Audio Reviews

The design is truly remarkable. For a digital amp it is sufficiently loud and it has very good sound quality. It may not be able to compete with $800 analog amps, but at this price it is a great bargain. Friendly operation. Many inputs... Not too different form XR25, this one has gold plated connections and digital remastering...
I would strongly recommend it...

This all-digital receiver is truly remarkable. It is easily comparable with models that cost thousands of dollars and I would recommend it to anyone.

It supports all major 6.1 and 5.1 sound formats, such as Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital-EX, DTS, and DTS-ES. It also supports Pro Logic II and NEO:6, giving you a lot of choices for matrixed surround sound. Listening to some of my old songs on this unit is as if I had received a new set of ears. Overall, the sound is very "bright" and clear, truly an immersive listening experience.

At 100 Watts per channel, it is more than enough for most home theater systems, but remains affordable enough to be a bedroom system as well. This slim beauty will clearly get you the most receiver for the least amount of money -- a great deal for the enthusiast or the amateur. Products like this don't come around very often, people will remember this one like they remember the RP82 DVD player. Get one now before it's obsoleted!

SAXR 45 is an excelent receiver, combined with good speakers and DVD player gives long lasting pleasure to the user. Great sound reproduction, great picture...SIMPLY THE BEST.I am pleased that I "gave" my money buing this product.

after trying several mini systems that arrived disheveled I decided to go the route of building a component system. Wow was I right. this unit is user friendly, beautiful to look, and packs more than enough power to experience the music I love/classical and broadway. It is simple to use has in/out for all the units I would want to attach such as cd,tape,phone and video/audio. it uses 2 or four speakers and the remote and smooth response of the unit to the remote is excellent. I am delighted to start the new millenium with this unit.

This receiver is amazing for the price. The clear sound beats another receiver that I have that costs twice as much. The only negative thing I found about it is that you can't use two sets of speakers at the same time. Also, I would like to comment on Amazon.com. They provided me excellent and expedient service. I received the unit two days after ordering.

I also highly recommend this receiver. I purchased it as a second set for a home office and have been very pleased with quality, sound and ease of use. The unit is clearly laid out and all controls are easy to read. It has outputs for 2 sets of speakers and can be connected to CD, VCR, Tape deck, and turntable. The sound is warm and very powerful. It seems well made and I have had good luck with Technics in the past. Additionally, the price is right. I searched all over the internet and Amazon has this unit at by far the best price available. An excellent sounding stereo receiver for $ dollars adds up to a value you can't go wrong with!

I CANT BELIEVE HOW WELL AND REAL THIS SMALL BOX SOUNDS. EVEN IN OPEN SPACES LIKE PORCHES AND TERRACES. THE FM RECEPTION IS OUTSTANDING. THIS IS THE BEST RADIO I HAVE EVER HEARD BY FAR (YES, INCLUDING THE BOSE WAVE RADIO).

I have owned two PAL radios for a year and I am about to buy two more as gifts. The sound is incredible for the size, the battery life is long, the tuning sensitivity and rejection of adjacent stations is terrific. I carry one around the house as I do work and we bring one when we travel.

I've owned a Tivoli PAL radio now for several months -- it is most amazing. Not only is the sound incredible and clear, but from this small box, you *think* you're hearing stereo, as well as a wonderful bass with good highs and mids.
You can hook up a portable CD player or MD to the mini-plug in back and get wonderful sound as well. The analogue dial pulls in radio stations really well, and the antenna makes it work even in the trouble spot I live in.
Based on this model, I purchased other Tivoli products and they all are stupendous. I cannot say enough good abou these audio products!

This little radio is simply amazing. I got it for motorcycle touring, where space is at a premium, so I could have tunes in hotels and campsites. The radio is tiny, the sound quality is just great. It's a little odd getting used to mono, but any further away than a few feet, the difference is not noticable. Combined with my iPod, this is pretty much the perfect sound system for travelling. It's pricey, but it's worth every penny.

First, I agree with the prior reviewers that the sound quality is almost unbelievably good for a unit this size.

I now own 27 (yes, 27!) of these, and use them to distribute XM throughout my house as follows: Delphi XM receiver to Sangean FM transmitter (from ccrane-dot-com) to Tivoli PAL. Prior to hearing the PAL, I wouldn't have thought a small monaural unit would provide acceptable sound in a small room; the PAL does.

The FM tuner had excellent sensitivity (ability to pick up weak stations), yet many radios do. What sets the PAL apart is its exceptional selectivity (ability to receive a realtively weak station that is wedged between two nearby, and stronger, stations).

And, for what its worth, when I dropped one into a swimming pool, it floated.

