Onkyo TX-SR706 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am an audio/videophile. I know about almost every piece of audio system, TV, IPod, gaming, speakers, cars, etc. on the market. I have followed the advancement of electronic technology for the past 25 years. This is not to impress you, but so you know Bozo the Clown is not writing this review.
OK- I was a Denon fan. I was a Marantz fan. Yamaha makes great stuff and you will most likely be happy with any "new toy" you buy ....but after extensive research I chose the Onkyo.
1. Why did I not go for a Denon? Denon's are great. However, over the past few years their overall quality and feel has declined. Simply put, the premium on their name no longer justifies their price. I own three Denon receivers so I am not slamming them. If your heart is set on a Denon look at the 1909.
2. Why did I not get a Marantz? My new Onkyo replaced my Marantz 5200. Marantz, back in the day made the best stuff (in my opinion). Then they went down hill and resurfaced strong about ten years ago...right about the time Dolby "Digital" technology hit the market. I believe you do not get your bank for your buck until you go over $1000 with Marantz. Marantz just does not have the switching, high quality video AND audio, or inputs at sub $1000.
3. Why did I not buy a Yamaha? Yamaha is a tough competitor to the Onkyo. Yamaha has always made incredible a/v equipment. Sound, video and build quality are amazing. The AVR-663 is awesome, but at a higher price than the Onkyo 706 and two less HDMI inputs it was eliminated day one for me. However, if you must buy a Yamaha- under $1000 the AVR-683 is fantastic. The price is $100's more than the Onkyo...for what? A name? Not enough in my book when your a/v receiver is the least important component in your system (I'll explain more later on that topic).
4. Why the Onkyo?
a. Onkyo has a fantastic name and reputation
b. Build quality and design are terrific.
c. 4 HDMI's!!! This IS huge and WILL BE even more important in the future.
d. 1080p upscaling. This not really important now, but in the next few years, if you have a 1080p TV, you will regret not having this ability. This is the sole reason NOT to get the Onkyo 606. However, if this is not important to you -get the 606 and save your money.
Sound: All I can say is crisp and brilliant. Again, any new receiver you buy will sound great. My ears prefer the Onkyo.
Lastly, for those of you who are not educated on this stuff, here are a few KEY points to remember when you build your system:
1. Speakers are the most important part of your system...PERIOD. Who cares about HDMI, 1080p, watts, etc. if the "ears" of your system sound like crap. Put your money into speakers first.
2. Your TV. DLP will be gone in the next few years. Plasma's are very bright (a good thing), but have glare (they have a piece of glass over the screen). If you have a dark(er) room plasma's are great. LCD's are the best bang for your dollar. Samsung's are the best brand right now. LCD's have more pixels than Plasma's and to most people LCD's look the best.
3. Your receiver. Yes, your a/v receiver is important, BUT it should be the last thing you choose. Again, in my humble opinion, spend those extra dollars on speakers.
In conclusion, if you are in the market to spend less than $1000, the Onkyo TX-SR706 is an easy choice. Everyone has a favorite and this is mine. I love it!!! Happy hunting!

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In the mid-range category, credibility is gained through exceptional performance and a high degree of functionality.There's no better example of this than the THX Select2 Plus Certified TX-SR706 A/V receiver.With a certified amplification design and ability to process full high-definition audio and video, the TX-SR706 marks the boundary between cost effectiveness and high-end functionality.

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Yamaha RX-V661BL 7.1-Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)I was looking at receivers for months trying to make sense of it all. I was set on one of the similarly priced Onkyos when an AV friend of mine came out of nowhere and recommended this Yamaha V661.
I love it. Everything was very easy to use and setup, and there are tons of customization options. I couple this with some Klipsch Quintet IIIs and a custom sub, sound is fantastic. I love the fact that I was able to program my own customized input names. I have each input labeled "Wii" "Xbox" "PS2" "Cable Box" etc accordingly. Furthermore, with the use of the buttons on the bottom of the remote (can't remember the name but they let you preprogram inputs/settings for devices) you can program full names like "Nintendo Wii" or my other longer one "Xbox Media Center."
The auto setup was a dream, and the sound quality is fantastic. I love the amount of inputs, it even includes HDMI. What more could I ask for!?!?!?
Highly recommended.

