Q: My Onkyo stereo receiver recently failed and is not repairable. Is the Marantz NR1200 stereo receiver a good replacement for it? The Onkyo adequately powered my Bose 301 speakers from a CD player and for TV sound from my Samsung Smart TV. The sound from the Bose speakers was satisfying in our 15-by-23-foot living room. My concern is whether there is a better alternative to the Marantz. I will consider a quality receiver above the Marantz price point ($700), though I am not yet ready to break the bank for an outstanding sound system.

A: The 75-watt Marantz NR1200 is a quality receiver, and you will be pleased to know that the price is now $599, not $700. But I have some suggestions for alternatives that you might want to consider, including one that is considerably less expensive.

Your Bose 301 speakers do not require a lot of power. The Onkyo TX-8220 (onkyousa.com) is $249 and has 45 watts per channel of clean power, a digital input for your TV and analog inputs for your CD player. If you plan on staying with the Bose 301 speakers, I suggest you buy the Onkyo and save the $350. I do not think your current speakers are capable of resolving the difference between the two receivers at normal listening levels. If you played music very loudly, then the extra power of the Marantz would make a difference.

If you do plan to one day "break the bank on an outstanding sound system," then buying a better receiver now makes more sense, because it can grow with you. Once you have the receiver, you just need to add better speakers to have that dream system.

I know of no better stereo receiver than the Outlaw Audio RR2160MKII (outlawaudio.com), which sells for $999 and is a bargain at that price. The name RR2160MKII means Retro Receiver 2160 Mark II, and it is an enchanting combination of retro style and old-school power. It has top-quality circuitry throughout and an extremely powerful amplifier capable of driving anything but the most exotic and expensive high-end speakers.

Repair or replace?

Q: I have an Oppo UDP-203 Blu-ray player that puts out good sound, but when I play a music CD, the sound stops for a short burst and then resumes. When I play movies, it works fine. I would like something that makes CDs sound good. I have seen players from Cambridge Audio and Emotiva, which are about the price limit for me. What is your suggestion?

A: Although your Blu-ray player no longer is in production, Oppo Digital (oppodigital.com) services their past products. You could check there before giving up on it playing CDs. But given the fact that it plays movies perfectly, I can understand why you might prefer to just buy a CD player. Cambridge Audio and Emotiva are good choices at their price points. Onkyo also makes great-sounding CD players, starting at $299.

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.