Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I purchased the VR-9070 nine months ago after finally deciding to upgrade from my ten year old Kenwood KR-V6070. Desire for Digital sound had finally crested enough for me to plunk down the dough even though my old receiver was still in great working order.
I looked at a few Sony models before settling on this Kenwood due to its price and how well my 10 year old Kenwood receiver had faired. For the price I was surprised to find a THX certified receiver that matched all my other criteria (Dolby/DTS digital decoder, adequate wattage, subwoofer connection & silver casing).
The 9070 sounds great in Digital & Pro Logic settings. I did notice a significant drop off of deep bass compared to my other receiver and I ended up purchasing a JBL sub sooner than I anticipated in order to rectify my bass needs. DVDs sound great in big action scenes, and there is good separation between channels.
The menu is rather unintuitive and difficult at first when attempting to change settings. I am rather disappointed there isn't a simple bass/treble feature. Instead, there are several different settings to navigate through in order to tweak your set-up.
I had some difficulty getting the Digital audio signal from my DVD player to work at first, but finally figured out that if your DVD player has a digital decoder built in as most do these days, then it has to be turned off for the 9070 to recognize and output a digital signal.
The aluminum case is heavy-duty and looks sleek. The flip down cover on the front keeps it looking nice and clean. The blue led display is just the right brightness and looks slick with the silver case. I only wish the connections on the front were also covered.
It does run rather hot, especially in Digital mode. I have about two inches clearance above the receiver and have had no problems with overheating even when running it over 4-5 hours. It does exude quite a bit of heat though so good ventilation is needed.
The only downfall to the 9070 I have experienced so far is the remote. Its small type is hard to read, impossible in the dark, and has almost no contrast to the color of the remote. The LCD screen might as well not be there, its only function is to display what mode the remote is in, and even then it only stays on for a few seconds. Not to mention that the screen, nor any of the buttons is backlit. The remote feels cheap in comparison, and should have a more user friendly appeal. Luckily my universal remote covers the basic volume functions so once my settings were locked in I rarely have use for the remote.
Overall a great receiver for the price.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Kenwood VR-9070-S 7.1-Channel THX-Certified Home Theater Receiver (Silver)
Enjoy the very best in surround sound performance with the Kenwood VR-9070-S home theater receiver, which not only delivers 100 watts of power to each of its seven channels, but also meets the demanding standards of LucasFilm's THX Select certification. Internally, the receiver is equipped with a 32-bit floating SHARC digital signal processor, a K-STAT discrete audio amplifier, and a 24-bit/96 kHz audio digital-to-analog converter that combine to deliver remarkably accurate, explosive sound whether you're watching the latest Hollywood spectacle or listening to your favorite tunes on CD. The audio experience is enhanced by the five DSP modes--arena, theater, jazz club, stadium, and disco--that simulate the acoustics of the most common live venues.
As with the best surround receivers, the VR-9070-S offers decoding for a variety of formats, including THX Select, THX Surround EX, THX Cinema, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Surround EX, DTS, DTS-ES, DTS 96/24, and Dolby Pro Logic IIx. The first several formats play 5.1-, 6.1-, and 7.1-channel soundtracks from the latest DVDs, while Pro Logic IIx converts two-channel audio sources such as CDs, VHS tapes, and even LPs into full multichannel splendor to create a surround-like effect. The receiver also boasts an active equalizer function that adapts to the type of speakers you own (full range, satellite, etc.) and the type of program you're listening to (movies, music, or TV). The resulting sound can meet all types of expectations, whether you like your audio tight and crisp or full of booming echoes.
The THX Select certification signifies that the VR-9070-S meets the manufacturing standards established by LucasFilm for audio accuracy and performance. Every THX Select-certified component boasts a variety of valuable features, including: re-equalization, which removes the edgy brightness of cinema sound and accurately adapts it for home playback; timbre matching, which ensures a tonal match between the front and surround speakers; adaptive decorrelation, which gives monaural surround signals a true stereo sound; bass management, which directs the bass signals to the subwoofer to ensure cinema-quality bass; peak level management, which protects subwoofers from overload in bass-heavy soundtracks; and loudspeaker synchronization, which allows you to fine tune your system for optimal "sweet spot" listening in any room. To put it simply, THX Select receivers are as close as you can come to true movie-theater sound in your own home.
Additional audio functions unique to the VR-9070-S include automatic signal detection for both analog and digital sources (instinctively switches between CD player, DVD player, or satellite receiver depending on which unit is playing); individual bass and treble controls; and a Midnight Theater mode that softens loud passages of movies so that people in other rooms won't be disturbed. And, of course, the receiver includes a quartz PLL-synthesized AM/FM tuner with 40 station presets.
Adding to the VR-9070-S's value is the receiver's ability to serve as an A/V component switcher (it's HD-compatible), which is ideal for TVs with a limited number of inputs; the HD component pass-through function; and its S-video up-conversion, which converts composite signals to S-video to improve picture quality and minimize signal loss.
For the ultimate in flexibility, the VR-9070-S offers three component video inputs for such items as DVD players and HD receivers, five S-video inputs, and five composite inputs. It also comes with five video outputs (one component, two S-video, and two composite), along with eight audio inputs (including a front-panel auxiliary and a 6-channel input) and four digital audio inputs (two coaxial and two optical). Listeners can even use the receiver to control speakers and components in other rooms thanks to the multiroom A/V and IR control outputs. The VR-9070-S, which measures 17.31 by 6.56 by 15.62 inches (W x H x D), comes with a comprehensive learning remote control and is covered by a two-year warranty on parts and labor.
What's in the Box VR-9070-S receiver, remote control, user's manual.
No comments:
Post a Comment