Electronics Gadget Reviews

Yamaha RX V863BL 735 Watt 7 1 Channel Home Theater Receiver

105 watts x 7 into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.06% THD * Dolby?True HD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby?Digital Plus, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, Dolby?Digital EX, DTS-ES, Pro Logic?IIx, and DTS Neo:6 decoding * improved YPAO sound optimization for more precise automatic speaker setup (microphone included) * SIRIUS satellite radio capable (requires SIRIUS subscription and optional SiriusConnect home tuner kit) * iPod integration (requires optional Yamaha YDS-11) * dual-room/dual-source audio (powered and line-level stereo audio output for 2nd room) *

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great bang for the buck
I bought this along with the Yamaha 3900. I put the 3900 in my family room and the 863 in the bedroom. Personally, I like the 863 better.

Just as some background, I have a Sony 550 Blu Ray and a Directv HD receiver hooked up to it. It has outputs to a 5.1 speaker system in Zone 1 and a simple 2 speaker system in Zone 2 (in our bathroom so we can listen to the radio in the morning). Video is thru a Samsung 7 series 52″ LCD TV.

Great sound. The upscaling of DVDs is tremendous. It can turn a DVD into (almost) a Blu Ray. Easily does 2 zones. It has 3 HDMI inputs and 1 output. Can handle 2 subs. If you don’t do HDMI, has tons of other inputs which can easily be seen on the pictures. It also has all the capabilities of more expensive receivers. HD Radio, Sirius, XM, ipod dock and all the acronyms.

So, why would you pay more (for the 3900 for example)? The 3900 is a network receiver, which the 863 is not. The 3900 has 4 HDMI inputs and 2 HDMI outputs (vs 3/1 for the 863). The 3900 is a little more powerful (140W/channel vs 105 for the 863).

However, after buying both, I wish I had just bought 2 863s. In fact for the cost of the 3900, I could have.

Great receiver. Great price. Incredible value.

4 Stars Yamaha RX-V863 Review
I have been using this receiver for the past three weeks, and although it takes some time to properly customise at the end I am very impress with the sound Quality and overall performance of this unit

4 Stars Nice Receiver
This is my 3rd Yamaha receiver I like to up grade. This one has the hd radio and hdmi hook ups that my old one didn’t. I do wish they would have impoved the remote control. I like my old one better with the lcd screen on it.

4 Stars Formerly owned the venerable RXV-659…
Got this receiver when I got the Panasonic Blu-ray player. Easy setup, many soundfields, a few changes from the RXV-659. I really wanted this unit for its analog video upconversion and ability to perform lossless PCM and the upgraded Dolby and DTS audio from Blu-rays.

Only gripe: relatively expensive, although I got mine (new in box!)from a clearance sale.

I’ve always enjoyed listening to music on Yamaha receivers, and with this unit’s ability to play my DVD-Audio discs, I am pretty pleased.

4 Stars Yamaha RX-V863
I’ve been a long time Onkyo listener. I went with Yamaha this time for it’s price and loyal customers. Plus I heard the competing Onkyo unit had a video issue in 1080P. I am very pleased with the Yamaha, it delivers very clean sound, plenty of HDMI hook ups, and an easy to set up interface. Prior Onkyo users will not like the rear hookups for anything other than HDMI. They are split up by type of input unlike the Onkyo where you could define what input the different video modes used. This somewhat constrains you in hooking up VCR’s, Wii’s, Ipod (without the onkyo dock). Overall though this is a great unit and I recommend it to anyone.

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Denon AVR 1609 7 1 Channel Multi Zone Home Theater Receiver

Affordability and versatility are the hallmarks of the AVR-1609, which features a powerful 7 channel amplifier section to drive a 7.1 multi-channel speaker system, along with the latest extended surround decoders, including Dolby Digital Surround EX, Dolby Pro Logic IIx and DTS ES. Equipped with the latest HDMI v1.3a digital video signal pass-through technology, the AVR-1609 provides 2 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output, allowing a single HDMI cable run to your HDTV display.