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AZDEN 330ULT UHF Wireless Combo Microphone System , Two Body Pack Transmitter's to One Camera Mountable Receiver With Two lavalier Mics Included Review

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(More customer reviews)I received my microphone system before the estimated date. How cool is that! The main reason I bought from videojuan is because I was able to call him and ask questions before spending almost $700. The other guys want you to email them and wait a few days until it is convenient for them. I won't do business with a company that won't give me their phone number. It just seems a little shady to me. Thank you Juan for picking up the phone. Excellent equipment, excellent price, excellent service!!!
Kerry
Texas

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Onkyo TX-SR507 5.1-Channel A/V Surround Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I did a lot of research (including Consumer Reports) and settled on this Onkyo as the best compromise between performance and price. I've had it 2 weeks now and am very happy.
The auto setup function works better than a much-more expensive Denon unit I set up for a friend. I used the microphone (included) to measure speaker levels at 3 different locations in the room and the Onkyo did everything else. (It's connected to some older Polk speakers-- they sound so much better through this amp!)
I bought this primarily to process audio from our new BluRay player and the Onkyo does an outstanding job. The sound is better than in most movie theaters! Especially BluRay DTS or HD Master. Wish more movies were recorded in these formats.
We also have our DirecTV HD DVR hooked up to the Onkyo. Audio and video travel through the HDMI Cables, so there's no need to hook up audio separately. Very nice and a feature you will find missing from some more expensive amps.
The amp does get very warm. I put a small fan in the back of the cabinet and that seems to help.
BTW although this is a 5.1 channel amp is DOES support 7.1 if you want the 2 extra rear speakers... you just have to hook it up to your old amp (or any cheap 2-channel amp) and process those 2 channels that way. The 7.1 decoding IS built into this box.
I am not using the "Zone 2" feature but it's very unusual to have that in a receiver in this price range. You can watch a movie in one room while someone else listens to an iPod or FM in another room.
I don't think you can find a better receiver in this price range (and keep an eye on the price-- it's falling!)


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If you're looking for a budget-friendly A/V receiver that offers versatile connectivity and compatibility with the latest processing technology, Onkyo's TX-SR507 has you covered. With four HDMI 1.3a inputs, it can accept up to four high-definition sources—from Blu-ray Disc to HD broadcasting to high-def games—and output them to your compatible HDTV. HDMI 1.3a also enables you to enjoy the pristine "lossless" audio of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™, as well as secondary audio on Blu-ray Disc via DTS-HD Express. The TX-SR507 comes with a suite of Audyssey surround-sound technologies to help tailor audio output to the unique dimensions of your entertainment space. Meanwhile, a new universal port makes it easy to incorporate an optional Onkyo Dock for the iPod or Onkyo HD Radio tuner into your system. With all this, plus four high-impact Game Modes and the ability to send different audio to two rooms simultaneously, the TX-SR507 puts a huge amount of entertainment potential at your fingertips.

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Acoustic Research AW-871 Wireless Stereo Speakers Review

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(More customer reviews)Even though my experience with wireless headphones were universally poor -- I once overheard my neighbor's cell phone conversation while listening on wireless headphones -- I was very impressed by the plentiful good reviews for this product and decided to give it a try at Amazon's wonderful low price. Amazon sells this product for up to $75 below the price stores ask.
However, once I got it home, hooked it up and turned on my stereo, my experiences with this set of wireless speakers was an exact replay of my expereince with wireless headphones. I set these up as the rear surround speakers in my living room as part of on my 5.1 system, fixing the speakers only about 25 feet from the transmitter. Even in that brief distance with almost no physical block between them, the left speaker consistently spit out static. The rightt speaker played fine all the time but had an annoying tendency to click while the music was turned off.
This is not what I had in mind for my home stereo! I moved the speakers around (as far as the power cords would go, anyway) and re-situated them, trying to gain greater proximity to the transmitter. This did nothing to improve matters. The transmitter indicated the signal was strong, yet that left speaker continued it staticky way throughout my experiment.
These speakers are easy to set up and easy to get working. You really don't need the instructions if you've had any experience with anything wireless. Still, I consulted the booklet to see if there was anything I was doing wrong. At one point I had the setting on both speakers at "right", so I changed that. No change in the outcome. I also re-set the transmitter from "1" to "2" and even to "3". No change. I moved the speakers again. No change. I consulted the booklet and listened again. Same thing.
Perhaps my experience has something to do with my neighborhood, my home or my neighbors, but my experience was not nearly as good as those reported elsewhere on this page. On the plus side, these speakers sound pretty good for something that barely costs $100 and they are easy to use.
They are portable and can be set up anywhere a power source is near or set up anywhere using battery power. The transmitter is supposed to be good up to 300 feet and I know the speakers in my house received the signal. I simply was not going to pay for a product that resulted in my SACD signal being converted to static.
While the sound the speakers produced was pretty good for something so inexpensive, I was not impressed with them as surround sound speakers. With independent volume controls, they seem like just another set of speakers to me. Compared to the sound I get from my wired surround speakers in another room from my front three speakers, these did not sound much like surround speakers regardless of the amnount of fiddling I did with the volumer controls and transmitter.
Even though this experiment was a failure at my house, I am grateful Amazon accepted my return; not every company on the Web will take back electronics. I wish you better luck with this product than I had.

