Features and Price

Harsh DACs / imaging issues / remote

So many people on this site give a review based on how much they spent on the unit or about one problem / issue. Well, here's my honest opinion. I have used this unit for a year and a half. This was my first venture into Dolby Digital and DTS in my home. At the time of the purchase, the speakers consisted of Infinity RS2000.6 fronts, CC-3 center, RS2000.3 rears, and a BU-2 sub. I had a Panasonic DVD-A110 player, H/K FL8300 CD Player, Pioneer CLD-D504 LD player, Quasar VCR (don't watch much VHS any more), Poineer CT-WM77R tape deck, and a Sony CDP-C205 CD player. The unit has a very solid feel, and nice asthetics. The remote is a bit goofy, and difficult to use. After about 4 months of use, I had similar problems to other people here. The digital inputs died, and no amplification from standard sources. The unit went in for repairs and was returned after 2 weeks. (side note: A friend of mine purchased the same unit and had the exact problem I did. A solder joint had come loose.) One thing that surprised me was the power output from this unit. With the RS2000.6s (92 or 93 dB sensitivity I believe), you can achieve a great amount of SPL. Stereo listening is definitely a weakness for this unit. Theater applications sound quite good. This summer I upgraded speakers. I now have Infinity Preludes for left and right, the Prelude center channel, and Infinity Overture 2s for the rear. I also have added a Sony MDS-JB930 Minidisc deck. The weak link in my system is definitely the receiver. I have listened to these speakers on other units, and they absolutely sing! With the Kenwood, they seem... covered up. Not that the treble is shy, but the sound is generally muddy.

As an overview, this unit, assuming you don't have too many problems with it in the reliability arena, is a wonderful entry level unit. If you can find it for about $400 or so, I would go ahead and snag it. I only had the one repair problem, and the unit has worked flawlessly since then. One thing I did that made use of the unit much nicer was to purchase the Marantz RC 2000 MkII remote. I programmed most everything into this remote, and the unit is so much easier to use!!!! I press the volume button and guess what? It changes! For setup and tweaking, I still go back to the old remote. If you have a small setup, or are just trying to get into the home theater arena, I would recommend this unit with minimal reservation. I think you can do a lot worse for the same amount of money. So, my honest opinion is that through the small difficulty, the unit was performed as I thought it would, and slightly exceeded my expectations in a couple of areas. If you have any questions, please drop me a note and I'll be happy to tell you more about the unit or any other related equipment.

Similar Products Used:

VR-1080, Pioneer _______ don't remember model #, H/K AVR 65 and 85

Good DTS and AC3 recognition, sound is acceptable

Reliability, and the remote

I bought the receiver last year. I liked the styling, and found it easy to setup. After 5 months of initial useage however, I had my first digital burn-out. No sound from digital signals, and minimal sound at -10db for analog signals. Took it back to CC, and after two weeks they stated it couldn't be repaired. In my foolishness, I decided to use the in-store credit to get the same model (I had the 200 CD changer, so thought why not).

Had the new one for 5 months, and again lost digital audio, and practically no analog audio. Once again the receiver burnt out.

I like the receiver, but cannot live with the MTBF. I will not be purchasing a Kenwood again.

None

Remote control is the worst, poor sound, no sound, AC3 doesn't always work, forget about DTS

I bought this unit from Onsale and it was a big mistake! I tried to play DVDs encoded with AC-3 and DTS but it never worked. The remote was the 'remote from hell'! It will take you a day to figure it out and by that time you will probably be packing it up to send it back for a refund. If you want a quality receiver for a good price, go buy a YAMAHA RECEIVER! It is one of the best receivers on the market and it worked flawlessly.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha receiver

Dolby Digital clarity and imaging.

I too purchased this product as a refurbished model from ubid.com. As long as it sounds the way it does now, this was $307 extremely well spent.

The most standout ability of this unit is its dolby digital performance (I've yet to tryout it's DTS decoding). DD DVD's were delievered with tremendous imaging, soundstaging and presence. In short, It would be difficult to conceive of significantly better sound without going to high end seperates. I am thoroughly satisfied.

Remote: Makes set up very easy, and does display some cool information, like what audio channels a DVD is encoded with and the type of digital signal being received.

Digital Signal Decoding: My kenwood has successfully decoded DD DVD's and PCM CD's via a fiber optic cable. It also does a fine job of decoding my cable boxes digital audio out coaxial feed for its digital music service.

Having listened to numerous home theatre setups in nearby hifi shops and retailers like Circuit City, I was unprepared for the tremendous improvement going Digital would bring to my system (admittedly in part because many of these store systems were not terribly well configured). Many times I had to remind myself I was watching a movie, and that there
were no noises in my apartment, or behind me. In short,
I've achieved a level of sound reproduction, at least on
movies, which is enough to deceive my senses. Also, lest I forget, I had to significanlty turn down the bass amp for my integrated carver subs, as the Kenwood produced far more abundant clean, and punchy bass than my previous receiver. Definately a good thing :)

For two channel music(ie cd's) the unit has good performance, though not tremendous. It's tough to put my finger on, but it almost seems to overimage perhaps, and sound a bit too diffuse, and vocals lose a little of their edge. However, for Dolby Digital home theatre, I've not
heard an HT receiver that sounds better or amazes my friends more.

