Power-lots of it 5x100w. Multiple DSP fields especially for DTS. 3 Optical Digital Inputs. Another useful feature at least for me is the sleep timer. Amber Display. 6 channel Input. Decent Price.

Only 1 Sub input. Hidden Submenus controlled by only one button. Very Stiff Volume knob. Should have at least 1 or 2 more AUX inputs. No Composite Video Outputs.

Since I live in an apartment the HTR 5250 thunders the walls and rattles windows (poor neighbors!) with it's pure power for dollar ratio. It's in the Enhanced DTS mode where this receiver truly shines. Movies litterally come to life and as John Madden would say, BOOM, in your face!. DVD's are what this receiver is for.
As for Audio CD's, If you don't mind listening to your audio CD's in two channel mode the Yamaha as we all know has clean, crisp, clear sound. If you like to listen in suuround mode then there is a lot of tweaking on the receivers part to be done.
Everyone is complaining that the remote control is a joke but I find it suits my needs to a tee, controlling everything on my system with ease.
For the price paid I think this is a great receiver with a lot of power and features and should fit nicely into anyone's home theater. But this is only my opinion.

Similar Products Used:

AV Receiver - Yamaha HTR 5250
DVD Changer - Pioneer DV-C302D 3Disc Changer
TV(Monitor) - JVC AV-35790
VCR - Panasonic PV-7451
CD Changer Controller -Pioneer PD-AP1
CD Changer - 3 Pioneer PD-904 100 Disc Players
Front Speakers - Paradigm MKIII
Center Speaker - PSB C 100
Rear Speakers - Paradigm Titans
Subwoofer - PSB Subsonic 2
Single Disc CD Player - Kenwood DP 860

Full-Bandwidth Rated 100x5 Power,Cinema DSP,Overall Quality

Poor crossover management. No Low-Cut Filter.

This is a good overall receiver. It has enough inputs and power for most people. I had never been a fan of DSP modes until I tried this Yamaha. They really do envelop you in the movie. I watched The Lost World DTS with the dts Adventure DSP and I was blown away,it was such an improvment over standard dts. One thing I do not like about this receiver is that the it does not manage bass well. As far as I know,there is no way to set the crossover,it defaults to 90hz and my speakers can go lower then that. But overall it is a good receiver but nothing to drool over.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer VSX-D608

power,looks,very clear reception on dts movies...try eagles dvd concert...saving private ryan in dts....awesome

remote does take time to get used to and it would be nice if they invested .50 to put in a light on volume dial.....

i paid 399.00 at camera club in mid august....but just today they raised the price to 499.00.......that must be the reason it took a week to receive it after i paid for overnight shipping...i think they put the wrong price on the web site and were hoping i would cancel the order if they delayed long enough...but i pestered them everyday until i got it.....service was very bad from camera club but i won out in the end.....bottom line....this receiver is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

Ease of use, amazing sound fields, raw power, S-Video on ALL inputs.

If it only had composite video.

I'm extremely pleased with the first reciever I've ever bought. Once I set it up properly with my speaker situation, my DVD's came to life. The new ID4 hasn't felt so life-like since the theater. The Natural Sound can turn ok speakers into good sounding speakers without a problem; I can't wait until I tack on JBL Studio Series 312s, with the S-Center. I found the remote fairly easy to understand after a day of use. I'd say its by far the best reciever at "superstores" such as Best Buy,Circuit City, etc. And let me say that on discount at Best Buy I got it MUCH less than the $500 sticker.

I'm still waiting to try out DTS. Anyone know of any movies with DTS?

High quality and power, plenty of I/O

Complicated remote

Initial feelings on this system are excellent. High quality, plenty of power and very versital. It will take some serious effort to figure out the remote! Hefty weight, usually means higher quality components. Paid $449 at Best Buy.

Similar Products Used:

RCA, Pioneer

Power, Ease of Use, Sound Quality

Remote Button Layout

I've only been using this receiver for two days now, but all I have to say is "Wow!" It has plenty of power, was easy to set up, and sounds incredible. I bought this receiver to replace my Kenwood, and am very happy that I did. The Yamaha has plenty of power, especially in the lower frequencies, unlike the Kenwood- I'm even considering moving my subwoofer to a different system. True, the remote button layout could use a lot of work, but the remote is easiest I've ever used. It does sound a little bright, but turning both the bass and treble up 3 dB, it sounds a lot better. Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with it.

A lot of people have mentioned problems with the power ratings, but according to the manual and Yamaha's website, the unit is rated at 100 W x 5 from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, not at only 1 kHz.

Here's my economy system that rocks the building (<$1000)
-Yamaha HTR-5250
-Yamaha NS-A637 main speakers (3-way: 8"+3"+3/4")
-Infinity RS2000.2 surround speakers (2-way: 6.5"+1/2")
-Infinity BU-1 subwoofer (50 Watts, 8")

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood 1060VR

Plenty of inputs!

remote control, doesn't switch from RCA to S-Video

I just wanted to let other people know that I have researched on the Internet and found that the Yamaha RX-V596 and the HTR-5250 are the same system! Check it out for yourself as well.

I ended up buying the RX-V596 since I found it online for $370, instead of the HTR-5250 for $499.

You can read my full review for the Yamaha RX-V596 for more information.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha RX-V596

I just wanted to respond to Eric saying that the people who were giving the HTR-5250 five star ratings were "not thinking"- Eric, dont you think it would be a more accurate and fair way to rate the receiver if you didnt hold out the best rating for the most expensive and feature filled models-what about rating the 5250 on a scale of 1 to 5 based on it being a $500.00 or less receiver with the specific options that it has instead of trying to cover the entire spectrum of audio receivers with such a small rating scale. I dont think your comparing or in this case rating apples to apples-Compared to the 3 Sonys I had (similar price and features) YES, the HTR-5250 is a 5!!!!

Power,Runs Cool,Price, although I bought it when it first came out and paid msrp.

Nooptical input for cd player.

Bought this unit after about six months of shopping and comparing and have never regretted it.Although two previous receivers were rated 100 watts per channel I had no idea what 100 watts actually sounded like until I cranked this thing up.I have it hooked up to polk rt55's in front,Velodyne ht150 sub,cheap KLH,S in the rear(I know I'm going to get rt55i's as soon as I can afford)and it is awesome.Anyone who rates this less than 4 needs to be looking in the above $1000 range for a receiver.This thing is Loud,Clean,and great value.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood,Denon

Lots of power, DSP modes, speaker connections

Remote, but not really that bad. No digital input for CD player

I knew I was getting a quality reciever when i got the 5250. After having the 5150 for a year I descided to take advantage of Sears price matching policy, saved $160. Very nice. The 5150 was a great reciever, but the higher power of the 5250 and the extra DSP modes persuaded me to upgrade. I was not dissapointed. Awesome reciever with lots of inputs. I've only used it to listen to music so far, but if it's anything like the 5150, I'm sure i'm gonna love watching movies on it. This is a great reciever for the price, especially if you take the time to check the net out and take advantage of Sears. The remote isn't the greatest, but you get used to it real fast and a good universal will easily replace it. The other complaint is no digital input for a CD player, but that will be solved when I get a 5 dics DVD/CD changer. I'm using it to power JBL SVA 1800s(Fronts)
JBL HLS Center
Yamaha surrounds
JBL PB10
For the price you will be hard pressed to beat this. I will forever look at a Yamaha before I even consider buying something else.

Similar Products Used:

Old Pioneer Prologic, Yamaha RX-V392 Kenwood VR 2080 and Yamaha HTR-5150