An A/V receiver with the WOW factor

Advantages: Looks great, sounds awesome, feels awesome
Disadvantages: Detailed set up can be tricky - just as well it comes idiot proof!

...Ok then, so I'm a lucky boy.... On my last birthday my wife decided that she wanted to treat me to a home cinema system so off we went to our local Richer Sounds store (they are VERY cheap and VERY helpful - recommended everyone pays them a visit!) with cash in hand an wangled a deal. I got this Marantz A/V Receiver , A Yamaha surround sound speaker package and a Panasonic DVD recorder for the princly sum of £350 - a bit of a discount from the £900 RRP! I'll be reviewing each product in turn so check out my other reviews if you want a full system checkup! So into the review of the A/V Receiver: 1) The Theory I wanted a reciever that not only looked good, but that also provided the output and poer to match. I've long been a fan of the Marantz range as they not only look and feel good to use, they also have the reputation...

Durahm.Dazzler 24.05.2007 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Marantz SR 4400 A/V Receiver

A great piece of kit

Advantages: A Very solidly Built piece of Equipment
Disadvantages: A bit dated now

...About three years ago I invested in the bargain of a lifetime, a superb Pioneer stereo system composed of a File Type Compact Disc Player - a PD-F1009, , a VSX - D512 Audio/Video Multi Channel Receiver, A DV-565A DVD Player, a CT- W208R Double Cassette Deck, a pair of S-H510V Speakers and an S-CR59 (centre and two rear) Set of Speakers and a Pioneer Stand to house it all, brand new, for under £650. The sound I have to say is fabulous. I've already Reviewed the CD player, I'm now going to review the VSX - D512 Audio/Video Receiver (The Amplifier) As I said in my previous Review I bought it from a catalogue clearance place (Bargain Street, Thorpe Arch Retail Park near Wetherby), the boxes filled up my little brothers E class Merc Estate. On the subject of Bargain Street - they do some incredible deals on Electricals, I bought my PC (a...

RichPrice 12.03.2007 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Pioneer VSX-D512 A/V Receiver

Another winner from Pioneer

Advantages: Compact, Excellent sound, attractive and slimline, versatile, multifunction remote
Disadvantages: Only SCART connectors for inputs, Adaptor needed for non-scart stuff

...Prologic-2, DTS, Stereo and has a variety of sound modes to tailor it to your room. The set-up menu is reasonably easy to use, but I do recommend RTFM (Read The F***laming Manual). Controls are mainly accessed by the extensive remote control, with volume and input selection also on the front panel. There are also A/V and optical connections on the front, to save farting around with the rats nest of cable at the back should you wish to plug in a camcorder or even a CD player. The front also has a very informative display that tells you mode, volume level in Db, Input source etc. The back sports LOADS of connections (apart from no HiFi phono ones that is). There are FOUR SCART connectors 2x input only for DVD and STB (Set Top Box), with the remaining two being Input/Output Video and DVR/TV the latter allowing you to daisy-chain a Digital...

jerzed 20.10.2005 (22.10.2005) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Pioneer VSX-C301 A/V Receiver

Much better than I ever expected!

Advantages: Flexibilty of audio adjustments, plenty of power
Disadvantages: Takes a little time to figure out ALL the functions

...the person talking is truly right in front of you. I've increased to mid range & treble for the center, so it would give me that "realistic" sound I was shooting for. What gets me the most, is the capability of changing audio separately on each channel. Not only can bass, mid & treble be changed, but also each channel can be adjusted for volume. That makes for a great surround system that has the flexibility to be installed in any room, or when it's time to rearrange, you can adjust it to fit that room, and configuration. That, I think is one of the top selling features of this receiver. Even my Wife loves it, and she's just as picky as I am when it comes to this stuff. We've even re-watched movies, just to hear it through this receiver, and I'll tell you, it's like watching it for the first time! Sounds come out of this unit that I never...

ktk3438 26.02.2004 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Sony STR-DE 975 A/V Receiver

Superb all-round amp!

