DD/DTS surround sound 5 channel stereo mode

To pick one the remote other wise none

This is a follow up review now that I have had it for about a year. No problems what so ever, and this was a refurb.
The sound and clarity is great for a low end dd/dts unit at 55watts plenty of sound for 10x12 room. I have sub hooked up and dvd optical in (sony dvd) and it is crystal clear, the sub makes all the difference for this receiver. So for first user or bugit restricted this is a great receiver, and if looking for more power I would say get a bigger Onkyo, for the price and features you get from Onkyo they can't be beat.

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Pioneer

Crisp sound even at 3 o'clock volume, easy to operate & average price.

poor remote

I'm very satisfied with this AV receiver not to mention the price.. as for the bass well your right guys its a little short... but try to install an active sub and you'll FEEL every tump of the music... before I used an old Sony amp well it does really good in producing LOUD sound.. but not CRISP sound.. if you really want noise and not Crisp and dynamic sound don't buy this AV receiver...

Setup:
Pioneer DVD
Sony WEGA
Wharfedale Diamond 8 Center
Wharfedale Diamond 8.2 Front
Wharfedale Diamond 8.1 Rear
Sub... hehehe Local active sub.

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Yamaha 520 & 420

AC-3 & DTS decoding, 96kHz / 24bit DAC, 5.1 Inputs, Clean sound, Inexpensive

No S-video switching, low power output, remote

Bought this unit refurbished last spring and though it's only 55 watts per channel, it's enough for my bedroom. Binding posts make it easy to connect speaker wires with banana plugs. With Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, I can watch both DVD formats. The sound is great thanks to the 96kHz/24bit DAC. I can't gripe too much about S-video switching for the price. The remote could be better.

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Onkyo TX-DS747, Technics SA-DX1040

Great Sound

Reliablity

This is a great sounding amp. I never had any problems with sound quality. However it is not so strong in the reliability department. I had the amp for 6 months and the phono circuit went out, crutchfield replaced it, now about 8 months after I got the replacement it won' turn on. The Standby light comes on but the amp wont turn on. When I get it back from Onkyo in 4-6 weeks! I am going to sell it and probably go back to good old Yamaha (my Yamaha stereo has never had a problem after 11 years).

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Technics, H/K

Beautiful, clean sound. Hiss free...when you turn it on, you feel like you're turning on a very expensive piece of equipment. Wonderful construction!

Remote is kind of annoying. Onkyo's remote doesn't cover any one else's equipment.

First of all, I went with Onkyo after reading all the horror stories regarding similarly priced Sony's, JVC's, Kenwood's, and the like. I had the same problem when I purchased a Sony receiver, and it hissed like hell. Everything is connected by high end Monster Cable as well.

Noise free with the Onkyo. Beautiful sound, but I want to replace my main speakers with something really nice now! As for the lack of bass, well, that's a subjective thing. After playing guitar for several years, I've learned there's a difference between loud bass and PURE bass. If you want to listen to hip hop or club music where there is no such thing as NUANCES, and just earth shaking, muddy bass - then this isn't the amp for you. However, if you want to hear clean, pure, natural bass, this amp rocks. I found I heard so much more detail in albums I've listened to for years. It was like hearing them for the first time!

5 channel mode is clear and loud. Lots of bass and rumble from the Phantom Menace, and I don't have a sub yet. No point either, I live in an apartment with hardwood floors - why piss off my neighbor?

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Kenwoods, Sonys.

Great sound, extremely clear, good value for money

cheap looking remote, needs powered subwoofer

I saw this product on sale and made some research about it. Reviews were good but I have to hear it for myself. Sound was pure and clear. Midrange is excellent. Vocals is pristine. I bought the gold finished model to match my pioneer dvd. I use Mordaunt short speakers (5 speakers). I am currently looking for a power sub to match. I think this model really needs a powered sub.
The only drawback is the crappy remote. If you are starting your own HT system and your on a limited budget this is a great way to start.

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Sony, Sansui

Price, build quality, power

none at this price point

Excellent receiver especially if you can find it used for <$200. Rated at 55 watts but that doesn't matter anyway, power ratings are pretty much a joke! I have it powering Paradigm Mini-Monitor fronts, Paradigm CC-350 center, Paradigm Atom surrounds. Sounds great, even at high volumes in a 25 X 15 room. For the price you can't do much better! Any technical questions? Drop me an e-mail at above addy.

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Onkyo 575, Sony DA777ES

i not sure

no bass

no perfomance that i like

High quality sound at low and high volumes

Fails to produce good bass

First off, let me say that I strayed away from Onkyo in the past because of monetary reasons. When my last Sony receiver gave out on me (after about 10 solid years), I replaced it with with the Sony 475. The DVD movies were excellent. But, there was one fatal draw back - NO 5 CHANNEL STEREO FOR MUSIC!!! True, there is Pro Logic, but it deteriorates the sound it is suppose to enhance. I shopped around and found Onkyo, HK, and some Denons had what I wanted. I purchased the Onkyo TX-DS484 as an open box buy. And I must say I am impressed with the quality of sound, especially at high volumes. No hiss or distortion. I only have to moniter my speaker so that I don't blow them. With cheaper receivers, you know when the volume may be too high because of hiss and distorted sound. Not with this one. Also, with other receivers you don't have to turn the volume up even half way to vibrate the house. The Onkyo may have to be turned up well past the mid point to do the same. Don't worry, the receiver is handling the output like a champ! Although the numeric value displayed for the volume may be 40 or higher, the amp itself may not be even pushing half the power it is capable of. One major draw back: Don't expect any low, hard hitting bass unless you have a subwoofer. Other than that, I am very pleased with the receiver. Although, since I am a music junkee, I may return and get the TX-DS575X (more power + S-Video Inputs). I definitely recommend!

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Sony, JVC, Pioneer

Good sound quality. Excellent imaging. Tight bass. Simple controls.

Slightly low on the bass.

The Onkyo receiver is great! It has a high current rating for a low cost amplifier. Dont let 55W fool you. It is a high current amp and will deliver the goods when pressed for. It is a little low on the bass but then its 55W. The bass it produces is tight and doesnt distort. The highs seem to be clipped of. The imaging is great. I wish it had a little more bass and didnt clip the highs. If it did that then it would esaily compete with a lot more expensive models. Compared to the high end Sony's this amp is definitely a great buy! I have seen people recommend Yamaha and Pioneer but they make good high cost amps. Their low end stuff have lots of features but they save on sound quality. For eg. yamaha has some of the best DSPs I have seen. But if you buy a low end model you get the DSP but you will be wishing you could hear more than a boomy bass response. Sames true for the other brands. Get a high current amp. They use a high end amplifier design unlike other low end amps. The headphine jack can power some difficult to drive headphones. My Sony V600 finally has found something powerful to drive it! For those with high end headphones you dont need an amp for your headphones this one will power them great! The unit doesnt get too hot and has almost everythihng you need! Dimmer, night mode you name it. It is also one of the smarter units. You cannot fool it into believing that it is inputting something else other than hat it is something that needs to be taken care in other amps. Overall a great amp. Dont use it with your high power speakers. You would need more power for them.
My JBL are rated at 125W and are pretty happy with the power but I feel they would like some more. Their not underpowered no way but maybe the bass lacks the slight punch because of the power.

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Kenwood VR-407, Sony STR-DE335.