Denon AVR-2807 - AV receiver - 7.1 channel Review

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(More customer reviews)My old, stereo-only system consisted of several high-quality source components, separate tuner/preamp/amplifier, and a pair of very sweet (but rather low-efficiency) classic B&W speakers. When the preamp and amp both died after many years of service, I replaced them with the 2807, and added Polk center and surrounds for a 5.1 configuration. The 2807 makes my faithful B&W front speakers sing every bit as sweetly as my old audiophile separates did, with plenty of power to spare. Today my kids were watching Titanic with the master volume set just a wee bit high, and from two rooms away I thought the iceberg was colliding with the HOUSE. (The volume knob covers a rather impressive -80db to +18db range in 0.5dB increments). You even get TWO sets of amplified front speaker outputs, so you can bi-amp or bi-wire your main speakers if you want! And the 2807's quality is not only in the amplifier stage, but also in the DACs. CDs played through a digital input and handled by the 2807's processors are very smooth and detailed.
(If I may insert one gripe re the amplifier: the speaker binding posts are not at ALL flexible. Using spade lugs or pin connectors is pretty much out of the question. Getting the posts to even cleanly accept heavy-gauge bare wire is difficult. Banana plugs work of course, but the posts aren't spaced correctly for standard DUAL-banana plugs. Arrrgghh!)
Surround decoding and ambience processing is also generally excellent. For instance, using Dolby Pro Logic II with a stereo source like a CD generates a pretty nicely stable center image and subtle, unobtrusive surround enhancement; only occasionally will you hear things "breathe" or wander awkwardly into and out of the surround channel. It makes nearly all of my music CDs, and many TV shows, more enjoyable without calling undue attention to itself. Switching to Pure Direct mode (which is actually wonderfully clean, and is for highest-quality stereo-only handling of analog and two-channel sources) almost always sounds flat and less satisfying by comparison. Seven-channel stereo mode is also good for TV shows and CDs, giving room-filling sound with the surrounds driven nearly equally with the fronts. (There are a number of other soundfields, like Stadium, but I found most of them too gimmicky or show-offy to actually use. Stadium, for example, nicely isolates the play-by-play announcer's voice from a sportscast, and then gives it a HUGE echo that sounds like Lou Gehrig giving his farewell speech in Yankee Stadium. Just putting the announcer cleanly in the center speaker for the commentary, and boosting the ambience of the crowd in the surrounds to make you feel like you are at the game would have been a lot more usable and listenable.) DVDs I just play in straight Dolby Digital or DTS mode, both of which are handled superbly.
In addition to great sound, the other major strength of the 2807 is: inputs, inputs, and more inputs. DVD *and* Videodisc. TV *and* Satellite. Two VCR (or DVR) A/V record loops. A front panel input for your camcorder or game. Plus the usual audio in/outs: Phono, CD, Tape (and of course the internal tuner). All video sources have S-video jacks. You also get up to three component video and two HDMI ins, with upconversion, and plenty of digital audio in/outs, ALL assignable as needed. Plus, any of the inputs can be renamed on the display if needed! Don't have a laserdisc player? Use the "VDP" input for something else, and change its name accordingly. I connected my digital cable TV converter to the "DBS" input, and renamed the input "CABLE". Very slick.
The front panel of the 2807 is beautifully elegant and simple. Just power/standby, input select and volume knobs, and not much else, with all the other minutia tucked behind a (nice solid metal) flip-down panel. Sadly, the same can't be said of the learning, multi-brand remote. Some things on the remote are nicely done; the little button that chooses which component it will control (and nicely lights up the selection so you can see it) is placed perfectly where your thumb will easily find it. Same for the master volume adjustment. Nice ergonomics there. Basic functions aren't too hard to use, but the remote has enough buttons for an entire shirt factory, and after a few months, I am still trying to fathom the logic of why some things are grouped as they are, how to make it control my laserdisc player (which it theoretically should) etc. etc. And some things that SHOULD be on the remote, namely, dimming the front panel display, aren't. Plus, it doesn't have very good range. The remote that came with my cable box will easily work the 2807's volume etc. from a seat catty-corner across the room; the 2807's own remote needs to be closer and more on-angle. Most of the complaints you will hear in reviews about ease of use of the 2807 are really the fault of the remote. If after buying the 2807 you have enough left in your piggy bank for a really good programmable universal remote, it would be well worthwhile.
And while you're getting a better remote, pick up a good third-party FM antenna. I found the sensitivity of the 2807's internal FM tuner to be less than stellar, one of its few really weak points. Even strong local stations in my area don't come in all that cleanly using the (typical) cheap wire dipole antenna that is supplied.
Setup and adjustment of the 2807 is a bit tricky, but (for this computer professional) was not overly difficult. But, I did have to consult the manual frequently. For instance, I could easily find and navigate to the initial auto-setup command with the menu/right arrow/enter keys. But after getting there, it resisted all requests to actually start. Consulting the manual revealed that to actually make the auto-setup procedure GO, you have to press the LEFT arrow key at that final stage. (??!) The auto setup procedure, with supplied microphone, worked very well. It correctly identified the sizes and positions of my speakers, gave an error message when one of my surrounds had a loose wire, let me correct the issue and continue, and duly compensated for the fact that my new Polk center/surrounds are several dB more sensitive than my old B&W main speakers. Even so, I found the center speaker still WAY too prominent. Starting from the auto-setup's values, I boosted the left and right fronts slightly, and reduced the center speaker even more. Result was dialogue etc. nicely anchored in the center speaker, but it no longer sticking out like a sore thumb.
If you compare the Amazon pages for the Denon 3806 and 2807, noting the percentages of which item is bought after viewing both, you can easily see that with the 2807 Denon has hit a really sweet value point, giving you a lot of bang for the buck, with plenty of power and features but without useless frills. The differences between the 2807 and 3806 (an extra 10 watts per channel, the Denon Link multi-channel digital input for Denon's high-end DVD players, three-room/three source, touchscreen remote) are not worth several hundred more dollars for 99% of ordinary consumers. I had been considering the 3806, but when the 2807 came out, my choice was immediately clear.
Overall, the 2807 is a jewel. A beautiful sounding, solidly-built, top-quality component. Everyone in my family is thrilled with it. Its minor drawbacks are just that, minor. Highly recommended.
PS: I will repeat the comments of others about making sure to purchase the unit from an authorized merchant (I bought mine from Crutchfield) in order to have a valid warranty from Denon.

