Showing posts with label Theater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Theater. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Yamaha RX-V665BL 630 Watt 7-Channel Home Theater Receiver (OLD VERSION)
Yamaha RX-V665BL 630 Watt 7-Channel Home Theater Receiver
With so many on offer these days, it is great to have a name you can trust. This item is certainly that and will be a perfect buy. The distributor have added some great touches and this equals great value.
You can trust this review, i hope you can try to buy this product and then you know this product good or no. Next time you can make a review for another people.

Wonderful receiver but not compatible with many cable boxes
I chose the Yamaha V665 after careful comparison with other units, and was very impressed with ease of setup and features. The sound quality is excellent, and while I had initial concerns with power output, at 90 watts it demonstrates more useable power than my previous NAD unit at 100 watts. I particularly like the four "Scene" buttons which allow linked input sources and sound fields and switch the unit on with one action. Contrary to other reviews on Amazon you can easily assign whatever input you wish together with a preferred sound field and assign it to any of these buttons. On the downside, you cannot assign different tone adjustments to these four "Scenes" which means I have to manually attenuate the bass to listen to spoken radio broadcasts which tend to create disturbing bass reverberations at times.

However the one big disappointment, which because of its nature I only discovered too late to return the unit (and I would not have purchased this unit had I known...

Click here to read the full review for more information about this product.


Great receiver
I've had this now for one month and have been very pleased. It has 4 HDMI 1.3 inputs so I was able to easily connect my Direct TV DVR, Xbox 360, Panasonic Blu-Ray player and Panasonic DVD/VHS recorder. I'm using it as a preamp so I'm not using the built in amps. I like the HDMI pass through feature so I can watch normal TV with the receiver and sound system turned off and just use the normal TV speakers. You don't really need 7.1 surround sound for watching the news. The sound quality is really super. Very clear and detailed. I've been very pleased with my purchase. Only con is the remote is hard to read and confusing.
Dont walk run and buy this receiver!
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...
Yamaha RX-V665BL 630 Watt 7-Channel Home Theater Receiver (OLD VERSION) Yamaha RX-V665BL 630 Watt 7-Channel Home Theater Receiver (OLD VERSION)
Product Features :
  • 7-channel 630W powerful surround sound (90W x 7)
  • HDMI 1.3 with Deep Color, xv Colorspace, 1080p compatible, and support for HD Audio formats.
  • Analog video to HDMI up-conversion and also de-interlacing from 480i to 480p
  • Independent 2 Zone, 2 Source operation
  • Bluetooth music streaming using Yamaha YBA-10 Bluetooth Audio Receiver

Rating : 4.2
List Price : $549.95

Available at Amazon : Check Saved Price Now !


Denon AVR3310CI 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver
The AVR-3310CI is a technological tour de force, designed for consumers wanting to network their AV system. Ethernet connectivity opens up your AV system to host of exciting capabilities like audio and jpeg photo streaming and Internet radio. Additionally, subscription music services like Rhapsody and Napster are supported. The AVR3310CI packs a punch with 7-channels of onboard amplification producing 840-watts of total power (120 per channel). The amplifiers can be assigned for 7.1 channel surround sound, or a 5.1 channel system in the “main” room and power a pair of speakers in a second “zone”. This only scratches the surface of the AVR3310CI Multi-zone (3) / multi-source (3) capability. Enhanced power amp assign features, second and third zone programming feature allow the AVR3310 to be the hub of a sophisticated whole house system. For video connectivity, the AVR3310CI is equipped with 1080p compatible HDMI 1.3a Repeating technology, delivering both audio and video to your HDTV with single HDMI cable. This HDMI connectivity supports the latest generation surround sound formats available on Blu-ray disc, including Dolby TrueHD and DD+, dts-HD and dts-HR. Also included is Dolby Laboratories new Pro Logic IIz Matrix decoding featuring front height effects channels that expands front soundstage. The AVR3310CI boasts a number of Audyssey technologies. Advanced Audyssey MultEQ analyzes a speaker systems interaction with room acoustics, and then delivers custom tailored correction processing to optimize clarity and tonal balance throughout the listening space. Audyssey Dynamic Volume is an automatic volume-leveling system that tracks audio dynamics to eliminate the irritating volume swings between TV shows and commercials. Audyssey Dynamic EQ is also on board to ensure rich bass and smooth tonal balance at low volume listening levels.
With so many on offer these days, it is great to have a name you can trust. This item is certainly that and will be a perfect buy. The distributor have added some great touches and this equals great value.
You can trust this review, i hope you can try to buy this product and then you know this product good or no. Next time you can make a review for another people.

