It Works. Right out of the box it worked properly. Something that's a rarity today.

Doesn't have the surround clarity of other receivers.

This unit was simple to set up and use. Had to refer to the manual to set the speaker sizes and crossover impedance, but it wasn't too bad once you got the hang of it. Nice unit overall. Have a JVC RX-6000VBK which in my estimation sounds better in dolby digital, but considering that one lives in the repair shop, the Technics is great.

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JVC RX-6000VBK & TEAC Prologic Units

High sound quality MOS-FET, S/N Ratio 113db DVD-Audio Ready

Not Digital Input 96Khz/24bit, weak construction

This product is very impressive:the world's first receiver DVD-Audio ready.Excellent S/N Ratio and high sound quality with D-Digital/Dts and 2-ch biwiring stereo.Absolute Recomendation.

Easy to use,Mosfet system,bi-amp and bi-wire.

Remote, lack of digital volume display on receiver

i think this is a great receiver for the average listner. At this price (about $700cdn)you get everything you need, lots of power, quality sound, all the hook-ups one could need, bi-amp and bi-wire abilities and great HT control. The amp does run very hot at times but the built-in cooling system (a fan) keeps the receiver from melting nearby furniture, unlike other Technics receivers (so I've heard). The amp is powerful enough to handle my Paradigm Monitor 9, Mini's, and CC370. Overall a good buy. Just wish they would have thought out the remote control a bit more.

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Sony STE545,Kenwood

Clear sound, high power without distortion, Stereo and Dolby Digital image is very good

Remote looks cheap, Produces heat

I've had the possibility to test a lot of recievers since i work at an audio retailer. I've compared the Technics with Sony, Kenwood, Pioneer recievers in the same price range. The Technics has a relative heavy sound, good bass response and a very clear sound even without using VGCA.

The reciever does run hot but from my opinion only at the places where it should. The heat is produced from the cooling unit built inside. When using high power output, that is when music with heavy sound is played with the volume at a ten a clock posiotion or higher the cooling fan at the back starts and the recievers cools down very raidly. Important thing is not to place other component on top of it as is explained in the manual. You must give it room to breathe.

Nice thing is that the remote control works with all my technics and panasonic equiment. (CD-player, DVD-player)
Both stereo and AC-3 sound is very good since it seems to give an very accurate sound reproduction, CD's ive listened for over hunderds of times on my old Pioneer come even more to life now. I've had a SA-AX730 for a month and that is a very powerfull reciever too. But the soundquality of the
DA-8 is much better concerning clearinty and stereo/Dolby Digital imaging.
When comparing this reciever with the more expensive Sony DB-940; both are very powerfull, Sony has more options but less advanced techniques inside wich comes out when listening to difficult to reproduce music like classical concerts.
For the price this reciever has a lot to offer. I can recommed it to pleople who like a clear and heavy sound.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer 5500-II stereo, Technics SA-AX730

Power, sound quality, DD/Dts future proof

lame remote, runs warm, lack of coax digital input

I found this unit at J & R's for $199.00. I had to call to make sure it wasn't a mistake and it wasn't. I had been looking for a reciever for my secondary listening in my living room, I have a dedicated theater in my basement, I waas looking at entry level sony's,technics, kenwoods and the like when I stumbled upon the SA-DA8N it just seemed too good to be true. I hooked it up to my Sony cd player with optical digital out and my computers sound card again through the digital outputs and my music came alive again. For music I still use a 15 year old pair of Bose 901, I just love the sound form them, but I was hearing things for the first time in music I had listened to hundreds of times before. This receiver has a solid bottom end while remaining natural it never becmes boomy of over powers the rest of the spectrum. The mids and upper ranges are where I was really pleased,it was incredibly smooth and natural sounding. I was concerned with the quality of my mp3 encoding but no more. Mp3's at 128kps sounded great through this set up and those ripped at higher bit rates were truely at cd quality.
Just for fun I also swapped it into my Home theater set up and it did an amazing job. It wasn't quite as dynamic and powerful as my Marantz preamp and Carver amplifiers set up but for $199.00 it is an incredible bargain. Movies like the Matrix and Gladiator still rocked, imaging and sound stages remained firmly in place with the Technics. The Dolby Digital and DTS decoding was right on my only complaint would be a little harshness when a lot of information was being presented ( the opening battle scene in Gladiator) but this is nit picking and comparing it to a set up that is much more expensive.
As others have said the unit does run hot and needs room around it to breath and the remote is certainly lacking, but if you can find this unit for around the $200.00 mark it will blow away anything else you're going to find at that price. I would strongly recommend you buy it before it's gone for ever.

MOSFET transistors, DD/DTS/Pro logic, adjustable DSP settings, bi-amp and bi-wire, 3 toslink inputs, DVD 6 channel input

runs hot, no digital coax input, slight hiss at high volumes with no program playing

I was impressed with the clarity and the fullness of the sound in all sound modes especially in Dolby Digital and DTS (It also has Dolby Pro-logic and 5 additional soundfields). I looked at (and listened to) several different A/V receivers in the same price range (and a bit higher) including the Harman Kardon AVR 110, Denon AVR-1601, and the Onkyo TX-DS484. I could not discern any sonic differences among them with the exception of the Harman Kardon which is the quietest of the bunch (no hiss even at high volumes). But the HK cost $150 more. The Technics is an excellent receiver for the price considering the features and capabilities, not to mention the good looks (I have the black unit, not the gold). Its one major weakness is the heat generated by the unit. According to the manual, the fan in the back kicks in automatically when it's cranked up high. I've never taken it past the halfway mark of the volume control so I've yet to see the cooling system run. It is rated at 100 watts per channel on all 6 channels.

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Onkyo stereo receiver, built-in dolby surround processor in 42" Sony RPTV, Kenwood Pro-logic receiver

Digital, Dolby Digital/DTS decoders, Great Sound Field Controls (Theatre), Binding Posts for speaker connections, Attractive Build

No digital outputs

I had purchased a digital TEAC receiver with everything this one has to offer a month ago and was impressed at first by its clarity and the price I paid (150.00). However, as time went by, I became increasingly dissatisfied with the sound quality of that clarity. It lacked some fullness and bass that this Technics has. The sound field controls in the TEAC were also sorely lacking, creating echo instead of rich reverb and ambience, which this Technics gives in the DSP theatre mode. I recently purchased the remastered 24 bit Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall and it sounded woefully shrill on the TEAC. I played it on this new Technics in the Theatre mode and WOW! Nothing like full throttle Judy on this compared to the TEAC. This receiver is 130.00 more than the TEAC, but worth it. It has three optical digital inputs (I used one for the CD player)and 5.1 channel analog inputs (most likely DVD-Audio will take this up if it becomes the new medium for music), along with standard analog inputs for two VCRs, TV, and CD. I am again enjoying the music. Now, I just need the money for a Polk 245i Center and Polk R10s for my surrounds to replace the speakers I currently use.

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TEAC AG-D9260

Good looks, well built, wide range of useful features. Very good sound for a mid-range ($) receiver. Lows are a little too emphasized and the highs not enough. Excellent mid-range sound. Now using Panasonic speakers. Experimented with a pair of JBLs ... sounds even better.

Can't see the volume position at a distance. No on screen menus. Runs rather hot, but the fan seems to do a good job.

Generally satisfied with price, quality and performance.
Higher grade speakers make all the sound difference in the world.

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Pioneer, Luxman, Denon, Marantz, JVC, and others