I am looking for a receive that is capable of producing 7.1 surround sound as well as output Zone 2 at speaker level.

I have spec'd a Denon AVR4250 receiver however the customer was a little shocked at the price point for this unit and am wondering if there was another unit out there at a lesser price capable of the same function.

I have looked at all Denon and Marantz models and the only ones capable of this are the $2000+ receivers.

Any help would be appreciated.

Those receivers offer so much more than just the extra two channel of power. Why not step down in to wide selection of cheaper receivers with 7.1 and zone 2 pre-outs, and add a 2 ch amp to power zone two? You specifically mentioned an all in unit. Is space the issue?

Craig?

Yes space is an issue. alsotThere is no other speakers in the house other than the theatre and a pair of deck speakers

Get a small amp and run it off pre out off zone two. Parasound zamp would be a great choice.

I've ised this amp a few times for a single pair of outdoor speakers.

It's not high end but it works well for the customer who just wants a simple cost effective way to add a couple of speakers outside. I used my first one three years ago and the customer is happy with it. Plus the price is right. It's no Parasound though! You certainly get what you pay for.

Craig

[Link: parasound.com]

[Link: nilesaudio.com]


Plenty of compact Sub $500 amplifiers out there to pair with a 1k receiver

Yamaha rx-v677 and up have an auto switching function that allows you to have both 7.1 and zone 2. When zone 2 is turned on, it does turn off the surround backs and switches to a 5.1, but this all happens automatically and most people would not miss there surround backs much since it is only while zone 2 is powered on.

That's a cool feature.