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Yamaha YSP-4000BL Digital Sound Projector (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I now have the new Yamaha YSP 4000 and having tried it out on over twenty different disks, can say without equivocation that it is amazing. So long as you have a room with a good back wall and at least one sidewall, it will deliver incredibly good 5.1 surround sound. Will it be as good as top end systems with five distinct and separate speakers costing $5,000 or more? Of course not. Will it be as good as or better than receiver/speaker systems available today for $3.000? Yes. In other words, this newest Yamaha stands clearly at the point of diminishing returns. After installing it and listening to it, you may decide that you do not need a subwoofer. It did Chicago beautifully. I decided I wanted one for some of the accurate bass on great classical music.
The setup is easy, but when the screen tells you to get out of the room - GO! The sounds emitted during the setup are designed to send cats and dogs into fits of madness. Do not try to audition this unit in a 'big box' store. It relies on nearby walls to help it work. If you have a friend who has taken the plunge, go and listen to it within a real listening area. Anyone who lives in or visits Central FL leave a comment on this thread and I will cheerfully invite you to visit and make up your own mind. If you live in a place where you cannot drill holes in your wall or if you do not want wires and speakers all over the place - this may be the solution for you. It was for me.

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The new YSP-4000 Digital Sound Projector offers versatile new features such as, 1080p-compatible HDMI, analog video to HDMI digital video up-conversion, and component/composite inputs. Other features include: iPod and XM HD surround compatibility, built-in FM tuner, RS-232C for custom installation and a wide variety of beam settings, including My Surround Beam, for a true multi-channel surround sound experience from a single component. The YSP-4000 applies the Digital Sound Projector technology to precisely control the orientation of the sound by focusing it through multiple beams. The center channel sound is heard directly, while sounds from other channels are heard after reflecting off walls. The result is true multi-channel surround sound that sounds just like a multi-speaker system but without the need for extra speakers! As amazing as it seems, the YSP-4000 can actually deliver multi-channel sound that surrounds listeners the same way that sound from front, center and rear speakers does. DVD movies and other digital sources sound just the way they are supposed to. Dolby Pro Logic II is included, so even 2-channel TV's sound can be heard in true multi-channel surround. Its elegant space-saving design avoids the need of numerous speakers and cables. It can be wall mounted or placed on a shelf or rack. The YSP-4000 has a powerful and efficient digital amplifier built in. It powers the 40 beam drivers at 2W each and the two woofers at 20W each, for a total of 120W of power. There is no need for the customer to purchase an additional amplifier or receiver.

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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 DHG-HDD500 60-Hour High-Definition Digital Video Recorder (500 GB) Review

