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Phase Linear BT1611i AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA/USB/SD Card Receiver with Bluetooth (Black) Review

This unit does so much, and the price is so low, that I was wary. But I decided to take a chance, and I hit the motherlode! Aside from basic FM/AM, the only other car stereo features I care about are built-in bluetooth and the ability to play SD cards. And I'm happy to say this unit performs both of those tasks very well! The sound quality is good, albeit not great, although I should mention that my factory speakers are mid-quality at best.

Regarding bluetooth, I live in California where hands-free cell usage is the law, so the unit's bluetooth feature is great for me. I can hear people fine, sometimes they say I sound muffled, but still better than the earpiece that I used previously. When a call comes in, unit automatically switches to phone mode and shows caller id on its display!

What I've mentioned so far is enough for me, but the unit also boasts iPod control and and auxiliary connection! To test the aux, I plugged it into a portable satellite radio. Worked, although didn't sound totally clear, and I had to turn the volume way up to hear. Amazingly, unit also boasts a USB port for a flash drive, which I haven't tried.

I haven't tried the iPod connection, because NO NEED! Why fuss with an iPod when SD cards are so small and so inexpensive? I no longer keep CD's in my car! The unit plays CD's, and I did play one just to test it, but CD's are DEAD!

For the price, or even DOUBLE the price, you won't find a better car stereo!

[...]

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Sony CDX-GT130 Car Stereo Receiver Review

Got this for my old BMW - matches the interior really nice. Don't need the added features of the Sony GT330. I just use the Aux, and radio. Really nice for the money.

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Yamaha RX-V365BL 500 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Nice, but being very new to Home Theater, I wanted HDMI all the way, but this has cheap wiring clasps in the back that you have to noodle your exposed wiring in to each clasp. This sucks, Reminds me of a very cheap product by an unknown brand from ten years ago.
Once you get thru that, it is a very nice product and for the price, you cant go wrong. But I would advise myself and others, pay the extra few and get something awesome.

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Audiovox XMCK5P XPRESS-EZ XM Satellite Radio Receiver and Car Kit Combo Review

Got this for a fraction of what best buy wanted for it, wasn't a fan of the FM tuner, so i went and got the cords/modulator that plugs into my OEM car antenna and ran the cords to this unit and it works great, soun quality is 100% clear, and i can listen to my fav shows like Opie and Anthony and the comedy channels on those long drives. Controls are very sleek and easy enough to use.

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Yamaha RX-V665BL 630 Watt 7-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

I am very pleased to have purchased this receiver as it met all my expectations. I did get leary at 1st after ordering it, before it had actually arrived I read the CNet review & was also a little discouraged by some other reviews on the net of a few complaints of the fact that it weighs less then the previous model (Yamaha 663)and that the wattage has been lowered from 665 to 630. For those reasons I was going to cancel the order and purchase the Yamaha 765 model which is a bit heavier and has 665 watts, 95 per channel. I then read somewhere that this model weighs less because yamaha removed some of the analog decoders and that it also runs alot cooler. So, I decided to stay with my 1st decision and test the receiver out since I had already purchased it anyway....To my amazement this thing really cranks and has crystal clear sound. Absolutely no distorton, and the video quality via HDMI is excellent. I have an xbox 360, sony 360 bluray player, and an hd cable box provided by verizon cable connected to the receiver. Again this receiver is excellent, provides high quality sound & video and is loud enough to push all of my Klipsch Synergy SL's & 10inch Klipsch Sub with ease.

There have been complaints about the analog resolution, however the options menu allows the user to adjust the video quality output so really there should be no issues wth that.

The universal remote is subpar at best and can be a bit confusing for users that are not tech advanced! I do suggest a logitech harmony if that becomes an issue. Overall I highy recommend this unit!

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Pioneer DEH11E SCD Receiver Review

This is a quality name tuner at a great price. Does everything you want it to do. Instead of plugging a MP3 player into it, I plug in my Nokia 5800 express music cell phone into it, and the sound is awesum! has the adjustment to level the volume between the stereo and the Nokia or MP3 player. Just needed a 3.5 male/male cord. Don't let the price fool you it does everything the $$$$ ones do. Someone was crying about the fact that it doesn't play mp3's on a cd....why should it? I mean copy and paste tracks onto your mp3/cell phone is faster. Why make cd's at all? Anyways, contains everything needed for a clean install. I just wish all these Pioneer units had the same plug, it would save time with upgrading instead of having to rewire and replug. I'm updating my auto with four 6X8 3-way pioneer speakers, a ten inch 600 watt sub and this tuner and I bet it's going to sound great. This unit has no remote, but why do you need one seeing how easy it is to just reach over and adjust it?

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Garmin eTrex Summit HC Handheld GPS Receiver Review

I'm still trying to install the "Trip & Waypoint Manager" software that comes with this unit. The installation of the software required that I first read the manual, which required, in the middle of installation, that I download Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Adobe Reader installation required that I restart the computer, which caused the computer to lose its place in the "Trip & Waypoint Manager" software installation. So now the Manager software tells me that I need to uninstall it, and reinstall. I realize that many computers already have Adobe Reader on them, but mine does not. Very poor planning on Garmin's part.

The rest of the installation also requires an internet connection.

The Summit itself seems fine so far, but, of course, I can't use some of the features without installing this software.

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Pioneer DEH2100IB SCD Receiver with iPod Control Review

I installed this receiver in my daughter's Daewoo Lanos. It fit perfectly, connections were straightforward. I am grateful that there seems to be a consistency in the world of car stereos with the coloring of wires - a certain color is always the left front speaker, the rear right speaker, etc. Makes life SO much easier on a guy who installs one about every ten years or so.

The Pioneer is a nice unit. FM and AM stations come in very strong. My daughter uses her ipod exclusively, and the connection with this unit puts on the information right on the stereo screen. She can fool with it to find the song she wants, without taking her eyes too far off of the road.

I had my daughter drive her first year without a stereo of any kind in the car, so that she could concentrate more on the important matters at hand while driving. Now that she is 17, this stereo is being used every time she gets in the car. It seems to be up to the task, and sounds clean and clear even at higher volumes. Good value for the dollars, no question.