Equipment:
Kenwood VR-2080
Panasonic DVD-X410
Carver Cinema System 5.2 (left, right, and center)
B.I.C. V504 (left and right surround)
General Instrument GFT2200(cable box for digital music)

For what I paid, the unit gets a solid 5 stars.
For Two channel Music listening, 4 stars.
For Home Theatre a solid 5 stars.

I have been an audiophile for years and have waited paitiently for home theater to come of age. The purchase of the Kenwood VR-2080 replaced a Carver C-2 preamp and Carver Component Tuner and an Adcom GFA-555 200 watt per channel amp.
My complete home theater/music system consists of a Toshiba 36" Television, A 10 year old Technics CD Player,Sony Hi-Fi VCR, Akai Professional Tape Deck (10 years old),Denon Turntable with Signet Moving Coil Cartridge, Panasonic DVD player A104U (new) with DD and Dts out, JBL L100t3 Studio Monitors (main), MB Quart Center and Surround, MQ Quart 12" active subwoofer, Monster Cable connects, and the Kenwood VR-2080.

Comments below in 4 areas:
Sound
Usability
Setup
Compatibility

Sound:

Overall sound of the unit is good and clear for the average to mid volume levels. It will take some detailed listening and channel level adjustments to get the blend necessary for the center channel and mains to seem like one sound source. For users who have a plethora of different components, especially speakers, you will need to use the pink noise generator and carefully balance the output for all 5.1 channels. If your have a matched speaker system, this becomes less of an issue.

The lower end drive of this unit is weak. It requires a good subwoofer to make up for the lack of deep bass drive capability. The power rating is at 6 ohms. Since nearly all home speakers ar rated at 8, this effectively reduces your RMS power by 33%.

Once you have the system balanced, the movie sound is very good. I have listened to both DD and Dts on the system and have found the movie sound experience to be flat and uncolored with the exception of the top and bottom end. The bottom end is weak and you will need an active sub. The top is a little strident and had to be adjusted to curve some the harshness at the top end.

I still enjoy good vinyl. If you have a turntable and the catridge is moving coil, you will need a head amp. The phono input is only MM (moving magnet) and there is no input adjustment for this audio source. (Kenwood allows input adjustment for the digital and tape sources) Without a head amp, a moving coil catridge will produce very little detail out of the system. I mention this only for those pundits that have a large investment in good LP's. In reality, after another year, this type of input will only be relegated to very high end gear as this form of media has virtually vanished.

On CD's it sounded clear and open. The DSP modes are typical for a unit in this price range. For 2-channel sources, the simulation is acceptable for most cases. Some of the settings (like arena) add so much manipulation that the sound is very muddied and unlocalized. Voices and instruments tend to wander from focal listening end to end and the soundstage is unbalanced.

The Dolby Pro Logic decoder and Dolby Surround modes performed well for 2 channel surround VCR movies. It is clear that this unit was intended for the movie fanatic and not necessarily the audio buff. For 2 channel analog sources with no DSP injected, the stereo sound is okay, but not stellar.

Usability:

The remote and manual is a tedious work in progress. Before you plug this unit in, read the manual completely, and verify all connections before turning this techo-gadget on. The lack of s-video inputs and no 6 channel input is a minus. While Dolby Digital has been chosen as the standard for HDTV and DTS is still in its infancy, you are relatively safe in your investment for a while. The preamp output of all channels EXCEPT the LR main is something that borders on the moronic. Without the LR main, what is the purpose?

Once you figure out the star wars remote, it does work relatively easily. It requires too many "keystrokes" for an action. However, the remote did have the ability to control my 10 year old CD player, along with all the other components in the system that had IR remotes. The ability of the remote to download codes for new components via the telephone is also a plus. The remote is a cool conversation piece. Functionality is cumbersome and time consuming. But hey, there is not anyone that does not see it that will not go "cool". Place it on the coffee table to impress your friends and buy a universal remote that is more intuitive and easier to use.

The Dolby Digital and DTS performed flawlessly on my DVD's. It recognizes the DTS and Dolby signals automatically and switches without a hitch. A word of caution. Ensure that your DVD player mutes the analog outputs when playing Dts or your TV/system has the ability to mute the analog input source. The Dts bitstream is pure digital and can cause extreme damage to loudspeakers and equipment if amplified through the analog inputs of a audio component.