AVR 3310CI Good & Bad
The AVR 3310CI is loaded with nice features. Excellent sound quality, inputs for just about anything, and decent menus for setting up and using the receiver. The amplifiers give a very good quality sound, not as good as my MacIntosch system but not bad for the money. Construction is good and it runs fairly cool being it is in a somewhat enclosed area. Technical support is good in that there is little wait time when calling.

Now for the bad. I have now gone through 3 AVR 3310CI receivers trying to get one that works. I believe that most if not all of the issues I have are due to firmware problems as the hardware seems to work just fine. I would try to update the firmware but there are even problems with this function as it takes forever (many hours) and most of the time it will abort or hang in the middle of the download/update process so you have to try and try again. My first unit eventually got into a hang state in that it couldn't update the firmware and as a result...

Click here to read the full review for more information about this product.


Firmware Problems
I've had my Denon 3310CI AVR for 6 months now and it has been working fine. That is until I did the firmware update. Something has gone wrong with the programming in the system. The main remote does not work as it should and gives unpredictable results. The unit no longer connects to the internet and I can't see any network activity lights at the back of the box. When switching from once source to another, for example from DVD to PS3, there is no sound but there is video. I have to turn off the unit and turn it back on to get the sound. I'm unsure what to do now. If I had seen these reviews before I would not have upgraded the firmware because the unit was working fine out of the box. There were no problems during the firmware update. The power did not go off and internet connectivity was never lost. So, it totally confuses me as to what the problem could be. I'm currently researching the net for answers.
So in conclusion, you can buy the unit but don't do the...
Not Bad, But Get It On Sale
I had been scoping out Denon's and other brands for a while. I finally decided on this unit due to it's features and price point. I highly recommend the Denon website for comparing different XX10CI models. So far, I have been happy with my purchase. It has a whole host of features including up-converting all inputs to HDMI, HD Radio, Sirius capable, 5 HDMI inputs, 3 audio zones, and completely re-assignable digital/analog inputs. The ability to reassign different audio and video inputs on the fly has turned out to be quite useful, something I did not anticipate. Overall sound quality has been superb so far.

One downside is menus can be a little slow to navigate through, and the GUI isn't too sharp looking. It's certainly not the XMB from Sony, but it's functional. If I wanted cool looking menus with overpriced sound, I would have bought a Sony. Features that this unit does not have include dual HDMI outputs (I don't really foresee myself having two TV's in one...
Denon AVR3310CI 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver
Product Features :
  • Networking capability opens up your AV system to audio and jpeg photo streaming and Internet radio.
  • HDMI 1.3a Repeating (5 input, 1 output) provides one cable connection between the receiver and TV
  • 1080p HDMI connectivity supports Blu-ray disc surround sound formats, including Dolby TrueHD and DD+, dts-HD and dts-HR
  • Dolby Laboratories new Pro Logic IIz Matrix decoding featuring front height effects channels
  • Audyssey MultEQ, Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ

Rating : 3.8
List Price : $1,499.00

Available at Amazon : Check Saved Price Now !


Onkyo TX-SR805 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)
In terms of the evolution of home entertainment, recent years have seen a quantum leap. It's a formidable progression when you think of 1080p high-definition video and broadcasts; studio-quality, lossless surround sound; spectacular gaming with stunning motion and graphics; and the emergence of portable satellite radio programming. Bundling all this potential, the TX-SR805 A/V surround receiver has been built to provide comprehensive control over all movies, music, broadcasts and gaming. But that barely begins to describe the TX-SR805's potential. Augmented by its THX Ultra2 certification, this receiver goes even further by bringing you sophisticated room correction technology, multi-zone capabilities, powerful bi-amping and dual push-pull amplification. The TX-SR805 provides a reference point for a new generation of high-definition A/V receivers.
With so many on offer these days, it is great to have a name you can trust. This item is certainly that and will be a perfect buy. The distributor have added some great touches and this equals great value.
You can trust this review, i hope you can try to buy this product and then you know this product good or no. Next time you can make a review for another people.

