Pioneer VSX-917V-K Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this receiver a few days ago to upgrade from my basic Pioneer XV-HTD540 receiver/DVD combo.I'm using the same speakers from before but I swear,this receiver has just breathed new life into them.They sound much more dynamic from the same movies I've been watching.
I really wanted the HDMI and Optical audio connections and am really happy to have them here. This reciever has more options than anyone is likely ever going to use but my favorite so far is the included microphone attachment that will automatically set up your equalizer to the specs of your room by audio noises through the speakers then received by the microphone attachment(note:hook up component cables from the reviever out to your T.V. to get on screen interaction to make this and other options easier).I know this isn't the only receiver to have this feature but it sure is nice to have on a relatively inexpensive one like this, especially if you don't feel like fiddling with the EQ to find your sound. I listened to it before doing the auto set up and it was nice but after the auto set up, WOW, what a difference. I also like how this receiver will tune into whatever source you've set to adjust the listening options(like Dolby Digital,DTS,or even the Sports setting during a game)for what your watching. It also supports both XM and Sirius radio.
Only downsides are that when your using HDMI through the receivers ports,you have to turn the receiver on for the signal to get to your TV. Not a big deal and there are ways around this if you get creative enough. The other being that this reciever only passes through audio via HDMI, it doesn't decode it to play through your speakers. That's only a big deal if you have HD DVD or Blu-ray, as HD audio can only be heard through HDMI or........
........you can get a player with 5.1 analog audio outs to hook into the 5.1 analog ins on the receiver. That's what I did. Now I have hi def movies with their hi def audio playing through my receivers speakers. It's the only way to get hi def audio if your reciever doesn't decode from HDMI. Most of those receivers though are alot more expensive, so I found this to be a great alternative.
Overall, I'm just glad to finally have a reciever with options now.I like this one alot,it's going for a really good price right now and is actually much less than the Harmon Kardon reciever I was looking at which offered the same features. Plus this one is much more powerful than the HK. I feel good about keeping this one around for years to come as it's able to pass through 1080p video, some of the best audio from HD DVD/Blu-ray dics and is 7.1 capable.If your looking for a good mid-range receiver for a good price, this is it.

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Pioneer VSX-917V-K Home Theater Receiver, Black

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Sony STR-DG800 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver with HDMI Passthrough Review

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(More customer reviews)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 Player.
Optical Cable: If your HD-DVD player only has an "Optical Audio Output", then plug the Optical Audio Cable into the "Optical Digital Video 1" port on the Sony receiver. After that, use the Sony Remote Control and follow the "re-assign" insturctions in the Sony Receiver Manual. You will be able "re-assign" the audio input from "Digital Video 1" to the "HDMI DVD" port. It takes patience, but in this way, you can overcome the drawbacks of the "HDMI Passthrough".
So now I do have audio to my home enterment system from both the Satellite HDMI port and the HDMI DVD Port, dispite the fact that these ports are designed to pass-through the audio to the television only.
Is is odd that the nice people at Sony Technical Support could NOT help me with this or any other solution for the problem. But I DO want to thank the fellows at J&R Electronic for brain storming these solutions with me.
Now that I have this work-a-round setup finished, I am raising my rating to four stars for this receiver. As of now, both the video and the audio from this receiver are everything I had hope for. Happy Birthday to me.


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Yamaha R-S500BL Stereo Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you love classical music CD's this is for you. Power, clarity, timbre and atmosphere; puts my old Marantz to shame. Makes my 30 year old Technics speakers sound like a state of the art system. There's also receptacles for a second set of speakers in another room. Unless you have a really huge house I don't see why you'd need an s-r700.
W/respect to FM reception; if the signal is a bit weak, it'll go on mute rather than play static interference. I may have to hook up an outdoor FM antenna.

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The Yamaha R-S500BL Stereo Home Theater Receiver assures total music enjoyment with 75 watts per channel of pure, clean power, ToP-ART stability, Continuously Variable Loudness Control, 40 AM/FM station presets, built-in port for supported Yamaha iPod docks (sold separately), and automatic power management.

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Harman Kardon HK 3490 120 Watt X 2 Stereo Receiver with XM Radio-ready Tuner and Dolby Virtual Speaker Review

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(More customer reviews)I used the HK 3480 (the precursor to this model) for five years and loved it. The 3490 is even better. The sound is more robust and full, not different, but just more refined. It easily powers my Klipsch Synergy speakers and would pair well with any mid-level speakers. With 120w even inefficient speakers will have more than a enough power to move air.
Further, the 3490 has an important new feature: digital inputs. This is a very nice option for those who have made the jump to an all digital music library and use a digital jukeboxes like the Roku Soundbridge or the Squeezebox. Both players have digital outs and pair up nicely with the 3490.
The difference in quality from digital inputs or analog is debatable, but to my ear, going from the 3480 with analog cables, to the 3490 with optical TOSLINK, there was an immediately improvement in clarity. Songs with delicate sound work came alive. Soft details were more apparent. It's been a great upgrade for me.
It's important to note that the 3490 doesn't leave analog fans in the cold either. It has a very nice tape loop and a wonderful gold plated stereo pickup. In short, whether you're library consists of vinyl or mp3s this amp will do it all.
I have always been a fan of Harmon Kardon, and I bought the older 3480 because I'm a strict fan of stereo music listening. The 3490 is a very smart update to the 3480, bringing it into the 21st century with a host of digital options. For those who rely on an iPod for music, there is specific iPod cradle for this amp that allows you to play your iPod's music effortless over the stereo while controlling it with the HK remote. This amp is also XM Radio ready, just plug in your XM receiver and the HK will allow you to control it.
It's very hard to find a subtle, high powered stereo receiver with these features. The market has sadly moved away to the home theater, multi-channel world, but I'm glad Harmon Kardon is still loyal to their stereo listeners.
Build quality is very nice. It's not a flashy amp, it doesn't light up the room with needless LEDs. It's very understated, and handsome. HK even includes two little inserts that hide the front inputs and bass, treble, and balance controls (nice if you don't want people messing with your settings, or you appreciate a clean look.)
Other than the digital options, the tape loop and the phono pickup, the amp does allow video switching and pass through should you want to integrate into your home theater. The other notable detail are the speaker posts. They allow the use of banana clips or allow you to secure naked wire in two different ways to the posts. This is nice if you don't have a lot of clearance behind the amp.
At this price point, there is simply nothing out there that can compete with this amp in terms of quality, performance, or features.

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The HK 3490 is a high current stereo receiver that will give you the best possible audio performance. You can use the optional "Bridge II" to control and navigate your Ipod'. The power rating is 120 watts times two at 8 ohms and 150 watts times 2 at 4 ohms. It has 45 amps of current. It is also XM Ready. It has speaker A/B switching.

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