Audio Reviews

Like other reviewers, I looked at many other models before choosing this receiver. My local audio shop had a great lisenting room set up with multiple receivers for comparison, and compare I did! I found that for the price, this receiver could not be beat in terms of sound quality, and sound field choices. You can choose to let the receiver auto-detect the best sound field for your DVD movies, or you can choose your own if you wish. I've found that leaving it on Auto is perfect.

Another great thing about this unit is that you can re-map the inputs on the back to different functions. For instance, maybe your DVD player has digital audio out via a coax cable - not the optical digital out found on newer players... no problem, there's a spot for that on the receiver, and with a simple menu, you can set the receiver's DVD audio input to use that coax digital input, instead of the default optical input. With other reciever's I looked at, you'd just have to remember that you plugged your DVD audio input into the 'CD in' on the back of the receiver, and always pick 'CD' on your remote instead of DVD when you went to watch movies. Plus, if you're passing your video through the receiver, this would also cause problems on other units.

There are also a number of other great settings... if you don't have a powered subwoofer, you can set this in the simple menu system, and the receiver will send the bass, as appropriate to you main speakers. Plus, you can tell it if you have large or small main/center/rear speakers, so that the amp uses the correct amount of power for your setup.

Also, you can go to Yamaha's website and look at pictures of the back panel on this amp... there are a plethora of connections for just about anything you'll need... I have a complex setup with a digital cable box, Tivo, VCR, DVD player and a computer all hooked up to this, and I still have open connections for more stuff!

If your budget is in the <$ 500 range, this is the reciever for you.

The Sound is crisp and clear. The Amp section really shows itself with a good speakers. The setup is very easy. Great Job by Yamaha for the price.

Yamaha builds some of the longest lasting amps out there in the market, I'm not sure what this guy below is talking about. I own one HTR 5550, and it's been working nothing but wonders for my system. If one experiences problems, I'm sure Yamaha would be more than happy to deal with it, providing you did buy from an authorized dealer.

Yes you have to buy from authorized dealer to get warranty. But even without warranty, this receiver should last you at least 4-5 years no problem (unless of course you abuse it).

This particular Apple iPod was one of the first models to come out. Like most techo-gadgets, once you buy them - something better is going to come along within a few months. That is just the way of the world. The nice thing about this gadget is - it still does the job very well for me 1 1/2 years after I purchased it. This is the 5GB iPod. They have discontinued this model in favor of some iPods that hold larger capacity (i.e. 10 GB, 15 GB, 20 GB, and 40 GB) as well as the smaller sized iPod mini (a 4 GB device). I'm hear to say that the 5 GB still does the job and if this is how Apple is going to produce an mp3 device, this is going to set the gold standard.

I run my iPod on a Windows XP based PC. At the time, I had to buy a IEEE 1394 FireWard card for my machine. I was more than glad to add this functionality to my PC because now I can hook up other FireWire devices. At this time the Software used to organize music on the iPod is Musicmatch and not iTunes. Again Musicmatch does a great job for me and I continue to use it. There is no synchronization device with this iPod. Just connect it to your Firewire Cable and the PC and Musicmatch software will recognize it. If your Firewire Card supplies power, you will be able to recharge the iPod as it is connected to your PC.

This thing is as Apple advertises. Apple Advertised getting about 1000 songs on it. I have ripped most of my CDs in 128 kbps format and have about 600+ songs on it so far. With still about 2GB of free space, I should just reach the 1000 song plateau. If I went to 160 kbps format for all of my songs, I would probably see a substantial reduction in the amount of songs I would be able to store. The 128 kbps format should be just fine. This device never skips. I take it in my car and to the gym and it never skips. I advise buying a car adapter for about $20 that goes into your cassette deck (the one that portable CD players use works just fine) and then you can have your iPOd in the car.