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JVC KD-R200 AM/FM Single-DIN MP3/WMA-Compatible In-Dash CD Receiver with Remote Control Review

Over the past 2 years, I've had the misfortune to have had my car radio stolen out of my Saturn 4 times. Each time, the cretins have broken a window to get in (even though after the first time I started leaving the door unlocked) so all I could afford was the entry level receivers. Each time I put in a different brand and model, so out of the the four most popular entry level car radios that also can play MP3s, this one is the best. None of them have controls that are completely intuitive, make sure you keep the instruction manual if you ever want to change set your clock! But this is easy to install, I hooked it up to a small amp and powered subwoofer (get adujstable power if you do this so you don't rattle your windows like some punk kid) and replaced the cheap Delco GM speakers the Saturn came with, and the resulting sound is excellent. I find the remote control pretty useless, but you're not going to get a better audio bang for your buck than this model.

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Kensington SlimBlade Notebook Wireless Mouse with Nano Receiver Review

Having purchased several inexpensive mice that were incompatible with Vista (yes, that was my own fault, duh) I was delighted to finally find a mouse that worked seamlessly out of the box. The shape is unusual, but I find the fit comfortable, and the features work well. Best of all, this is one very handsome mouse.

I am not exactly a design expert, but anyone can (and does) appreciate how lovely this mouse actually is. Wish they had dispensed with the logo, though, and given us some color choice. Flush design of the usb receiver is a huge plus for us laptop-toting people.

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Audiovox XMCK20AP XPRESS-R XM Satellite Radio Receiver and Car Kit Combo Review

I have had it installed for about two weeks now and love the radio. Its mounted on a 2002 BMW K1200LT motorcycle. This radio was perfect for my needs. Great price and on time delivery.

My only complaint with the radio is very minor but I wish they would have made it so that when the radio plugs into the cradle it would latch in place somehow making a tighter and secure connection.

Maybe the manufacturer will start making a water proof one designed for motorcycles, that would be perfect.

Highly recommend this radio for anyone looking for an XM Radio...

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SIRIUS Sportster 5 Satellite Radio Receiver with Vehicle Kit Review

I bought this as a birthday present for my boyfriend.

The set up was very easy. My 19 year old son and I set it up and got it connected prior to giving it. We had never used on of these before, but we had no problems at all.

I went online to set up the account. The only issue I had with that was the fact that, although they advertise a monthly fee, there didn't seem to be able to get on a monthly billing cycle online. I ended up having to do the quarterly one.



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Onkyo HT-S5200 7.1-Channel Home Entertainment Receiver/Speaker Package (with Dock for the iPod®) Black Review

Just setting up this thing. It is a breeze. No problem setting up, made for people like me (not a sound connoisseur, but listens to a lot of music and have a need for 1080p on my games, videos).

I will use the multi-room controls a lot.

[...]
The sound is really nice, it has an active bass, and the surround works super nice. Watching Star Wars /LoTR and other movies that use sound effects suddenly give the movies more depth and another dimension. Music is super nice, it really handles both deep and high notes really well.

I have yet to get with all the features on it, and will update this review.
I have connected my PS3, with HDMI, and optical sound.
Working on the xbox, and tv sound out to see which is the better. Thinking xbox with the optical and tv with regular sound as I don't watch too much TV...we'll see.

I programmed the remote to control my TV too, and so no need for tons of remotes. I can also (sort of) control the iPod from the remote.

The only thing I would like, would be up-scaling instead of pass-through HDMI, it would make the set-up so much easier, but I have a PS3 that gives full 1080p blu ray, and xbox that upscales DVD's so I felt I did not need it. If the ht-s6200 was out when I bought this, I probably would have opted for it (depending on price..it is announced at $599 now), but amazon only made it available for purchase AFTER I got this. the ht-s5200 had some nice features over the ht-s6100 (game settings, and some other effects), and it is $300 cheaper.

Active base is awesome. Makes for a nice effect whenever something explodes on film :-) The late night settings also works.

TIP: Get your cables on Amazon, they cost a fraction of best buy (I mean comparable HDMI cables are $60 at Best buy and $2 on amazon.

So far, you'd be hard pressed to find a better system in this price range...IMO. I am super happy right now.


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TIC CORPORATION AMP10 Exterior Receiver Amplifier (Black Finish) Review

The good

- they brought it in a cheap price point
- It's weather resistant.
- It has no shortage of inputs (3 separate stereo in's aside from radio)
- It has enough power to make the rock speakers in your backyard noticable to your neighbors (not that that's a plus). Just saying it has enough power output for patio speakers.
- It remembers 20 or 30 channels, I forget how many because...
(see "the bad")
- LARGE SELLING POINT: You are to a large degree more protected from shocks & possible electrocution due to this running on 12V from a 110V adapter which you can shield / protect / encase / hide (choose your method). Your mileage may vary - you have to use some intelligence about protecting the transformer when setting it up.

The bad

- The sound quality is LOW FI at best. If you'd like some clear treble or clarity in general - look elsewhere. It feels like everything is rolled off over 4 or 6Khz. Possibly due to inexpensive op amps. When listening you're always longing for some ..less..mush I guess. Yeah you can acclimatize to it but it's not satisfying.
- The manual is terse to the point of being pitiful because..
- You'll go insane trying to store the FM presets with the manual they give you.

- TIP: You GOTTA find their website and buried on the site is a * slightly * improved manual which will give you a fighting chance to correctly program the radio presets.

So...it's sort of a stopgap measure - I'm keeping it but I'm not exactly thrilled with it. My wish for this company is they would charge another 40 dollars for this and upgrade the sound quality to say Teac level - presentable / decent commercial mid-fi. Either that or would Teac or Sherwood, etc get on board and do this themselves? Probably not as it's such a niche market. Maybe some of the boat marinas sell upscale weatherized (grundig??) systems. Didn't have time to look for that. I think weatherized stereo receivers are hard to find.

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Yamaha RX-V465BL 525 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

For those wondering if the Yamaha RX-V465 passes audio to your surround speakers through the HDMI jacks, wonder no more because it does. I just purchased one today from Fry's Electronics Store (for $329.00) to replace my old Yamaha HTR 6050 receiver, and after changing the factory default settings, I did recieved audio to my 5.1 speakers.