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars Disappointed in Virginia
I received the Denon AVR from Amazon at a great price, but it was not all it was advertised to be. Supposed to be HDMI in and out but when I read the instructions the fine print said the receiver only transfers the video portion of the HDMI and I would have to use a separate digital cable from each component to the AVR. Thats old technology! Do not buy this item. Go for one that is HDMI compatible.

4 Stars Denon AVR-1609 7.1 Channel Receiver
This is an awesome receiver. I have paired it up with the Mirage 5 NanoSAT speakers and a Klipsch 8in subwoofer and the sound quality is very good. For the purchase price of $204 (USD) you cannot go wrong. The only downside is the HDMI does not carry the sound – you have to use the optical connection. Not a big deal unless you need more optical inputs – then you have to upgrade to a more expensive receiver. I use this in a 13 x 22 inch bonus room so I am not sure if the power would be sufficient for larger areas. I plan to add two more Mirage speakers for the full 7.1 experience. I was able to get my Direct TV remote to control the volume pretty easily. Also commercial volume can automatically be calibrated to the level of what you are watching. This is a major plus for a reciever in this price range. Setting up the reciever requires time. Read the manual carefully and do not be in a rush. It will be worth it.

5 Stars avr-1609 review
I am very very pleased with the Denon AVR-1609. I have nothing but good things to say. It is a budget receiver with a lot of functionality. I would definitely recommend it for the money.

5 Stars Excellent product
The primary reason that I selected this product was the automatic sound leveling. It does that job very well. There are so many options that it is a little difficult to setup but once done, it works flawlessly. I am very satisfied with it.

3 Stars Great sound, horrible interface
I have been using this receiver for a few weeks. I love the sound, which is far better than my previous Onkyo when used with my BA speakers for music (I don’t use the 7.1). However, my big complaint is that the interface is a train wreck. If I had 3 or fewer inputs (including radio) the ‘Quick’ 1-3 buttons might be OK once configured — though I’d prefer a UI that allowed me to label them for my wife’s sake if not my own — but as is it’s a pain. I have other minor issues, like the double-sided remote (two sides that don’t work with my Bravia!), the lack of an analog passthrough, and a horrible manual, but usability is the big one.

I am planning on exchaging this, probably for the Sony 820 or 920.

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Yamaha RX V363BL 500 Watt 5 1 Channel Home Theater Receiver

The RX-V363BL 5.1-Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver offers an impressive array of features and technologies to enhance the audio/video experience, including HDMI switching with 1080p video pass-through, iPod and Bluetooth audio compatibility, CINEMA DSP, Compressed Music Enhancer, and four SCENE buttons. Four SCENE buttons make operating the receiver easier than ever. Two volume-setting functions are included on this receiver for additional convenience. Initial Volume Setting allows you to set the volume level that will be heard each time the power is turned on. Maximum Volume Setting prevents unexpected loud sounds. A mini jack on the front panel makes it convenient to connect portable audio players. You have a choice of eight unique CINEMA DSP surround programs to bring out the full audio potential of your entertainment sources. The RX-V363BL receiver is capable of delivering large amounts of reserve power for accurate reproduction of high-energy peaks that are especially prevalent in digital audio sources. Initial Volume Setting and Maximum Volume Setting 5-channel 500 Watts (total) power for encompassing, clear surround sound (100W x 5) High dynamic power, low-impedance drive capability 192kHz/24-bit DACs used in all channels 1080p-compatible HDMI switching (2 inputs, 1 output) including 1080p/24Hz repeat Cinema DSP with 8 DSP programs Compressed Music Enhancer to improve compressed music sources Night Listening Enhancer (Cinema/Music) and SILENT CINEMA Audio Delay for adjusting lip-sync AM/FM with 40-station preset tuning / Auto preset tuning Dimensions – Width 17-1/9 x Height 5-5/16 x Depth 12-1/2 (435×151x318mm) Weight – 17.6 pounds (8 kg)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great amplifier
Although made in China this unit is a great entry level amplifier, Yamaha reputation, has all the basic functions without the huge price tag. 5 speakers + a sub is more than enough for one big room. In addition, you get an A/B switch for the speakers meaning you can have another set of speakers in different room or outside. Outstanding sound quality even when connected to the internet. Remote works flaulessly but not the best when it comes to ergonomics. On a recent party, the amp was playing non-stop for 6 hours without any problems.