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Anyone who has installed a speaker system knows the worst part is figuring out how to hide the unsightly speaker cables, especially if your speakers are located across the room from the receiver. Enter this pair of Acoustic Research stereo speakers, which resolves the dilemma by eliminating speaker wires altogether. The system's powerful transmitter broadcasts its 900 MHz signal through walls, floors, ceilings, and other obstacles, giving listeners a wide array of installation options.

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Jensen VM9512 7-Inch Motorized Touch-Screen Multimedia Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)First, let me say this - if you actually pay the $899.99 MSRP you'll be wasting a LOT of money. If you've gone through the effort to look for reviews of this product, then do some dedicated searching and you'll find online stores selling this product for around $420 (as of March of 2008.)
At $420, this unit is a decent value. I bought this stereo because I took a new position that forces me to live away from home and travel 10-hours round trip on the weekends. I wanted something that would allow me to play MP3's from a memory drive instead of messing with CD's. This stereo has an SD card input and a remote unit which can be mounted under your dash or elsewhere (within about 3 feet of the headunit) which provides a USB slot among other inputs. The SC card drive seems to have its issues. Jensen claims it can read up to a 4GB card, but it won't read mine. I read in an online forum that you have to have a particular brand of SD card, but I cannot confirm that. In my opinion, a 4GB card should be a 4GB card and it shouldn't matter who made it. However, if I plug the 4GB card into a USB adapter and plug it into the USB slot, it works just fine.
My issues come with the user interface. MP3 titles (of which I use almost exclusively) only present the first 15-or-so characters of each title on the screen. This means you can either see the track title, or the artists name, but not both. I have had to create clever file-titling tricks so that I can find the song I want. (For those interested, I rename each MP3 with the artists's first initial, a dash, the song title, a space-dash-space, and the full artist name. Ex: M-Push - Matchbox 20") This of course forced me to rename 200 mp3's... As Kevin James once put it, "A lot of work for nooooot that much fun..." In addition, you cannot use the up/down buttons on the unit or remote to scroll through songs WHILE a song is playing. Instead you have to press tiny buttons on the touch-screen to scroll, which often results in scrolling too far, accidentally selecting a song instead of pressing the button, or hitting the stop button, which is very close to the down-arrow. This is not to say that the Touch screen is innacurate - it is in fact just the opposite. Some of the buttons however are just a little too small.
A few other annoying attributes - there is no "randomize" button on the unit. The unit will randomly scan through your MP3's, but you have to select "Random" from your remote control. I cannot fathom why they didn't give that option on the unit's face or screen. Sometimes the unit cannot decide whether to open its screen when you turn the car on - sometimes it will, sometimes it won't. The "autodim" feature seems completely inoperable. This forces you to change the brightness of the screen every day and night. The DVD player often seems to get confused, and sometimes will show disc errors or take at least a solid minute before beginning playback. This will cause you to insert a disc and forget that you did so by the time it starts playing. This especially seems to be an issue when the unit has gotten hot after extended use. The bluetooth interface with phones is easy to set up and use, but very limited in it's usage. I would like it to notify me when I receive text messages, and I have read (though not experienced) that if you have the volume low or muted, you will not hear when a phone call comes in.
Many users have complained about the screen being washed out by sunlight, but I say "What do you expect?" It's a screen. Take your TV or monitor outside in bright sunlight and tell me how well you can see it. Turn the brightness all the way up and tilt the screen down and you can usually see it well enough.
So why four stars? Well, this unit pretty much does everything it says it will do, and it does it pretty easily, without much fussing, and does it all at a reasonable price (again, read the first paragraph.) It has already provided plenty of entertainment during 20+ hours of driving and quite frankly, I still think it's "pretty cool." Find a product that does everything "just right" and you'll pay this unit's MSRP plus a lot more.
Do note that any desire to drive recklessly on the highway because you're watching "KITT" engage the Super Pursuit Mode on an episode of Knight Rider is not the fault of Jensen, myself, or David Hasselhoff.

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Sennheiser EW 100-ENG G2 Wireless Microphone System Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a television producer/director using two Panasonic HVX200's at 24P and this Sennheiser wireless microhone. Thus far, we've shot 5 indoor/outdoor shows for two series with the microphone and I must say it's quite impressive. I'm not an audio expert but I know when something's working well. What's amazing to me is that these units use only two 1.5 volt AA batteries each AND the batteries generally last an entire 12 hour day! I have a 9V battery based Samson wireless microphone system that's downright voltage thirsty by comparison. (I have to replace the Samson batteries every couple of hours.) The sound quality of the Sennheiser is consistently excellent at various ranges with only an occasional audio hit or dropout. The main tme we've experienced the hits are when our subject is further away; say 75 feet or so. On those occasions, we've remedied the problem by either switching frequencies or by positioning the transmitter or receiver on a more direct line-of-sight orientation.
The construction of the mic and receiver are solid, top drawer all the way. I have NOT read the thick instruction manual, nor do I intend to. My cameraman knows enough to be able to change frequencies when need be, so that's fine by me.
So, in summary, this is an excellent microphone system. It works equally well indoors or out. The quality of the sound we've recorded with it is exceptional. Don't hesitate to make this your primary wireless microphone purchase.

