Tagged Products - 5.1ch
(102)
results 1 - 20 of 102 reviews
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I spent months picking a stereo system, reading reviews, listening to different systems at big box stores, and ultimately settled on this one.
The reason is simple: this 5.1 system sounded better than any other I tested, even those that cost twice as much! The sound quality of this system is simply amazing at this price. You could drop 3x as much on a Bose system and be less satisfied.
Pros:
3 HDMI inputs with full 1080p pass through. Have a lot of devices? No worries. You can connect a game console, a cable box, and a DVD player, all with zero loss of resolution and picture quality. There are more expensive systems that lack this feature.
Amazing sound quality. This system has a powered sub woofer, which is a MUST for high quality, deep bass. Other systems in this price range lack this feature. The speakers are solid wood construction. Although not glamorous, they feel so much better than plastic, and will still be around when cheaply made plastic bodied speakers are in a land fill.
The reason is simple: this 5.1 system sounded better than any other I tested, even those that cost twice as much! The sound quality of this system is simply amazing at this price. You could drop 3x as much on a Bose system and be less satisfied.
Pros:
3 HDMI inputs with full 1080p pass through. Have a lot of devices? No worries. You can connect a game console, a cable box, and a DVD player, all with zero loss of resolution and picture quality. There are more expensive systems that lack this feature.
Amazing sound quality. This system has a powered sub woofer, which is a MUST for high quality, deep bass. Other systems in this price range lack this feature. The speakers are solid wood construction. Although not glamorous, they feel so much better than plastic, and will still be around when cheaply made plastic bodied speakers are in a land fill.
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7 price(s)
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I guess I went into the purchase of this receiver with expectations set far too high.I have owned Pioneer receivers for years and was saddened by the death of my Pioneer vsx-608D.I really liked that unit alot.It came out in 1999.It did have Dolby Digital 5.1 sound with DTS.When I got this new 918 hooked up I was very happy with the sound of Dolby Digital and DTS movies.They sounded fabulous.I do however like to listen to music alot.When I switched to the cd input I thought my powered subwoofer had stopped working.I tried everything I could think of to get the bass level up.I made sure the Plus setting was turned on.This setting makes sure that bass signals sent to the large front left and right speakers are also sent to the subwoofer.I ran the auto set-up where you hook a microphone up to the system and it goes through a series of test tones to determine the best set-up for your room.Well,after going through this, all I heard was a trace of bass.I turned on the midnight setting and noticed
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I have been in the market for several months for a new home theater after we moved into a new house. To get my old unit's rear speakers to the back of the room would be a big undertaking and I am not ready to do that just now. So it came down to a wireless rear speaker system or just a 2 front speaker system like the 3-2-1 Bose. I read all reviews--half loved the wireless and half said they did not work. Ended up deciding to try the Sony DAV-HDX576WF. I am extemely satisfied with the system. The wireless speakers never have interference and sound great. (With the caveat--obviously they don't have the sound like my son's built in the ceiling $3000 speakers/system that shake the room). But for my needs they work perfect and I highly recommend the system.
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I am an otherwise tech savvy consumer who was temporarily confused after buying this AV receiver. Having purchased my last receiver in 1991 I was only peripherally aware of some important things to note.
