Audio Reviews

Despite the current fad for multi-channel audio/video receivers, the majority of people still listen to music with two speakers and only need a two-channel stereo receiver to drive them. I'm one such person and -- as a fanatic audiophile -- this is the receiver I use. It is a superb receiver in all respects. Some people may think that they need more than this receiver's rated power of 80 watts per channel, but Yamaha's power ratings are extremely conservative and this receiver will drive virtually any speakers to deafening levels (which I don't recommend doing). More important than it's ample power is its very low distortion. It's difficult to find any brand of receiver with as low distortion as this Yamaha. In addition to robust power and ultra-low distortion the RX-596 has a full complement of controls, plus an easy to use remote. But as a fanatic audiophile the feature I particularly appreciate is a button which sends the signal from my CD player directly to the amplifier -- bypassing the preamp circuitry, which is not needed when playing CDs -- for the lowest distortion and best signal to noise ratio. There are plenty of less expensive stereo receivers available but none with the performance and quality of this quite reasonably priced Yamaha.

I've owned this receiver for 5 years and never regretted this purchase for a second. There are three inputs for fiber optic cable and an input/output combo for fiber optic cable for the tape/md player. This stereo supports 8 speakers: 2 main, 1 center, subwoofer, 2 rear surround, and 2 front effects speakers. I like the 2 front effects speakers because they provide a fuller sound. You have to hear it to believe it. I checked out newer receivers recently and I see more bells and whistles, but not more substantial features or better sound. Check out the specs in the manual available on this page. I would buy this receiver again, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a stereo receiver for music or home theater.

The Yamaha RXV595 Dolby Digital Home Theater Receiver is a beauty. I got a demo of this unit with a Boston surround speaker system. Its performance was excellent. The Dolby Digital on this Receiver blows away its Pro-Logic when playing DVDs. However, when you input VHS the Pro-Logic sounds rich. With DVD or VHS sources, you can't go wrong. There are 14 digital 'Special Sound Effects' on this Receiver. You have just got to hear the 'Hall Effect,' it sounds great! It's 5.1, 70 watts x 5 channels and has a universal remote. Go for this one.

This sound card rocks! Coming from the classic soundblaster, this product has changed my life. I suggest this for everyone that is building a new computer.

Music lovers with fall in love with this sound card. It tunes to your needs.

excellent

I haven't found a single complaint with this item. Excellent sound quality at low and high volume, Dolby 5.1 AND DTS compatible, easy to setup, easy to use, decent sized speakers (so the wife doesn't go nuts) it's definitely a rock-solid mid-level system.

These turned out to be the perfect speakers for my computer. I tried many 3-piece systems with a subwoofer and it was never quite right. The subwoofer was a little too much and with usually no way to adjust the settings.

These Yamaha speakers are excellent! They have the perfect amount of bass and treble with separate controls for each. There are not many two-piece systems in this price range that have two separate controls for bass and treble. The 3D surround sound is incredible. It also comes with my favorite part of any speaker system, a headphone jack for private listening which really brings out the gaming experience.

My computer games sound incredible and my jazz CDs now project the perfect tone and balance with no bass distortion. The bass perfectly supports the highs making a very realistic balance.
For this price range and from a company that has many years of experience with audio, I really can't see getting a better two piece system with this much output and control over a wonderful and true sound.

I'm impressed. A metal cabinet plus frosted glass. Matches my new Sony large screen LCD very well.

A snap to put together. EXTRA hardware! I wish I had known about this company before I spent $450 on my TV stand.

I never write reviews, but I had to comment on this one.

First let me say this is a great product. Most of my friends have an MP3 player already so I've seen and tried my share of different MP3 players. I was always hesitant in getting an MP3 player because I just didn't feel I was getting my moneys worth. However, for the price, I don't see another product with the overall quality of the PAP3000. I have had the PAP3000 for a couple of weeks and it has worked flawlessly. The software is great, the play, skip and sound buttons are well placed for ease of use. The Audio player is lightweight and small but can support an additional flash memory card. Here is my take on the Pro's and Cons of the PAP3000:

Pros:
- Sound is excellent
- Easy to transfer files to the audio player
- It only takes 1 AA battery
- Upgradeable Flash memory
- Has 64meg memory built in?
- Great audio controls
- Has a belt clip

Cons'
- Cannot move songs in different sequence once they are downloaded on the PAP3000
- Head phones are just O.K.

I have quite a large MP3 collection, and finally decided to give these portable devices a go. After reading many reviews, it was clear that Intel released a quality product with their Pocket Concert model, and previews of this model reported that it would be on the same track. I like the look and feel of this player. It's a little bit larger than a pager, and has a sturdy belt clip. The faceplate is made up of a clear removeable plastic shell, and the back of the unit is made up of a soft rubbery material. The buttons, which surround the outer edges of the player are also made of rubber. The Intel software that comes bundled with the player is very straightforward, and allows you to manage playlists, re-order, and delete songs on the player. Transfer times (via USB) were quick at around 200K/s, so on average a song would take around 15 seconds to transfer. I was able to fit an hour of songs on the 64 MB of internal memory.