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Wireless Lapel Microphone Kit Review

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(More customer reviews)I teach a weekly non-denominational adult Bible study, and as the group grew larger it became difficult for some to hear me speak. I purchased an AmpliVox Buddy amplifier but found the hand held microphone to be quite cumbersome. My wife then ordered the AmpliVox S1600 wireless microphone system (with lapel mic)for me. It is an excellent product and picks up the sound easily. Even persons sitting at the opposite end of the large room (some of whom are "hard of hearing") report that they can hear and understand every word. I would highly recommend this product.
Dr. Don Shockey

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Rode Procaster Broadcast Dynamic Vocal Microphone Review

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(More customer reviews)Like many podcasters out there I've been using the AT2020 Condenser microphone, complete with a shockmount and pop filter for over a year now. I've had great success with it, however the environmental noise has always been a constant battle, even echo from my own voice within the environment.
Looking at the Rode Procaster I was concerned that because it wasn't a mic that required phantom power that it wouldn't be able to pick up all the intricateness of vocals during a session. I was wrong. The Rode Procaster sounds amazing, even without a tube preamp or compression being utilized.
The first test I performed on the Procaster was simple. I kept it in the same recording environment as my AT2020, but I made sure the dryer was running in the laundry room and my surround sound in the living room was playing as well. My Procaster, thanks to the tight cardoid pickup pattern, couldn't pick up the noise from the other rooms. I would have those turned off and my AT2020 would still pickup noise from the air conditioning or even the fridge running. Don't be alarmed when switching from a condenser to the Rode Procaster, or any dynamic mic for that matter. You will have to crank the gain up a lot more than what you have before.
If you are constantly battling poor acoustics or environmental noise and you want a professional broadcast quality sound, this mic is the one you want.
Pros:
-Solid Construction. It's built like a tank.
-Comes with a 1 year warranty, free upgrade to 10 Year warranty through rodemic.com
-Mic Stand clip is also solid.
-Sound quality is amazing.
-Noise reduction is unmatched.
-Very Low self-noise (less than any other mic I've used yet, including the MXL 007 USB, AT2020 USB, AT2020 XLR).
-Looks professional.
-Nice pouch included for transport.
Con:
-No bundles yet available to include a shockmount
Oh and one last thing, when was the last time you bought a mic and saw a handwritten quality checklist in the box? Amazing attention to detail and quality from Rode Microphones. Highly recommended.


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Sonos ZonePlayer ZP80 Add-On Player Review

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(More customer reviews)Great add-on device to my music system, bringing internet music and digital music from my computer to my theater system. It seems expensive for for merely converting wifi radio frequency to RCA inputs to the home theater system. Especially when I realized I needed to buy another bridge device to connect this unit to the home network. But it is simple to install and use. It is unobtrusive and clean.

