Showing posts with label home theater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home theater. Show all posts

9/06/2012

Sony WAHTSD1 Wireless Kit for Rear Speakers Review

Sony WAHTSD1 Wireless Kit for Rear Speakers
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This item was purchased several weeks ago for the new home theater system also recently purchased. It works great, the surround sound is just as great as the non-wireless alternatives. There is no delay in the sound transmission and it is very nice not to have to worry about all the wires. Definately worth the price and the 2 days it took for shipping. I would recommend this item highly for those who are interested in the wireless components.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony WAHTSD1 Wireless Kit for Rear Speakers



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Sony WAHTSD1 Wireless Kit for Rear Speakers

Read More...

9/04/2012

Samsung HT-WP38 DVD Home Theater System with USB Plug-and-play and Wireless Rear Channel Review

Samsung HT-WP38 DVD Home Theater System with USB Plug-and-play and Wireless Rear Channel
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This is by far the best bang for the buck in home theater currently. My Dad decided his system needed an upgrade and so I started digging around local stores and browsing the web. The more I checked around the more apparent it became that this system is head and shoulders above anything else in its class. The inclusion of the wireless rear channel is a $200 value in competing systems such as Panasonic's.
Setup was a breaze. All the speaker wires were color-coded and snap in and out of the rear of the unit which made adjusting wires during cleanup considerably easier. When we cranked it up the first time the dog went cowering in a different room because the roar of the lion's was so intense. Aside from the laughter/sadness of scaring the dog hopefully you get the idea that this can produce a lot of sound. The sound wasn't just loud either, it was crisp and responsive on a variety of DVD's I tried.
The only bump we hit in the entire process is that apparently the included remote is not compatible with Sylvania TV's (any Sylvania TV's). I ended up killing the remote while trying codes for other brands of TV's to the point that it wouldn't work on the home theater any more. I called Samsung and pleasantly surprised at how good their phone support was. They answered the phone within a couple minutes and I spent less than 15 minutes on the phone with them. They ended up replacing the remote via mail.
So, anyone that's not an audiophile with deep pockets will get a lot of benefit from this system. Highly recommended.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung HT-WP38 DVD Home Theater System with USB Plug-and-play and Wireless Rear Channel



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Samsung HT-WP38 DVD Home Theater System with USB Plug-and-play and Wireless Rear Channel

Read More...

9/03/2012

Pioneer VSX-816-K 7.1-channel XM-Ready A/V Receiver, Black Review

Pioneer VSX-816-K 7.1-channel XM-Ready A/V Receiver, Black
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
To start off with, as an Alaska resident the free shipping was a deal maker for me. That said, I've had no problems with the receiver itself, save for a small scratch on the faceplate. Super-Saver has its detriments I suppose.
Performance wise, the receiver is excellent for my setup. I haven't had the opportunity to crank the volume due to the next door neighbors, but 5.1 is spot on, and with MCACC I'm finally able to get a decent optimization for the basement i've got my home theatre set up in. MCACC is definitely worth the extra expense as it saves a lot of time and eliminates a lot of the guess work. It took only a few minutes to setup initially, and I don't anticipate any problems when I add the Sony 550 center I just ordered and move my old center channel to the back for a 6.1 setup.
Featurewise, the 3 optical inputs and 3 component video switching was another selling point for me, as I have a DVD player, XBox, and XBox 360 in this setup. 1080i and 720p passthrough is perfect. Being able to assign the optical and component to different inputs is another excellent feature that helped me setup the receiver exactly the way I wanted it. Another feature is the Sound Retriever technology which really does smooth out low bitrate audio. For example, this past weekend I listened to the LDS General Conference (a 16k audio stream) with my wife, and we both thought it sounded great with this feature turned on (and 7 channel stereo). I haven't tried out the XM features yet, maybe one day.
I looked at the 516 as well, but it just didn't have the features I really wanted, and wouldn't have been a stepup at all from my old receiver. The extra features, are in my case, well worth the extra money.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pioneer VSX-816-K 7.1-channel XM-Ready A/V Receiver, Black



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Pioneer VSX-816-K 7.1-channel XM-Ready A/V Receiver, Black

Read More...

8/17/2012

Yamaha RX-V363BL 500 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Yamaha RX-V363BL 500 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I purchased this Yamaha (RXV363) unit because a lightning storm burned out the Sony, which I was happy with. This unit resides in my bedroom - which consists of an HDTV, FIOS, DVD and Sony 5.1 satellite speaker system - and is not my main HT system, which reside in the basement and consist of the higher end components. I looked at the Yamaha RXC463, Onkyo TX-SR506, 606, Sony STR-DG720 but did not want to spend the extra cash for the satellite ready capability. Nor was I interested in the video switching capabilities since I connect all video source directly to the TV and all audio sources to the receiver. For switching, I use my Harmony 880 - one button operation.
Connectivity:
For my situation, the Yamaha has all the connections I need (DVD and FIOS). Setup is simple and straight forward. Remember, you get HD quality from both HDMI and Component connections.
As far as connecting video components thru the receiver, I can't give an opinion on that because I do not go thru the receiver for video connections, up conversion and all that stuff. I always connect my video source directly to the TV- always. I just believe that you lose picture quality going thru a receiver. Remember, the most direct path between 2 points is a straight line. I only use the receiver for the audio connections because to me that's its main purpose - audio and TV is video. Besides connecting thru the receiver, in my opinion, is mainly for convenience and possibly (emphasis) saving a few bucks on cables.
As stated by other reviewers, the HDMI ports (video pass-thru) do not output sound (manual specifically states this fact as well as other sources on the internet) so you must connect separate audio cables. Having HDMI output audio is good if you are using the speakers in the TV (but why would you do that if you want a HT quality sound) but if you have surround speakers then you should use either the digital or optical audio connections.
Now with that said, I know that there are some that have many components to connect in their system or want the convenience of having the least amount of cables connected to the TV, receiver etc. For those you either have to dig a little deeper in the pockets or get a separate switching device for all of the components. This unit, at $200, is an entry level HT receiver so don't expect it to do what the high end units can.
Remote Control
The remote control is a little tricky. What I found is that it's a little confusing on how to switch between sound stages at first but like anything new you get used to it.
As an alternative to those who want simplicity in switching between video sources do yourself a favor and get the Harmony 880 remote control - one remote, one button control bliss baby. Amazon seems to have the best prices on the remotes. Check it out.
Overall:
Overall this is a good unit. This is a nice entry level unit and it does well for the limited setup I have in the bedroom. This unit actually makes the Sony satellite speaker sound much better than the Sony receiver did. This unit has better sound fields than my older Sony unit - I like the Straight and Enhance and 5 channel speaker modes. My Sony did not have these.
TIP: Before purchasing any HT equipment you must do your research. You can go to the manufacturer's website and download the manual and determine if it contains all the connections etc you need for your system. What I've found in some of the previous reviews is that the unit was purchased without truly knowing its capabilities and then that person bashes it - which is unfair. The only problem is the individual did not do his/her research and/or know the true capabilities of the unit. The World Wide Web has all sorts of reviews on this unit - both professional and end user - so it baffles me that these people did not know the limits of the unit. Uhhh oh yeah they didn't do their research. So when you read these reviews, read between the lines of the comments, which many times will reveal that the person did not do the necessary homework prior to the purchase and/or did or do not understand the functions of a specific AV receiver. So please make sure the equipment has all you need before putting out negative reviews.
Also, remember if you have surround speakers you do not need to send the audio thru the HDMI just use the digital coax or optical audio connections. And don't believe much of the hype about the cables (i.e. the better ones are the most expensive ones). Just don't use the cables that come in the box and don't spend tons of money on cables either.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha RX-V363BL 500 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

High-value receiver with 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.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about Yamaha RX-V363BL 500 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Read More...

