receivers

Onkyo TX-8255 Stereo Receiver
$249.00
This receiver replaced an old Kenwood receiver with a bad volume control that caused a channel to cut in and out. I'd put off replacing it for quite a few years but eventually got tired of wiggling the volume control every time I turned it on. My main goal in buying the Onkyo was to have a fully functional receiver once again. I'm an old school guy, and just wanted a stereo unit to go with my Yamaha NS-5 speakers, something with enough channels to support a turntable, CD player and audio from a TV.

I was pleasantly surprised with the Onkyo's sound! Not only did the new work well, but it also sounded much better than the Kenwood, with more detail than I was used to. The dynamics are quicker and the bass is tighter and more focused. One of the reviews I read mentioned problems with using a turntable...I definitely had no problem with my old Philips belt drive table...just plug and play. Likewise, the Onkyo works easily with my iPod Touch...I plugged an RCA-to-1/8" cable into the Line 2 jack and I can run Pandora through the system for some musical variety.

I should add that the Onkyo is very high quality, with the controls feeling sturdy and precise, if a bit more expensive than other units with similar features. The remote works well, too (my Kenwood lacked this feature) and I appreciate being able to mute the sound from the TV during commercials. Now I find that TV shows with good sound effects and music are that much more exciting. Why did I wait so long to replace that old Kenwood?

Onkyo TX-SR507 5.1-Channel A/V Surround Home Theater Receiver (Black)
$399.00
Lots of settings for an enjoyable listening experience. I have only one disappointment. Onkyo advertises that you can play a separate source on zone 2 speakers. When I hooked up my I-pod on the optional connecting dock, I could not get it to play on zone 2 speakers. Went back to the manual and found that zone 2 will only play analog audio, not digital. No where will you find that fact until you purchase the receiver and read the manual. With all the new products putting out digital audio I find this very disappointing. So now I had to buy a speaker splitter so I can enjoy my I-pod in another room. If Onkyo ever upgrades zone 2 to all audio I would then give it a 5 star rating.

Sony STR-DH800 7.1-Channel Audio Video Receiver (Black)
$399.99
Beautiful sound, beautiful performance, the change is so dramatic it is unbelievable. The most irritating thing is the speaker wire hook ups.
Essentially screw post type, but a new improved twenty-first century design
to help you learn new cuss words. Seriously, I love this amp and would
highly recommend it to anyone.

Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K 7-Channel A/V Receiver (Black)
$499.00
I am, by no means, a tech guy or an avid videophile. I am, however, a musician, that knows what sounds good and what doesn't. So, I was going to get the Geeks, at Best Buy, to set my system up. But, they wanted WAY too much money. So, I got off my lazy butt and read the manual, on how to set it up. The manual was easy to read and understand. I jumped right in, bought the HDTV cables I needed and hooked the thing up! That simple! I have rear surround speakers that I wasn't sure of the polarity, but process of elimination fixed that. My subwoofer was not compatible with this receiver, as it has an RCA plug in. My sub had two regular speaker wires coming out of it. But, even without the sub(which I plan on adding later) the system sounds GREAT. Just like in the theaters! It has IPOD and IPhone USB hookup, which is also GREAT! No need for CD changer! I have my HDTV running through it and the picture is awesome! So, very easy hookup and great performance. By reading the manual for a couple of minutes, I easily figured out how to hook it up, which saved me a LOT of money! One gripe is the remote. It's layed out good, but I wish it had a backlight.