Nothing Like High End Onkyo
Guess which company managed to get True HD and DTS HD into their next lineup of high end receivers. Onkyo of course!! Cutting edge technology filling your room with beautiful sound.

I received my Onkyo TX-SR805 in the mail yesterday and I couldn't be any more thrilled! The behemoth weighs in at 61 lbs. and you can tell it means business. Daunting as it may look, the setup is a breeze due to the fact that everything you plug into the receiver's many inputs, can be output to the TV through one simple HDMI cable. It upconverts any analog connection you can throw at it whether it's S-video, Component, or simple RCA. If you still have a Hi-Fi VCR or other Standard Definition electronics, I'd suggest investing in at least an S-Video cable for that, or if it does have an RGB Component Cable use that because even though it upconverts RCA it can only do so much for the picture quality. That being said it does upconvert all of these analog signals into 720p, 1080i. It DOESN'T...

Click here to read the full review for more information about this product.


Excellent hardware, terrible support.
My SR805 arrived with a bad remote control. Not a big deal, it happens, so I started the process to get a replacement. Onkyo telephone support hold times were very long (30-45 minutes). The person I spoke with was rude and seemed annoyed that I was calling. I was directed to contact one of two local authorized service centers. Calls to both service centers were not initially returned. Long story short, it took a few tries and a whole lot of patience before I was able to get a replacement remote control ordered.

Of major importance to me is the ability for the receiver to switch all video and audio sources. I had problems with a another brand not being able to handle a 1080i/p signal over HDMI but I was happy to see that wasn't the case here. The SR805 handles all my video perfectly. One HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV. Perfect.

On screen setup is a little cryptic, but not terrible. Automatic speaker setup is nice and it's fun to watch the dog try and...
The Onkyo TX-SR805 Rocks!
My Onkyo 805 arrived yesterday evening and after making the required hookups the set up was easy. The Audyssey MultiEq made speaker calibration a snap. I watched Casino Royal last night in the glory of uncompressed audio through my Blu-ray player and wow there are so many crisp and smooth sounds that I was completely unaware of that exist on the BD. The sounds are lifelike and unaltered, the way the movie director had intended.

I got up early this morning to try my ipod collection through the 805. I have a wide range of musical tastes. From Country, to Classic Rock, Modern Rock, Alternative, R&B, Pop and Rap. Its been five hours straight now and I feel like I'm in heaven with the incredibly accurate sonic production obtained from this receiver.

In the $1K price range I don't think there is a better receiver out on the consumer market. Onkyo has definately hit a home run on this unit. I've become an Onkyo fan for life!
Onkyo TX-SR805 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Onkyo TX-SR805 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)
Product Features :
  • 130 Watts/Channel at 8 ohms (FTC)
  • HDMI and Component Video Upconversion
  • 3 HDMI Inputs and 1 Output (ver.1.3)
  • Powered Zone 2 and Zone 3
  • THX ultra2 certified

Rating : 4.4
List Price : $999.00

Available at Amazon : Check Saved Price Now !


Sony STR-DG800 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI Passthrough
Sony Audio Video Receiver with HDMI Passthrough. Powerful HDMI connectivity allows for uncompressed audio and video to pass through directly to your television. XM Connect-and-Play Ready: a world of digital radio is at your fingertips. Connect the optional Connect-and-Play antenna, sign up for XM service and enjoy the variety of digital radio with the superior sound quality of an A/V receiver.
With so many on offer these days, it is great to have a name you can trust. This item is certainly that and will be a perfect buy. The distributor have added some great touches and this equals great value.
You can trust this review, i hope you can try to buy this product and then you know this product good or no. Next time you can make a review for another people.

The Pricy HDMI Swithbox Passthrough: A Work-A-Round Solution !!
This is a follow up to my previous review on Sony STR-DG800 Receiver with HDMI Passthrough. I mentioned that if a HD DVD is plugged in to the DVD HDMI port on the Sony Receiver, there will be no audio coming from the Sony Receiver audio system as all audio and video signals are passed-thru (hense by-passed) directly to the televison. Consequently, you do not have the quality sound from your home entertainment center.

Well I found a work-a-round for this problem but it still require either an Optical Audio Cable or a Coaxial Audio Cable. It is similiar to the SAT/TV solution using the Optical Audio Cable that I memtioned in the previous review.