8/16/2012

Sherwood RD6513 100 Watt 5.1 Dolby Digital Receiver (Black) Review

Sherwood RD6513 100 Watt 5.1 Dolby Digital Receiver (Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I was a little leery of purchasing a Sherwood product, since I'd never owned one, and You don't see their product on a lot of store shelves.
This unit is top notch. If I had actually seen this in a store, I wouldn't have flinched at a price double what I paid for it.
It's got features I'll probably never use, but to sum it up, You can probably route every bit of your Entertainment center through it, and at least to some degree control all of it (on off, volume, station selection, Play, ff, rewind, etc. . .) It has automatic and manual Surround speaker balancing, and the mic for balancing is included.
I would buy it again, and if You're warranty minded, Beach offers their own warranty, which you can purchase within 30 days of original purchase for under $25.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sherwood RD6513 100 Watt 5.1 Dolby Digital Receiver (Black)



Buy NowGet 19% OFF

Click here for more information about Sherwood RD6513 100 Watt 5.1 Dolby Digital Receiver (Black)

Read More...

8/14/2012

Sony TDM-NC1 Digital Media Port Wireless Network Audio Adapter Review

Sony TDM-NC1 Digital Media Port Wireless Network Audio Adapter
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The hardware looks great. Config from the unit itself (getting it on the network both wired and wireless) worked like a charm.
The included software is junk. I installed it on both Vista and XP machines. After spending hours playing with it trying to get it to import my music, firewall settings etc. etc, I could never get the hardware to connect to my server. I hooked the PC to the same switch as the TD-NC1 and it still would not connect the server. The included manual / troubleshooting guide is also a joke/junk.
You should be able to install the software and it should just work. I thought I'd be playing music in a few minutes -- instead I invested an afternoon --> and it still isn't working.
I am returning this unit and will use an airport express/i-tunes to do the same thing.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony TDM-NC1 Digital Media Port Wireless Network Audio Adapter



Buy Now

Click here for more information about Sony TDM-NC1 Digital Media Port Wireless Network Audio Adapter

Read More...

7/29/2012

Yamaha HTR-6160BL 665 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Yamaha HTR-6160BL 665 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Originally purchased the Onkyo 705 and it sounded good for a while and then all of its issues came out. I plugged this Yamaha into the same setup and WOW! The sound that this Yamaha puts out is so clear. The Onkyo at its best is not even close. The onkyo needs 8 inches of space above the receiver in order to not burn up. I have less then 2 inches of space above this receiver and it still runs extremely cool. A Yamaha fan for life now!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha HTR-6160BL 665 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Designed for the true audio/video connoisseur, the Yamaha HTR-6160BL 7.1-channel digital home theater receiver delivers the highest quality sound and image reproduction. This able receiver will work with your iPod and features 1080p compatible HDMI, high-definition video upconversion, de-interlacing, and is ready for XM Satellite Radio. The Yamaha HTR-6160BL also boasts upgraded CINEMA DSP for rich and full surround sound and improved YPAO sound optimization for the best listening experience in any room.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about Yamaha HTR-6160BL 665 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Read More...

7/16/2012

Yamaha HTR-6230BL 500 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Yamaha HTR-6230BL 500 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I recommend this unit highly. It would get five stars if it was a bit less complicated. But it does so much so perhaps that is inevitable. The remote has fifty-nine buttons! So far I have used about ten. Maybe when I get around to controlling my CD player from this remote I'll use some of the others, and need one less remote too. Currently I am using it as a stereo receiver with a Yamaha CD player, with two Polk side speakers and a Polk sub-woofer.
I am very pleased with the sound [I do not consider myself an audiophile but I do enjoy my music, classical, opera and rock mostly]. Plenty of volume, more bass available than I need but that part is easy to adjust. The room where I have this unit is 20' by 25' with a 12' celing, and there's no problem filling it with sound. Rock on!
I am impressed and consider it very good value for money too.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha HTR-6230BL 500 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Yamaha HTR-6230BL 500 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Buy NowGet 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha HTR-6230BL 500 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Read More...

7/12/2012

Yamaha RX-V465BL 525 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Yamaha RX-V465BL 525 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I've had the RX-v465 for over a month now, so i've had plenty of time to get comfortable with the receiver. I purchased this b/c it seemed like the best value. My major goals were to find a receiver that had HDMI vid and audio pass-thru and had good quality cd music output - and the rx-v465 delivered!
PROS:
I used the mic to auto-calibrate the sound quality - very easy (do this before using it). CDs (analog) sound great and digital audio sounds even better. The sound settings are great: it has several sound enhancer settings for a full/modern sound and even a 'direct' mode where the receiver uses the minimum electronics to provide a pure (almost vinyl) sound. These settings are easy to access once you get comfortable with the remote.
It has plenty of inputs for all of your older (rca) and newer (HDMI) devices. For TV, I run my comcast dvr box via an hdmi cable to the receiver, then run an hdmi from the receiver to the tv. For dvd, i run hdmi to the receiver. Only one cable (an hdmi) is needed from the receiver to the TV (sony bravia 52v5100). Video quality and dolby digital audio quality is excellent. It even allows you to view TV without turning on the receiver (downside in this mode is you can't listen to the sound system). Also, my cable remote can control the receiver volume when watching tv when the pass-thru mode is set (control-on).
CONS:
1. There is an annoying time delay (up to 3 seconds) when switching from HD to non-HD channels and when pulling up the dvr menu/list and cable guide. The receiver is thinking /switching digital modes and makes clicking sounds as it switches resulting in sound but no vid. This issue took me some time to get used to and will be a deal-breaker for most people.
2. Longer delay / thinking when the receiver is turned on and the hdmi input is set. Same clicking and no vid as it finds the right mode for the data that is coming in.
3. Remote is annoying, not built well, but whatever, its not a deal breaker.
OVERALL, i'm happy with this receiver at the price i paid when compared to other available receivers with similar features/functions.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha RX-V465BL 525 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Yamaha RX-V465BL 525 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Buy Now

Click here for more information about Yamaha RX-V465BL 525 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Read More...

7/10/2012

Gyration Air Mouse GO Plus with Compact Keyboard GYM1100CKNA Review

Gyration Air Mouse GO Plus with Compact Keyboard GYM1100CKNA
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)

*******HOW LONG HAVE I OWNED THE GYRATION GO AIR MOUSE & COMPACT KEYBOARD?*******
I have owned this Compact Keyboard and Go Air Mouse Combo for well over a year. I bought it to replace my IR (infra red) Silitek SK-7551 compact keyboard + pointing device for my Home Theater PC (HTPC).
*******WHY DID I NEED IT?*******
Since I have an HTPC it's connected to my HT receiver in my living room and its used to play back DVD, music, stream online video (YouTube). And usually in an HTPC setup the the actual computer case is next to the TV and HT Receiver while you sit a couple of feet away (11ft in my case) from the set up. So you need a wireless keyboard/mouse and remote to work everything.
I have had some sort of an HTPC for about 6 years and in these years the MOST used device (besides the universal remote) is the MOUSE. The SK-7551 retailed for $25 but is no longer made. The OLD mouse was a pointing device in my Silitek Keyboard which meant I had to cradle the weight of the entire keyboard just to use the mouse. So I realized that I need a separate mouse and keyboard but did not want to spend on high end stuff like Logitech DiNovo. Plus the Silitek Keyboard was IR which means I needed to ALWAYS point to the receiving station (placed under the TV) for me to make it work. *******SO HOW WELL DOES IT WORK?*******
Note the OLD keyboard on my HTPC was an IR or infra red keyboard which means the two sensors MUST be in the line of sight to work. That was the bad news, the good news was that it was immune from interference. Any RF product that run at 2.4 Ghz (like the Gyration Keyboard&Mouse) will have some interference. Even a microwave can cause some interference.
Here are some observations:
1) The Gyration KEYBOARD is a compact 88 keys RF keyboard and it's very light. But I do have some delay between initial keystrokes and them appearing on screen. But once the letters start appearing on screen the delay is minimal. But it can get irritating but you get used to it.
2) If you plan to use this as the ONLY keyboard & mouse connected to your PC you need to enable USB mouse and keyboard in your BIOS. The RF receiver that comes with the product plug into your USB device. Otherwise you cannot use the mouse or keyboard when you are in the BIOS.
3) The RF USB receiver seems to work better when plug it in the front USB ports. This could be because my HTPC has 802.11G PCI card with antenna in the back and plugging it in the back with both devices on 2.4Ghz may not be a good idea. But if you have a toddler in the house like I do, that's not very feasible to put it in the front USB port. So I bought 3 ft USB extension cord and plugged one end in the rear ports but the actual RF receiver is safely hidden in the TV cabinet. Since its RF it works through walls.
4) The STAR of the system in the Gyration GO Air Mouse. It can be used as an optical mouse and if you pick it up it becomes an gyro controlled air mouse. It works "pretty well" most of time. The Go Air tools software controls hand gestures and they work well too. But I cannot get the back and forward swipe motions for Firefox to work. Every time I gesture to go back in the FireFox browser it will do it but it will also open ANOTHER Firefox window. The solution is to open an IE window, minimize it and then use Firefox. When you do this the back and forward motion in Firefox works fine. This is a Firefox specific problem...its irritating but I have learned to live with it.
The above problem only happens with back and forward gestures in the Firefox browser, if you use IE you wont have to deal with it. The short cut to programs are really cool and they work well.
The other problem is with the battery. It does not hold charge that long (and I mean like a standard on your table bluetooth or wireless mouse), the solution is pretty simple keep the mouse + charger as close to your couch as possible this way you use it and when you are done put it back on the charge and its always on the charge till you need it. It will hold a charge for about 2-3 hours enough for you to get through a DVD movie.
*******OK OK...DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE BUY IT?*******
I did NOT buy this from Amazon, there was a very very slickdeal for this combo and it cost me about 1/4th of it's current Amazon Retail (at the time of writing).
Do I think its a great product for $100 + ? No, go for a Logitech DiNovo Mini for a little more.
Do I think its a great product for $50-100? Meeh, it depends.
Ok so is it a great product for under $50 ? ABSOFRIGGINGLUTELY :-)