Setup:

Read the manual. Read it again, and then read it again. It is confusing and fractured and looks like it was translated from the Japanese version into English. If you are not familiar with all the input and configuring of audio gear, find or hire someone who is. The remote, once you understand it, works and allows a lot of control for the system setup. But again, the learning curve is high. For example, in the Lstn mode it will display the level adjustments of your speakers, and even allow you to change them. But when you "tab" to the Setup screen, you will see that the surround levels are still what was set in the setup menu.

Compatibility:

The only issue I had with compatibility was the turntable. All the other components worked well and with the level input capabilites of the receiver I was able to adjust everything to match my old/new system.

For those of you that have a significant investment in your 2-channel system, mixing of this "new" technology and old can be challenging. For example, all of the surround, center, and sub components in my system are new. The mains are 10 years old. It required some 30 minutes of listening to pink noise to balance the mains with the rest of the system. Since the mains were more sensitive than the center/surround/sub. I had to play with the input level adjustments over several listening sessions and sources to achieve the optimum soundstage.

SUMMARY:

Overall this reciever is a very good buy. I was able to pick this unit up at $600 dollars. In this price range, it offers more flexibility and features than most in the same price class. Overall sound is very good for movies (which was my reason for purchasing it) and okay for stereo sources. The ability to decode both of the current digital sources and the flexibility of input and level adjustments is a plus. The remote looks cool and you will have fun impressing your friends with it.

If you are new to home theater, this is not the receiver for you. If you are looking for a system that will replace a high-end 2 channel audiophile setup, be prepared for some disappointment on 2-channel sources.

Overall, this receiver is very good for movies in all Dolby and digital modes. The remote is required for initial setup and takes some time to master. At $600 dollars, it is a great value for home theater. I have heard the B&K receiver and found the sound to be outstanding, but at $2800 dollars, there is quite a huge price swing for the additional purity of sound. Volume levels will not be "earth-shaking" But with an active subwoofer and some patience, you can achieve plenty of good listening enjoyment and sufficient levels for a mid-sized room for home theater.

Rating: 3 stars

I just got my 2080 2 days ago, been playing with it all day these past 2 days.I got it from Fry's Electronics here in Northern Cal for $599. I thought it gonna complete my HT upgrade from my 5 years old Pro-logic system. But now I am thinking about returning it.
I hooked it up with my Panasonic DVD-310 thru the digital coax (don't have optical cable yet). When playing DTS Waterworld, the receiver could not pick up the DTS signal but rather showing Dolby Digital in the front panel. I was lucky enough to get it to work at 1 point, but suddenly this very high freq noise came out 1/4 thru the movie, and the DTS never work again. I wonder if anybody has the same problem. I am 80% sure is the receiver rather than the DVD player.
I thought the DD sound very reasonable thru my Polk RM7300 sub-sat system.
I agree, the music doesn't sound as good. I feel lack of bass for some reason. My old SONY Pro-L actually sounds better in music.
Remove is annoying, receiving doesn't work well unless you point right to the receiver, transmitting is OK.
Yes, I agree again, too much navigation for some simple functions! Personally, I didn't find the remove that useful, still like the conventional one. Especially when my 1/2-year-old shows so much interest in the remove.
Pletty of inputs including the digital inputs though 6-channel inputs would be nice to have!
Overall, I thought it deserves 4 points for the price and features, 2 points for its quality and performance.

The Sound!!!!, The Price!!!,The Sound!!!!, The Price!!!,The Sound!!!!, The Price!!!,The Sound!!!!, The Price!!!,The Sound!!!!, The Price!!!, It is awesome

somthing about one of the boards, iffy, it may be defective, if you get lucky, yours wont have any problems and it will be the best reciever you ever heard for the price.

This is the best reciever i ever heard, the first one i got was defective, i sent it back to california for a replacement, and it has the spectacular sound your looking, it has the power at 100 wats X 5 and has preouts if you need more, the DOLBY DIGITAl decoder has awesome effects, and the DTS which is even better, Kicks... if you can get it for 300 youll think you should have paid more and ripped ubid off, this is the best reciever ive ever heard.

Thanks kenwood for another great product

Similar Products Used:

the onkyo with DD, cant remember the model

Good sound, Good AC-3, Good DTS, Good power, Plenty of connections.

Some internal fuses blow too early and too often(but you can easily fix this yourself)

I got this @ an auction ,like most people. When it was delivered the fuse was blown (like 99% of them are). It took me about 10 minutes to correct the problem. Then theres the remote (which everyone hates) but it looks cool and it is fun to play with exept for the volume wich is hesitant. But what we have here folks is a receiver that was over $900 retail for a measely $300. Now thats a deal anyway you look at it. You have to set up DTS and AC-3 the right way for it to work (in response to the last post) and you can get a slightly bigger fuse and change it out yourself (directions to this on kenwoods site in the chat rooms there)! You simply CANNOT get DTS and 5x100w at this quality and/or price anywhere. I know, I looked for six months!

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha