Lots of POWER!!
Nice warm sound

remote

I was overall pretty impressed with the AV-500. I just wish I would have a build in decoder, and some s-video inputs.

The weight at 33 lbs, tells alot. It means it has a huge power supply, which translates to high power. Receivers that cost twice or three times as much do not weigh as much as this behemoth.

Lack of dolby digital built in, you have to use the 5.1 channel and hope the dvd player you buy does adequate decoding.

For the money, it cannot be beat. Not forn when it was introduced. I am ready to sell mine and buy another Nakamichi, a higher end one. If anyone is interested, $200 takes it.

Similar Products Used:

Harmon Kardon, Technics, Pioneer, Proton, Sony, DB and Yamaha.

May 1999 home theater magazine, just out on newstands, rates the following receivers as follows:Rotel RSX-965 value 82.
Yahama RX-V795 value 80.
Nakamichi Av-10 value 86.

The Nakamichi AV-500 actually has better specs (as posted by Nakamichi) then the
new AV-10.
The only difference between the AV-10 and the AV-500 is the AV-10 has Dobly Digital and DTS built in. Well I brought the AV-500 for $300 and the Technics SH-AC500 for $250. Thats $550 for Dolby Digital and DTS.
In addition to the great sound that's what makes this one of the best audio buys I've ever gotten and why I gave this receiver five stars.

This is a really good receiver and A GREAT BUY at the current prices.

Five stars based on value and performance versus price.

P.S. DTS is better then Dolby Digital so if you invest in a receiver now make sure that you get a DTS compatible. I was at Sound City and heard a demo disc with 'Dragonheart" in DTS. Absoulutely precise surround sound decoding. You know how much better Dobly Digital is then Dolby Prologic! thats how much better DTS is then Dolby Digital.

I will skip the long winded review and get to the point. This is a consumer "casual listener" product that is billed as high equipment. Given the price it sells for and then the price of real NAK gear one can figure out that this is a low end receiver. I bought one because of the price and because of the high current power section. I had not heard anything with high current at the time but liked the idea. The idea of the high current transistor is to emulate high current tube power. This receiver is in no way close to the warmth of tube. It does, however have good output power. The features are limited and construction is poor. I was changing the RCA cables around on the back of the unit and when I pulled the cable out it pulled the sleeve off the RCA jacks < plural more than one of them. For the price it is not bad sounding. If you are an audiophile and think you are going to get audiophile quality from this product...keep dreaming

Even as a casual listener I think the Nak is much better then any Sony, but a top of the line es unit.**That's not a review below, that's a comment. A stupid ass comment.**
The NAK AV-500 has the same specs and features as the Nak AV-1. Listen looks don't make stereo equipement, yeah it's ugly, they sound a component reproduces is the defining statment of any piece of stereo equipement.
Any one reading this "You owe yourself a favor. Listen to the nak AV-500."
It is an excellent piece of stereo equipement at bargain prices while they last from Best Buy.
Highlights:

Pros:
-high power amp capable of driving 4 ohm speakers 110 watts plus 25 amperes current peak
-learning remote control
-Dolby digital ready
-$300

Cons:
-ugly
-not too many features

Four stars because five is perfect and there are only a few amps/receivers out there that really rate five stars.. (Yamaha DSPA1 / Deneon AVR2700 / Nad T770)
One more star to counter balance the non review below.
Five stars

Superior Amplifier section, surround setting memory

no S-video, Flimsey connections

I know this unit is waaaay out of production, but after reading all of the older reviews I felt that I had to comment. First, I was a Nak dealer for years, I've owned them, sold them, used them and serviced them. There is no such thing as a "high current" amplifier (all amps produce the same current at the same wattage into the same load, it is the load that matters), this is a term used simply to signify a better than average power supply. This reciever has it in spades.
1) To the person who mentioned that it was underpowered for his "50 watt speakers" (don't get me started on that)the problem has nothing to do with power, it is a factor of the "load" your speakers present to the amp.
2)To the person who said any Sony would spec better than the nak: learn how to read specs; learn about power supply (unfortunately with recievers you are limited to looking at "power consumption", but even this can tell you alot. Please do not confuse "specs" with "features".
3)To the person who said that this is a Sony in Naks clothing: it is NOT!!! The BB CD players may have been sony built, but these recievers are pure Nak. I've taken apart both the AV-1s and the AV-500, and they are utterly identical (and yes, I did more than just take the top off)
You will NOT find cheap ICs in this reciever (unlike many of its similarly priced competition)
I bought this amp when I was a dealer - I wanted to see if best buy was selling the real deal, and unfortunately they were!!- after reassembling it, reconn completed, I decided to keep it. Needless to say, I didn't share this information with any of my prospective customers! This is a great amp, and is serving me ably in my bedroom system. My only complaint was and is the lack of s-video switching and the cheap rca connections (they use jagged "teeth" instead of welds) but this is a common enough problem in this price range. I never felt cheated for having paid over 450 for this unit, nor am I in a hurry to get rid of it. It is now an even better buy at the prices they are going for used!