Make sure your HDTV is connected to the HDMI Out jack and your Blu-ray player is connected to the HDMI 1 BD/DVD jack on the back of the unit. Turn on the unit and use the remote to change the HDMI Control setting to "ON" in the Functions menu under the Setup Menu. This will send audio to all your speakers. Look at page 42 in the manual under Function Setup for more information.

It was very easy to set up using the Auto Setup feature and the provided microphone. I have my receiver connected to a Samsung LN46A580 1080p HDTV and a Panasonic DMP-BD80 Blu-ray player and it delivers fantastic audio to all my speakers. It comes with Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and DTS 96/24 and other decoders that are vital to enjoying high resolution audio on Blu-ray Discs. I was surprised to see that I could switch the HD audio from the TV speaker to the 5.1 surround speakers using the Options button on my TV remote. Cool!

There is a reviewer claiming that this receiver does not pass audio to surround speakers through the HDMI jacks but that person must have never purchased this item or done any real research on it because when you open the box you will see that Yamaha has provided a separate sheet aside from the manual showing you how to send audio signals to your TV or Surround speakers. So buy the Yamaha RX-V465 with confidence knowing that you will a get a excellent HD Video and AUDIO home theatre experience.



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Pioneer VSX-919AH-K 120 Watts A/V Receiver with Full Color GUI/OSD, Advanced MCACC and Analog to HDMI Up-Conversion (Black) Review

This is a great receiver, especially for a newbie like me. Setting it up was very easy and the sounds is great. I opted for the 919 over the 1019 since I don't plan on using more than 3 HDMI ports. I have a Dish Network DVR and a PS3 which is the CD/DVD/BluRay player. I run HDMI cables from the DVR and the PS3 to the AVR and one from the AVR to the TV, that's it. The only thing I will add is an Xbox and there would be nothing else I could possibly need - hence the 919 version is perfect, plus you save about $100 this way.

As much as I wanted to rate it 5 stars, there are a few things that take away one star. Small quirks, but far from perfect.

* The manual is almost useless. That said, I had no problem setting the system in less than 15 min., wiring excluded.

* There is some feature that turns off the power to the sub if no bass is fed for a few minutes, then turns it back on when bass is fed. Maybe not a big deal, but prepare to hear a lot of clicking (On and Off) from the sub, especially if you use the AVR to listen to TV. I am not sure if I can turn it off.

* Sometimes when I start the TV or switch between TV and DVR I would lose sound. Since it happens every now and then and I have not changed anything in the meantime - the problem is not in my set up. The only thing that fixes this is restarting the AVR. Obviously this takes away from the rating of the 919.

* Every now and then an "HDCP Error" would display when I turn on the TV. Everything seems to be working just fine. The manual says that this error could be displayed even if nothing is wrong. Still, it makes me nervous...

* Does not support Zune. This really bummed me out, I was hoping to use the USB to connect my Zune, but it doesn't work (maybe it's not FAT). I did put a few songs on a cheap USB thumb drive and they played just fine.

For the life of me, I cannot find the EQ. As I said, the manual is quite useless and not much is being said on the forums. (If anyone can help, feel free to comment on my review).

All those things are relatively small, but bothersome and that's why it doesn't deserve a 5-star rating. That said, it offers an amazing sound when watching movies. I replaced a $500 Panasonic HTiB with this and now I hear sounds I've never heard before on the HTiB (my wife would often look through the house window when doors are being closed far away in the movie's background:), you hear every sound, and it's very clear (and loud if you want to).

Bottom line: If you don't mind the few setbacks, this is a great buy!

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Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black) Review

I am a long time Sony fan! I purchased my first Sony receiver approx 15 years ago (can't remember the model off the top of my head, but it was their top of the line one at the time - it was before 5.1/7.1 was introduced and had the old 3 speaker surround sound setup). Approx a 18 months ago I purchased the Sony STR-DG910 because I wanted 7.1 at my new house. The DG910 died last week (after only 18 months...) and I needed a replacement ASAP.

I wanted to go with Sony again because I really like their products and I am a long time fan. So I did my research and considered this model (the DH-800) and the STRDG-1200. The 1200 appears to be one of Sony's premier line receivers and you definitely have to pay the extra dough to get one. It is currently on sale for $600 (verses it's normal retail price of $900), but after doing a feature comparison of the two, I went with the cheaper 800 and am more than happy that I did!!

Sony makes it easy to compare their receivers.Go to sony[dot]com and browse down Electronics, TV & Home Entertainment, Home Audio Components, followed by Shop and Browse. You can then put a check in the boxes of the receivers you want to compare and it will display a side-by-side comparison.

The DH800 is one of Sony's newest receivers and so far I think it is amazing!! As I said above I replaced my DG910 with it and it fixed a few things that bugged me about the 910, including: The amp seems to be much better - I get much higher volumes at a lower level and it seems to be a cleaner sound. It decodes Linear PCM from my PS3 and Samsung blu-ray player better. When I make adjustments to my surround sound speakers (volume and tone) and it actually stores them properly. It also have 4 HDMI inputs (v1.3), which was key for me to have with a new receiver (the DG910 had only 3 HDMI v1.2).

The ONLY thing about it so far I am disappointed about is the fact that it only has speaker outs for one set of front speakers. My two prior Sony receivers allowed an A and B speaker set, so I have two sets of fronts (which is great when listening to music). The receiver allows a B set, but that only works with you are using 5.1, not 7.1. The 7.1 uses the "additional" speaker options. I guess most people just use one set of fronts, so this may not be a big deal to you.

One other thing... The manual is a joke though, which Sony has always had a probably with. They should invest a little money in hiring an outsourced company to write their manuals so they make sense and allow their customer to have a pain-free setup. I'm thankful that I am good with audio/video equipment and was able to figure everything out without having to open the manual.

Overall I think this is a great receiver with a ton of fabulous features and for the price (approx 290 dollars here at amazon) you can't go wrong! It doesn't matter if you're putting together an entry level home theatre or have a nice setup and want to replace your current system, you'll be happy with the sound/video and the loud volumes you can get.

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Garmin nüvi 265WT 4.3-Inch Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Integrated Traffic Receiver Review

Had this for two weeks. The directions it gave were often suspect when testing it against places I was familiar with. The traffic information was next to useless. It didn't seem current or accurate.