Advantages: Solid build, looks, quality
Disadvantages: None yet

...The range of features on this amp is outstanding. It looks fantastic with the all metal constructions and brushed aluminium front panel. The display is well lit, but can be dimmed if it becomes an interference. The rear panel is intimidating to look at for a beginner, but after close examination everything is very well laid out. It has almost every available input/output option you might need for nearly all cable types (I have managed to plug in all of my a/v equipment!). The controls on the front are conveniently hidden behind a flip down panel. When I first used it I found that the controls seemed limited but everything you want is there (it has just been simplified). The best feature(s) on this amp has to be all quick set up options. The amp asks you a series of questions to give you the optimal sound output depending on this...

omutumo 21.06.2004 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Pioneer VSX-D912 A/V Receiver

Does a lot, but does it extreemly well!

Advantages: 5 separate source inputs, easy to set-up, superb sound.
Disadvantages: Weighs a lot (16kg!), quite big.

...With over 10 years of faithful service, it was with great reluctance that I decided to replace my JVC all in one stereo system. There were several reasons for this, firstly it did not have all of the required inputs for the additional pieces of audio visual hi-fi kit that I now have (Freeview receiver, DVD player, Media Player, CD changer, etc). Secondly the speakers were getting on a bit and were not surround sound and with movies now coming with at least 5.1 surround sound, I felt it was necessary to be able to listen to them like this! To replace my JVC system I would need two components; an AV amplifier (the Pioneer VSX-AX3) and a set of speakers (see my review of the Mordaunt-Short Genie). Before I settled on these components I did a lot of research on the web to find out what the current trends are and what the reviewers...

Omertron 08.07.2005 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Pioneer VSX-AX3 Multi-Channel Stereophonic A/V Receiver

Yamaha Home Cinema Rules

Advantages: Numerous movie settings,
Disadvantages: Flimsey rear speaker connections

...After doing a significant bit of research, I recently purchased a Yamaha RX-V596RDS home cinema receiver. The reason i chose Yamaha was that i had been told on numerous occasions how excellent these home cinema products were at recreating the cinema experience. I wasn't let down. Films such as Lost In Space and Blade sound amazing. With Pro logic, Dolby Digital and DTS decoding and the latest in movie sound settings, as well as RDS, this piece of kit has everything. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy....

michaelcraven 28.08.2000 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Yamaha RX-V795 RDS A/V Receiver

Pioneer VSX D812 - Its like the pictures!

Advantages: Fantastic sound Quality, affordable (without losing manufacturer quality), Very easy to use, can handle several speakers without the need for adding additional amps, Plenty of inputs and outputs (ideal if you want to hook it up to the stereo and tv)
Disadvantages: None. My parents have bought the system, and have a technological knowledge of zero, therefore they find the use of the remote control a little confusing, but after set-up and a good read of the manual, its relatively easy to get to grips with

...-Logic and many more. - Audio Features - * The pioneer system firstly incorporates a digital signal processor (provided by motorola), which allows you to use digital applications with it, unlike for example older analogue appliances. * It has a 96 Khz A/D and D/A convertor (Digital to Analogue and vice versa) for example with use for older appliances * Has a comprehensive and simple to use Bass and Treble control system - Video Features - * It has an in built Room setting, allowing you to quickly set it up. For example, it has pre-determined settings that would be ideal for a living room, a bedroom, or for example a dining area, at the push of a button. - Other Features - * Its has a multi channel input, so that you can incorporate a whole system in to the one device. For example routing up your sound system, your television...

anthmack 23.03.2004 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Pioneer VSX-D812 A/V Receiver

TomTom Wireless GPS Receiver 20 channel GPS receiver module

Advantages: good
Disadvantages: none

...I dont have a 20 channel receiver however I do have a 12 channel receiver which came in the box with my Tom Tom Navigator 5 for PDA, whichi I use in my Treo 680 Smart Phone. The whole thing works perfectly and I couldn't ask for more as Sat Nav goes. The GPS receiver looks identical to the 20 channel one shown here and if this one works as well as mine does then you can't go wrong. It has a matt cover which makes it stay put where ever you place it on the dashboard and in use I've found that it picks up a signal very quickly and once linked to the PDA by bluetooth it keeps the signal so long as it can see just a tiny bit of sky. Once linked I take the unit off the dash and place it on the floor of the car in between the seats and it keeps the signal through motorway tunnels and even during a traffice halt under a bridge! It does link...

tan78 18.06.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of TomTom Wireless GPS Receiver 20 channel GPS receiver module

Marantz SR4400, sounds great, looks lovely

Advantages: Great sound decoding, solid construction
Disadvantages: bit low on power output

......

mendoza 26.01.2004 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Marantz SR 4400 A/V Receiver