power,inputeoutputs,remote,sound feilds,e.t.c

volume control bites ###

GREAT POWER,LOTS OF HOOK UPS.CAN USE TWO SET OF SPEAKERS AT ONE TIME.

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ONKYO 555

Wattage output. Speaker tweaking ability. Sound is incredible!!

Volume control is impossible to see.

Bought this receiver to replace old Kenwood. Must say that besides my velodyne sub, this is the best addition to my homw theatre system. For anyone worried about the power wattage rating, Consumer Reports rated this model at 136 Watts per channel in surround mode. ( Sony rates it at 100 )
It is paired with 2 JBL THX towers, S-series center and rears, and a 12 inch Velodyne subbie. (Probably the best Sub ever created)
I will agree with other reviwers in it's bass output may be excessive, but obviously these people don't know how to adjust it on the receiver.
I am very happy with the purchase, and given that this receiver was rated #1 by Consumer Reports against similar Denons and Yamahas, I don't regret it one bit.

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Kenwood receiver.

Power amp, DTS, Dolby, number of inputs/outputs

No volume display

Got this as a replacement for a hissing and under powered STR-DE545.
Would recomend this receiver to anyone looking for a low cost system. I bought speakers with the DE545 which I almost returned, but the hissing in that amp made me return it first, and I'm glad I did. The speakers sound just fine, it was just a lack of power coming out of the DE545. The DE845 weighs twice what the DE545 did, and the reason is obvious now to me. Either the 545 is way over rated for power, or the 845 is way under rated, because the dynamic range of music on my speakers changed dramatically when changing to the DE845.

Haven't found anything yet to complain about except a barely visible dot on the volume knob to show where it's at.

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Sony STR-DE545

Power, DTS sound for DVD's.

Remote

This is a great upgrade for dvd sound. The only thing that I don't like is that the remote is poor, mainly because it is difficult to use. This is a great reciever to combine with a DVD player for movie sound. The reciever will easily push your speakers with plenty of power.

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Old Pioneer

Lots of power

only one coax, cannot utilize EQ in surround modes or sound fields, no fan, both a/c outlets switched, no tape monitor for external EQ

has good power i must say, the pioneer had same power rating, but many people say power is waay over rated so I decided to get the Sony and I am happy with it. The remote is easy to use once you get the hang out it, and works with my Scientific Atlanta digital box, magnovox TV and my Toshiba HI-FI VCR. Well I am unable to listen to dolby digital since I do not have DVD, nor my cable company is broadcasting in dolby digital yet (but digital box does have AC-3). This receiver is bang for the buck buddy!

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15 yr old pioneer sx

None

It heats up very quickly and goes on Protection mode.

The receiver is not what I expected and I thought that I was going to get more but I guess I was wrong. Hopefully others understand that quality cannot be substituded by a cheap price. Therefore if you want a good receiver at a low cost, just buy a Yamaha receiver, that's what I did. I took my sony receiver back and upgraded to a yamaha 5250. What a difference it made!!!

Great sound, excellent features, more than enough for what you need!

Remote a bit confusing.

This is one of the first component receivers I've purchased, but it's the flagship for my home theatre system. I did quite a bit of research, and the Sony STR-DE845 has more features and options than I'll ever need. It's an excellent unit, and I'll definitely buy Sony in the future for value per dollar to performance!

Totally feature rich, great sound, and tons of options. Remote is cool, spite what everyone else says (although i can se the backlight eating batteries! it's worth it!!!)

no light on volume knob, and there may be too many options and features (I get confused!!!)

I just got this unit today, I replced a Sony STR-DE545 with it. The 545 suffered from an annoying hissssss that I didn't notice much, but when my wife did, I knew it was bad! Well, I got this receiver home, and let me tell you, not only is there no hiss, but I SWEAR that the CD's I play through here sound a million times better than the 545. It's like the 545 was made by Sony to tempt you to return it, and get the better 845 model. (the STR-DE945 only has more power, no more features than the 845, so not really worth the extra $100)

Why I bought it: to replace a hissing STR-DE545 receiver (see other review by me on this product)

My experience: AWESOME!! That's all I can say. This thing is fantastic. There are settings for absolutely everything you could ever want, and people are complaining about the remote, and while it looks cool, it is a little hard to get used to, but once you do, it can do a TON of stuff. I think I figured out how to get it to run my Thermostat! (j/k)

What I Love: over the 545 model, EVERYTHING!!! Honestly though, the sound quality from this guy is unheard of! The amount of sound as well. I have a small set of Sony speakers for center, left, right, and rears, and a sub for bass, and at 1/4 power it's TOO loud to play anything at that level. I usually have it at about 1/5 volume, and that is a little high!

What do I hate: the fact that there is no light on the volume knob. Seriously, there is NOTHING to hate about this receiver.

Who should buy: anyone thinking of buying an STR-DE545 (Walt, this means you) and anyone else that wants to step into a home theater setup without blowing a hole in their wallet!!!

Purchase Price: $372 (- credit for old)
Sound: Excellent; professional quality
Ease of Use: Excellent; operates with the touch of a button
Durability: Good; solid it will last until new technology develops

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Sony STR-DE545 that got returned for this one. Older Osny receiver that was Pro-Logic.

Extremely Good DSP,D/A algorythm, especially during dts, and Dolby Digital. Low price for the amount of options.

Bass management, sometimes it needs adjusted to the movie.

Usually I do not need to read the manual but, with this receiver I did. The manual is very good at explaining what each feature does and how to adjust it to your theater. The Digital Cinema Sounds that I found to be my liking along with movies I tested are;

Virtual Multi Dimension= The Shadow (DTS), Independence Day (AC-3), The Matrix (AC-3), Remeber The Titans (DTS).

Virtual Multi Dimension Rear=Gladiator (DTS:ES 6.1),
The Huanting (DTS:ES 6.1),Terminator2 (DTS:ES Matrix 6.1)
*(This mode adds multiple phantom rear speakers across the back, this is why these movies sounded better.)

Digital Cinema EX. B= Fifth Element (AC-3),Almost any movie,
*(Fifth Element sounded mor natural rather than brighter.)

These are the only modes I found that made a significant upgrade to the quality of the surround track.

The only complaint I have is that the LFE output can be pleasent an then can turn on a dime and be to excessive.

All in all I give this receiver an A+, it competes with more expensive receivers because of the 32bit/96khz and
24bit/96khz algorythm.

If it had better bass management and lower harmonic distortion in surround I would definitely give it fiv stars.

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Pioneer VSX-D608 (also owned)

TO TOM,Casual listner from Virginia.
Read page 8 in the manual.
I suspect where it says "s-video" must be connected to tv,
also means all components must have s-video hook up if you hook it up to the s-video on the tv. in order to view it.
Try hooking up the older style three wire video cable in to the tv from the vcr out on the reciever. I think this might work.