You could say between my fiance and myself we've started a collection of the PAL radios, we own three so far, a black, blue and yellow and I'm trying to decide between the Red or Green for my next purchase. These radios are fantastic and reliable and are great for gifts!
The size of this radio was what appealed to me but only after I had it at home and realized all the places it fit. the radio has such a small footprint that it fit in the corner of my bathtub, and sits on my windowsill while I wash dishes. My fiance has one that he leaves plugged in the wall which always keeps his battery fully recharged at all times. The reception has always been reliable on both AM and FM and I can always count on my PAL for the Red Sox games while in the yard with the dog.
I've given close to ten of these radios away within the last two years and everyone loves them! You get your choice between eight different colors which appeals to even the youngest recipient who was nine and was ecstatic about owning her very own RED "grown up radio" she took it outside with her often and her favorite station she listened to was Radio Disney. For convenience this radio can be ordered directly from www.tivoliaudio.com and will ship directly to the gift recipient if you choose. I can't say enough about these radios only that if you don't own one you're missing out!
Kudos Tivoli Audio!

This really is a top of the line Home Theater Amp from Yamaha. Weighs in around 22 KGs and performs superbly. Has all the features and input/outputs one can think of. Does Dolby Digital as well as DTS decoding. Also has additional two channels for front top left and front top right to give better surround impact.

I have been using the amp for the last 1 year and has no complaints and am proud of it's performance.

I CANT BELIEVE THIS RECIEVER IS HERE FOR THIS PRICE.IWENTEVERYWHERE TO FIND THIS RECIEVER AND EVERY STORE HAD IT FOR 2700.00DOLLARS.SO IWENT AND BOUGHT THE YAMAHA RX-V2095 WICH IS AGOOD RECEIVER ALSO BUT ITS NOT THE DSP-A1.IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN I WOULD HAVE GOT IT HERE AND GOT THE RECIEVER I REALLY WANTED AND SAVED.

The DSP A1 delivers nothing less than the world's finest home theater audio performance. In every single respect, it is absolutely state- of the art. Never before have you been able to select so many different sound fields to match audio and video genres.Never before have you been able o experience such thrilling audio "presence" in your own homeThrough the wonders of Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround, together with Yamaha's own leading-edge Digital sound Field Processig technology, you will enter a new realm of home entertainment.

Very clean sound, beautiful Vu meters (with backlights), direct input for cd players (preamp is not necessary), and speakers can be bi-wired, bi-amped directly from the back jacks (double jacks left and right). Wow! Sounds more powerful than 80 watts, conservatively rated. Excellent value!

i like this product, but i dont knows it, how many features i can enjoy with it

I bought this along with the Pre-Amp. In one word: mind-blowing. The quality of the sound, matched with the killer speakers from Edge Audio, quickly excelled my old Nakamichi/KEF set-up. Wow. Just the best investment for the money, bar no others.

I recently purchase this receiver to replace my Dolby 2.0 capable receiver. I bought the D409 because it offered good solid power (100W x 5 channels) and great features (DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital) at a much lower price than the other units that I researched.

I had no trouble getting my TV, VCR, two video games systems, CD player and DVD player hooked up and working. Note that I do not connect my video playback through my receiver - this unit does not have S-Video input/outputs, you need to buy the D509 for that.

After the initial set up, the sound quality was good. With a lot of tuning and playing, the sound in excellent. When you first hook up your system and begin trying the various sound processing modes, do not get discouraged if they produce too much echo effect, you can reduce the effect directly. You should also correct the delay between your speakers and adjust the channel outputs. Many DVDs such as Fantasia and Xmen have THX sound balancing tests that help you tune your system.

The only negatives are the clip type connections for the speakers rather than binding posts and a poorly remote layout. Each remote button has multiple functions and behaves very differently depending on which mode or source you are trying to operate.

Overall, a good receiver than needs a little playing to make it a great receiver.

A few months ago, I was in the market for a surround reciever and had no idea what the terms were (s-video, component, optical, etc.) and was basically a newcomer to this type of field. However, after much research and shopping, I came across this Pioneer model (I picked it up at Price Costco for an unbelievable price ...!). I like practically everything on this reciever. It offers both Dolby Digital and DTS decoding which sounds so rich and full, and the 10 different adjustable DSP modes really can add to the experience w/o sounding too synthesized. The 100 watts x 5 amplifier drives plenty of power, and the bass is thunderous even w/o a subwoofer with ample size front speakers and the Loudness control switched on. What I liked most is all of the different customizable settings such as speaker sizes, crossover frequency, distance, and individual volume levels, plus features like Dynamic Range Control and Midnight listening mode. It does take a while to decipher all of the features and play with it, but once you do that the Pioneer offers such room to personally configure it to your own tastes. The only things I didn't like was the small remote with many confusing buttons that can be hard to operate in the dark (esp. w/ no backlight) and the sluggish FM tuner that scans much slower than most recievers. But these are very minor gripes and I'm much impressed with the excellent sound, number of features, and value this Pioneer receiver offers. A must buy for any home theater lover!