Similar Products Used:

all of them!

I own the AV-1s, and I think it is the best DD-ready receivers on the market right now. Since NAK is coming out with new lines of receivers with DD/DTS built in, you could find the AV-1s for less than $400. I love its user interface, remote control, and bass power. For the price, this is an easy five stars!

I've listened to both the AV500 and av1s albeit at different times.
Both sound similar in they they have very quick and dynamic bass.
The AV1s seemed more transparent and a bit more laid back.
The problem I have with both these units is they sound much better
at low levels. When turned up they have a rather 2 dimensional
soundstage and are too aggressive in the upper mids and lower
treble. Even at the inexpensisve prices I cannot recommend them.

I apologize for the assumption that the AV-500 & AV-1 were identical. It was based on their absolutely identical specs, and the fact that Yamaha also makes mass-market RVs and hi-fi RX-V that are duplicates internally, despite cosmetic differences.
I've since received the following clarification from Nak Audio Tech Support: "The AV units available at Best Buy are designed & built by Nakamichi for
Best Buy exclusively. There are many differences between the two lines -- for example. The AV-1/2/3s have superior cosmetics in comparison to the Best Buy
models --AV-500/400/300. The AV-1/2/3s have our Harmonic Time Alignment design in the power amplifier circuit (superior sound quality); the HTA design is not present in Best Buy models. The AV-1/2/3s have a 3 year warranty (parts & labor) through NAKAMICHI exclusively, the Best Buy AV-500/400/300 have a 1-year warranty (parts & labor) through Best Buy."

However, more importantly IMO, the Best Buy units do share the same Discrete-Component Power Amplifier Design and Dual Transformer Power Supply. The AV-500 & AV-1 also share the same learning remote (w/ subwoofer level control), tone bypass switch, independent audio and video sourcing (e.g. enabling simultcast reception), binding posts for the fronts, and again IDENTICAL specs. I would sure love to hear this HTA, and see if it and an aluminum front panel is worth the $500 extra. "Harmonic Time Alignment" and "HTA" are trademarked by Nakamichi. Let's face it, Nakamichi needs something they can tell their high-falutin AV-1 customers when they happen to notice a $349 Nakamichi AV-500 at Best Buy with suspiciously similar features and stats. (Apparently HTA is weightless, since both weigh in at an impressive 33 lbs.)

As for its looks (this is AUDIO review isn't it?)... well it may not be as flashy as a Sony STRDE, Pioneer, or Technics, and mg does have a point about the display being hard to read (at least from the couch); but after using it for a couple weeks, I just love its no-nonsense layout. The Sonys have 4000 tiny little buttons including the input selectors (and half are for ridiculous DSPs like "Game", "Bathroom", and "Cafeteria"). The Technics uses a dial for input selection (to get to DVD, you have to spin the knob through Tuner, Tape, VCR, etc. positions!), and what's up with that gaudy glowing surround sound symbol on the LED display? On the other hand, Pioneer has an excellent control panel. I loved that multi-function jog dial that took me back to those days of whipping the radio dial to quickly go from 94.1 to 102.1 MHz--rather than holding in a button for 3 seconds to activate quick search, which inevitably zooms past the desired station, at which time you have to back by rapidly pushing the other button, careful not to accidentally activate the fast search the other way... Anyway, if you want attractive audio equipment, look no further than those cool Aiwa boomboxes with the displays that have the all-important slot-machine feature.

Seriously mg, I suggest you take that ugly duckling home for a test drive. You'll understand why I seem so defensive. It's the best $349 + tax I've spent in quite a while.

I have the AV-1s model. Its heavy (with those big power supplies and amps..its got to be) but the like the features that it provides. DD ready, bass treble defeat switch, loudness switch, learning remote, great tuner section,independently Adjustable Subwoofer Output from the remote.
Loved the sound of this unit. Its clear, transparent and fills the room from my B &W's . Very smooth sound. Love the reciever. Had tried a Denon AVR-2400 but it was lacking on bass and just did'nt compare.

In all a great buy at $400 and gets my highest rating