I bought this receiver a few months ago after reading all the promising reviews at this site. I found one at the local Best Buy store for $300. After using it for the past 4 months, I have to admit that it is probably the best $300 I've ever spent on an audio equipment. Before I bought it I shopped around for weeks on end, looking at Yamaha RX-V992, Denon AVR-2400, Onkyo, Pioneer, etc. When I first saw the NAK at Best Buy, I hated the ugly appearance--I thought it looked like a piece of junk. But when I listened to it and compared it with the other receivers, it blew me away. The sound is so rich, even at low volumes. Yes, this is not top-end audiophile equipment but it is pretty damn good, and for the price, it is an incredible bargain. The only drawbacks are the fan noise and the lack of Phono input which has rendered my LP collection useless.

First a little background is necessary- Nakamichi currently produces three receivers, the AV1-s, AV2-s and AV3-s. These receivers are sold (with modified face plates) as the AV-500, AV-400 and AV-300, respectively by Best Buy discount stores. I have compared the spec sheets and the Best Buy models are indentical in specifications and features down to the last ounce of weight to the regular NAK models. All are pro-logic only, but the AV-1s and AV-500 are dolby digital ready. The prices at Best Buy make these the hottest bargain in the pro-logic receiver market. I actually bought both the AV-300 at $199.95 and the AV-500 at $379.95 (on sale for one week - regular price now is $399.95. Originally, they went for $279.95 and $449.95. Be sure and check these out before they are gone.
Now for the review: The AV-500 has 120 wpc in stereo and 100x3 and 50wpc for the surround. The amps are all descrete unlike the IC's used in similarly priced units from the mass marketers. In addition the AV-500 has two power transformers and separate regulators for all channels. Needless to say, it is quite hefty at over 33lbs. It is also a high current design, with 25 amps output each for the main channels. It has ample power.

The features I appreciate, which are normally only found on receivers costing over $1,000 are the learning remote, tone control bypass and adjustible sub-woofer output from the remote. I like to add more bass when I watch movies, so this was something I looked for. What I didn't expect was the memory function, which saves all the speaker balance settings in surround mode also saves the sub output setting. When I switch to pro-logic mode from stereo, the sub output automatically increases!

If you are looking for a receiver, I highly recommend this unit - it is comparable to more expensive receivers from Yamaha, Denon and Harmon Kardon, but at the price of a Pioneer or Sony. Add the Technics Dolby Digital and DTS decoder for $299.95 and you have a combination that will be up to date for years. It gets my highest accolade

Power, Reliability

Lack of built-in digital decoder

I don't think this model is available (new) any longer. I've had mine for just over a year now and I've never had any problems with it. I have a Polk CS400 center channel, RT800 fronts, Klipsch quintets for rears, and a Polk subwoofer. I'm also running two Bose 251 outdoor speakers off the "B" switch that are mounted outside on my deck. I play the thing an average of at least four hours a day and I have no complaints other than....now I'm looking at DVD players and I wish it had a built in decoder rather than just the 5.1 channel input. I'll say one thing - for the price, I'm sure not complaining.

Similar Products Used:

Denon, NAD

I bought the AV-500 over a year ago. I was a stupid college kid who was just getting into home audio. Not that I'm that much older or wiser, but my opinion of the AV-500 has changed. When I first got it, I was use to tv speakers. I was blown away by how much better sounding movies were. Recently, I noticed the sound stage is not that "dynamic". I don't know how to explain it but there is definately something missing in sound quality. I'm currently trying to unload the AV500 and get separates. The rest of my system is decent I have NHT superzeros at the corners, a NHT Supercenter in the middle, an ACI Titan sub up front, and a ACI Quake sub in the back. When I bought the speakers I put a lot of time into research, and I'm truly happy with the way they perform. But I bought the AV-500 on a whim, and regret it. I've hooked up separates to my speakers noticed a vast improvement. By the way I have a Toshiba DVD with decoder that sounds great when run through the AV-500, so maybe it's just the preamp part of the receiver that sucks. So, my advice anyone serious about home audio is to buy something else. But to those who just want something better that tv speakers and can a good deal on an AV-500, go ahead and buy it.

