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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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