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For those looking for a simple, powerful, and stylish way to play all your favorite music, all over your house, here's the answer: the Sonos ZonePlayer 80 (ZP80), which is part of the complete Sonos Digital Music System. With the ZP80 you can wirelessly stream the music you have stored on your PC or Mac to your home audio equipment -- your home theater receiver, stereo system, powered speakers, and more. Just connect a ZP80 to any amplified audio device in any room, and that device is instantly and seamlessly part of a wireless, multi-room digital music system. You can even play the same song in different rooms or different songs in different rooms.
Watch a demo of the Sonos Digital Music System.
With up to 32 ZP80s set up in your home, you can use the full-color Sonos Controller to wirelessly control all those devices from the palm of your hand. Sonos liberates the digital music that's stored on your PC, Mac or network attached storage (NAS) box and wirelessly streams it to any ZonePlayer in any room. You can access music stored on up to 16 devices on your home network, plus Internet radio, subscriptions to online audio services like Rhapsody and Audible.com, and even music coming from an external audio source, like your favorite CD player.
You can also use a ZP80 to retrofit a conventional multi-room audio system with home-run speakers or as a wireless extender to increase the wireless range of your Sonos system. No matter where or how you use the amazingly compact ZP80, the digital and analog outputs will deliver superior sound to every room. And because it's designed to minimize noise and distortion, the music you hear will sound virtually identical to the original.
The ZP80 features optical and coax digital outputs for superior audio quality, so it's ready to connect to your high-end home theater or stereo system. There's even an analog audio input for connecting a CD or MP3 player directly to the ZP80, and you can listen to that music on all the other ZonePlayers in your house.
Sonos In Depth The ZP80 is just one part of a complete Sonos Digital Music System. To make your system complete, you'll also need the Sonos Controller. With a wireless Sonos Controller in hand, you'll have instant access to all your digital music, plus Internet radio, subscriptions to online audio services, and even music from your favorite CD or MP3 player. Use the Sonos Controller to access your entire digital music collection and Internet radio from the palm of your hand. Turn off the upstairs music while you're downstairs. Change the song in the kitchen from the den. The Controller's full-color 3.5-inch screen lets you see album art, browse playlists, get detailed track info, and more. To start listening, just pick a room, pick a song, and hit play. The Controller also allows you to queue the right tunes for the right moment; you can build, edit, and save playlists right from the palm of your hand.
With Sonos ZonePlayers in the rooms of your choice, you can play the same song in different rooms, or different songs in different rooms. As mentioned, you can have up to 32 Sonos ZonePlayers throughout your house -- from the bedroom to the backyard. Connect your first ZonePlayer to your router and all the others work wirelessly. Choose between the ZP80 featured on this page, which connects directly to your home theater or stereo, or the ZP100, which features its own built-in amplifier. Or better yet, choose both for the ultimate in multi-room music.
If you choose to extend your system with a ZP100 you can use your own speakers with it, or connect a pair of Sonos SP100 Loudspeakers, which are aesthetically and acoustically designed to look great with your Sonos Digital Music System.
If you're just getting started with your Sonos system, you'll want to check out Sonos' ZP80 and ZP100 Digital Music System Bundles, which combine two ZP80 or ZP100 units respectively with a Sonos Controller. The bundles offer an easy, economical way to get in on the Sonos action. Then, when you're ready to expand you can purchase a ZP80 or ZP100 for more rooms in your home.
Sonos Setup You don't need to be a professional installer to set up a Sonos system, or a technical wizard to use it. Sonos was designed to work right out of the box. All you need is a high-speed Internet connection and a router to get started. Then, unpack your components, lay them out in your home, and the result will be music to your ears.
Software Sonos offers desktop software for PC and Mac that's as simple to use as the Sonos controller. Designed with a user interface to accommodate a larger screen, the Sonos Desktop Controller software for PC and Mac will guide you through both set up and music sharing. It offers all the same functionality as the Sonos Controller, but instead of being in the palm of your hand, it's all on your desktop.
Use the software to set up your system, as well as music sharing. It also helps you set up music folders on your hard drive so they can be shared across all ZonePlayers. The software provides control of your Sonos Digital Music System from your desktop, and you can use it to add and edit your choice of Internet radio stations.
What's in the Box Sonos ZonePlayer ZP80, power cord, ethernet cable, Sonos System Setup software CD-ROM (Windows 2000, Windows XP SP2 or Mac OS X v10.3 and v10.4), and Sonos Digital Music System Documentation.

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Dension Gateway Five GWF1V21 iPod USB Bluetooth Adapter for Volkswagen Review

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(More customer reviews)I have purchased this item to mount on a 2006 Mini Cooper Convertible.
On the plus side:
Everything works great with a "Boost" radio, I can control the iPod (Mini, Nano or standard iPod) from my steering wheel controls (previous - next - volume up - volume down) with my radio (6 playlists selection - previous - next - forward - backward) as well as displays the ID3 Tags on the radio (song title - artist) - feature the factory BMW iPod adapter doesn't offer (to date).
On the minus side:
The Ice Link Plus Item model number is I20-BMW-T, Where the "T" stands for TRUNK!!! This specific model is for trunk mounting and will adapt to the cable plugged into your CD-Changer (iPod will replace your CD changer). Mounting it on your dashboard will require a little bit of knowledge to know how to connect it or getting the Ice Link Plus model number I20-BMW (doesn't seem to be available here).
The second detail is that you have to configure the Ice Link Plus in order to have the ID3 titles displayed on you radio (text was turned off when I installed it).
While not being too difficult to do (settings are set by pressing the "6" button on your radio and configured directly on your iPod) it is a feature not mentionned in the Ice Link documentation! In fact, documentation both on the Dension website and the product box is very scarce and support was not available from Ice Link (emails never answered)
Conclusion:
This adapter displays the titles of your songs on your radio while the more expensive factory BMW adapter will not. It has a dock preventing your iPod from "flying" from side to side at every curve and will allow you to mount it wherever you'll feel appropriate: glove box, armrest, side of the radio, ... (the BMW adapter solution has the iPod connector mounted in your glove box only).
Last but not least: Should you change your car, the Ice Link should work with your next car if you get the appropriate connector cable from Dension.
I am very happy and so is my Mini :-)

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Onkyo CSV720S Executive Shelf System with Universal DVD Review

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(More customer reviews)I own 2 of these because the first one was so good. Besides being able to play anything well (CD, SACD, DVD), the amplifier section generates a clean, cool 23W into 4 ohms, enough to drive the included speakers to very high levels, the baby speakers are fantastically good, the microfibre woofer-midrange really works. Give the speakers 100 hours or more to break in, because they are light, you may want to weight them down. I listen only to classical music and I switched to these speakers from Epos 11's, for those who know, I cannot say more about the quality. Just listened to Water Lily Acoustics' SACD of Shostakovich 7 from St Petersburg. All I can say is "wow". But Boulez and Cleveland doing Debussy from 1992 on good old PCM sounds almost as good. Who would have thought Onkyo could produce such a great miniature.