The worst was the Bluetooth connection. It's not only difficult to pair with my phone, but after almost two weeks, it suddenly forgot how to pair with my phone at all. I had to bring it inside and connect it with my computer to get it to work. Not much help if I were on a long trip with no access to a computer.

All in all, I was not happy with this product.

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Pioneer AVH-P3100DVD 5.8-Inch Widescreen In-Dash Double-DIN DVD Multimedia AV Receiver Review

Everything listed under product description works great.. no surprises. Only con I have of the unit is that the mute button is truly mute and does not have an attenuation option like in most stereos. Other than that the product is exactly what you read in the description no complaints here..

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Pioneer CD-XMPCAR1 Car Install Kit for the XMP3 Portable XM Receiver Review

I got the XMP3 radio for Christmas '08 ( a LOT cheaper now if you're thinking about it, and about the best Sat Radio available!) and I wanted to get the car kit for it also. I just waited a few months for the price to come down and now I have one. If you want to listen to your new XMP3 Radio in your vehicle you'll probably need this too! If you've had previous XM radio car kits this includes the same stuff, extra remote (good thing), antenna etc., except no cassette adapter this time, just a stereo to stereo adapter cable for direct input, if you have that in your car. The owners manual says that if don't have an input into your radio or are still using a cassette player stereo and don't have a cassette adapter, you need one of the two FM modulators for XM to hear it as the FM modulator capabilities are supposed to be in the base for this car kit, not in the radio. I actually got this car kit for my Gold Wing motorcycle. I already had my SkyFi2 set up on it and it was just swap it out for this base and change the power adapter for the 5 Volt XMP3. I already have the in line FM modulator on the motorcycle and it all works great. To be honest though the SkyFi2 display is easier to read in the bright sunlight, and it's a bigger display. In a car/truck the XMP3 color display would be fine though.

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Pioneer VSX-819H-K 5-Channel A/V Receiver (Black) Review

This receiver sounds great and has all the connections I need for the system I have. It decodes all the new sound formats on the Blu Ray disks and works with my Logitech universal remote. No on screen menu , only for the initial setup, which runs through a plain old video connection to the TV. It powers my Bose speakers just fine and no static even at high volumes.

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Sony ICF-SW7600GR AM/FM Shortwave World Band Receiver with Single Side Band Reception Review

If anyone is considering, the Sony ICF-SW7600GR world band receiver radio, I suggest looking for another portable set. I read the reviews and then made the purchase. My main interest was to purchase a good shortwave radio.

This radio cannot pull in the signal very well at all even after clipping an extension wire onto the antenna.

I located an old Grundig YB305 portable digital shortwave radio to compare to the Sony. The old Grundig is far a better radio then the Sony. The Grundig YB305 pulled in every signal and locked on. The Sony scanned right over them as if they weren't even there. Here's a brand new Sony radio and I am going to have to see if I can get some warranty work to fix the problem.

To compare the sound, I will say the Grundig YB305 is better. There is a fuller rich sound for playing the FM music. Sony is okeh, but not great.

You would think that if it's a Sony it's gotta be good, but the Sony is a phoney.

Currently I am only using the Sony as an AM/FM radio.

I looked into warranty work and Sony will replace it with a refurbished one that may have cosmetic damage. I didn't purchase this radio to trade it in on someone's old refurbished radio. The cost to me would be the price for mailing the radio in, maybe $25. $25 extra to listen to SW...that is if the replacement radio will work as intended. Still taking a chance here. I am now attempting to locate someone who can maybe fix my radio. If not, I will continue to use it as an AM/FM only.

In the old days the radio could be brought to a Sony repair station to be fixed. There used to be one in the area but that is not the case now. Getting someone else to fix it is not worth the cost as the total would equal the purchase price.

Appears with the mass produced chinese @#$* products there is no quality control. You may get a good one or you may get a bad one. Word of advice, do not throw out the box right away like I did on trash collection day.

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TomTom USB RDS-TMC Traffic Receiver for all TomTom GPS Except Go 740 Review

The first thing I will say is that once I eventually got the right RDS-TMC it was fantastic. Works like a dream in the Bay Area to get you around traffic. Anyone that uses I-880 or I-80 in the morning to get to work needs one of these. One morning it saved me an hour by getting me around an accident I did not even know was there until I was passed it, then I heard about it on the radio!

The only negatives are (1) that it needs to be plugged in to work so there is no listening to my iPod through the radio if I want traffic also. (2) It can take a few minutes (sometimes up to 5 mins) when you first calculate your route to find all the traffic info it needs when its set to automatic searching. I have not tried manual yet though.

Unfortunately the reciever sold here did not work with my TomTom as stated in the description. The ONE-130 has a USB connection and this one is a pin. It is not part 9V00.180 which is the USB one sold by TomTom.

[...]

So be careful. Check the connection you need. There are a lot of sites that sell this pin connection and say it is for the ONE series. There might be TomTom ONEs out there with pin connectors but mine certainly is not.

On the plus side though, the company was great and allowed my return and refunded my money very quickly. They say they are even trying to have this ad updated to make it more obvious.



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Delphi SA10224 SKYFi 3 Portable XM Radio Receiver with Vehicle Kit Review

This is actually a replacement for a receiver that I damaged. While it is a bit big compared to many units I have had a good overall experience with this receiver. Battery life has been a weak point but seem to be better with the new unit. Generally easy to read and simple enough for a non techy like me to get to work.

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Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver Review

I purchased this GPS for my wife's use. I have a Garmin Map60C, which she feels is too complicated to use comfortably, and finds too large to tote around. The entire eTrex line is excellent, but the Venture model offers the opportunity, IMHO, for a beginner to expand their use. The memory for loading different maps was key to the decision to purchase the Venture HC. The display is bright, and easily adjusted to help conserve battery life. Scrolling through the pages is easy, particularly if you take the time to set them up. I was worried about how reliably the enter/rocker key would work, but neither of us has had any problems using it. As with any technical piece of equipment, it can't be emphasized enough: read the operator's manual, not just the quick start guide.