4 Stars lil sweet
its good, my speakers still a little strong for it but you plug in yo pc tv and xbox for surround sound.. it be good $$ ;+)

5 Stars Great receiver.
Yamaha does it again! Does every thing I want it to do, from cds,dvds,tuner, and tv. Sound source amplification is easy to control from the remote. Outstanding basic home theater receiver. I highly recommend it.

4 Stars Very pleased.
I bought this unit to replace an old Sony receiver I’ve owned for over 10 years. I wanted the HDMI capability and am so happy that I made the move. The Yamaha was not the easiest to hookup but I’m no tech-head and find it difficult to figure out proper connection. I would recommend reading the manual to minimize frustration. I have DirectTV so connecting that source to the unit was completely easy. Just sat box to HDMI in and from Yamaha HDMI out to TV. You must go through the instructions in the manual as to how to set up the speakers. I have 5 speakers and a sub so in order for all of them to work you must go through this procedure. Another critical aspect that I didn’t discover until a few days after setting up the system was that you must go into the satellite box setup menu and enable the digital audio (that was turned off when DirectTV setup my initial installation). When I discovered this little item, wow, everything just sounded terrific. I find that having HDMI for the audio not a problem and would certainly not dismiss this unit because of that option. After getting everything hooked up properly and bearing a few days of scratching my head and wondering if I had done the right thing buying a new unit, I just could not be happier. The price is incredible and what a sweet system. I have not encountered any audio to video sync problems that others have discussed in other reviews. Everything is working just fine. I have found that in setting up the DirectTV remote for controlling the Yamaha that it is not possible to turn the unit on and off but you can control the volume with the DirectTV unit. That is not the best but not a deal breaker.

4 Stars Nice price, nice sound
Very good, for thew price it’s a great receiver, but if you don’t have the proper equipment like good 8 ohm cables and 100 w speakers the sound wont be the best, i hooked it up to my PlayStation 3 via hdmi for the video and optical for the sound, the sat receiver component for video and optical for sound, everything sound awesome, remember to crank up all of the PlayStation 3 sound options for the optical cable or you will not get sound from the optical of the play 3, i thought i was not necessary but i was not getting sound so i talk to a friend who had the same problem with his Onkyo, he turned everything and he got sound, so did i, why 4 stars? i think for the money i got what i needed, 5.1 sound and the lack of no hdmi sound, it only passesthru.

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Onkyo SKSHT750 7 1 Channel Home Theater Speaker System Black