Click Here to see more reviews about: Gyration Air Mouse GO Plus with Compact Keyboard GYM1100CKNA



Buy NowGet 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Gyration Air Mouse GO Plus with Compact Keyboard GYM1100CKNA

Read More...

7/07/2012

Yamaha HTR-6140BL 525 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Yamaha HTR-6140BL 525 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Since the time of my review, there are only two reviews, a 5 star and a 2 star, the 2 star being based on a supposed bad remote and manual. I thought I had to set things straight. I've owned many other brand receivers and both Yamahas I've owned are great. The sound quality is excellent and the only problem I might see with someone not liking the manual is that Yamaha has so many features and options it might scare away the type of person that likes to use it out of the box without barely any set up. As for the remote I see no problem with it... it's attractive, functional, all features on it work so I don't understand what's not to like. Sound quality and construction of the unit are also superior. After having other receivers in the past that burnt due to overheating and had a dry, radio like sound, I think I'll stick with Yamaha from now on. Their "music enhancement" setting makes all sound including voice sound so incredibly warm and rich that I use this setting for everything and prefer it to any other setting. Yamaha receivers are also extremely low distortion. You will be very plesantly surprised with this receiver as long as you can follow instrucions and read a manual, even if you don't like doing this, the pay-off is worth the initial effort.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha HTR-6140BL 525 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

The Yamaha HTR-6140BL 5.1-channel digital home theater receiver offers a wealth of entertainment features that will enrich your audio and video experience. This high-performance home theater receiver boasts 1080p-compatible HDMI, and it's ready for XM and SIRIUS Satellite Radio. The Yamaha HTR-6140BL is also iPod and Bluetooth compatible. Other innovative features include CINEMA DSP for full surround sound, YPAO sound optimization and speaker setup, and 4 SCENE buttons for quick setup of audio sources.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about Yamaha HTR-6140BL 525 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Read More...

7/02/2012

Yamaha RX-V563BL 630 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Yamaha RX-V563BL 630 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I spent the last 3 months trying to find the right av receiver for me. After much praise, i bought and returned the onkyo txsr605 (setup and video was great, sound was poor, including a buzz i've never had before) and the Harmon Kardon AVR 340 (sound was great, but vidoe quality in non-hd was aweful). I waited a few weeks for the new yamaha a/v receivers to come out in April. It was definifely worth the wait. GUI is not great, but the sound is amazing and no major complaints with the video. My only issues has to do with how quickly it can switch between HD and non-HD souces with my cable box (handshake), although i hear this is a common problem with certain cable boxes.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha RX-V563BL 630 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