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Garmin GDB 55 MSN Direct Receiver for nüvi 205, 205W, 255, 265, 265WT, 275T, 500, 550 (Includes 1-Year Service) Review

Instead of wasting your time and (a lot of) money on this thing, just get the Garmin 265WT with lifetime traffic included for free. If this thing actually laid the doppler radar over your nav map, it would be more worth while. The fact is, you have to exit the traffic/nav mode, go to "tools," go to MSN Direct, go to "weather" then go to "radar" before you get to see the radar weather map. Doing this while driving, is foolish. Besides, in my car I have windows and a radio which gives me this info faster. i really was hoping this would put the radar and the traffic and my route on one screen, but that is not the way it is. Then, you get to resubscribe for a lot of money after your free year runs out. Additionally, the placement of the brick on the cable, near the male plug, rather than at the end near the GPS makes it a little harder for the unit to pick up it's FM signals, meaning you won't always get all the content. I have had mine only a few days, but have yet to see any flight information or movie information. I live halfway between NYC and Philadelphia - not exactly the boondocks. And, the cable config put the brick at the opposite end of the cable compared with the location of the FM receiver on the 265WT's included cable, which was easier to plug in and bury behind my dash, exposing only the little bit needed, rather that the whole thing. I threw away the blister pack, so I don't think I'd have much luck returning this, but i don't think I'll be renewing when the free trial runs out. I am sadly disappointed in the way this thing "works."

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Yamaha YDS-11SL Universal iPod Dock for Select Yamaha Home Theater Receivers Review

Purchased as an iPod dock for the Yamaha RX-V863 Home Theater Receiver, the YDS-11SL allows you to dock and charge your iPod while playing music. However, both the manual for the receiver and the dock state the receiver's digital display can be used to move through the iPod's menus and select playlists, shuffle, and even program the iPod. This is not true at all. You use the receiver's remote to move through the iPod's menus but you must be close enough to the iPod to view its menus on its tiny screen (I have a Nano).

Though the product misses on what would be a very useful feature, it does efficiently dock the iPod to the receiver, allows continuous music playback, allows some control over the iPod with the receiver's remote, and, with some fiddling around, will display the current song title in receiver's digital display.

I carefully researched the YDS-11SL before buying. Yamaha's product information states it is supported by the RX-V863. Some product reviews were very positive, others described the same problem I encountered. GOOD LUCK getting any help from Yamaha. They don't return my e-mails (other than to say they received it).

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Pioneer GEX-XMP3 Portable XM Satellite Radio Receiver w/ Home Kit Review

I'm a gadget freak, and this gadget hits pretty high on my favorite's list. Love all the ways to record things, and I love the portablility of it. It's a great fit for a shirt pocket. Although I'm not a serious audiophile, I find the earbuds give very good sound. On the down side, I find the interface a bit tricky to use. Changing channels and accessing menus could be easier. This is solved by using the remote, but it's still a bit of a challenge on a motorcycle. The antenna for the car kit doesn't pick up quite as good as my old SIRIUS radio, but it's very good if it's put on the roof. This one has a time keeping the satellites when you have it on the dash and you travel north.

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Panasonic SA-BX500 7.1 130 Watts Per channel 0.7 THD Blu-ray Compatible Receiver (Black) Review

It's pretty amazing that such a great sounding AV receiver can be had for so little money.

This light weight receiver delivers the goods in terms of sound quality and can handle the new HD audio processing (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD). If you're in the market for a budget AVR, you should consider this Panasonic.

The price is in the budget range, but the sound quality is worth several times over the price.

What I like:
- Very clean detailed sound.
- Movies sound extremely lively and dynamic.
- Music and songs sounds great too.
- Very good power.
- Can handle the new HD audio formats.
- Runs cool.

What I think can be better:
- Needs an On Screen Display.
- A couple more HDMI inputs would have been great.

It's a pity that Panasonic AV receivers get so little attention despite sounding so good. I've owned a few AV receivers which has cost more than 2 times than this Panasonic - and I have to say I love the sound the SA-BX500 produces a lot more than the rest.



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Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver With Heart Rate Monitor Review

I wanted a watch that would measure HR, calories burned, distance, pace. Since I'm trying to lose a few pounds having an accurate calorie count is extremely important...this device is WAY, WAY off! Totally useless for that. Other areas measured seem to be ok...but why advertise a feature that doesn't even work correctly?! It's false advertising in my opinion! I won't buy another Garmin device!

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

Replacement in the sense that we had hurricane style rains for weeks straight and my roof leaked directly above my home theater equipment - of course!

I digress, this was offered as a replacement by the insurance company from another Yamaha receiver from at least 7 years ago.

This has been a wonderful receiver and although the remote doesn't look as cool as the old "silver surfer" with a front flap, it's far more usable.

I docked it a star because the one thing I think it lacks for this price point is dual HDMI outs. I use this with a home theater PC and would like to run both inputs into the receiver with two outputs, one to a projector and another to a small LCD monitor.

Other than that one small issue, highly recommened.

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Sony STR-DH700 7.1-Channel A/V Receiver (Black) Review

I bought this to replace an aging Kenwood VR-405 receiver. Wow, what a difference!! This sound better and clearer. This receiver has a pretty easy setup (although I am sure I haven't done some things to make it the best I can), and I love the auto calibration thing. The instructions say that the auto calibration sequence is loud and to be cautious of your neighbors and small children, but its really not that loud. I don't know what the heck its talking about. It's as if they are going crank the crap out of the volume. It's really not that bad. In any case, I guess I would say that if you have an older receiver that you would like to upgrade from, this is a great receiver to choose.

The HDMI ports (3 in, 1 out) on it are active switching ports and is an awesome extra you normally have to pay quite a bit more for. I hooked my PS3 directly to this receiver with only an HDMI cable and it works like a fricken charm!!! Makes setup of it much easier and it makes it sound better. Even though the receiver doesn't have the DTS HD or any of the other HD codecs like that built into it, if you plug a PS3 into it you will get it anyway because the PS3 does the grunt work of decoding the signal off the disc. Like, with "Bolt", it has DTS HD Master Audio on it. The PS3 decoded the audio signal and passed it through to the stereo. I get true HD audio out from it. And believe you me, it sounds FANTASTIC!! You get a much more broad range of audio and it just sounds so great!