The missing piece to your home theater puzzle is this 7.1-channel speaker package from Onkyo. The perfect addition to your DVD player and home theater receiver, the SKS-HT750 provides all the speakers you need to enter the all-enveloping world of surround sound. 110W output, 2-way acoustic-suspension front, center and surround speakers provide the soundstage. The earth-shaking 230W powered subwoofer provides the impact. All together provide an astounding, precise and pleasurable cinema experience in your home.
All 6 surround and 1 center channel speakers are 2-way acoustic suspension and have one 3-1/8″ and one 1″ driver. They are designed for use with home-theater amps/receivers that deliver 110 Watts per channel RMS. Their rated frequency response is 60 Hz to 50,000Hz.
The subwoofer is independently powered with an integrated 230 watt amplifier. It has a 10″ driver that delivers a frequency response of 25Hz to 150Hz.
When considering a home-theater speaker system, it is crucial that all the speakers of your surround system are perfectly matched. It helps eliminate any colorization that might occur in sound delivery. It also permits accurate reproduction throughout the sonic range. All things considered, this Onkyo SKS-HT750B 7.1 channel speaker system is a great companion to your home-theater receiver, your new HDTV, and your video players. They are an integral part of your home-theater system, and a reasonable investment too.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Good Sound
I have these speakers connected to a Sony STR-DH800 receiver. The sound coming out of the speakers is crisp and clear. The sub woofer is a little on the big side, so if you have a small room you may want to find a decent sized place for it. The speakers are about 14 – 15 inches tall and the center speaker comes with a little stand which allows you to tilt the speaker for better listening pleasure. Mounting the speakers on the wall was easy, no need for brackets and the such. Just 1 or 2 screws for each speaker did the trick. I’m happy with these speakers they fit exactly what I needed them for.

4 Stars These are keepers, however they are gigantic!
First impressions! GIGANTIC speakers, did not expect them to be that big! Nice and glossy but somebody who cares for their walls to look nice, you can back off right here…. Because the quality of these speakers isnt really breath taking that you would want to give up the look of your home.

Well, now the real deal with the speaker forget that they are big! They just sound according to your receiver! So I have had Onkyo 506, Sony 820, Onkyo 606. They sounded the best with Onkyo 606.

I cannt really speak much about the quality of any other speakers but these are keepers for what you pay!!

If you are an advanced user, I am sure you had listened to better ones.

I am just convinced for the fact that I paid only 300$ and the quality is just fine!.

5 Stars Boom!
Looks great but more importantly sounds great with my Onkyo 7.1 Receiver. Turns any type of sound into great sound, no need to spend thousands on products like Bose, just use automatic setup on your Onkyo receiver and it will maximize your speakers for your room, then just sit back and enjoy!

5 Stars Great speakers
I bought this system the other day and got it al installed this last weekend. I think the speakers sound very good. THe size is hard to tell in the pic but they are a little bigger than i expected but they mounted up nice so no complaints. I have them paired with Sony STRDG720 receiver and i havent done the auto cal yet but they already sound great. The sub can rattle the walls and the surround sound is very nice. A big upgrade for froma a very cheap system. Would definetly recommend to others.

5 Stars Amazing sound quality
I bought these speakers to go with my onkyo sr-606 receiver and I am amazed at how great they sound. This system is a serious upgrade from my samsung HTIB system. These speakers have incredible hi’s mid’s and lo’s and the 230w sub really thumps,you can even adjust the bass level with a knob in the back. I would recommend these speakers to anyone. The only drawback is the size. I had no idea how big they were going to be,but I guess if you want big sound you’ve got to have big speakers.

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Denon AVR 1709 7 1 Channel Multi Zone Home Theater Receiver

Music around the home is now easier to realize than ever before. The AVR-1709 features a powerful seven channel amplifier section that can be easily configured for a 7.1 channel surround sound loudspeaker system, or to drive a 5.1 channel surround sound system in the main room, while at the same time able to drive a pair of stereo speakers in another room. Featuring tremendous video signal handling flexibility, the AVR-1709 features three latest specification v1.3a HDMI digital video inputs and one HDMI output that handles HD signals up to the highest 1080p resolution.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Solid Receiver!
I’ve always wanted to own a Denon Receiver because in my eyes, they seem to be the best. They always seemed to make the best quality products, and when I had the chance to get a Denon, I did.

The Denon AVR-1709 is an awesome receiver that puts out a very nice 80 watts x 7 channels, which is more than enough. This is an extremly loud reciver with it’s volume range goes from -80 db to a whopping +18 db. My buddy’s Harmon/Kardon only gets to +0 db. The set-up was sorta tough but but the calibration mic makes everything better. People conplain about not having an On Screen Display, but I love that it doesn’t, its much easier. I was annoying that there is no 3.5 mm port of Ipods, even though it has an “Ipod mode” but it was just another cheap cable I had to buy.

