[ryandrake]

I was kind of in OP's shoes a few months ago. My 2000-2010 era stereo receiver crapped out and I was looking to see if I could simplify my system a bit. Unlike OP, I didn't need anything that could extract audio from the TV. My requirements were:

1. A decoder with at least 5.1 output since that's how many speakers I have

2. At least 3 HDMI inputs + 1 HDMI output to my TV

3. An amplifier with a volume control

That's it! I don't need an FM tuner. I don't need multiple zones. I don't need wild listening modes and DSP effects. I don't need an on-TV setup display. I don't need fiber optic digital audio inputs. I don't need fucking rows and rows of 20 RCA jack inputs, composite video, component video, S-Video. You'd think I could find a small cheap box the size of an AppleTV that I could just hide somewhere that could do this, but I couldn't find anything sufficient. So I got another $20 gigantic, ugly, old 18-inch receiver again from Craigslist and just leave all those features and inputs unused.

[jimmaswell]

I never understood the "ugly" perception. At worst some might look boring to me, but at best some of them are absolutely beautiful. For example, my favorite in my collection appearance-wise has a 70s-style wooden finish on all but the front plate with a polished silver look on the front plate: https://imgur.com/a/DAUeJJW

[ryandrake]

This is going to sound kind of sexist, but I have never met a woman who was OK interior design-wise with 18 inch stereo equipment in the living room. I mean look at the OP article: He's got all this stuff hidden away in a closet. This seems to be the only viable way to keep an "A/V stack" full of black boxes and a marriage.

I've got a great sounding 5.1 system with a receiver and a game console and everything set up. You know where it is? My garage.

[literallywho]

Is it really love if it hinges on the presence of high quality stereo equipment? Also, I have a friend who has similar stuff out in the open and is happily married.

[db48x]

You’ve either been meeting the wrong women or you need more rooms. One room where people can sit and talk to each other and a completely different room where people can sit and listen to music or watch a screen. Ideally if you want music in that first room you would put a piano in there, because playing the piano (and singing along) is a social activity that people can actually do together. Neither of these activities should be relegated to a garage.

[andersa]

So many problems and more money could solve every one of them!

[M95D]

> You’ve either been meeting the wrong women or you need more rooms.

> So many problems and more money could solve every one of them!

More money isn't going to bring him the right woman. They'll more likely attract an even worse type of woman.

[db48x]

Well, even a gold digger can amicably agree to split the responsibilities for decorating the rooms of the house, if you have enough of them to specialize a little bit.

[aidenn0]

Some googling found this, but it might be under-powered if you have 8 ohm speakers:

https://www.snapav.com/shop/en/snapav/episode-mini-51-avr-ea...

the only way it could have a smaller back-panel and all of your requirements would be to eliminate the ethernet connector.