1. As stated in another review here (I wish I read it before buying) this receiver doesn't decode Dolby audio over HDMI, a.k.a. HDMI pass through. The manual doesn't explicitly say this--it uses the term pass through but not the part about requiring separate audio. While HDMI normally carries video and audio, using HDMI with this receiver will only give you video (unless you turn dolby off, but that makes all your speakers expensive dust collectors). I was using an HDMI cable, for example to connect my HD DVR to my TV. When I ran an HDMI cable to the receiver and then from the receiver to the TV I had video but no picture. When I asked the magnolia people in best buy (where I bought it) if I might have something hooked up wrong, they offered to schedule a home visit for $149. I**ots. There
1. As stated in another review here (I wish I read it before buying) this receiver doesn't decode Dolby audio over HDMI, a.k.a. HDMI pass through. The manual doesn't explicitly say this--it uses the term pass through but not the part about requiring separate audio. While HDMI normally carries video and audio, using HDMI with this receiver will only give you video (unless you turn dolby off, but that makes all your speakers expensive dust collectors). I was using an HDMI cable, for example to connect my HD DVR to my TV. When I ran an HDMI cable to the receiver and then from the receiver to the TV I had video but no picture. When I asked the magnolia people in best buy (where I bought it) if I might have something hooked up wrong, they offered to schedule a home visit for $149. I**ots. There
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First, this system is very cheap. Even if you order the $89 wireless kit (which is a bit finicky), it is still ~$300. The sound is also AMAZING for such a cheap system. I combined it with my new Samsung LN40A550 LCD TV (which has crappy speakers) and won't go back to factory TV speakers.
Also, Anynet is better than you think. Having you Samsung TV automatically control your volume through the HDMI cable is awesome. One remote!
As mentioned elsewhere, the iPod interface is awful. As a graduate student who likes to throw parties, it was a complete annoyance to find that the interface will only play songs in alphabetical order!
BUT, the worst problem BY FAR is the upconversion of the DVDs to 1080p resolution. In short, the 1080p resolution is SO pixelated, I can see the pixels from 8 feet away. This was confirmed by other users at avsforums.cmom. To make the image slightly smoother, I have the DVD Player set to standard output at 480p (non-HD) resolution and let the TV do
Also, Anynet is better than you think. Having you Samsung TV automatically control your volume through the HDMI cable is awesome. One remote!
As mentioned elsewhere, the iPod interface is awful. As a graduate student who likes to throw parties, it was a complete annoyance to find that the interface will only play songs in alphabetical order!
BUT, the worst problem BY FAR is the upconversion of the DVDs to 1080p resolution. In short, the 1080p resolution is SO pixelated, I can see the pixels from 8 feet away. This was confirmed by other users at avsforums.cmom. To make the image slightly smoother, I have the DVD Player set to standard output at 480p (non-HD) resolution and let the TV do
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There are a number of positive reviews here, and I won't replicate what they say save to confirm that the sound quality is excellent, and the connectivity is fine for 99% of us. I'm on the whole actually happy enough with it. However, you should be aware of a couple of significant issues.
1. Although there is a button on the front for speaker set A/B/Off, there is no option to have output going to both speaker sets A and B at the same time. Even though the corporate drone in Best Buy said it would, and nothing in the advertising blurb counteracted this, this simple truth is hidden in smallish text on a page somewhere in the depths of the manual. I therefore purchased a Monster Cable SS4 Multi-Speaker Selector so that I could have audio on the deck and in the main room at the same time. The combination works fine.
2. Second problem. There are no codes for programming the remote to operate the Dynex 42 inch flat panel. It is a BestBuy own brand, made by Toshiba. None of the Toshiba codes
1. Although there is a button on the front for speaker set A/B/Off, there is no option to have output going to both speaker sets A and B at the same time. Even though the corporate drone in Best Buy said it would, and nothing in the advertising blurb counteracted this, this simple truth is hidden in smallish text on a page somewhere in the depths of the manual. I therefore purchased a Monster Cable SS4 Multi-Speaker Selector so that I could have audio on the deck and in the main room at the same time. The combination works fine.
2. Second problem. There are no codes for programming the remote to operate the Dynex 42 inch flat panel. It is a BestBuy own brand, made by Toshiba. None of the Toshiba codes
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This receiver gives you decent value for the money. The following are short-comings:
It will not decode the audio from the HDMI cable so you will need to run both the HDMI and an optical or digital coax from the component to the receiver. It will also not upconvert either. In addition to this, it will not switch component to HDMI output at any resolution. So if you are using an older XBOX that has HD-Component cables, or an older DVD player, etc.. that is using component, it will not output that through your HDMI to the TV. You will have to run a separate set of component cables to your TV. This receiver, therefore, does not improve on clutter in your home theater set-up.