I do alot of research on my products before I buy, so I knew that it is only HDMI pass though. In all of the desciptions it clearly says that it only handles video, so anyone who complains about it is foolish because they did not read. I don’t really use HDMI that much, and anyways I just let my TV handle the video and audio conected though optical cables. this has a very nice amount of inputs which is more than enough for anyone looking for a receiver in this price level.

I did have a small problem with overheating, but that is my fault because it is in a small area. I fixed that problem with a fan as the Denon does not have one. Over all the Denon is a very solid buy, and I recomend it to anyone.

4 Stars Does a bit of everything
This receiver is a good value and gives you great flexibility for the dollars you spend. Set up is not fast, but if you read and follow instructions you will be very satisfied with the results. It customizes the sound to your room for your listening pleasure. I’d like to have seen more remote control of the Sirius radio’s display as it always defaults to station and you must go to the receiver to see what’s playing, but the sound is great. This receiver cannot send audio over the HDMI cables so you will have to wire both video and audio. It does let you program just about any input/output to any device. All in all you get a good bang for the buck.

2 Stars zone two does not get audio through optic or coaxial connection
Ok I was aware that HDMI does not output audio but i did not need to connect the video signals through the receiver. I got the optic cable and connected it from tv to the receiver and sound in zone one was awesome, but I did not have any sound output in zone two. After hours of going through the manual and playing with the receiver I came across a one line sentence that said that optic or coaxial input can’t be played in zone two. I connected the audio cables directly to receiver and it works like a charm. So buyers beware, it is going to take you some patience and finesse to get this thing going but for the money you are paying it is worth the hassle.

5 Stars Under-rated!
I was amazed at AV products prices at amazon are so much cheaper than in singapore. I got mine at around the listed price here, a bundle offer. If not, i won’t be getting at such a low price in Singapore.

Design

I had the silver version which was gorgeous to me as the first AV receiver i’ve bought. A personal preference which i love silver. 2008 design with the top curve makes it almost looked like the high-end models.

Performance

This is out of this world for the price. Wonderful entry level, with all the necessary decoding and 80 watts per channel. Even it does not has true HD decoders which most pple are raving about, the DD EX processes the 7.1 smoothly plus plenty of fine tunning. I have to thank Denon for releasing this budget line product for me to start off my Audio interests. Currently only Onkyo’s prices are lower than Denon with their amazingly THX certified AVs.

*many reviews critic that it does not carry audio for hdmi (7.1 pcm), disappointing, ofcos! But at this price, you can’t complain.

Conclusion

If you don’t have blueray/HD contents, this AV could process your dvd to 7.1 with a touch of class.

4 Stars Great product for price
Think of hookup this way: The HDMI basically carries only video to this receiver. If you want this receiver to send audio directly to the speakers, you must use the audio connections. The cable HDMI connections do send video and sound to the HDTV via the HDMI cables (as if you would ever want to use the TV’s speakers). The setup sounds archaic, but once it is set up, it produces great audio and video.

This receiver demands that you read the manual before and during setup. It took two of us a full afternoon to make all the proper connections and adjustments and to get the pre-sets on tuner and the remote they way we wanted them. The Audyssey system was time-consuming but well worth the effort.

If you have an iPod plugged into the VCR/iPod terminals, you cannot also use the VCR terminals — you have to choose one accessory or switch them. (I did not see a warning in the manual about this, but my connections refused to work.) I decided that the cable box, TV and Denon iPod dock had to stay put, but the DVD player and Internet digital video player could be switched. So I bought an audio switch ($50) and an HDMI switch ($100) because I could not find a combination unit that was under $700. This setup will let me add still another HDMI accessory.

Now that all the components are setup, the system is a delight to use. We get much better sound out of our bookshelf speakers than we knew possible. The sound quality is why we bought the Denon.

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