The RX-V563BL 7.1-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 for MP3 and WMA discs, and 4 SCENE buttons make operating the receiver easier than ever. 2 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. You have a choice of 8 unique CINEMA DSP surround programs to bring out the full audio potential of your entertainment sources. The RX-V563BL 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. Other features include Bluetooth A2DP compatibility with optional YBA-10 wireless audio receiver, on-screen display with iPod song title display, 7-channel 630W powerful surround sound (90W x 7), Burr-Brown 192kHz/24-bit DACs used in all channels for impressive sound reproduction, 1080p-compatible HDMI switching (2 inputs, 1 output), component video upconversion with TBC HDTV, compatible component video terminals (3 inputs, 1 output), and cinema DSPwith 8 DSP programs for full surround sound.

Buy Now

Click here for more information about Yamaha RX-V563BL 630 Watt 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Read More...

6/27/2012

Yamaha RX-V365BL 500 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Yamaha RX-V365BL 500 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I generally like Yamaha products but this receiver has one huge flaw. The HDMI outs do not support audio sound. I ran separate optical audio outputs from cable box and CD player. The one HDMI out on the reciever only worked with DVD not Cable box or DTV inputs. So don't plan on running a separate TV from the HDMI out on the reciever. The sound quality is good and the functions are easy to learn with the exception of the scene feature. Really not that well explained. I like the reciever and was able to work around the HDMI issue but think that this is a huge oversight on Yamaha's part. I hope this review is helpful.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha RX-V365BL 500 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Yamaha RX-V365BL 500 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Buy Now

Click here for more information about Yamaha RX-V365BL 500 Watt 5-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Read More...

6/21/2012

Yamaha HTR-3063BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver (Each, Black) Review

Yamaha HTR-3063BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver (Each, Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This receiver sounds good, is very reasonably priced, but it's not quite what I was expecting.
Reading the description of this unit, and looking at its back panel pictures, left me with the impression it probably can output video to an HDMI TV, regardless of the input source selected ("upsampling"). It cannot. It does not upsample, and cannot send, say, your component video input source to your HDMI TV. Yamaha support (who got back to me quickly, I must admit), says "it does not do any up converting of video sources, you would have to run the component video out to [a component input] TV as well."
I also found the setup less than intuitive; others have commented on the lack of a printed manual, and I must agree that I found myself missing it as I tried to determine how best to configure my speakers and resolve my upsampling question.
So, bottom line, be aware of its limitations, but if you're fine with what it does and doesn't do, it seems to be a nice value.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha HTR-3063BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver (Each, Black)

Yamaha HTR-3063BL5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver is a great value-priced receiver to help take your home theater experience further. It features the latest HDMI specifications (4 inputs/1 output) with 3D-readiness (with firmware upgrade), 1080p HDMI repeating, and renowned Yamaha technologies like SCENE and CINEMA DSP. Expand your options even further with optional docks (sold separately) to add your iPod, iPhone, or Bluetooth sources.

Buy NowGet 6% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha HTR-3063BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver (Each, Black)

Read More...

6/18/2012

Yamaha RX-V367BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver (Each, Black) Review

Yamaha RX-V367BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver (Each, Black)
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
We had a very old audio only receiver and were looking to replace it (almost 10 year old technics). We picked up the Yamaha RX-V367, even though there were no reviews, since the receiver was just released, and it was in our price range (200 to 300). So far we are happy with the new receiver; it is connected to the satellite box, xbox, and blu ray.
Speaker set up: Set of Polk Rti8 (left right and center), and klipsch Klipsch Synergy Series SS.5 rear surround (left and right). The sound coming from the speakers was MUCH better than from our ancient receiver.
Not a fan of the Sound Field Programs, seems too much like a gimmick, and only adds an echo depending on what setting (one setting might effect the vocals more, or another setting might effect the music), but I imagine some people would enjoy that. Has many audio processing options, works great with Netflix streaming, set it to 5ch stereo and it will work great; can clearly listen to what's playing (netflix only streams in 2ch stereo). Mainly use the "Straight" audio processing setting (for xbox and blu ray), I assume the receiver doesn't add any extra "audio goo", and plays direct from the source.
Good video quality, no noticeable video deterioration. Yamaha says it's compatible with HDMI 1.4 and will support 3D (with a firmware upgrade). Not that interested in 3d TVs anyways.
Clear and easy to use menu system (compared to my old technics receiver), competent directions, fairly user friendly.
Has 4 HDMI inputs which was much better than many of the competitors in the same price range. We didn't test the FM/AM tuner, and only connected HDMI and RCA from computer. We were also swayed by the extra bluetooth adapter so we can listen to music (and hopefully stream Hulu audio) wirelessly from the computer (and get rid of the airport express). Will update review after getting bluetooth.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha RX-V367BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver (Each, Black)