In terms of postives there are many in terms of sound quality. This receiver gives you a great deal of latitude for tweaking the sound to your desires. It has great bass output and my surround sound has a lot more thunder and power behind it than it used to on my old receiver (a Kenwood VR7070). Everything from Bioshock
It will not decode the audio from the HDMI cable so you will need to run both the HDMI and an optical or digital coax from the component to the receiver. It will also not upconvert either. In addition to this, it will not switch component to HDMI output at any resolution. So if you are using an older XBOX that has HD-Component cables, or an older DVD player, etc.. that is using component, it will not output that through your HDMI to the TV. You will have to run a separate set of component cables to your TV. This receiver, therefore, does not improve on clutter in your home theater set-up.
In terms of postives there are many in terms of sound quality. This receiver gives you a great deal of latitude for tweaking the sound to your desires. It has great bass output and my surround sound has a lot more thunder and power behind it than it used to on my old receiver (a Kenwood VR7070). Everything from Bioshock
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The Good:
The quality for the price. For around $400 it is a good system: 5.1 surround audio, good bass, wireless rear speakers, iPod docking station, FM/AM, Aux, digital optical audio input (Toslink), 5-disk CD/DVD changer, multi-format CD/DVD player, good highs/mid/lows in music, lots of options on configuring the system, good directions.
The Bad:
Only 1 HDMI output (no HDMI input!), non-universal remote (I hate using multiple remotes too, GRRR!), WEAK rear speakers, DVD upconverter sucks, waste of space with front speakers (only 50% of the tower is actual speaker).
I was so happy to get this unit knowing all the options it had, especially wireless rear speakers. Not having the hassle of running wires was great, but those rear speakers are weak. I have the decible output to the rear speakers max'd out and it's still not where I'd like it. I WISH I could use the remote to operate the TV, or have another remote to operate this home theater system but no luck :(
My only other gripe
The quality for the price. For around $400 it is a good system: 5.1 surround audio, good bass, wireless rear speakers, iPod docking station, FM/AM, Aux, digital optical audio input (Toslink), 5-disk CD/DVD changer, multi-format CD/DVD player, good highs/mid/lows in music, lots of options on configuring the system, good directions.
The Bad:
Only 1 HDMI output (no HDMI input!), non-universal remote (I hate using multiple remotes too, GRRR!), WEAK rear speakers, DVD upconverter sucks, waste of space with front speakers (only 50% of the tower is actual speaker).
I was so happy to get this unit knowing all the options it had, especially wireless rear speakers. Not having the hassle of running wires was great, but those rear speakers are weak. I have the decible output to the rear speakers max'd out and it's still not where I'd like it. I WISH I could use the remote to operate the TV, or have another remote to operate this home theater system but no luck :(
My only other gripe
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After trying 4 different models (Onkyo TX-SR506/TX-SR576, Pioneer VSX-918V and Yamaha RX-V463), I decided to go with solidly made, the Yamaha RX-V463. This receiver stood out in all aspects except the HDMI 1.3. Amazon description says it's HDMI 1.3 but it's actually 1.2 but supports full 1080p pass without any upscaling.
I bought this primarily to listen to music in a 2.1 setup with Infinity tower BETA 40 fronts and Infinity CSW-10 sub. This Yamaha receiver brings fullness to all different kinds of music I have played so far like ABBA, Alien vs. Predator, Frank Sinatra, Bee Gees, Chris Daughtry, Light Rocks/Ballads and my wife listens to a lot of Blues, Jazz and R&B/Souls using different formats (CD, DVD, MP3). I have connected my IPOD using Yamaha YDS-11SL dock and it's great as I can control the IPOD menu using the receiver's remote control unit and the OSD (On Screen Display) capability let's me display the song titles in the receivers display area.