Pros: Small size, bass & treble adjust, flexible volume control, good sound, customizable faceplate, MMC expansion slot.

Cons: Not many! The rubber over the buttons reduces their responsiveness.

got this 3 years ago. very happy with the 10 hours of use on 1 AA. i have dropped it a couple of times, cover comes off which helps lessen the impact and i put the cover back on and all is well. software is musicmatch which works well and it supports all the formats i am aware of WMA, MP3,MP3Pro and WAV. small and light enough i take it when i travel and run. my only quip is the memory size, but it offers expansion with the MMC which is cheap enough these days. overall, excellent product.

This system has everything you need and sounds absolutely breathtaking. The subwoofer's sound, which is extremely rich and deep, not the "boom boom boom" sound you hear from cheaper systems, is perfectly integrated with the sound from the satellites. They look great on any desk (they hover about an inch above the surface of the desk with their little stands, so they really look futuristic) and I have to tell you, they sound AMAZING. The subwoofer actually sounds like a real instrument, not a "thump box". The sound positioning is really great, too... turn the satellites to face towards you, put the sub on the floor, and you'll have better sounding music than you thought possible in a 3-piece set.. for under 100 bucks. The people at the store I bought this from were really trying to discourage me from getting these, wanting me to buy the Harmon/Kardon Soundsticks instead (I have a Mac), because these Altecs are probably the best-kept secret in computer audio. Anyone who tries them out is amazed by them and wouldn't think of buying a more expensive set, and that's exactly what the stores don't want you to know :)

i absolutely LOVE these speakers. i wanted the harmon kardon stick speakers so badly, but they were out of my price range for such a luxury. then, 3 of my friends had recently purchased these altec-lansing speakers and RAVED about them for the price! i bought them right away and i can't say enough about how wonderful they are. they are perfect for my new home-office room. the sound is amazingly clear, the subwoofer is fantastic. great treble and bass. the volume is also wonderful - i haven't even put them all the way up yet! this is one of the best buys i've made on accesories for my computer...you will be impressed!

So I'm not a huge computer guy, not even an over the top MP3 collector, but I found these speakers on a good deal and went for em. I shucked out the slightly high $ for them and wasn't happy about it - at first - and wonded what I was doing. It was good thing as Martha would say. Very good! Wow its so worth it! The sound is as good, maybe better than my Sony TV (yeah its a big fancy TV). The bass is clear and smooth, the tower speakers are unobtrusive and make the sound feel like its all around you. They're easy to set up, just stick a few RCA plugs in and your good so no issues there for you techno phobes. I can't imagine not having these now. I'm so sold on them that I actaully took the time to write this review and that should account for something in this apathy filled world! I'm the man! Anyways, really great speakers and they're worth every penny for sure. Pretty amazing sound comes out of these and for not all that much cash output too once you hear the sound quality you'd swear they should cost more. Give them a shot and see for yourself.

This ultimate gadget is a must-have for a true gadget junkie (like myself). I got the DVD L-10 when it first came out and now, the DVD L-50. Sure, it runs hot after a few hours, but so does every portable PC DVD. Please notice that almost everyone that complains about this unit still rates it 5 stars because the movie watching experience itself is awesome. The "1 star" folks obviously didn't buy it or even see it up close. Mine stays hooked up to my home theatre system with the optical audio and S-video connectors when I'm not traveling. I own a Sony VAIO notebook computer with DVD and would ALWAYS choose to view a movie on the DVD L-10 because the quality of the viewing experience is that much better. The hardware MPEG of the DVD L-10 instead of the software MPEG of every laptop except the Apple G3 powerbook is the main reason.

I see all the negative reviews here in which people say you should get a laptop with a DVD drive instead, but I completely disagree. The laptop is heavier, more expensive, sucks up battery life faster, and isn't as readily connected to various pieces of audio-visual equipment in your home. I bought this unit so I could have the best of both worlds: I keep it hooked up to my home theater system on a day to day basis, then unplug it and take it on the road with me for long car trips and flights. Its value cannot be exaggerated when you're looking for a means of keeping a four-year-old happy and quiet while buckled into a seat for two or more hours. Also, it's perfect for family cabin and timeshare trips since you can bring a whole library of movies and plug the unit into virtually any TV once you get there. And if there's no TV just use the flip-up screen. About that screen---I've found that my movie watching experience is different when using it, and in fact I feel MORE "pulled in" than when watching on my bigscreen TV. Finally, regarding the speakers on the unit: if you use headphones instead of the speakers, the dolby surround effect will amaze you. I don't know how they did it, but it's just like being in the theater.

I bought this player when it first came out in 1999. It's the most reliable electronic product I've ever owned. I've traveled all over the world with it, including to Canada, China, Italy, North Dakota, Vermont, and St Croix. It has saved me from going crazy on long flights. I've shoved it in my backpack and carried it all over the place. It even got wet in a rainstorm once. It's tough. After at least 1000 hours of playing time, I've never had any problems with it. The battery still keeps it's charge even after 5 years of frequent use. The display is just as sharp as it was when I first bought it.

I highly recommend it if you plan on getting a used player.