Anyway, all in all, I am VERY happy with the purchase so far. I have had it like a month now. It is just a great receiver. If you have any questions about it, and can figure out how, you can ask me and I will try to do my best to answer.

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Harman Kardon HK 3390 2 x 80W Stereo Receiver Review

After spending a few years in a disease called audiophilia, I vowed to stop spending money wildly on different audio gear just so I could hear something different. I came to the conclusion after having a H/K theater receiver before that I did enjoy the sound enough to try another one as a two channel set-up. I sold my tube amp and bought the H/K 3390 from Amazon. Short story is the H/K 3390 sounds remarkable for 1/5 the price of the tube amp. The exponential in audio can be frustrating as you have to usually spend a lot more to get a margianally better sound. I'm not saying I will never dabble with more expensive electronics, but someone who buys this amp will be satisfied with the audiophile level results.

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Onkyo TX-SR806 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

The Onkyo TX-SR806S is an upgrade from a 5 year old Panasonic SA-HE200. HDMI connectivity was the number one priority for me. And it is silver - matches some of the equipment in my rack. I was also very happy to pay under $600 for this item! I am running all audio through the 806, and all video with the exception of the PC. I have a very difficult room - hardwood floors, with pocket doors behind me and on the left side of the living room. The speaker calibration worked wonders in smoothing out the sound in the room. I am hearing more from my speakers now - it's very subtle and the improvement is noticeable.

Connected devices:
JBL E20's - Front
JBL EC25 - Center
Velodyne DPS-12 - Sub
JBL E10's - Surrounds
Paradigm Atoms - Surround Backs
Toshiba HD XA2 HD DVD
Sony DHG-HDD 250 HD DVR
Sony RDR-GX300 DVD Recorder
Dish Network 501 DVR
HP Digital Entertainment Center de100c
Sony VCR
Terk HDTV I antenna
Home Theater PC with LG combo Blu-Ray/HD DVD Drive
Technics SL 1500 Mk2 Turntable
Mitsubishi WD-Y65 65" DLP RPTV

Pros:
Build quality - it's built like a tank
Ability to assign inputs and rename them, extremely flexible.
5 HDMI inputs
Ease of speaker calibration with Audyssey MultEQ
Decoding of Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio
Audio quality - The sound is very clear, detailed and clean - even at low listening levels thanks to THX Loudness Plus
Phono Input - vinyl sounds fantastic through the Onkyo.
FM Tuner - Very sensitive, picks up weaker stations much better than my previous receiver

Cons:
It is big. Sticks out of the back of my a/v rack.
No switched outlet on the rear of the receiver.
TV has to be on to listen to a cd in the HD DVD player. HDMI authentication issue. I use the Sony DVD player instead.
Runs a little warm, but not too hot. Placed a modified pc case fan on top of the hottest part of the case. Also placed some Audio-Technica audio insulators (AT 605) under the feet of the 806 to allow air to pass through. Temps dropped from 56C to 41C. Cool to the touch now.
HDMI switching lag - some delay when changing inputs. Audio lag of about 5 seconds when in FF, Skip, RW modes with the DVR.
Occasional clicking when changing audio formats - drives my dog nuts.
Although you probably won't use it, the volume knob feels really cheap.
No backlit remote. Not a deal breaker. Using a Harmony 880 remote.

Overall, I am quite pleased with the performance of the Onkyo TX-SR806.


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Harman Kardon AVR-254 7x50W 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI 1.3a Repeater Review

I have had this running since about Decemeber 08. I am not a hard core audiophile and was happy living life as a bose man. Decided to try something different so picked this up, HSU speakers and the other stuff in my title. Easy install and firmware update process, looks nice, great GUI & features (I like the nightmode, we have kids), sounds great when all the planets are aligned but just does not work consistantly. Everytime we try to watch some tv something has to be restarted, input switched back and forth, etc. Others have mentioned the problems with the comcast dvrs and I have all of them, green screen, trouble switching between HD and SD, popping when changing channels, etc. If comcast/motorola and HK every work out the differences it will be great, in the meantime, don't get stuck being monkey in the middle on the firmware standoffs, try something else if you have comcast or get a different provider if your hooked on HK. For all the knocks Bose takes from the hardcores, at least it works without the juggling.

Dave

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Sony STR-DH500 5.1-Channel A/V Receiver (Black) Review

Overall, this receiver is a good value for the money, but don't assume anything. Many of the features you'd expect from an A/V receiver are cobbled together in this unit. For example - the HDMI inputs only support pass-through, meaning that they'll pass the signal on to your TV or projector, but if you want audio through your 5.1 speakers, you'll have to connect the audio to the receiver separately. The receiver WILL NOT pull the audio signal from the HDMI feed, even though the cable carries it. Similarly, if you connect analog sources (component or RCA) to the receiver, the receiver WILL NOT output them through the HDMI out. You'll have to run an analog output from your receiver to your TV or projector to carry signal from those sources. I'm still happy with this unit; it's just not as seamless a solution as I expect from a home theater receiver, and many of the features I took for granted when I looked at all the inputs turned out to be false assumptions.

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

The "raw direct" button simply bypasses the front panel controls, so you can quickly switch back and forth to see what you have done to a sound. The continuous "Loudness" knob is just a midrange control. The more "loudness" you use, the more you have to turn the "volume" back up. OK--I just feel it's a little over-marketed. This unit seems to support Yamaha's reputation for conservative specs. The quality is excellent, the tuner sensitivity fantastic, and the 50 watts per channel seems more like 75. It performs as represented.

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

After my Pioneer VSX-something started dying out on me (AmP Error problems) after 5+ years. I upgraded to this one. Onkyo is the best!! Its driving 5 speakers (JBL Studio series tower, center and surround) and 1 Polk 10" Subwoofer and the sound is so clean compared to my old one that it makes the home theater experience more enjoyable for an audiophile like me. I use the HDMI connection from two sources to the output with no signal loss (its a pass through). I programmed my remote to work with the Direct tv box and tv and it was flawless. Controls were adequate - my only wish is that the remote control would light up. Try to read up on the manual and don't rush yourself when its time to tweak. Take your time with this. I tweaked the sound by putting on the Jazz channel on direct tv. The reason for Jazz is because it uses nice bass and treble for tweaking. Onkyo also has this Audissy mic that calibrates it auto for you, but I havent tried it yet. Right now, its adequate. In the end, this is all you need for a good home theater setup.