Another great feature is the compressed
I bought this primarily to listen to music in a 2.1 setup with Infinity tower BETA 40 fronts and Infinity CSW-10 sub. This Yamaha receiver brings fullness to all different kinds of music I have played so far like ABBA, Alien vs. Predator, Frank Sinatra, Bee Gees, Chris Daughtry, Light Rocks/Ballads and my wife listens to a lot of Blues, Jazz and R&B/Souls using different formats (CD, DVD, MP3). I have connected my IPOD using Yamaha YDS-11SL dock and it's great as I can control the IPOD menu using the receiver's remote control unit and the OSD (On Screen Display) capability let's me display the song titles in the receivers display area.
Another great feature is the compressed
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This theater unit is a good price/quality. It plays CD's, DVD's, KARAOKE CD's, and MP3/WMA music. This particular 300 watt model is for a smaller room, like a den, office or dorm. It was very easy to set up and easy to use. Overall, an efficient device. The remote is very easy to navigate, yet does not have a backlight. This is why it only gets four stars.
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I've had mine for about a month now so I can now say with some assurance that it is a good receiver for this amount of money.
The upsides:
*It sounds great with surround sound, even dvd-a audio!
*It's easy to use with the 4 presets - though I wish I could change the pre-sets to include cd player instead of radio. (Maybe you can but I haven't figured it out yet)
*It has a full function remote with good range
*It blocks off sound automatically when you plug in a headphone (saves having to turn off the speakers with a 2nd step)
*It is set so you can simulate dts sound with headphones for night listening
*It has many different pre-sets and they really come in handy. I found, for example, that using the 5 channel simulator preset sounds great with 2.0 movies, bringing the sound to the rear speakers - especially with movies that are hard to hear the dialogue.
The downsides are many but they're mostly minor. And by the way I would give this 4 and 1/2 stars instead of 5 if I could, because
The upsides:
*It sounds great with surround sound, even dvd-a audio!
*It's easy to use with the 4 presets - though I wish I could change the pre-sets to include cd player instead of radio. (Maybe you can but I haven't figured it out yet)
*It has a full function remote with good range
*It blocks off sound automatically when you plug in a headphone (saves having to turn off the speakers with a 2nd step)
*It is set so you can simulate dts sound with headphones for night listening
*It has many different pre-sets and they really come in handy. I found, for example, that using the 5 channel simulator preset sounds great with 2.0 movies, bringing the sound to the rear speakers - especially with movies that are hard to hear the dialogue.
The downsides are many but they're mostly minor. And by the way I would give this 4 and 1/2 stars instead of 5 if I could, because
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I bought this system after researching for two weeks. I was looking for a system under $500. I was also looking for a system that did NOT include a DVD player as I want to upgrade to a Blue-ray player later on. I liked the price at Amazon and the fact I didn't have to pay sales tax and shipping. When I received the system, I placed the speakers where I wanted them (I also purchased the iPod dock which I think should have been included). You will have to cut and splice the speaker wire but that is not a big deal. My system is hooked up to an HDTV and it sounds great. There are plenty of hook-ups in the back so you can build on this system. There are better products out there but for the money, I think I made out like a bandit. I really love this system!
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I purchased this surround sound system with my Samsung LCD 46in 750 series HDTV.
This is a great surround sound system for the price. I was not looking to spend a crazy amount of $$ for a surround sound system. Some go for over $1000.
I am overall extremely satisfied with this product. Setup was easy, but the manual is somewhat confusing.
Sound is great. I use an optical digital audio cable (NOT included--about $30-$50 depending on length) from this system to HDTV. This is the best way for me, as I then don't have to connect anything else to the surround system. Any device that I use (Cable, Wii, XBOX 360), gets connected to the TV & the sound goes from the TV to the system via the optical audio cable.
Also, has anynet+. Which means that any other Samsung device's remote with anynet+ can operate the system (& vice versa) without programming.