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(More customer reviews)[This review is based on experiences with the DHG-HDD250; the DHG-HDD500 is identical, except that it is $150-$200 more expensive and has two 250GB hard disks instead of just one.]
If you're anything like me, you're likely looking at this Sony unit because TiVo doesn't make DVR that can receive high-definition (HD) broadcasts. (And the fact that TiVo has been dragging its feet on HD is one of many reasons that the company is not long for this world.) I bought the Sony DHG-HDD250 to replace my old TiVo box, and although there a few small things I gave up in the process, I'm mostly happy with my new Sony.
First and foremost: QUALITY. Watching live TV on the Sony unit is *almost* as good as watching TV with my TV's built-in ATSC tuner. The colors are slightly less-vibrant and there are a few more compression artifacts, but this is to be expected, and not terribly noticeable. Recordings are first-rate, and infinitely better than any low-def DVR, VCR, or even DVD recorder. And with the HDMI output, you can have a pure digital connection from the DVR to your TV. Probably the only quality issue is the confusing "Format" button on the remote, which allows you to stretch or shrink the video to display correctly on a 16:9 widescreen TV. It works, but it responds very slowly, is inconsistent, incomplete, and hard to figure out. Why they didn't include a simple "zoom" feature (like every TV on the planet) is beyond me.
THE INTERFACE. The menu system is not complicated, although not as friendly and cheerful as TiVo (it's faster and sharper-looking than TiVo, though). The Sony unit is much, much more configurable than any TiVo, and that configurability comes at a bit of a cost. Be prepared to read the manual to figure out how to record programs and set up the channel list, for instance. Thereafter, many things (like recording shows) are actually easier to accomplish (albeit more difficult to learn) than on a TiVo. Example: in the Guide, press and hold the Record button for one second to record a show. Press Record again to record it repeatedly (same time, same channel). That's it - no wading through multiple screens, like on TiVo, to set up a simple recording.
THE GUIDE. The Sony uses the free TV Guide on-screen system (what used to be called GemStar, I believe) to get program data (off the air!) and display TV listings on the screen. This means you don't have to extend a phone cord or network cable to your DVR; just plug it in to your wall outlet, attach your antenna or plug in your cable card, and leave the unit powered off overnight. Each night, the DVR gets program data for the current day and the same day next week, which means it'll take six days after you take it out of the box before the listings will be fully populated. (Tip: listings come from an analog station in your area, so make sure not to exclude your analog stations from the listings until you find out which one is broadcasting!)
The guide not bad, but not great, either. It's pretty easy to use, but suffers from a few really idiotic design decisions. For instance, there's no direct way (on-screen) to show the listings for a different day (e.g., Tomorrow, next Wednesday, etc.), except for holding the "right" arrow button on the remote to cycle slowly through each hour of listings until you eventually end up on the correct day. The only shortcut is to press some numbers on the remote (e.g., 2 and then 4) and then select "hours ahead" from the menu that appears to jump 24 hours into the future. In other words, there's no "Tomorrow" or "Yesterday" buttons on the remote or on the screen. And there are many little annoyances like this, although it works okay once you get used to it.
But the DHG's guide also has some really nice features, such as the grid (which TiVo never could manage to include on their units), and even a keyword search; you can even save your searches! You can also get alphabetical listings to find the show(s) you want, and you can even filter the list to show only HD content, only movies, only comedies, etc. Also, recordings can be grouped by show, so you don't have to wade through a long list of recordings to find the recorded show you want to watch.
SEASON PASS. One of TiVo's best (and simplest) features was the Season Pass; I could tell it to record West Wing, and no matter what time and on what channel it appeared, TiVo would record it. Alas, the Sony unit DOES NOT HAVE A SEASON PASS feature; I don't know why the folks at TV Guide couldn't get this simple feature to work. You can have the DHG record multiple episodes of a show, but ONLY if they're broadcast at exactly the same time and on the same channel. If West Wing is an hour later one week, or if it's syndicated on another station, the DHG will miss it unless you manually ask it to record those episodes, too.
There are some other TiVo features absent from the DHG that I don't miss at all, such as "Recommendations" (a feature that fills up your hard disk with junk you don't want), and the "Thumbs Up" and "Thumbs Down" buttons that are supposed to influence the aforementioned recommendations (almost as effectively as TiVo's marketing partners).
OVERALL. The DHG-HDDxxx is the only DVR on the market that doesn't require an expensive digital cable subscription or satellite dish; since I get all my HD broadcasts for free with a $20 rooftop antenna, this was a must. It's also quite a nice unit; well made, attractive, and it works well. If you want an HD DVR, you'll probably be very happy with the Sony DHG-HDDxxx once you get used to it's quirks.

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Yamaha HTR-6060BL 7.1-Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)One of the few new A/V receivers that has a truly usable & friendly remote control. On screen GUI makes set up (Auto or Manual) & modificatons a breeze. 9 speaker sound - woosh! A truly musical piece of equipment. Digital & Analogs recordings come alive. You can bring your vinly LP's & tapes new 7.1 channel surround sound. Phono input is a A+ bonus. Replaced Sony's 1997 DAG90ES top of the lne with this new receiver. This one is a much better unit & was 1200.00 cheaper. Movies & music - Fantastic!

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Sony 57" Widescreen HDTV Monitor (KP-57WS510) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought a 2003 model in 2003. It has no HD tuner, and is intended for use with HD cable tv to bring in the HD signal. It does an excellent job of that without having to worry about maintenance of the HD unit. It has a very fine picture, as good as I've seen anywhere. I purchased a 5 year warranty on the unit, and it just expired without ever being used, and with virtually -0- problems with the TV. I just purchased a three year extension to the warranty for $400.00 & I'm happy with that too, it means I have at least another 3 years with no additional maintenance costs. I intend to keep it for as long as it lasts.

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Sony KV-32FV15 32" Wega Trinitron TV Review

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(More customer reviews)The wega is definately a best buy. You could spend thousands more for hdtv but you won't be able to use it for five yrs. I purchased my wega and can't believe the picture it delivers with my DVD and DSS. The double tuner feature is brilliant. Its almost like having two tv's. Compare for yourself!