Coaxial Cable: You can plug a Coaxial Digital Cable coming from your HD-DVD player into the Coaxial Digital input port on the Sony receiver. This coaxial input port will work with the DVD HDMI input port to give you audio through the Sony receiver. Obvioulsy you will have to have a Coaxial Digital output on you HD-DVD...

Click here to read the full review for more information about this product.


A major surprise.
Initially I was skeptical that this receiver would be any good given it's price (which was below $250 during Amazon sale). I switched from a Pioneer VSX-816, which I liked a lot, mainly to get HDMI switching at an affordable price. However, I haven't been happy with Sony's sound or build quality in the past, so expected to return it after trying it out. I still have it and like it, with some reservations.

PLUSES:

Low price.

HDMI switching.

Individual input labeling.

Passes HD video (component and HDMI) with no deterioration that I could detect.

Much better sound than I had expected. (I am not an audiophile and use the receiver mostly for watching video sources, not for music.)

Good build quality, given its price.

Very good ability to assign video and audio inputs.

MINUSES:

Auto speaker setup is limited and not as good as Pioneer's.

Confusing menus, especially for...
Does it all
I like it. Looks good, sounds great, and has all the features needed for a 7.1 home theater system. Last year I bought a Sony STR998 for my living room primarily for music and it has been an outstanding unit with superb sound that I am using in a 4.1 configuration.

The DG800 has the same horsepower at 110 watts per channel and has similar features. It really shines when using the Pro Logic IIx mode with a 7.1 speaker system. I set it up with a Sony HDTV and HD cable box and the sound is excellent and decoded accurately. There is a certain learning curve and complexity in understanding all the features, but my prior experience with the 998 helped with this unit. The manual and remote are okay, but it takes a bit of study for the techno-challenged. I wish things were simpler, but I don't see that as a practical reality for any good home theater unit.

The auto calibration feature is pretty neat and seemingly accurate, but you still have to tweak things to your...
Sony STR-DG800 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI Passthrough Sony STR-DG800 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI Passthrough Sony STR-DG800 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI Passthrough Sony STR-DG800 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI Passthrough Sony STR-DG800 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI Passthrough
Product Features :
  • Features 770 Watts of total system power, 110 Watts per channel
  • HDMI passthrough switching and S-Video up-conversion to component output
  • XM Connect and Play ready for XM radio reception
  • Digital Cinema Auto Calibration makes it easy to tailor your home theater sound to your listening environment
  • Measures 17 x 6.3 x 13.8 inches (W x H x D)

Rating : 3.9
List Price : $480.00

Available at Amazon : Check Saved Price Now !


Onkyo TX-SR605 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)
Meet the first of Onkyo's new A/V receivers built to embrace high-definition media such as Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. The TX-SR605 7.1-channel A/V receiver embodies this new generation, with its remarkable processing capabilities courtesy of HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface).With the ability to keep everything in the digital domain, the TX-SR605 provides complete control of every video and audio format available today. Bringing high-definition A/V processing to Onkyo's renowned approach to sound gives this A/V receiver a distinct advantage in the home. Delivering the latest in usability and versatility--such as multi-room playback, a full connectivity suite (with switching and upconversion), satellite radio connectivity, room calibration and integrated system control--the TX-SR605 is poised to set new benchmarks in performance-driven home theater.
With so many on offer these days, it is great to have a name you can trust. This item is certainly that and will be a perfect buy. The distributor have added some great touches and this equals great value.
You can trust this review, i hope you can try to buy this product and then you know this product good or no. Next time you can make a review for another people.

Here's what it does.
This receiver does a great job. It replaced a 7 yr old Denon 1601 that quit working one night. It drives my 5.1 Polk system at least as good as the older Denon, which always sounded great. At this price, good sound quality is probably a given, so this review is more about the features that set this unit apart. Let's talk video first.

The nice thing about the video processing is that you can hook anything up to it, and it will send the video feed to your TV through one cable. Its basically a big switch, letting you easily change between A/V sources. You just leave your TV on the input through which it is connected, and it feeds the TV whatever source you pick, and sends the audio through the speakers. I hooked up my Samsung DLPSamsung HL-S5688W 56" 1080p DLP HDTV to it via the HDMI output. I used the two HDMI inputs to connect my Samsung DVD player and my Comcast Motorola HD-DVR. I also hooked...

Click here to read the full review for more information about this product.


