Budget Stereo Receiver

Maybe someone around here is able to help me.
I’ve been dragging arround the same 7.2 Onkyo Receiver for close to a decade now. I since scaled back my setup to Stereo Speakers plus a Sub. So now, that Onky thing is more or less a big spaceheater.

I’m looking for something to drive 2 yamaha bookshelf speakers and an active sub. I’m not 100% on my TV being able to ouput stereo from HDMI sources, but it should be. So, even the Reciever part wouldn’t strictly be necesarry.
I don’t need much. I have my TV, an Nvidia Shield and one Console (PS4 or Switch. Depends). If i can get something with 3-4 HDMI inputs that’s fine. If my TV would have to do the reciever part and i only have an amp below, that should work too.

Now the more restrictive part. I want it to be decently small. So, either hifi size put “DVD-Player” height, or just not as wide. The smaller the better. Price is flexible, but i’m not going over 300€. Price is a factor in the decision, so i’ll take a hit in quality or features if i can save 100 bucks. 95% of the time it’s used to play youtube videos or Netflix shows, so audiophile level quality isn’t needed. A remote would be great. Oh, and it should be half way wife aprovable. So, not to much lighting or such and nothing that requires to climb behind a shelf and replug cables every evening…

Bonus Features: Some kind of Bluetooth or ability to play Audio from the Network. Both aren’t needed, as the Shield can do it, but it would allow me to keep the TV off.

What do you recommend? A dumb stereo amp and then let the TV do the rest (or add a CD-player or Media player later?), or some kind of all in one reciever type device?
Also, some active speakers are in the same ballpark in terms of price. Is that worth a shot?

Feel free to recommend anything. Also, if you need more info, i’m happy to provide what ever is needed.

Exactly what speakers do you? The HS-8?
Is Cambridge audio cxa80 too big?

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I have a Nad D 3020v2 powering two Dali compact speakers. It gets tv audio over toslink/optical. And it has bluetooth.
It has no problem getting my speakers working up a sweat.
It is over your 300€ budget though. But “only” by 100.

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Not 100% sure. They are speakers from a 10 year old yamaha compact system. I can look for some model number when i’m home.

Maybe. It’s similar to what i have now in size. It’s also 2 times over budget.

Looks really nice, but yes, that’s too expensive for now. If nothing else fits the bill, i’ll discuss with the wife the size is worth the price for her.

To maybe give a perspective of what i’ve been looking at so far:


On the large side, but i’ve heard good things from Marantz. This ones a bit older, therefor relatively cheap.

For an all in one solution:


That’s on the high end of budget and hard to justify. But it does basically everything.

Finally a really cheap option:


SMSL is pretty well known for great Headphone Amps on a Budget. No clue how good this one is though. It’s certainly affordable and small.

I really don’t need Dancehall levels of volumes. A good bit over talking levels is fine. I live in a Flat with neighbours. So if i want to listen to music loud, i pull out my Headphones.

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I have a PM8005, a bigger one of (I guess) the same generation for around five years now and it sounds just perfect to me. I’m not sure if Marantz is even still it’s own thing or if they are owned by some chinese money or whatever but in this case I don’t care. It’s an amp. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Maybe another Idea:


Does all i need except Sub out. This plus an RCA Splitter (the sub has a low-pass filter build in) could work. Again, have heard only good things about Pro-Ject so far.
Edit: NVM it does have a output that could go to the sub with a 3.5 to coax adapter.

Same here, I’ve heard and read they’re good, but I have no experience with them. But then again, the Nad D 3020v2 is the first amp I ever bought…

I was say the cheapest Denon receivers will supply you with a great deal of flexibility but you need to spec match speakers with the system. So reusing your old speakers will determine what is needed.

Can not realy go wrong with Marantz.
My father had a Marantz PM-72 (now mine!) which he replaced with a PM 6006. Good amps.

SMSL recently made a THX amp. From what I have read so far, it is a very good unit.
Not sure how good SMSL is in the home theater department.

As far as I can tell SMSL mostly makes stuff that is cheap and not total shit. They do feel a bit crap though. I only had some small digital amps from them but still. Oh and THX is part of razer now. It’s just a logo.

Look, a good analog amp will last you a long time. Just keep the digital stuff that comes in annually progressing standards out of it.

THX develops tech.
The THX AAA 789 for example, is a super clean headphone amplifier.

Sooo, different THX then?

Same THX that was owned by Lucas Film, Creative Technology and Razer.
They develope standards and certify products (like the AAA 789 or AAA 888)

I still don’t think it holds any weight these days. It barely did back in the day, at least for home electronics.

This is apparently better than the SMSL AD18, if you wanted to go tiny. I’ll probably be getting one soon.

The subwoofer output being active not disabling low-frequency output to the speakers is a bit of a letdown though.