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Onkyo Executive Shelf System w/univ. DVD CSV720S

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Yamaha RX-397 100 Watt Natural Sound AM/FM Stereo Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)Despite the current fad for multi-channel audio/video receivers, the majority of people still listen to music with two speakers and only need a two-channel stereo receiver to drive them. As fanatic audiophiles with excellent stereo speakers, my wife and I recently purchased this receiver because of very good previous experience with Yamaha electronics products. This is a superb receiver in all respects. Some people may think that they need more than this receiver's rated power of 50 watts per channel, but Yamaha's power ratings are extremely conservative and this receiver will drive virtually any speakers to deafening levels (which I don't recommend doing). More important than it's ample power is its very low distortion. Yamaha specializes in low distortion products for very clean sound. In addition to robust power and ultra-low distortion the RX-397 has a full complement of controls, plus an easy to use remote. But as a fanatic audiophile another feature, typical of Yamaha, which I particularly appreciate is a button which sends the signal from our CD player (or any other non-phono cartridge input) directly to the amplifier -- bypassing the preamp circuitry, which is not needed except when playing LPs (which most people rarely do these days) -- for the lowest distortion and best signal to noise ratio. There are plenty of slighty less expensive -- and less good -- stereo receivers available, but if you want suberb performance at a moderate price I highly recommend this Yamaha.

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Yamaha YAS-71BL Front Surround System (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been searching for a simple budget out of the box home audio solution that had great sound, ease of use and set up, all the connections I needed and lastly esthetically pleasing and not an eyesore. I looked at all the recommended budget 5.1 and 7.1 system (Onkyo is the best deal for full 5.1 systems) and was frustrated by the price and the over engineered complexity of them all. Real surround sound would be cool but ultimately I just wanted a simple solution with strong, rich sound and any simulated surround would be nice too. I have a Samsung 630 and love the TV but the sound sucks. This YAS-71 sound bar and sub-woofer really have enhanced my home theater experience tremendously. I want to watch all the movies I've already seen in HD again now just to hear them in fuller sound. My wife even likes it, I don't think she's nearly as intimidated by it as much as 5.1 component systems would.
This unit has 4 audio inputs plus a connector for an ipod dock; 3 of the inputs are digital audio inputs (2 optical, 1 coaxial). 1 RCA audio input. I highly recommend using the digital audio inputs to get the best and clearest simulated surround sound. I have a PS3 (my Blu-Ray player), a Toshiba DVD player and my DVR hooked up to the digital inputs and the Yamaha ipod dock hooked up. The ipod dock works well and you can control the ipod to some extent with the remote, though the screen on the front of the bar gives you very minimal information and control for your ipod. There are times I'd rather just select my ipod manually on the ipod itself. My 3G iphone worked with it as well as a 30 gig ipod. They all sounded great.
I have a very boxy, enclosed small to medium sized living room (12' x 18') in an older home and it's perfect for that environment. At volume level 50 (halfway) it really fills the room up with rich sound, at the higher levels it gets surprisingly loud without distortion and blowout. Though If you have a very open or large contemporary living room I wouldn't recommend this system; I'd go with more powerful true surround system where you could space the speakers out to fit the room. This YAS-71 really works best in a room with defined walls to work off of. I wouldn't expect any true surround sound from the YAS-71 but there are times while watching 5.1 DVDs and Blu-rays I notice that some sounds really feel immersive and you can feel the simulated surround effect. Prices have dropped on these recently, they used to retail for $500-$600 and for around $300 this is an exceptional deal.
Positives:
* Easy to set up, there aren't a bunch of wires to run around your room.
* User friendly. Wife friendly.
* 4 audio inputs (3 digital) plus yamaha ipod connector
* Clear, surprisingly powerful, robust simulated 5.1 sound for such a contained unit.
* Great value for the money if you can find it at or under $300
* Looks nice in front of most HDTVs. It virtually matched my piano finished black Samsung.
* Great for enclosed rooms.Negatives:
* No onscreen information and controls on your TV screen, info is only on the soundbar screen. This does not have any video passthrough. (this hasn't been a problem for me though).
* It might not have have all the audio connections you need. Check your setup.
* All the inputs are on the sub woofer, so keep that in mind, you might need longer cables.
* Remote controlling ipod is very minimal.
* ipod dock sold separately ($50-100)
* Not so good for open areas.
Conclusion:
Powerful, clear sound and a good number of inputs for most needs. A simple solution for better home audio. I couldn't be happier with it.