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Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K 7-Channel A/V Receiver (Black) Review

I've had the VSX-1019 for about two weeks now. My first choice was the Harmon Kardon AVR-354, but the online forums were full of HDMI switching and audio cutoff issues for the HK.

Overall the Pioneer VSX-1019 delivers beautifully clear sound and a wide variety of supported digital and surround options. I can hear things on some CDs that I never noticed on my old Sony receiver and digital surround sound with Blu-Ray disks is awesome.

I do have three issues, however.

Issue 1 - Is this progress?
The instructions are quite clear regarding initial connections and speaker setup options. Just about any device connection you might think of is covered. You have to keep track of where you connect things and make sure you connect an output to a TV, because one of the first steps after initial power up will be to define to the Pioneer where and how your devices are connected using the receiver's On Screen Display. All relatively simple so far.

After that things got complex. Also as part of the initial setup, the VSX has you run an initial full auto MCACC analysis and setup of your listening area. Using the included microphone, the 1019 sends tones around to the various speakers and listens with the microphone. It automatically balances channel levels and equalizes for your speaker placement and room characteristics. You can then do additional fine tuning with a second more thorough automatic MCACC, and finally with a manual MCACC which gives you complete control. Theoretically this should be great - custom tailoring of your receiver settings to match your room. In my case, the end result was severely lacking in low to mid frequencies. Audio and video sounded way too bright and everything lacked low end punch. So, then came hours and days of fiddling with the MCACC settings to redefine speaker size settings, adjust channel levels and fine tune EQ settings. Made me yearn for the days when you manually set the channel volume levels and used a 9-band graphic equalizer to get the kind of sound you like. There are AV forum web threads devoted entirely to the complexities of MCACC.

2nd issue:
The 1019 WILL NOT pass through HDMI from my Sony PlayStation 3! The PS3 is an excellent Blu-Ray disk player. All 4 VSR-1019 HDMI input ports work properly with my DirecTV DVR passing 1080i through to my Samsung 1080p LCD. However, the 1019 will not play audio nor pass through video from the PS3 HDMI on any input port. Per some online forums (for receivers and PS3s in general) I tried adjusting various resolution and frame rate settings on the PS3 and the 1019 - to no avail. As a result I've had to run the PS3 HDMI cable directly to my HDTV for video and run digital optical cable from the PS3 to the 1019 for audio. The PS3 only delivers 5.1 audio on its digital output as opposed to 7.1 via its HDMI output, so I've lost my rear surrounds, although I think the 1019 will try to recreate the rear surrounds using the Dolby Digital EX setting. Disappointing and unnecessarily complex. If anyone knows of a fix for this problem please post a reply to this review.

Third issue, and maybe this is just my lack of understanding, is that it is unclear how the 4 primary buttons (on the receiver front and on the remote) work to select the sound processing. Button 1 gives you Auto Surround. Button 2 gives you stereo options, Button 3 gives you manual selection of various Dolby, DTS and Neural THX options. Button 4 gives you pre-set options, like acoustic, drama, action, TV surround and several more. So, are these completely independent or do they interact? For example if I select Dolby Pro Logic IIx Movie with button 3, and then "Action" using button 4, is it applying an effect to Dolby IIx or doing something else? Not clear in the manual.

The VSX-1019 delivers great sound, after a lot of work. In reading the HK AVR-354 manual, the HK looked to be so much simpler to set up and operate - more user friendly than the Pioneer. But, in the end the HKs firmware issues forced me to the Pioneer. No regrets.

UPDATE:
It appears that the HDMI handshake is affected by power on sequence. Powering up the VSX-1019 before the PS3 seems to have resolved the HDMI interface issue (#2 above). Will have to see if that consistently works.

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Harman Kardon AVR-154 5x30W 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

I consider myself an "audiophile" by all rights with my downstairs system costing in the $30-$40,000 price range (although price doesn't necessarily equate to quality but my separate components are amazing and were hand picked over years of trial & error). This receiver though is for my daily upstairs system where the family watches tv and occasionally a movie together during the day or early evening and we do like the sound to be good through our 5.1 "upstairs" system too. When we want to get "serious" about music or movies however we go downstairs!
That's why I was all the more shocked by this relatively inexpensive receiver looking and sounding so good! And even more surprised that I could buy it brand new through Amazon for the same or less cost than similar used or refurb'd systems elsewhere (Ebay, etc). There are lesser priced receivers out there but they are definatly lesser quality too and/or don't have or switch HDMI w/1080p!
I don't particularly like the big Japanese firms receivers with all of their rediculous bells and whistles (like who really flips through 20-30 different sound fields anyway like hall, disco, reverb, ambiance, and whatever else kind of fluff they offer) give me a good upmix of two channels to my five or seven (natural sounding not overly synthesized or mechanical) along with the usual great Dolby Digital and DTS and I'm good (and of course a good six channel analog pass through if using an SACD OR HD DVD source)! And the fact that everyone who goes to Best Buy or Circuit City or Walmart gets "sold" on them there. I almost overlooked the HK AVR's after seeing them in Costco stores (but I've purchased several big screen plasma/LCD's from them and their all great) but I'm glad I took a closer look!
Harmon Kardon has hit the mark perfectly with this receiver the AVR 154. It's an elegant looking receiver which has a high WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) with a very simple uncluttered front face that looks good on or off (unlike the Japanese receivers which seem to have a race to see who can cram more knobs & buttons onto less real estate the quickest).
The rated 30 Watts x 5 channels (which is a very real power designation and you should note the low distortion which is across the whole frequency range of 5Hz-30KHz where many Japanese models will offer their rating only at one frequency like 1KHz or only with the two front channels driven) are plenty for almost any sub & sat combination however if I were using it for full range speakers I might want to look at the next model up which offers 50W x 7 channels (although it might be worth trying the less expensive model first). I replaced an older model Sony ES (Elevated Standard) receiver CD/DVD/SACD player all in one unit (which was rated 110 watts per channel) with the AVR 154 and I could not hear any difference in power to HK's 30 watts per channel! Wow!
My only gripe is that it does not upscale digital video (or on screen display/GUI; this requires a complete separate video connection) such as 480p or 720p to 1080p HDMI although it does a great job of switching or passing the native signals through. For upscaling I need to go up to the next level receiver the AVR 254. Other than this little nuisance it is a very good receiver for not a lot of cash.
I would highly recommend this receiver to anyone who wants a world class receiver on a very limited budget. Great sound, great looks, easy to operate (once set up because the quick start guide and manual are a little confusing)! Highly recommended...
I may try out their higher end AVR 254 and if so I will offer my opinion for you on it too.