The device itself is a nice looking one. There is a jog dial used to navigate the menus. There are plenty of organizations by playlist, album, song, genre, and artist (much of this is configured on the Musicmatch software automatically when you rip your CDs to mp3). It also contains 'extras' for Calandar, Contact, Clock, and a game. The game is actually a version of the old 'Breakout' game. The menus are in standard LCD gray and there is a backlight that can be turned on to see the menu better if needed. A great set of headphones comes with the iPod. It is the type of headphones you right on the outside of the ear and what is nice is they don't fall out of your ear - plus they sound great. You also get a portable charger that only requires the firewire cable. As for the firewire cable, it comes with one as well as an adapter for 4 pin and 6 pin ports.

There are three drawbacks I must point out. The first is the back of the player - it scratches very easily. The back is made of shiny metal and you are going to need to get a a case for it otherwise you will get tons of scratches on that surface. This leads into the second drawback - accessories. No case is going to come with it and of course, like with any accessory - you're going to overpay for them. Be careful when shopping for a case, some of them are cheap leather slipcases and you may overpay. Recently I tried to get a car charger and found one at an Apple Retail Store for $13.00, but remember seeing them in CompUSA for $40. The newer iPods are architected very differently and as a result those accessories won't fit this model of the iPod. I still also advise spending the money for a car adapter (mentioned above) that plugs into your cassette deck.

The third drawback is the battery. The battery will give you 10 hours continuous play when you first get it. Slowly but surely, you will see that erode over time. I'd say I'm down to 5 hours right now. Although I said the iPod does the job well, this is the one major drawback I've seen over the life of the device. To replace the battery - it is $99.00 from Apple and this is a job you are going to need them to do. With some of the newer iPod models, I know by next year I am going to face a tough decision on whether or not to replace the battery or upgrade my iPod. Another note on the battery is that if your iPod is idle and uncharged for a few days, the battery will lose some of its charge.

The plusses clearly outweigh the minuses here. I would give this 5 stars, but the drawbacks make this more of a 4 1/2 star effort. Don't let the drawbacks deter you, but be aware of them - especially the battery issue if you are buying a used one. If you do get this device, you'll be very happy with it.

My Husband gave me a christmas gift, I love it, its stores around 1000 songs but for me 100 songs are more than enough. Sound quality and overall features are excellent, the only bad part is I still didn't found a good case for IPOD I looked everywhere from Apple store to EBAY but they were not good, but other than that I had no problems till now.I hope this review is helpful.

The wife got me one of these for Christmas and you can't go wrong. Great interface, simple intuitive controls. If you have a huge music collection or plan on using it as an external hard drive go for the 10 or 20 GB model but I am not even close to filling this 5 GB up. Address Book and iCal updates work great with iSync. It even has a breakout game.

Ok, let's not get caried away... These are not exceptional speakers. They're not even great speakers. Furthermore, I wouldn't even think of using them in a surround sound system. On the other hand, they are a tremendous value for speakers with good enough sound quality for a whole house system. They are also very easy to install, as they clamp onto the drywall, and no recessed enclosure is needed. I have purchased 6 pair, and now my entire home is awash in glorious ambient music. If this is what your after, you cannot find a better value. However, if you're looking for good surround speakers, you'll find better sound if you loosen up the wallet a bit. later.

These speakers are nothing exceptional, but for the price they cannot be beat. I have heard many cheap speakers in my life, but most either have a very tiny treble or just weak sound overall. I would say that these speakers have a fairly round and warm overall sound as well as a good solid range. As a musician, I like to think that my ears are a little bit more fine-tuned than the average American, and for 60 dollars, these speakers are great for my ears.

I was skeptical about these speakers but I have listened to so many in the past couple of months in stores I couldn't decide. After reviewing and comparing the specs and prices I decided to give these a try. I mounted them in the celing as my front pair angeled the tweeters and WOW! What a great sounding pair of speakers and the price is about $150 less than I was going to spend. I am very happy and they are so easy to install in your ceiling. It is a well worth saving the money and getting these two. You could spend alot more money and get the same quality of sound.