Had built in up-converting DVD player. Is not an HD-DVD, but will up-convert any DVD to a better digital looking & sounding DVD. The
This is a great surround sound system for the price. I was not looking to spend a crazy amount of $$ for a surround sound system. Some go for over $1000.
I am overall extremely satisfied with this product. Setup was easy, but the manual is somewhat confusing.
Sound is great. I use an optical digital audio cable (NOT included--about $30-$50 depending on length) from this system to HDTV. This is the best way for me, as I then don't have to connect anything else to the surround system. Any device that I use (Cable, Wii, XBOX 360), gets connected to the TV & the sound goes from the TV to the system via the optical audio cable.
Also, has anynet+. Which means that any other Samsung device's remote with anynet+ can operate the system (& vice versa) without programming.
Had built in up-converting DVD player. Is not an HD-DVD, but will up-convert any DVD to a better digital looking & sounding DVD. The
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This is my first surround system, and I was lucky I happened to stumble across it. I was a bit leery about the quality when I first saw the price, but I read others' reviews and know that Yamaha is a reputable brand, so I went with it.
I hooked up my DVD player and XBox 360 via TOSlink, and everything sounds superb! I was amazed when the first movie I watched with this system tricked me into thinking there was lightning outside, when it was coming from the surround speakers! I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking to get a reasonably priced entry level system.
I ordered it with a pair of these Atlantic 77305018 Satellite Speaker Stands (Black) which work fine for holding the front speakers next to the TV.
EDIT: I should mention that I bought this Philips Spooled Speaker Wire - 100ft - 16 gauge with the system because one of the other reviews stated the wire that comes with the system is pretty cheap. I didn't even really look at it, I just used the Philips wire.
EDIT:
I hooked up my DVD player and XBox 360 via TOSlink, and everything sounds superb! I was amazed when the first movie I watched with this system tricked me into thinking there was lightning outside, when it was coming from the surround speakers! I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking to get a reasonably priced entry level system.
I ordered it with a pair of these Atlantic 77305018 Satellite Speaker Stands (Black) which work fine for holding the front speakers next to the TV.
EDIT: I should mention that I bought this Philips Spooled Speaker Wire - 100ft - 16 gauge with the system because one of the other reviews stated the wire that comes with the system is pretty cheap. I didn't even really look at it, I just used the Philips wire.
EDIT:
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We bought this receiver several days ago to replace an aging JVC receiver we'd had for a number of years and I'm very happy with it so far. The sound is exceptional and it's very easy to configure. The "Scene" feature is very handy; it allows you to configure four buttons with presets for various listening situations (movies, gaming, etc). For example, I have one setup for gaming that selects one digital input for the sound source and also selects "straight" for the sound processing, allowing the receiver to decode the game sound based on what it detects. Another setting is for music and sets the sound processing as "5 channel music optimized".
The only complaint I have thus far is an error in the manual that indicates you can rename the Scenes. Apparently there was an insert along with the manual saying this wasn't possible with this model but as I bought the floor model that insert wasn't included. But that's not the fault of the manufacturer or the unit.
To sum it up, the unit sounds
The only complaint I have thus far is an error in the manual that indicates you can rename the Scenes. Apparently there was an insert along with the manual saying this wasn't possible with this model but as I bought the floor model that insert wasn't included. But that's not the fault of the manufacturer or the unit.
To sum it up, the unit sounds
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I received this HTIB system last week and it's been awesome. Before I go into detail, let me first say that I'm not an audiophile. But I do disdain buzzing of any kind, inaudible dialogue, and low bass. Also, my setup with this system is a Samsung LCD flat panel, cable HD, an Oppo DVD player, and Wii.
First the Cons: Has barely any inputs. Before this system, I had everything connected to my TV. The cable box, DVD player, and Wii were all connected to my TV. Because this system only has a few audio inputs and I wanted to use my superior Oppo DVD player over the Panasonic receiver's, I kept everything the same and used the Digital Optical connection to connect the receiver to my Oppo DVD player. I knew that I only wanted to use the system for DVD's, so it means that I can't listen to my cable shows or Wii games in surround sound. And I haven't tested out the DVD player. If I wasn't lazy, I could change it up a bit, but I'll leave it the way it is for now. So the bad thing about this system
First the Cons: Has barely any inputs. Before this system, I had everything connected to my TV. The cable box, DVD player, and Wii were all connected to my TV. Because this system only has a few audio inputs and I wanted to use my superior Oppo DVD player over the Panasonic receiver's, I kept everything the same and used the Digital Optical connection to connect the receiver to my Oppo DVD player. I knew that I only wanted to use the system for DVD's, so it means that I can't listen to my cable shows or Wii games in surround sound. And I haven't tested out the DVD player. If I wasn't lazy, I could change it up a bit, but I'll leave it the way it is for now. So the bad thing about this system
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I'd only replaced my old Sony 5.1 reciever because it wasn't capable of playing the PCM tracks from the PS3 Bluray. I had looked at the newer Sonys but stumbled upon this. I was pleasantly surprised at the wealth of features at this price point. The YPAO and OSD made dialing in the setup a snap (once I figured out the OSD needed it's own video input) Only minor tweaking was required to get it just right. I really like that you can set an initial volume. Far to many times I'd turn that old Sony off while the volume was high only to get a surprise early Sunday morning.
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i own a 67inch samsung tv. my family refers to it as our imax. so i decided it was time for us to get our first home theater system. i did a little reserch and landed on this one. it was a definite upgrade from the tv speakers. it made watching movies way more fun... BUT i'm pretty into sound, and i was a little dissapointed with the limited tweeking the system gives you esp with eq. i was also suprised that the systems volume limit isnt higher. they told me at the store it would get louder with better speaker wire. there is also limited inputs... so for these reasons i took it back. for me its worth spending potentiall another 500 to 1000 to get a more... but for the money if your on a budget, i think its a good system. especially if this is your first, or you havent had one. the bass is good and you get good sound. the rear wireless speakers is a plus to me. when you upgrade to better systems you lose that feature.
so i liked it, but didn't love it.
so i liked it, but didn't love it.
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I'm no audiophile but this is an excellent reciever for the price. It comes with a microphone that you place in the "sweet spot" of your room and the system will send audio signals to it and auto calibrate the system. I am also happy to report the iPod function worked excellent with my iPhone and 5g iPod. Highly recomend!!
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As others have pointed out, this is not the best system around, but for ~$400 it is a good value. The sound is good enough for most people in most places. Volume levels for all speakers are good, including the rear wireless, and no hissing. The wireless does not interfere with my home wireless 802.11g network. I also have the SH-FX85 extra room speaker kit whose sound is very good.
My biggest complaints are the setup menu and the remote.
The setup menu cannot be accessed unless your input source is DVD/CD. That means if you are listening to anything else (iPod, Digital-in, Radio, Aux), you must first select DVD/CD, and wait for a disk to load (a slow process). This is very annoying.
The remote cannot be programmed to control your TV (on/off, input source, etc.) unless you have a Panasonic brand TV. That is horrible, and panasonic should be providing basic universal remote functions.
Other points:
Although there is an iPod port, there is not a generic MP3 player port/input. There
My biggest complaints are the setup menu and the remote.
The setup menu cannot be accessed unless your input source is DVD/CD. That means if you are listening to anything else (iPod, Digital-in, Radio, Aux), you must first select DVD/CD, and wait for a disk to load (a slow process). This is very annoying.
The remote cannot be programmed to control your TV (on/off, input source, etc.) unless you have a Panasonic brand TV. That is horrible, and panasonic should be providing basic universal remote functions.
Other points:
Although there is an iPod port, there is not a generic MP3 player port/input. There
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