Showing posts with label sound. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sound. Show all posts

Onkyo TX-SR876 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

Onkyo TX-SR876 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I have had this receiver for several weeks now. I was a little leary about purchasing this unit as it was being used in a room that does "double-duty" of being a place where I listen to high-end analog and digital music along with occasional use of a home-theatre. The primary purpose is music reproduction and I was tempted to go with tube-style amps and other gear in support of my vinyl record collection. But since there are always compromises in this area (space, money, etc) I decided to take a chance with this Onkyo. All I can say is WOW. I run 5.1 channels with bi-amplification on the front speakers (my one concession to music versus video). The sound reproduction is excellent. I have done a lot of comparison shopping and looked at a lot of different systems and I would have had to spend over $4-5K on hybrid tube amps to get sound better than this.
In terms of home theater, it is even better. It performs as advertised. Set-up was a breeze and the audessy is a pleasure to use and instantly "balanced" my room. For home theater use, it is incredible. Ground-shaking lows, booming sound when appropriate yet the most subtle sounds (such as dialogue at a low level) is outstanding. Some reviewers complain about it running hot. I have mine outside of any cabinet (top shelf of a component stand) and have run it for hours at 75-80% of max volume with no problems.
My two complaints are: The remote as the buttons are a bit hard to read in dim light (even with the back-lighting) and it only has 3 digital optical inputs. Given I use seperate CD and DVD players, along with a Laser Disc and other digital sources, I had to use the alternate digital cable connects. Not a big deal, I just expected more digital optical inputs.
In summary, if you are looking for a leading-edge video processing unit that has outastanding home-theater characterstics at a low price, then this is definitely it. Throw in the fact that it processes music far beyond the expectations one would have for solid-state receiver (especially at this price point) and you really have a great unit.
If you do decide to buy this, please note the dimensions and weight. This is a large, heavy receiver. And given the heat concerns of other posters, I would make sure it has plenty of "breathing room".

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Based on a winning design for high-definition home theater reproduction, the TX-SR876 is a comprehensive A/V processing "hub" with a deep reservoir of amplification power to draw on. Reveling in its new THX Ultra2 Plus certification, the TX-SR876 shows its class with a broad range of capabilities, phenomenal performance, and noticeable finesse.With its advanced HQV Reon-VX video processing-which enables upscaling to high-def 1080p-and supreme high-definition surround sound decoding, this receiver belongs in elite company. It's also one of the first receivers anywhere to employ ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) video calibration. From whatever movie, music, broadcast, or gaming source you choose, the TX-SR876 will impress time and time again.

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Denon AVR-1611 7.1 Channel A/V Home Theater Multi-Source / Multi-Zone Receiver with HDMI 1.4a supporting 1080p and 3D (Black) Review

Denon AVR-1611 7.1 Channel A/V Home Theater Multi-Source / Multi-Zone Receiver with HDMI 1.4a supporting 1080p and 3D (Black)
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After having an unfortunate incident with a lightning strike at my home, my Denon AVR-1908 suffered irreparable damage. Within a few weeks my insurance company sent the check to replace it and the hunt for a new receiver was on.
Having owned a Denon, I was very familiar with the quality and outstanding sound their receivers can produce - but made the decision to research other brands such as Onkyo, Yamaha, Pioneer and of course the new line of Denon AV receivers. I have a 7.1 surround sound Home Theater so my future purchase had to meet that criteria. After some research I had narrowed my search down to the Denon AVR-1611 and the Onkyo TX-SR508 receivers, then visited a local electronics store to compare the two receivers in functionality and sound. After comparing the two I found that the Denon delivered a more rich, deep sound reproduction with outstanding surround sound imagery as compared to the Onkyo, at least in my opinion.
The Denon AVR-1611 offers some features that I definitely wanted, and some that I may want to utilize should I decide to upgrade my Home Theater. It offers HDMI 1.4a inputs and output for 3D movie features (still on the fence with 3D), if I decide to upgrade to a 3D capable Home Theater this receiver will accommodate this option. The rear I/O panel is extremely clean compared to older AV receivers, due to HDMI. There are 4 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output eliminating the need for multiple component inputs, this made for a much quicker and cleaner equipment setup. The various available sound formats, i.e., DTS Master, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus encoded with this receiver switch very efficiently with the source material - to date I have not had to adjust this manually. The receiver is very pleasing aesthetically, and fits in well with the rest of my components but does have some heft to it. The Denon AVR-1611 also offers ARC (audio return channel) via the HDMI output to allow for both sending and receiving an audio signal, but please note that your television must also have the ARC feature. The other plus with this receiver is the upconversion of standard definition DVD's due to the HDMI upconversion feature, althought it now sounds cliche - it truly makes my older movies look like new again with near HD resolution. The only criticism I have that prevented my awarding this receiver a perfect 5 stars is the lack of an AC Power Outlet in the back of the receiver. I found this to be a real convenience option for plugging in my JBL PB10 powered subwoofer. I wonder if this has been eliminated due to reducing the overall power draw for electronics in meeting with "GREEN TECHNOLOGY"? Regardless, I found that I missed having the outlet and wish they would incorporate it back into the design.
The owners manual can be intimidating, with its overview of all the features and functions designed in the AVR-1611 - this is where the AUDYSSEY AUTO SETUP feature shines! Denon included a specialized microphone to allow owners the convenience of letting the receiver setup your surround parameters without hours of manual work. Not only did this feature effectively set the surround sound parameters of all 7 speakers and my subwoofer, it also measured the distance from each speaker to the listening area, as well as decibel/gain setting for each individual speaker. It even determined the size of my speakers from small to large! To gauge the accuracy, I took out my tape measure and my Radio Shack sound level meter and began testing, and found the accuracy of Audyssey to be remarkable! For the novice setting up their Home Theater this feature would be invaluable.
To date I can offer no complaints, save for the missing AC power outlet. The surround sound imaging is outstanding, music CD's sound amazing, and the Denon AVR-1611 has real ease of use. It supports all of the most popular sound formats and upconverts my standard definition DVD's beautifully. I would highly recommend this receiver to anyone who is on a budget looking for an AV Receiver that offers a multitude of features and is as close to audiophile reproduction as you can get. It certainly pleases this movie buff.


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A versatile A/V surround receiver with a 7.1-channel amplifier, the Denon AVR-1611 is designed to be the centerpiece of an exciting home theater system. It supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding and it includes the latest HDMI 1.4a technology, which provides for 3D pass-through capabilities to your HDTV (broadcast and Blu-ray). It also features Dolby Pro Logic IIz, a technology that adds a vertical dimension at the front for a more exciting surround sound experience. Last, but not least, the high-performance AVR-1611 includes Audyssey MultEQ, Dynamic EQ and Dynamic Volume for optimum tonal balance, with no volume jump due to commercial interruptions.


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Marantz ZR6001SP Receiver/client Package Review

Marantz ZR6001SP Receiver/client Package
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I highly recommend this receiver.
"Digital Audio via Electrical Distribution"(DAvED) is so convenient for the bathroom, kitchen, garage, etc. Great technology! Whatever audio you have going into you Marantz ZR6001sp (server) the boom box(client)plays it without effecting what you already have playing out the main receiver (server)... one catch, The Client must be on same electrical phase as the server.
No HDMI Switching, but oh well... It has upconvert for component and enough A/V Surround Sound Theater options that any more is overkill, for any receiver.
The amp is strong and it adds so much to my theater. Movies are a lot more effective.

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