The Yamaha RX-V367BL 5.1-Channel AV Receiver is a great value-priced receiver to help take your home theater experience further. It features the latest HDMI specifications (4 inputs/1 output) with 3D-readiness (with firmware upgrade), 1080p HDMI repeating, and renowned Yamaha technologies like SCENE and CINEMA DSP. Expand your options even further with optional docks (sold separately) to add your iPod, iPhone, or Bluetooth sources.

Buy NowGet 28% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha RX-V367BL 5.1 Channel 500 Watt AV Receiver (Each, Black)

Read More...

6/12/2012

Yamaha HTR-6130BL 500 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Yamaha HTR-6130BL 500 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
First I confess. I am technically challenged--I have trouble working a cell phone. But the manual was VERY detailed, if somewhat overwhelming, and the connections were easy because of labels and diagrams. As mentioned, the HDMI connection only passes the audio through to the TV--will not route it to the surround sound speakers.
So I knew I needed a second audio connection for my dvd and cable inputs, but I still had trouble getting any sound from the speakers from my DVD player and had to call tech support. They explained that this unit was designed before HDMI and that the connections were added later as a pass-through for convenience. I wondered why they would have designed it that way to start with--turns out they didn't! But all is well that ends well.
Tech support was EXCELLENT. Although I had connected everything properly (digital coax audio cable for DVD), they walked me through the set up menu choices to get the sound working properly. They even helped me with the settings on my Sony blue ray player! Saving the setup via scene buttons will allow me to to recover the settings without remembering the details.
The first movie I watched, I thought I was in a theater!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Yamaha HTR-6130BL 500 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

High-value receiver with 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.

Buy NowGet 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Yamaha HTR-6130BL 500 Watt 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Read More...

5/12/2012

Pyle P1002AI 1000 Watts Hybrid Receiver and Pre-Amplifier with AM-FM Tuner/iPod Docking Station Review

Pyle P1002AI 1000 Watts Hybrid Receiver and Pre-Amplifier with AM-FM Tuner/iPod Docking Station
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Just received this on Friday and hooked it up to our new Bose environmental outdoor speakers 251 putting out 200 watts per channel. Hooked up Itouch ipod to it, was working great at first, but then unit started going haywire until it ultimately FROZE and none of the operations worked properly. Called their support office today and was informed that this unit is NOT compatible with Itouch ipod models and it will short out the unit if you try to dock it in the included dock on the top. The dock on the top is made for older generation ipod models. However, you can purchase a universal ipod doc that hooks up to the back of the unit via RCA outputs if you want to use this unit with Itouch ipod. Doing this will charge the Itouch, but then in order to hear your songs you may also have to hook up the Itouch via the Ipod/Mp3 jack on the front of the unit. Once this is hooked up properly, the sounds is AMAZING for the Bose speakers that we have! It's reallly incredible and sounds like an outdoor concert. I only gave it three stars because the manual has no directions in it and no way of knowing that if you try to connect Itouch into the ipod dock that it will short out the unit. Had we known that from the beginning in the item description or the manual it would have saved us a lot of headaches trying to figure out what the problem was! Also, another FYI, the technical support agent suggested purchasing their lower end model P1001AT that DOES NOT have the ipod dock at the top if you are going to strictly use an ITOUCH ipod with it. Again, you would just have to purchase a separate universal ipod doc.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pyle P1002AI 1000 Watts Hybrid Receiver and Pre-Amplifier with AM-FM Tuner/iPod Docking Station



Buy NowGet 59% OFF

Click here for more information about Pyle P1002AI 1000 Watts Hybrid Receiver and Pre-Amplifier with AM-FM Tuner/iPod Docking Station

Read More...