NAD has a decoder for under 30K. Maybe you can get a sweet deal on that. Forget the model number. Very high quality and
AFAIK it was capable of 7.1 and has some sort of THX certification.
Also you can look at a low-end receiver and use it as a decoder, bypassing amp duties to larger and better amp stages. HK has a few models with wonderful connectivity and superb DACs, but low-end amps. Adding a few bridged LM amps to give grunty reproduction would give a wonderful system and at low cost. The AVR 3000 is about 25 K or so, a really good deal.
A visit to the Onkyo showroom (
AFAIK it was on Cunnigham Road) and the Pro-FX/Denon showrooms would be a good place to start. Ask for a demo, and remember to check how user-friendly the menu and setup options are - apart from the sound. NADs are known to sound much better than other brands given the same price, but also butt-ugly (to some, not me) and tough to set up easily.
Nowadays
www.baazee.com has a good section on receivers being run by lakozy, and I guess you can get a wide selection and shipping to bangalore as well. Can't hurt to check.
Teac is a brand that has entered India at the budget segment, and though their products offer good value for money they are known to be basic, too basic.
My best bet would be on the AVR 3000 (if you have some more money, some of the higher end HK receivers are also fantastic) if you are OK with the Harman 'sound' but remember you need to choose speakers carefully as the 3000 has a very bright sound. Read up the AV Max review to get a better idea.
At the other end are the entry level receivers by brands like Onkyo, which have a slightly more balanced sound but are really short on connectivity. Onkyo's starter reciever has no output for 5.1 analog, and only one optical digital out. Just two digital inputs, one optical in and one coax in. 5.1 analog in and out.
The 3000 has three digital ins, with a choice of optical and coaxial for each, plus two digital outs, one coax and one optical. Unfortunately this receiver's sound is not superb, and eventually one will have to go for some other amplification. Which for me is ideal - I am going to DIY all the amps anyway...
Why does one need three inputs? Well, one for the DVD, one for the CD and one for the PC.
Dolby/DTS decoder in India
