe, are digging their own graves.
Either way the customer is at loss. Best is to find the gear that lasts comparatively longer among them for the price. Our tropical weather and dust conditions are also major factors for component failure.

Apologies to the OP to digress from the thread. Would suggest to buy what works for most of the FM's here in terms of reliability for the price and whether it suits your music tastes
 
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Yes, can understand your frustration. But I guess that may be true with most other brands too. The repairing standards don't seem too high here & adding to the woes are the non-availability of spares.
Nitinbhai,
You hit the nail on the head. Only thing I would differ about is that this is about brands. It has gone beyond brands, tbh, as we speak.
It is in this same forum that I have read about Marantz issues pre-2019. And today, it is Denon.

This is probably a good time to apologise to OP - their issue was of trust trust and platforms - cos, this is gonna be long while remaining on topic.

Very few people have the knowledge and skill to repair electronics in India.
This is another issue, which leads us to your next point.

Most of the service centers replace the entire circuit board or module as it is faster and more profitable.
Which we have seen a lot here of late - Indian dealers asking buyers to just change boards and units.
They just don't seem to care about after-sales service and suggest parts replacement as a solution for s/w issues! (which we have seen a lot recently with FMs who have then gotten in touch with the manufacturer, who has in turn sorted the issue remotely)

So better to keep the fingers crossed & enjoy the music/movies while everything plays properly.
of course! :) onwards we go.

Having said that, I think there are larger issues to be addressed.
Covid was, of course, one such. We have all seen how it has thrown prices awry. And then the chip shortage.

But beyond these two factors, there are two main issues:
1. As silencer said, planned obsolescence.
Which is just wrong in so many ways, but as consumers, we've come to get used to it.
@Silencer said these products are not like smart phones that we keep changing, but my suspicion is that all the AV (electronics) brands want us to be conditioned along those lines and move on in that direction.

2. The second is, and again it is just my suspicion, the pressures of delivering a calendar year product is just too much, that very many companies have started treating early bird buyers as beta testers!

This is a very tech industry habit that seems to have unfortunately started seeping into other aspects of life. And this is what is more scary than the planned obsolescence, well, plan, of these giants.

Makers of appliances just don't care.

So much so that we are in a world where big airlines don't want to fly to certain American airports as we speak.

Not to forget the Boeing fiasco. If many thousand lives were nothing to them, what's a few fried boxes?

Only surprise is that the so-called Japanese companies are the ones that are faltering in our sphere.
Hope they pull up their socks.

Till then, let us all enjoy our purchases while they last and hopefully keep pushing them to do better via direct contact, like some FMs have already done.

Regards
 
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