 Excellent value |
| Review Date: July 9, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Jay R. Radmer, Brookfield, WI United States |
I was lucky enough to score this item for $167. The next day it went back up to $189, but even at the higher price I would have bought it. This is a tremendous value at anything less than $200.
Hookup using all HDMI was very easy. The instruction manual is not very good, the English is obviously from someone who's native language is something else. But since the default settings out of the box will suit 95% of most people's needs, I suggest just hooking it up and getting comfortable with it for a few days, then wade into the finer points in the manual when you have more time.
I have a blu-ray player and a cable box hooked into it with HDMI, and then a single HDMI from the Sony into my TV. I no longer have to switch inputs on the TV, as that is now done with the receiver. My cables are much simpler now that I don't need the digital cables to carry sound- everything is done over the HDMI now.
My sound is great- I can now decode the LPCM from my blu-ray player. One small negative, now that the video signal is going thru an extra device (the Sony) it makes channel changing a bit slower. A small price to pay for the convenience of the single cable arrangement afforded by the HDMI.
Overall I couldn't be more pleased with this purchase. |
Solid entry level unit for the money
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| Review Date: June 23, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Snmi43, |
Overall this is a great deal for someone looking for a straight-to-the-point, entry level 5.1 system. It doesn't have an onscreen menu, or tons of HDMI ports, but for less than $200, it provides plenty of power and enough options to create an economical yet strong performance package. If you want to make your first jump to intro home theater but don't want to sweat the details, this does the job well. I would consider my setup to be a simple, economical, and practical system for someone looking for a good overall sound without getting too technical or overinvested.
I paired this receiver with an Energy RC Micro 5.1 speaker system and a 40" Sony Bravia LCD in a 14x20 room. (You could always go with cheaper speakers, but if you're going to spend extra anywhere, spend it on the speakers.) I hooked up a BluRay player, HD cable box, Wii, and an iPod dock. The receiver doesn't have lots of inputs - 1 HDMI out and 3 in (most people always want one more than what they have anyway). Extra HDMI's always help with avoiding early obsolescence, but I'm not planning on adding any other devices. If you have multiple game systems and other audio devices you're planning on adding down the road, I would move on to something more advanced. Even if you have an older DVD player, you can hook it up just fine, however HDMI will make your life much easier with this unit. (I originally started with an old compnonent DVD player and then ended up getting a BluRay player - The receiver WILL NOT send the audio through the HDMI OUT to the tv unless you hook up through the HDMI IN. You will have to send an additional audio signal such as optical if you use analog inputs).
Installation was tedious but not terribly difficult. It does not come with a microphone to help calibrate the surround sound balance, but it provides a test tone that you can activate to help you adjust them manually as you listen from your "sweet spot". Again, if you want the bells and whistles, you gotta pay more than $200. The menu on the receiver takes a bit of getting used to, but after playing around, you'll get the hang of it. There are some pretty advanced features as well, such as setting speaker distance and indicating speaker size. I would have liked an EQ with more than just treble and bass. Night mode is a nice feature as well - kind of like a "loudness" button that helps when using at lower volumes, boosting the treble and bass appropriately.
The preset 5.1 surround setting are okay, but who really uses "arena"? Just go out and buy the "live" version and stop annoying your guests. For music, I prefer to listen with a flat EQ anyway and I've kept mine on the recommended setting for daily TV watching and rarely have to touch the thing. However, spend the time to tweak your settings with DVDs and BluRay - You DO get better performance - worth fiddling with the menu before getting the popcorn.
The radio is well, just that - it works just fine, although again, who really puts in 40 presets? I don't know if it saves the settings if the power goes out - I think it does but I'm not really willing to chance it at this point. Reception strength is pretty good.
The iPod dock I hooked up (not included) was a pretty simple connection and integrates nicely. I also hooked up a wireless speaker device (also not included) to a pair of audio outs on the back and now I can fill my first and second floors plus my backyard with whatever my neighbors find most annoying.The remote is very good overall. I also have a Sony TV so the Sync function works very well. This way I rarely have to touch the receiver - the volume adjusts with my cable remote and if I change inputs, it changes the settings accordingly based on what I'm doing. When I don't want all the speakers on, I simply shut off the receiver and the tv automatically reverts to its normal speakers and vice versa. When I turn off the tv, the receiver goes off as well - seamlessly (HUGE PLUS FOR ME HERE). Some of these features might work with non-Sony TVs, but I'm not sure - you'll have to do some research there.
Are their better equipped receivers for more money? Yes. But for someone like me who doesn't need everything they have to offer, I can take that extra money and spend it elsewhere. This model is budget friendly, has solid sound and power, and is fairly straightforward once you learn the menu. I wanted something that would enhance my daily tv viewing, movie watching, and had the versatility for entertaining as well. Plus I wanted something that was simple to use and can become a relatively seamless addtion to my daily routine. I'd actually give it 4 1/2 stars if I could.
PS - Please be aware that hooking up a Wii via HDMI does nothing to enhance the quality of the image or sound, but it did make things much easier to hook up and use on a daily basis.
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Awesome performance for an Awesome price!!!
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| Review Date: June 19, 2010 |
| Reviewer: T. Sands, Mesquite, NV |
| I recently purchased this receiver to update my old non-HDMI home theater. I spent weeks searching the web for a good product for the right price. I definitely found it here on Amazon. What a great receiver!! It took a couple of hours to set everything up but it was well worth it. All of my HDMI connected devices run great and the sound is fantastic. I haven't had a chance to tinker around with some of the features but I'm sure I will soon. I would highly recommend this receiver to those of you who want great home theater sound without a big pricetag!!! |
Surround sound more than adequate
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| Review Date: June 17, 2010 |
| Reviewer: P. McHale, McKinney, TX |
| I have a complete media room with more high end equipment and just wanted a good enough received to power my Bose speakers in the living room - this is more than enough and works quite well for 5.1ch sound. Very good value for the dollars. |
wow how easy to connect
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| Review Date: May 15, 2010 |
| Reviewer: David D. Gillis, |
| this has to be the easy reciever i have connected in 40 years. then the sound, wow again, clean and clear with plenty of headroom. and the price at amazon was wow again. this is the product i was looking for Exactly. |
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