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Amplivox S610A 50-Watt Half Mile Hailer Review

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(More customer reviews)I received this item 4 days after I paid for it and it rocks...Awesome features exactly what I needed...Sound is awesome and it does work a half mile away lol!

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Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'll start by saying I'm not an Audiophile. I just wanted a decent mid-range receiver that does all the latest lossless audio formats and has 7.1 channels so it's ready to take advantage of BluRay as that format evolves. So my primary focus is on a system that plays audio for movies and video games as it's primary function. Currently I have this receiver setup in a 5.1 configuration since that's the type of receiver it replaced. I have more speakers on order to expand it out but to be honest, right now if you're building a home theater from scratch, you only need 5.1 . The 7.1 specs aren't really supported yet and DVDs and Playstation/Xbox are all 5.1, so if you're starting from scratch save some money and setup for 5.1 first and expand as support grows.
I used the automated speaker calibration feature to setup all the channels. This is where you place the provided mic at ear level at three different listener positions. The receiver then sends out tones which will drive you and your dog nuts for about 15 minutes while the entire process goes on. Once it was done however, I was/am very pleased with the results.
I've heard some people ask about humming, i can detect no humming. I have some WiFi equipment close by which is 2.5 ghz and so far have not heard any humming. Some other people have said the Receiver runs hot to which I would ask those people, is this your first receiver? They do run hot ! This one runs no hotter than the old one i replaced from a different manufacturer so as far as I'm concerned, the heat issue is normal. I have it in a small component rack that's enclosed on the sides and back with a door on the front, it's got maybe half an inch space around the sides and 2 inches of space on top and so far everything is good.
The back has tons of inputs, but the primary reason I waited for the 606 over the previous model is the number of HDMI ports, the next generation audio/video cable which is a requirement for full resolution BluRay playback. They're rev 1.3a to support all the latest audio formats as well (none of which are currently supported by the discs themselves yet though). The receiver will pass through a 1080p signal from a BluRay or other high def video source. If you feed it a standard def 480i video source, it will upscale it to 1080i or 720p. It does a decent job but i would say upscaling isn't the receivers strong point, it does an acceptable job though. But lets face it, Onkyo doesn't build TV's, their bread and butter isn't video, it's audio.
I'm pleased with the performance and the styling of the receiver, it's just very basic and sleek. No built in graphical user interface and all that other nonsense that receivers 3x this price but no more times the performance come equipped with. This receiver for a mid end system for movies and video games just really can't be matched in terms of performance per dollar spent.
I have matched this receiver with some Polk Audio speakers. Specifically i have a Polk CSi3 center channel and six Polk RTi4 bookshelf speakers (all of which you can find at great prices here on Amazon where I ordered them from) and I am very very happy with the results. The Polk speakers like the Onkyo 606 receiver are over achievers for their price point, so they match together extremely well.
The only thing I have left to say is buy it, I wouldn't hesitate recommending this receiver to anyone looking for a solid movie/video game home theater experience.

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As part of the second generation of Onkyo high-definition-capable receivers, the TX-SR606 is at the forefront of affordable home theater. The key is to have the most capable version of HDMI. The TX-SR606 provides high-definition video and audio processing for four source components—another first for Onkyo at this level. From Blu-ray Disc players to gaming consoles and cable/satellite boxes, you have everything in the digital realm covered. Apart from 1080p video, the TX-SR606 can upscale all video signals to 1080i, regardless of the connection, for output via HDMI. Onkyo's own RIHD (Remote Interactive over HDMI) also gives you inter-operability with the displays and playback components from other leading brands. And with an expanded version of Audyssey's room correction technology, the TX-SR606 maintains the fullness of surround sound audio quality at low volume levels. The TX-SR606 offers all-round excellence rarely seen at this level.