Great sound quality, frustating feature limitations
I purchased this receiver to replace a five year old Sony. The sound is amazing but there are several strange feature constraints.

Strengths:
-Excellent sound quality
-Intuitive auto speaker setup using the included remote microphone
-On-screen setup is a nice feature that's usually not included in this price range
-720p up-scaling for composite and component inputs look great
-HDMI output video quality is excellent - comparable to a direct connect between the TV and video source

Weaknesses
-Only two HDMI inputs
-Lacks compatibility with separate HDMI switches
-Can't use a digital audio source for zone 2 (no iPods, XM radio, Satellite, etc.)
-Can't display on-screen status (i.e. volume) via HDMI output
-There's an intermittent audio delay of 10-30 seconds between changing HDMI input selections
-On-screen setup is very rudimentary (but easy to navigate)
-Remote IR sensor is less sensitive than Sony...
Definitely, the best for the buck!
While I have been an A/V buff for many years, I do not go off the deep end buying a myriad of equipment to play anything and everything. I carefully research every piece of gear before I buy(ad nauseam, if you listen to my girlfriend) to do what I want and have the flexibility to handle upgrades in associated components. That said, I have to admit I didn't wait for the TX-SR605 be on the market for more than a week before I purchased one. No magazine reviews, Amazon listings, online blogs, etc had reviewed one when I purchased mine the day after the receiver hit the shelves on the West Coast.
This receiver should handle most A/V enthusiast's needs for the next several years. The OSD is very straight forward and the listening field calibration(mic included)works well to get you started. It could use a third HDMI input (available on the next unit up, TX-SR705, for $200 more) but with the up-conversion, it will handle component level inputs with no visible difference(IMO). I...
Onkyo TX-SR605 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Onkyo TX-SR605 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Onkyo TX-SR605 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)
Product Features :
  • 90 Watts/Channel at 8 ohms (FTC)
  • DTS-ES Discrete/Matrix, DTS Neo:6, DTS 96/24, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic Iix
  • Faroudja DCDi Edge Enhancement
  • Powered Zone 2 and 12 V
  • XM Ready with XMHD Surround

Rating : 4.1
List Price : $499.00

Available at Amazon : Check Saved Price Now !


Onkyo TX-SR706 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)
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.
With so many on offer these days, it is great to have a name you can trust. This item is certainly that and will be a perfect buy. The distributor have added some great touches and this equals great value.
You can trust this review, i hope you can try to buy this product and then you know this product good or no. Next time you can make a review for another people.

A BRILLIANT receiver! Look no more.
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...

Click here to read the full review for more information about this product.


706 vs 806/905. A nice receiver package in ~500$ range
It is hard to rate products like this. It is a super duper feature packed product. You get a lot of bells and whistles. Integrated amp has three main parts,

1) Power supply
2) Pre-amp, processor
3) AMP

1) Power Supply: 4/5 stars
It is quite noisy and doesn't have very good isolation. There is no easy way to connect a external ground. Also the power rating for the entire unit is very deceiving. 100+ W while driving only the main two. In 7.1 it is probably 20 W per channel. 80x and 90x have far better power supply than this puppy. That is the main reason they are so heavy. There is also no easy way to replace the fuse to a noise free one.

2) Pre-amp, processor: 5/5 stars
Number of input connections, hdmi control, all the DSP and format support. Wow Wow... there is no other receiver in this price range that handle it all. Dolby True HD, DTS, LPCM, TOS Link any thing you ever want is available here.

One minor complaint is...
Blu-ray HDMI Issues
BEWARE...when blu-ray is passed thru the receiver via hdmi there are blue artifacts in the blacks. I confirmed with Onkyo that this is a known defect and they do not have a current fix. I returned my order to Amazon and will look for a different brand.
Onkyo TX-SR706 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)
Product Features :
  • 100 W/Ch Minimum into 8 Ohms, 20 Hz?20 kHz, 0.08%, 2 Channels Driven, FTC
  • HDMI (v.1.3a to Support Deep Color, x.v. Color, LipSync, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master)
  • THX Select2 Plus Certified
  • Audyssey MultEQ to Correct Room Acoustic Problems and to Calibrate Speakers
  • HDMI Video Upscaling (to 1080p) with Faroudja DCDi Cinema and Upconversion

Rating : 4.1
List Price : $849.00

Available at Amazon : Check Saved Price Now !