Hi power at 120 watts left and right, true high current amp, low price (around $200-$250)

Low power at rears 60 watts left and right, no S-Video Inputs or Outputs, no Optical Inputs or Outputs, product has been discontinued by Nakamichi

I bought this receiver primarily to listen to music. As of this writing, many receivers in the same price range ($250-$300) can be bought with S-Video inputs, Optical inputs, and have built in digital decoders! I bought this receiver without listening to it. I relied pretty heavily on the reviews that have been written on this board trusting my instincts that many knew what they were talking about. I'm using this receiver with a pair of Acoustic Research 216's. They sound great. I have not experienced any of the complaints that people below have expressed. One is the fan noise. It's very low. One guy down below said that he could hear it when listening to his music at low levels. I was listening to this receiver exactly two feet away with the music at moderately low volume (around 8 o'clock). I couldn't hear anything. If you are worried about this, don't. Unless you listen to music with the Receiver exactly 1 foot away from your head, and have the volume turned at 7 o'clock (almost off), the fan noise is nothing to worry about. Another complaint is the looks. It's hard to find a picture on the internet of this model. I am contemplating putting one up to prove the naysayers wrong because this is another ludicrous complaint. The face of the receiver looks like an average receiver. It is concave as one reviewer below expressed, but only slightly, and it is done in a way that is very subtle as the black face plate blends in with the black concave display window. Any complaints about the sound quality I would guess are the result of either improper setup, or perhaps something being wrong with the receiver itself.

Let's talk about the features. They are simple. You get your DVD, Tape Monitor, CD, VHS1, VHS2, and several DSP modes like Hall, Natural, etc. To sum up: This receiver's strengths are the high current high powered Amp. It delivers clean clear sound. This receiver has a discrete power amplifier section which is very similar in design to the Nakamichi AV-10 which is their flagship receiver. The differences are the AV-10 has Harmonic Time Alignment and delivers more power to the surrounds. The AV-10 sells for well over $800. I'd be willing to wager that the difference in sound quality for just the (front) lefts and rights is very similar (or I wouldn't have bought this thing). As for the rest of the receiver, earlier in the year, before it was discontinued, it was a weak buy for a Home Theater Setup. Now it's looks even worse! Many Audio/Video Receivers are being priced under $300 with S-Video and Optical outputs/inputs to better accomodate DVD players and high quality speakers. There's very little compelling reason to buy this Receiver for your Home Theater. Used AV-500's are currently going for as high as $260 (check eBay). The person who sold me hers actually made some money as she originally purchased it for $187 and sold it for $250. You have to act fast though, because it's getting harder and harder to get AV-500's that are still "new and factory sealed"!!!

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Nikko Receiver

I see this unit compared to Sony's recievers, well guess what, pull the cover and you'll see that it is a Sony! Its uglier than a Sony, sounds the same as a sony and doesnt deserve the Nakamichi name. Might as well save a few bucks and get a Sony, or spend a few more dollars and get a decent HK, Onkyo, Denon or Yamaha, all of wich sound better are built better and generally have a better warranty. They deserve negative 10 stars for trying to trick us into buying more Sony crap!!

The AV500 is a wonderful bargain. It's high-grade underpinnings become apparent when you try to lift this bad boy. I replaced my Onkyo TXV940 with the Nak, and could immediately tell a difference. The bass was effortless and the highs weren't pinched sounding like on the Onkyo. That was on my DCM Timeframe600s, which I replaced with the Boston Acoustics Micro Reference System9000. This is an excellent set of 5.1 speakers, by the way. The sound is brilliant and the construction is rock solid(or aluminum I should say).
The AV500 doesn't have every feature I could hope for, and it is not the prettiest, but for only $280(!), I can overlook those flaws. I would probably have to spend close to a $1000 to get the quality and features in the AV500. The look is even starting to grow on me.

Does anyone have any comments about the Nakamichi CD player that BestBuy sells? I am wondering if I should buy it.

power , clear sound all around

remote! I cant find a remote to work this thing . ( home theater )

the best I've owed yet!

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sonys, tech, nads, kenwood, pioneers ..... the list goes on and on !

can anyone tell me where i can get this model through mail order. i have been looking everywhere. please help, thanks

I just bought the AV-500 at (surprise!) Best Buy last night for, get this...$169.60!!!!!!! I haddn't planned on buying, was really still shopping around, but I figured I could always return it. When I saw that price on a Nak, I knew something didn't add up, esp. when I saw "made in Malaysia". But it was so hefty, and sooo cheap compared to other pro-logics (not interested in digital yet) I couldn't resist for the price.
Boy am I glad I grabbed it! With my little Bose 901's and Bose surround speakers, it sounds great. My husband listens to much music, and I listen to a lot of TV (I'm a broadcast audio engineer, 10 yrs exp) and we are both very happy so far. Can't wait to get a sub to complete our setup.
As for looks, I don't have a problem with it, and who cares anyway? Sound is what counts.
Complaint: I need a second audio record output for my MiniDisc recorder! It works through one of the VCR outputs, but I can't go from tape to MD this way. (not that I need to do that much but it would be nice.)
Can't beat it for the price. But I got the last one in Nashville. If you find one, buy it! You won't regret it!