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Sony's latest innovation in television is the WEGA FD Trinitron picture tube, which is 11 times flatter than any CRT to precede it. This new technology ensures that you'll get a superior picture performance on this 32-inch TV, which is packed with advanced features. This unit uses a 3-line digital comb filter that analyzes three TV scanning lines at a time, which results in high resolution, pure colors, and minimum flecks of "noise." Sony has also included velocity modulation scanning, which actually varies the scanning beam speed to render picture transitions accurately. There is also vertical aperture compensation, which sharpens the picture definition and edge detail on the vertical plane, producing sharp horizontal edges.
Sony also delivers strong stereo sound performance on this unit. Auto SRS sound enhancement creates a vivid stereo image, using the principles of human hearing to make the sound appear to come from widely separated speakers. This TV comes with dynamic acoustic chamber speakers, which develop rich, satisfying sound with pinpoint stereo imaging. Sony's tapered enclosures are folded around the back of the picture tube, maximizing output while minimizing bulk. In addition, Sony has included Steady Sound automatic volume control with BBE, which equalizes the volume levels so that there is consistency between programs and commercials.
Want to catch two programs at once? This model comes with a dual-tuner picture-in-picture feature. Another great feature is "Favorite Preview," which allows you to preview five favorite channels without having to leave the current program you are watching. Similarly, the "Favorite Channel" feature allows you to instantly switch among your five favorite channels.
Concerned parents will appreciate the V-chip parental control feature, which allows parents to lock out programming unsuitable for younger viewers. A unique feature is "Freeze Memo," which allows you to freeze what's on-screen--be it a Web site address or phone number--so you can write it down.
For the home theater enthusiast, this unit is equipped with the S-Link interface control, which creates a system that simplifies operation and anticipates your needs when connected to a Sony audio-video receiver. This unit also has component video inputs for picture quality that conventional video and S-video inputs can't match. The Sony WEGA uses three separate connectors for black-and-white (Y), blue color difference (Pb) and red color difference (Pr).

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Sony STR-DG810 6.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this for it's HDMI switching capability. It does this well and that's a welcome accomplishment for $300 at this point in time. There is now 1 cable! from the HD DVD player to the recvr and 1 cable! from the satellite recvr and 1 cable to the plasma monitor. That's pretty exciting in my book. The prior reviewer seemed to expect it to do analog to digital conversion of video signals. That's far from realistic at this price point, but it seems like the 910 may do that. For me this receiver replaces an older Sony ES (high end) with better amplication. One knows the 810 is a step down just from its reduced weight. But in my simple home theater context I'm very happy with this recvr's capability. Of course, I've only had it a week. It has a nice blend of features, and even at this level its manual is a bit daunting re the features to be learned. For my wife, it's handy that it allows you to rename inputs. So, instead of SAT appearing on the display I changed it to DIRECTV, and I changed VIDEO2 to EMPTY. Radio stations can be preset and named too. Regardless of which input you switch to, it remembers your last sound settings for it -- that's helpful. When you insert headphones for late night tv watching, it senses that, turns off the speakers and optimizes the sound fields for 2 channel listening. Very nice. I hope it gives me many years of service.

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Sony KP-51WS520 51-Inch Hi-Scan 1080i HD-Ready Projection TV Review

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(More customer reviews)The television offers a great picture for the price. While I was a little nervous about ordering it on-line, it arrived quickly and in perfect condition. The price on Amazon was several hundred dollars less than the store price, including shipping. The tv offers great picture and sound. It is large, so make sure you have room in your living room to fit it.

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Dim the lights, fire up your DVD player or HDTV receiver, and let Sony's 51-inch Hi-Scan KP-51WS520 turn your living room or board room into a movie theater. The set uses Sony's HD Microfocus CRT and lens system, featuring smaller phosphor particles, thinner phosphor layers, and other improvements that give the set a beam spot 28-percent smaller than Sony's standard CRTs. And that means sharper focus, higher contrast, and brighter images. The screen features a wide, 16:9 aspect ratio that matches the dimension of most movies and HDTV broadcasts, and the KP-51WS520 is compatible with standard-definition 480i, enhanced-definition 480p, and high-definition 720p and 1080i sources.The set's HD Detailer wideband video amplifier provides high detail from high-res images to give you the best possible image from high-bandwidth sources. Auto 16:9 enhanced mode with auto ID1 detection automatically renders anamorphic DVD content in letterboxed widescreen, using all available display lines for the image and wasting none on the black bars that frame the image when a program's widescreen aspect ratio differs slightly from the set's.Digital Reality Creation (DRC) circuitry ensures high picture resolution, while proprietary Direct Digital Circuitry increases a video signal's signal-to-noise ratio before it reaches the DRC circuit, ensuring rich, natural-looking images from any source. TwinView 2-tuner PIP (picture-in-picture) lets you view any 2 sources simultaneously--even 2 TV stations. Sony's MID-X (Multi Image Driver) maintains the integrity of a digital signal by minimizing image loss in the scaling process.Sony's CineMotion 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal is a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movie programs in their native 24-frame format. Digital video mastering introduces a common distortion when adjusting 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this distortion, removing the redundant information to display a film-frame-accurate picture.The set offers 2 different digital video interfaces: a Digital Visual Interface (DVI-HDTV) and an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), each of which permits a direct digital connection with a compatible DTV set-top box. Other connections include 2 component-video inputs, 4 composite-video inputs, 3 S-video inputs (with 1 each composite-/S-video on the front panel for ready connection to a camcorder or gaming console), and 2 RF coaxial inputs and 1 coaxial output for hookup with an older VCR, cable box, or antenna.What's in the Box TV, remote control, remote batteries (2 AA), a user's manual, and warranty information.

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Yamaha RX-V1600 - AV receiver - 7.1 channel Review

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(More customer reviews)I am happy with this receiver and my Home Theater sounds great coupled with my Axiom Epic Grandmaster Speaker setup. I paid $750 for this receiver through amazon in October 2006. Thought about going up to the $1500 price point but realized I didnt need the added functionality. A few complaints, 2 of them rather minor.
1. Volume readout text is too small. WOuld be nice to have larger text so I could actually see what level I use for different listening situations. As it is I cant actually read the number from where I sit.
2. The remote could really use some backlighting. This complaint shouldnt be lessoned by the fact that many remotes suffer this same design oversight. They are all poorer for not incorporating this idea.
3. When running my Xbox360 via component wires to this receiver and then via HDMI to my Samsung LNS4692D HDTV the picture is darkened. When I run the Xbox360 straight to my Samsung LNS4692D HDTV the picture is less dark (preferred). This makes a huge difference in games like Gears of War and Call of Duty 3 where the scenes are already dark. I decided to just leave the Xbox360 connected straight to the HDTV via component and run the digital audio to the receiver. This issue wouldnt allow me to run "just one cable" (the whole idea of HDMI) to my TV. Yamaha needs to look into this issue and figure out why going from component to HDMI darkens the picture.

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Yamaha YSP-1100BL Digital Sound Projector Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a 10 month old daughter. she loves to climb on anything to pull herself up into a standing position. She has forced me to rethink my surround sound set up for her safety. I was using a high end sony amp to power my klispch rc-7 speakers on stands. I ordred the YSP-1100 with serious doubts that I would be truely satified after using a 6.1 system for some time. I was wrong. It works realy well. They have made it easy to install and set up. It even keep some features of a traditonal surround system. One can turn the left, center, right, rear right and rear left volume up independently. the sound quality is very claer. The highs are not as bright as the Klipsch but they are better than most. There are recomendations for room size and shape. the room size recommendations are (width 3 to 7 meter, h 2 to 3.5 meter and depth 3 to 7 meter). You will also need four walls in the sitting listing area to reflect the sound. Sound reflection is how it is able to achive the surround sound. I know it sounds like a gimmic but it does work. Here is my list of pro's and con's
pro's
1. Easy to set up.
2. Great sound.
3. No running wires between amp and speakers.
4. Wall mountable (with optional mounting bracket).
5. Sub woofer out put (one rca jack).
6. Video inputs (3 conponent and four composite).
7. Two audio inputs.
8. Digital audio inputs (2 toslink and 1 coax).
9. It has a mic to place in the sitting area to allow it to do auto setup.
10. You will not have chair setting really close to rear surround speaker.
Con's
1. No HDMI inputs or outputs.
2. You have to have four walls to get great sound.
3. The room size does matter.
4. If wall mounted be prepared to hide some cables (I ran mine inside the wall, looks great).
5. Needs a sub woofer for the full bottom end sound.
6. It is recommended that is to installed where no furniture will block the sound for reflecting off the walls.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a great sounding surround system (if they meet the room spec and have four walls).

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Yamaha's YSP-1100 Digital Sound Projector provides true multi-channel surround sound from a single component. As amazing as it seems, the YSP-1100 can actually deliver multi-channel sound that surrounds listeners the same way that sound from front, center and rear speakers does. DVD movies and other digital sources sound just the way they are supposed to. Dolby Pro Logic II is included, so even 2-channel TV sound can be heard in glorious multi-channel surround. Remember, this is true surround sound, not virtual surround, which can cause listening fatigue. This model features 40 built-in beam drivers and 2 built-in woofers, along with 42 corresponding digital amplifiers.
The YSP-1100 precisely controls the orientation of sound by focusing it into beams. The center channel sound is heard directly, while the sounds from other channels are heard after reflecting off the walls surrounding the listener. SRS's TruBass technology uses harmonics to provide deep and rich bass response. The result is an excellent solution for video enthusiasts who wish to build their home theater systems around larger flat screen TVs and desire a neat, uncluttered, unobtrusive system to match the interior of their room.
Five selectable sound settings allow users to choose between 5-Beam Mode, Stereo Mode, 3-Beam Mode, Stereo+3-Beam Mode and My Beam Mode. The YSP-1100 has a wider soundstage than its predecessors, affording more optimum listening positions within a room. My Beam mode allows users to focus sound to a specific position in their room at the touch of a button to avoid disturbing others.
Yamaha's CINEMA DSP technology, which offers seven audio programs compatible with the Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Pro Logic II, and DTS Neo:6 sound formats, creates realistic soundscapes in any room. For late night movie and music enjoyment, the YSP-1100 features a Night Listening Enhancer mode that allows dialog and quiet passages to be heard clearly, even at low volumes. The TV Equal Volume mode prevents sudden bursts of sound from TV programs and commercials.
The YSP-1100 offers simple video input selection with a multi-language onscreen display. Video can be selected from any of two component inputs to a component output, or from three composite inputs to a composite output with superimposed onscreen display menus in any of four languages (English, French, German and Spanish).
What's in the Box Digital sound projector, remote control (with batteries), printed operating instructions

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Yamaha YSP-900 Digital Sound Projector (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)It's true that this system won't replace a setup with true surround speakers, but it's a good compromise for some situations. I have a small TV room and a wife that didn't want surround speakers on the walls. I also didn't want to rip up the walls to conceal wiring or in-wall speakers. Fortunately the room is rectangular and has hard surfaced walls which makes it a good fit for the YSP-900. If you are considering it, keep in mind that it bounces sound off the side and back walls to substitute for the missing left, right, and surround speakers. Without a good surface in the right place then it won't perform well. In my situation it sounds quite good. I hear a convincing stereo image that extends well beyond the device and enveloping surround effects. Dialogue clarity is excellent.
Other points to consider:
- The YSP-900 may seem expensive but remember that it includes a surround processor and amp so you just plug in your audio sources and go. This also reduces clutter in the minimal installations that the device is well-suited for.
- The bass output is weak so you definitely will want to add a subwoofer.
- If you are planning on wall-mounting, you will need to buy the SPM-K30 bracket which is NOT included. If you have a wall-mounted flat panel TV the YSP-900 will look great under it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha YSP-900 Digital Sound Projector (Black)

The Yamaha YSP-900BL Digital Sound Projector applies the Digital Sound Projector technology to precisely control the orientation of the sound by focusing it through multiple beams to provide multi-surround sound enjoyment from a single compact component. The center channel sound is heard directly while the sounds from other channels are heard after reflecting off walls. The result is true multi-channel surround sound that sounds just like a multi-speaker system but without the need for extra speakers. The YSP-900BL delivers multi-channel sound that surrounds listeners in the same way that sound from front, center and rear speakers do. DVD movies and other digital sources sound just the way they are supposed to. Dolby Pro Logic II is included so even 2-channel TV's sound can be heard in true multi-channel surround. Its elegant space-saving design avoids the need of numerous speakers and cables. It can be wall mounted or placed on a shelf or rack. The digital amplifier individually drives 21 sound beam drivers at 2W each and two woofers at 20W each for a total of 82W of power to deliver true multi-channel surround sound for this elegant home theater system.

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Onkyo TX-SR705 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The reason to get this receiver over the 605 is the step up to 3 hdmi inputs and THX certification.
The power consumption of this unit is more efficient then the 805 and 605. This unit was built after those 2 other models. This isn't the lonely middle child, it shines on its own.
There is also a slew of issues this receiver does not exhibit that the 805 has problems with (check AVS forums for details)
HDMI video looks great, 7.1 sound great! Price is great! :)

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Onkyo TX-SR605 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)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 up my Samsung VCR through a composite input and RCA cables for the VCR's audio. The Onkyo basically passes anything its sent through the HDMI inputs out through the HDMI output. You don't get any upconverting if you use the HDMI inputs and are outputting via HDMI. If you feed it 1080i through the HMDI inputs, it will output 1080i. Feed it 1080p, and you get 1080p output. (I've set my DVR and DVD players to send it 1080 input.) This is not true of the component inputs. It will send those inputs out as 720p, even if you feed it 1080. Just use the HDMI inputs for your 1080 sources. If you have more than two 1080 sources, this Onkyo might not be for you, since it only has two HDMI(1080 capable) inputs. I guess you could get an HDMI switch HDMI 3 Ports Switch With Remote (or some other brand) if you needed it in the future, or just watch your third HD input (video game, maybe) at 720p, or maybe your TV has another HDMI input itself. Another oddity is that it won't send digital sound out the HDMI that you associate with the component video inputs. This is only a problem if you need the TV to produce sound. I use the 5.1 speakers for all sound, so I don't care. The video it outputs seems to be a little better looking than video straight from the source, but I'm not sure its noticably different.
(A word on upconverting of video. Its just interpolation. Upconverting tries to add lines were there were not lines in the original source. Its not going to make SDTV look like HDTV. It might make it look a little better, but its in the eye of the beholder, and some sources seem to look better upconverted than others. Too me, it isn't worth much. My DVR can upconvert, as can my DVD player and even my TV. I've tried them all, and don't think any of them can improve an SDTV picture much. If you want to try this receiver's upconverting, there's a hidden menu to turn on upconverting 480 HDMI input to 720p, but it will also make it downgrade 1080 HDMI input to 720p. Holding down the aux and power buttons will activate the hidden menu. I leave it off, which is called auto mode, but have my DVR upconvert 480 to 1080 before it sends it to the Onkyo. Other things in the hidden menu are standard video settings like sharpness, contrast, etc.)
I also like the remote. Its fairly small, yet controls all my equipment very well, even the Comcast/Motorola DVR. My wife has put away all the other remotes, so that's a good sign. She can operate the entire system with the included Onkyo remote. My 65 year old parents even figured out how to use the entire system, so the remote must be pretty good. It helps that the Onkyo's switching simplifies everything so much. Another feature that is nice is the front panel inputs. You can hook up your digital camera very easily that way. It even has an optical audio input on the front.
The setup is pretty straight forward, especially if you have some experience setting up home theaters. If not, the manual explains things well enough, and a little Internet reading will get you all the way there, if you are like me and enjoy tinkering with the settings. The onscreen display is great. You do have to use the menu system on the front panel to tell it to output the setup menu via the HDMI, otherwise the blank screen will frustrate you. The Audessey auto-speaker calibration does a fairly decent job of configuring your system for your room, measuring distance and equalizing the volume, setting timings and equalizing sounds. I think I improved it by using the manual 5 band equalizers, though. I thought my center speaker sounded flat, so I tinkered with the equalizer and am much happier. I tried messing around with Audessey's crossover settings, but couldn't improve them any, though. Audessey also correctly set up the speaker distances.
One main reason I bought this thing was the future proofing features. It has the Dolby TrueHD and the DTS-HD, so if those every come out I can use them. I can also upgrade to a 7.1 speaker system, but my living room really isn't configured to handle that many speakers. It also offers I-pod connectivity and XM and Sirrius satellite radio connectivity, should I ever want those.
Some common complaints I've read are speaker popping noises and that it runs hot, and some people think that overheating causes the popping. I don't have the popping problems, and I don't think it runs too much hotter than my older Denon. I have it in a decently ventilated cabinet, though. I don't think it would do well in a closed up cabinet without any airflow. My ventilation is simply a crack at the bottom front, and at the top back. Hot air rises out the top back, pulling in cool air from the front bottom. I have about 6 inches of space between the receiver and the top of the cabinet. The receiver is a bit tall, so you should measure your space before your buy it. Make sure you can allow for this ventilation space on top of it.
Lastly, I like some of the many different listening "modes". Dolby Prologic IIx is better than the old Prologic on my Denon. It improves the surround effects of non-DD or non-DTS TV shows. It has the 5-channel stereo that I liked so well in the Denon, too. The other modes seem like gimmicks, though. It does do a good job of picking the appropriate mode, but you can also tell it what to use as a default mode for each source. For example, if the TV feed is in DD or DTS, it uses DD or DTS, but if its in Prologic, you can specify to use Prologic II cinema. However, if your TV show is a concert, you can change it to Prologic II music.
In summary, the Onkyo will simplify your system, allows for future expansion, is easy to use, sounds great, and costs less than anything else out there with this feature set. I recommend it.

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Sony STR-DA5300ES ES 7.1 Channel Surround Sound Audio/Video Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the STR-DA5300ES to replace a Denon system in about the same price range that had no HDMI capability. I have a 1080p projection system which requires HDMI for 1080p (otherwise is limited to 1/2 resolution HD, technically known as 1080i) and so I'd been looking for a receiver with decent HDMI connectivity. With six inputs and one output, this receiver fit the bill, and it was 7.1 like the Denon, so I wouldn't have to make wiring changes to the speaker setup.
There's a great deal to like about this receiver, so I'm going to punt and simply say that the fidelity is great, the flexibility is quite high, and overall I feel that I got my money's worth, and then some. Make no mistake: This is a complex, feature-rich hunk of hardware that will take days of exploring before you're comfortable that you know exactly how it works and what options are available to you at any one point in its operation. Please do not take the lack of positive points here as a condemnation of the receiver; it would take me many pages to describe the features and what I like about them. It only takes a few paragraphs to sum up the problems I ran into; so let me do that, as it's your worries you probably want addressed anyway.
Having said that, here are a few things you might like to be aware of before you purchase.
o The receiver upconverts everything; you can go all the way from composite input to HDMI output - but it does not downconvert. This can actually become a critical issue, because the receiver is sold as a 2-zone video unit, meaning it is supposed to be able to drive a second monitor and set of speakers in another room. However, zone 2 is not HDMI, it is component - and that means that anything that is HDMI input cannot be output to zone 2. This is kind of mind-boggling to me, what it means is that my HDMI sources - presently DVD, HD-DVD, PS3, Blueray, and DBS/DVR - are not available to the second zone. That's a *big* "ouch." So whatever else you do, don't buy this receiver for dual zone capability if you're ever planning on using HDMI (and I think you should so plan - HDMI is basically unavoidable.)
o The on-screen menus work just terrific as overlay-on-video on a component monitor, but if you're using HDMI output, as I am, you're in for a little bit of a surprise. Pressing "menu" turns off your current video source and (after a short delay of 4-5 seconds) puts up the menu by itself. The receiver touts the ability to overlay the menus over video, but it will NOT do this on the HDMI output. It blanks your source completely. So keep that in mind, too. You'll learn to pause your media playback, DVR and etc. when using the menus, or you'll miss things.
o There's an "external video" (composite) input on the rear deck of the receiver; that input comes up as a PIP (picture-in-picture) source when you press amp, shift and PIP on the remote. Nice for an alarm system, baby monitor, etc. However, again we run into the philosophy of "must not mess with HDMI", and if you are watching an HDMI source, selecting PIP turns off your source, several seconds later switches to a black screen, and then drops the PIP image on that black screen. You can then move it around and resize it, but your original viewing source is gone, so the entire point of a PIP input is somewhat moot. The PIP input does work as you'd expect if you use component or lesser inputs - it is just HDMI where we see this annoying disruption of source material.
o Although it is nominally a 7.1 channel system, it does not automatically convert 5.1 up to 7.1; so most of the time, your rear speakers are going to be silent, useless. My Denon did this very well, so I really noticed a difference. *** UPDATE: There is a menu option to do this buried fairly deep; it took me two weeks to find it. Told you it was a complex machine!
o The remote has very weak output and/or a very narrow radiation pattern. If it is not pointed right at the receiver, the remote does not work. It is possible this is a problem with my specific remote, but in my case, it is a definite issue.
o The receiver idles quite hot; it consumes considerable power just sitting there. Since it can get *very* hot if running at high volume, you have to mount it with some breathing room anyway, so this isn't a heat issue, really, but it is an efficiency issue. I wouldn't leave this thing running all the time, that's all. Don't let your cat sleep on it unless you want baked receiver.
o In the spirit of HDMI / HDCP (which is mean, stingy, and clueless), the receiver won't output any audio on any jacks except the speaker jacks from any HDMI source. So creating an audio recording from your digital home camera is not possible; likewise, you can't record the output of any other HDMI source, even for your personal use. This is DRM at its worst, presuming you are a criminal and limiting perfectly legitimate activities.
o The FM tuner is pitiful for a unit in this price range. There is no hi-blend (multiplex noise reduction) setting. There is no control over the IF bandwidth. There is no control over muting. There is no signal strength indication. There is no ability to tune off 100 KHz channel steps (fine tune, useful for analog FM transmissions.) There is no center tuning indication. There is no indication of, or audio cue for, multipath (to help you aim your FM antenna.) There is no XY scope output, no demodulator output (for RDS and so on), no IF chain output (for an external demodulator.) If you're any kind of a serious FM listener, you'll probably want to consider an external tuner, because Sony totally dropped the ball here. The receiver does not do HD radio, either. It does have a buried menu option for switching between mono and stereo reception, which can help with distant stations. The good news is that this unit has tons of inputs, and you should have no trouble connecting an external tuner if you choose to go that way.
o The receiver is marketed as having 120 watts RMS x7; so you're probably thinking, "Holy smokes, 840 watts RMS?!?" Well, no. 120 watts RMS for any *pair* of channels. So 240 watts RMS at once, basically, or less, distributed over more channels. The receiver's rated power consumption tells the tale: 480 watts maximum; even if the receiver was 100% efficient *and* took no power to operate anything BUT the amplifiers, that'd only be four channels at 120 watts. The reality is modern power amps tend to be about 50% to 65% efficient, so 480 watts consumption might be good for about 240 watts of audio power, and as it turns out, that's exactly what the specifications, buried on page 143 of the manual, end up telling you.
With these caveats in mind, I have no trouble recommending the receiver. These are not uncommon issues for other receivers, even including the minimal FM tuner and output power limitations, and often, these issues are accompanied by far worse problems. The input flexibility of this receiver is extremely high, and the odds are excellent that it will meet most, if not 100%, of your A/V needs. Images and audio are pristine, the unit is very easy to operate once set up (which can take some time, but you'd expect that with a complex receiver like this), and overall it is one fabulous piece of hardware.
Edit: If you are buying one of these and you have a chance to look at it before you buy, see to it that the serial number is 8805018 or above, *or* that there is a large green dot to the right of the AC power connector in the back of the unit, as viewed from the rear of the unit. Sony has issued a recall for units with lower serial numbers without dots, they've got some HDMI communications problems. Sony will send you a working new receiver *before* you have to send them yours if you have a low serial number problem unit, but avoiding the issue altogether is possible with a simple serial number / dot check.