Just opened our Christmas gadgets and hooked the receiver up to a new DVD player and just 2 little speakers . . . WOW! The sound is incredible and the picture is great! It will take awhile to learn the range of features in order to fine tune the system, but the first 20 minutes of "Blade Runner" was absolutely fantastic. We also purchased a Monster digital-optical cable for $40 and the movie watching experience is so-o-o-o much better than before. I can't wait until our surround speaker system is delivered . . . I can't imagine how much better it could be! Since I don't even know what S-video is, I guess I don't know about what the other reviewers are complaining about. As far as I am concerned this receiver is everything I had hoped it would be. Happy New Year!

This reciever works very well. It makes my speakers sound pretty good, and it was not very hard to set up (considering the complexity of my sound system.) My only problem with it was its tiny screen. The screen just dosn't give enough information, and therefor I had to use the instructions a lot while I was learning how to use it. It is a very good value for the money.

This receiver definitely is a great addition to any home theatre system. For it's cost, I don't think you can find a better receiver. It produces clean, crisp sounds and can be installed with ease. It's simplicity and usability makes it a great receiver if you are looking to receive the most bang for your buck.

I will have to say, though, that this receiver does lack some options. It only has two DSP modes, no s-video jacks, limited a/v inputs (if you have numerous devices), par bass management, and a small front panel screen. In addition, even with the Dynamic Range control, this receiver works best when played at high volumes. I have had some difficulty producing quality sounds at low volumes.

This is a very well built receiver that takes into account that most people will not fuss over the options that I listed. For it's price, who can complain, and realistically, nobody should. I am very pleased with its performance and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to spend over...

This is the best receiver for the money i have ever seen.....i ran some tests and found that this receiver was better than a 500 dollar [competitor]! BUY THIS ITEM!!! ITS AWESOME

It's been my experience that Altec Lansing makes good computer speakers. In this case, not only do they make good speakers, they make them affordable too. Unless you have real high expectations.

Considering that these are a low cost option, they sound real good. The sub unit has enough punch to add a nice bass line to your music. The satellites are small but produce good sound. Even at some higher levels they don't get real nasty and distorted like lesser computer speakers.

I would have liked to see a headphone jack on these, but considering the cost, I guess features have to suffer. Perhaps more money could also get a sub level control on one of the satellite speakers. As most might, I placed the sub under the back of my desk, thus it's not real easy to access the level setting. At least it has one though.

Overall, I'd say this set is a good buy if you're not concerned about having surround sound or a bunch of settings at your disposal. I'm sure people have paid more and gotten less. Picky audiophiles may want to pass on this and look up other options, but for most, this should fit the bill.

I bought these primarily for watching DVDs on my PC and they haven't dissapointed me. These are excellent speakers, and the subwoofer is great. They provide an excellent 3-D effect. The subwoofer has a separate volume control---- perfect for when you want to adjust how much the room will shake as you watch a movie. The only problem this set has is that it doesn't have a jack where you can plug in your headphones. Oh well. I solved that by buying a small extension cable, so I don't have to reach behind my desk to plug the headphones directly.

Bottom line: these are great for movies, games, music--- and they won't ruin your budget.

This speaker set is a very good product for one's computer or small stereo system and also for using less room for BIG audio as the speakers have very good audio quality. The only thing that is missing from these is a plug to put in my headphones!! Other than that, this is a worthy product.

...because even though I have tested them and they sound great, the Bose Companion 3 is like the best thing for computers. Trust me, nothing gets close to it, or maybe something gets close, but nothing beats it. So yeah from now on Id give the Companion 3 5 or 10 stars.. and all speakers would be below it. Ive got Klipsch 2.1 Promedia, they were great but the Bose speakers are so much smaller and sound even greater! the Bose basically kill the klipsch, and if it kills klipsch, it also kills this Creative speakers. Trust me, save another $$ and get the Bose companion 3 instead! you wont regret it! I payed $200 for the companion, and what someone said of having a faulty one.. dude you should have stayed with it till the store got it back!! Then exchange! You did a HUGE mistake! When I connected the companion to my comp I was VERY amazed.. it sounded like a $600 hometheater!

I needed to upgrade my dingy old Altec Lansing's, bought in 1999. I researched several speakers sets. All I needed was a simple 2.1 or 3 speaker set up since I dont use my PC for watching DVDs and thus didnt require a 5.1 spendy setup. My budget was 150$. I didn't need to waste 250$ on the (greatly overpriced) Bose companion 3 or the top of the line Logitech Z680. I looked hard at the Klipsch Promedia 2.1(150$) and the very affordable Logitech Z-2200(105$)- great value. I almost pulled the trigger in favor of the Z-2200 until I read more about the Megaworks 250D on creative's website, then I was sold! It is more expensive(155/140$ after rebate), but also offers more power & features and I felt better quality. Here's the specs: generous 300w RMS, THX, 3.5" sats(75w RMS/ea.) & 8" (down fire) wood sub for the bass(150w RMS), 99db SNR, and 25-20kHz range. Now you're playing w/ power!
Amazon offered me the best price and free shipping! Thanks Amazon. Highly Recommended.

I gave these as a holiday gift and they sound superb in their new home. Even when they are cranked-up all the way they still are stunning with no crackle or hiss. I have the Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 and for a 2.1 system these are comparable.