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TEAC AG-790A Stereo Receiver Review

I'm sure I can't add much to the list of nice features - like 4 speaker control, easy and memorable buttons for each main function (like AUX, TAPE, that sort of thing). And maybe there's some hiss always, though I'm not sure as it's lower than my urban ambient noise, I guess.

What I can say authoritatively (based on my N of 1) is: this unit lasts and lasts with nary a bleep. I was just surprised to see myself prompted to write an Amazon review. I forgot I owned it! It's been the same amp for what seems like going on 10 years (can't be sure, but many years, certainly more than 5). I use the receiver often - mostly for amplifying DVD outputs, playing CD's, and amplifying several tape machines. All of which it handles dependably and reliably for years, and years, and years. There's not many amps or tape players which hold up so incredibly well over more than 3 or 4 years. This and my Sony Betamax are survivors!

I can't comment on receiver sensitivity etc., as I rarely use the radio except in times of emergency (AM) or trying to catch a live concert (FM). It's now rare in this cable/optical age to find FM simulcasts of concerts and things. Maybe I'm not as demanding as I used to be, as a recording engineer in the (first) era of vinyl, FM, then digital CD's.
But I can play master CD's and open-reel tape, or crank up the volume on a classic movie on the telly, and it's all good! In my environment (2 different rooms, 2 sets of speakers) it has served me very well for a long, long time in electronics years. I think some of its protection has served me well, too (such as turning off the speakers if one pair or another of speakers is disconnected or shorted). But mostly, it just works!

As a plain but versatile receiver with lots of power and easy to use controls, for what seems a relatively good price, if it's still made, it's hard to beat this if it offers the things you need and want. Reliable, easy to use, quite decent sound characteristics. Tuner: ymmv.

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Sony STRDG820 7.1 Audio Video Receiver - Black Review

I have had the DG820 installed in a HT setup for a month now. This setup includes a Samsung 630 52" LCD HDTV, a Sony S350 BluRay player, a Verizon FiOS SB, and a 5.1 Orb Audio speaker arrangement.

I had a unique requirement in that I needed a reciever to set on a shelf that is only 15" deep ....so the reciever depth had to be 12" or less to allow for the connectors & cable bends on the back. Sony's recievers have always been shallow, while others (Yamaha, Onkyo, Denon) are all 14" - 15" deep. I settled for the 820 because it was the cheapest in the DG family to decode all the HD audio codecs up to and including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA (the S350 can't decode the later).

Setting up the reciever was a bit of a chore ...... a GUI interface like the 920 has would have been nice, but since its only done once its not worth the extra money IMO. I see no change in the 1080p video PQ as opposed to when I was initially running with HDMI cables directly from the S350 and SB to the TV. And the addition of the Orb speakers driven by the 850 have drastically improved the sound quality. The receiver seems to have plenty of power to drive the Orbs. Sound quality over the dynamic range, treble to bass, is excellent to my ears.

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Onkyo TX-SR607 7.2-Channel A/V Surround Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

Unpacked this baby last night and found hook up and setup to be straightforward. Replacing an aging Pioneer VSX-21, which I never quite got used to. Love the Audessy 2Eq funtionality on this unit. I used the automated speaker set-up which was very simple (my daughter was tickled by the test tones it sends out). Also had the issue with the subwoofer being over-amped but easy to remedy. I haven't tried the unit without the auto-volume or auto-eq funtion, so can't compare that yet. CNET review was really down on it, but so far I liked being able to hear everything without blasting my wife out of the house!

Someone mentioned that it does not have HDMI pass-through but this is incorrrect. It does. You have to flip the switch in the setup menu, but it is there. The upscaling for non-HD tv leaves something to be desired but otherwise I think it actually improved my HD viewing from my FIOS box.

My only negative so far if you can call it that was no XM interface, only Sirius. With the merger I'm hoping that won't be a big issue, but that is really not a major negative at all for me. Would have prefered that it had HD-Radio unit built in rather than HD-ready but again, don't listen to the radio that much. The remote could be better. I too hate having to push the receiver button, but once I get the universal programmed it'll go in the drawer with all the others.

I was down to this model vs. the Denon 1909, but after reading all the stories of how difficult it was to set up and the extra $71 off at checkout, this choice is really a no brainer. I have not run into any of the humming or running hot issues that so many have claimed on other Onkyo units. I'm starting to think this is a myth. I used to sell stereo equipment and I got more Denon's returned on me than any other brand. One even caught fire in the showroom. Never had any trouble with the Onkyo's.

No other receiver in this price range can come close to this value.

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Harman Kardon HK 3490 2 x 120W Stereo Receiver Review

I've bought this product in US , knowing that bringing it to Brazil I would loose my guarantee. I have no regrets and I am happy about it. Just some few comments as positive contribution:1. Why there is know control of bass and treble in the remote control. 2. It's hard to see what's written in the buttons of the remote control. 3. Whe working with the Bridge II dock station the information on the screen is often partian and not complete.No doubt however that it's an excellent product

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Onkyo TX-8255 Stereo Receiver Review

this is a great receiver. i didn't know much about stereo receivers but i did some research and found out that onyko is a great brand. this is my first stereo receiver and its great. it has clear sound and can get very loud. i am extremely pleased with this product. if you are new to stereo receivers and/or on a budget, then this product is perfect for you!

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Sherwood RX-4105 Stereo Receiver Review

great amp. I'm a pro av installer and I've been using this amp for 5-6 years as an inexpensive 2nd zone amplifier for applications such as outdoor speakers, basement speakers, kitchen ceiling speakers, etc. Never had a single problem. Probably installed @ a hundred of them. Bought these from amazon because circuit crappy city went out of business. In technical pro av speak- they are awesomely delicious. :)

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