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Sony HTCT100 Sound Bar with Subwoofer - Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I tried several 2.1 speaker systems to enhance the sound from our LCD HDTV. The 2.1 speaker systems used the RCA audio output from the TV but I was never satisfied with the quality of the sound, even from the Bose Companion system. I think part of the problem is with the low-level output of the TV's RCA audio connection and for this reason I decided to look for a speaker system that could take advantage of my HDTV's digital optical audio output connection. I also didn't want to have a five-speaker system all around the room and so I focused my search on soundbar-type systems. The Sony HT-CT100, just recently introduced, fit the bill perfectly and comes at a price much lower than the Yamaha and Philips soundbar systems with optical inputs.
The Sony HT-CT100 produces great sound. The speaker bar is very low profile and takes up very little space whether you sit it in front of the TV or hang it on the wall. The subwoofer is large (about the size of a desktop PC) and sits on the floor. The subwoofer has a nice display along the top edge of the box to tell you the various system settings. Best of all, the 200 watt amplifier (built-in to the subwoofer) has multiple HDMI and optical audio inputs and acts as the control center for a complete home theater/sound system. This was an unexpected bonus -no need for a separate home theater receiver. Just plug your satellite system, DVD player(s), game consoles, etc. right into the HT-CT100 and control everything from the remote. It's an elegant solution and I haven't seen anything else quite like it. Since the system takes in digital video/audio directly, you get to enjoy full Dolby Digital surround sound. The system can belt out remarkable volume levels and rich, deep bass. The speaker bar has left, right, and center channel speakers along with the remote control IR sensor. The Sony remote supplied with the system will control all your Sony components; however, if your HDTV, DVD player(s), etc. are not Sony brand (like mine), then be prepared to buy a universal learning remote in order to program the HT-CT100 commands. While I can decipher having several remote controls, I prefer to use a single remote control so that my family has an easier time turning on the TV or watching DVDs. The price of the Sony soundbar system is very reasonable considering its power output and multiple digital video/audio inputs to control your home theater. The quality is impressive (though I did have to return my first system due to a soundbar speaker buzz -my second system is flawless) and it looks and sounds like high-end gear. When I shop for items like this, I look at features, quality, and price without regard to the brand. In this case, Sony simply has a product that works great and provides an elegant solution for those wanting home theater sound in a low-profile package. It's a winner.


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This amazing system brings simplicity and performance together by pairing a center speaker and subwoofer to create a surround sound experience in a compact package. Bring your movies to life with the HT-CT100. With three HDMI inputs on tap, this system is tailor made for anyone looking for an easy, quick, and great-sounding solution for their home theater. It can playback LPCM from the HDMI connection, plus you can listen to your favorite music from the DIGITAL MEDIA PORT that works with various accessories (sold separately). The HT-CT100 can also control a select number of BRAVIA televisions with BRAVIA Sync via the HDMI interface. With "One Touch Play," operations that normally take several steps have been reduced to one.

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1 X 4 HDmi Distribution Amplifier Review

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(More customer reviews)I have several of these at my office and they work better than some other ones I have used. Unlike some other units, you can chain these units together to drive more than four sets.

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