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Yamaha RX-V3800BL 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I confess, I am a electronic consumer nut. After "getting by" on SVHS and component hookups for my electronic equipment, I bit the bullet and started looking for a receiver that had enough HDMI inputs, enough SVHS inputs, an input for my iPod and RCA-phono/USB-phono, LAN and computer. Previously, I had a Pioneer VSX-9500, then a Yamaha model with about 5 SVHS inputs, and a Denon AVR 4802R with 7 SVHS inputs. After a couple of months of searching through the usual suspects, including the other brands I have had, I settled on the Yamaha RX-V3800 in black because it allowed me to do enough of what I wanted to do from my shopping list I mentiond earlier.
First of all, I was surprised to find that all the receivers I looked at had downsized their number of connections from four years ago when I bought my Denon receiver. I was having to look at receivers costing 2 to 3 times as much as the RX-V3800 before I could find one with as many inputs, and I found even Yamaha's RX-Z11 had the same number as the RX-V3800, and it ran almost $5,000.00. Then, I thought about it... what were the inputs I really used most of all: SVHS, BluRay, HD-DVD, DVR, DVR-VHS combo, CD player, cassette, and phono. There was one input remaining that I was able to use with a junction box for ED-Beta,Laser Disc, XM radio, and an DVR-R recorder, so the Yamaha RX-V3800 would do without me having to compromise too much.
But, let's get to the machine and all of it's pluses:
The sound... It is terrific! With my previous system, I had to gerry-rig the side speakers using a quadraphonic synthesizer, but the RX-V3800 has the following speaker connections: left-front, right-front, center, left-side, right-side, left-rear, right-rear and sub-woofer. My previous set-up had a rear-center, and after reading a little, I found you could hook-up a rear center by using the RCA connection labeled "Single (SB)." (There's a "SURBACK PRESENCE" that can be used, also, but it was designed for when you only wanted one rear channel). When you set-up the speakers, Yamaha has a special optimizer microphone you plug into the front of the unit and it balances your speakers based on where you have the microphone placed.
The four HDMI inputs are great, too, because it allows me to have the best picture and sound from my BluRay, HD-DVD, Satellite Receiver, and DVR-VHS unit.
The Internet radio is easy to use, and it is programmed with plenty of stations. The selection of stations with the Yamaha remote is easy and the sound is wonderful.
The iPod Yamaha YDS-10 dock option is a must if you have an iPod. Quite frankly, I probably won't use my phono, now, except to make digital recordings of out-of-date vinyl recordings because of the ease of operation of the iPod through the docking station, especially if you have the 80 or 160 GB model of iPod with all the music they can hold.
The XM set-up with the XM Extreme is nice and integrates smoothly. I, actually, use an older XM radio through two RCA inputs, but with the XM Extreme directly connected, it is easier to use.
The computer set-up is not as easy as the manual would make you believe, but it is easier if you do the following: Make sure your PC has XP Service Pack Two or Vista on it AND you have Windows Media Player 11 installed, have your 232 Serial Ports between the computer and the Yamaha RX-V-3800 connected, and have a networking guide for your operating system. Once you have those done, you go into Windows Media Player, select "Library" at the top, and then select "Media Sharing" to allow the tunes on your PC to be shared with your receiver. For other PC's on your LAN, it would be best for you to already have those tunes shared, but if you connect an iPod, that might not be necessary. While I am at it, I will say this about Media Player ll: once you've checked the right boxes, it does a good job.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with the Yamaha RX-V3800. I did think that they could have done a better job with the manual... for example, in setting-up the PC, you start reading the instructions and it refers you to two other sections of the manual, and when things just didn't seem to jell, one finds that later in the manual, they show you how to do the set-up more thoroughly and manually, if needed. That said and done, though, I would buy this receiver again. I do wish it had more inputs, but then again, most people don't have as much to hook-up as I do. If there were a four-and-a-half stars rating, I would give it, but I'm stuck giving it only four.

UPDATE: It is two months after first doing this review, and I still love this receiver. I bought a great pair of outside speakers that look like rocks, HiFi Works 30020 HFW 6.5-Inch Rock Speakers (Pair), and use the "Room 2" with the X-10 Powermid remote extender, X10 POWERMID Remote Control Extender Kit PM5900. This set-up is wonderful! I sometimes have the iPod play outside, while inside they are watching TV on the HDTV. One caution, when setting-up the "Room 2," it will ask you what is the initial volume you want the "room" to have. I had not paid that much attention to those dB settings on the volume you get across the screen of the TV, and the first time I used Room 2, you could hear the music over a block away... Those speakers didn't flinch and their tone was terrific! (Unfortunately, our house was so sound proof, I didn't know I was blowing-out the neighbors.) Using the X-10 remote control extenders really is a blessing. If you use the extenders in other areas of the house, be sure to have your remote receiver up close to the Yamaha.

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The Yamaha RX-V3800 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver offers high-end sound and video quality to take your home theater experience to the next level.It provides 980 Watts of total power, pushing 140 Watts to each of its 7 channels.This advanced home theater receiver introduces new technologies and features including 3D CINEMA DSP, the latest HDMI 1.3a specification support, upscaling to 1080p, full support for high definition audio formats signals, Adaptive DRC and Adaptive DSP Level, YPAO Auto Setup with Quick Start, and multi-zone custom installation support and Network Receiver functions.High quality components, crystal clear sound and video clarity, and cutting edge technologies will make the Yamaha RX-V3800 the cornerstone of your home theater experience.

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