I purchased these speakers for aesthetic reasons, especially after having read the positive reviews posted here. However I was sorely disappointed by their performance.

Pros: aesthetically pleasing, small size, wired remote

Cons: no treble control (can only adjust the bass level), weak midrange output

I played all genres from dance, R&B, electronica, rock, punk, classical, opera, jazz, piano, choral, Latin, solo instrumental (violin, cello, clarinet), and movies. The bass is excellent as others have already pointed out. However, due to the small size of the speakers, the midrange output was significantly lacking. When I tried to compensate for this by boosting the treble in iTunes (the speakers have no treble control!) certain songs were played with noticeable distortion due to overloading the small speakers. A perfect example of this is how alto saxophone in certain jazz songs were really distorted. Even my 5 year old basic Phillips speakers and subwoofer performed better than these. The only redeeming quality of the I-trigues is their attractive aesthetics and small size.

According to some Apple audiophiles, Soundsticks 2 by Harman Kardon is a good alternative to these speakers for $50.00 more.

I bought them yesterday and i couldn't be happier!
the sound is EXCELLENT, they look like MODELS. :)
i recommend them.

I've had it for a month now and this set of speakers is very impressive. Design and build are solid as well as overall sound. It matches well with flat panels (of similar shade or color) , iMac and Powermac G5. I'm enjoying the listening experience and the pleasing aesthetics (nice to look at) very much. For Mac Users, these speakers are a perfect match. Made quite an impression on all my friends who saw them last weekend.

I've had this receiver for about 9 months now. Very handsome product, easy to install and set up. The self-surround calibration is a very useful feature and avoids a lot of complex set up know-how. I rate the audio quality as excellent not quite to audio-file standards but most people will be very happy with its capabilities.

A few negatives that are not really serious: the manual should be improved, it is very hard to read and for neophytes will be quite frustrating. The surround processsor modes can only be accessed sequentially so you cannot make A-B choices. Plus there is no phono capability.

I highly recommend this receiver as a low to mid range product with high-end capabilities.

I have this model for more than 2 years and enjoy it everyday. This is a bargain with high-end features for less. I would sugget to buy this receiver with Bose acoustimass speakers for ultimate experience.

This receiver is a great buy. It sounds great for movies and music. The 192/24 DAC for the left and right channel provide better clarity for music than other receivers in this price range. Most receivers only come with 96/24 DAC. And if you want to send your music to all 5 channels then the Logic 7 dsp sounds great. For movies the receiver has both Dobly digital and DTS, and they both sound great, lots of bass for the special effect scenes and voices are clear. I paired this receiver with the JBL SCS150 home theater speakers and I think they are a great match.

I know people might be turned off by the receiver only having 5 channels but if you have a small apartment or small living room than 5 channels is probably enough. Two tips for receiver shoppers. One, don't pay for features that you won't use. Two, buy by the pound. A heavier receiver usually means that it was made with better components. This recevier comes in at almost 27 pounds. Compare this with other receivers in the price range and I'm sure you won't find many that weigh more.

Well, call me spoiled or call me cheap, but I waited a long time to begin to upgrade my A/V systems. I knew I needed something that would be my "server", and the Harman Kardon DPR 1001 is a great choice. I could've spent more, but why? This baby gives me everything I need to upgrade my listening and viewing pleasures. The receiver was easy to hook up to my existing television, speakers, and CD/DVD, and the types of connections you can make are only limited by what your other peripherals have. Digital co-ax, fiber optic, you name it, the HK 1001 has it. I've even figured out the remote control, which for me is like discovering anti-gravity. This piece offers value and excellent performance. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to put their home A/V system at a new level.

I just purchased this receiver less than a week ago and I am amazed at the value and apparent quality of the piece, especially considering the currently discounted price. The sound is clean, and answering to perhaps one of my biggest concerns, 50 digital watts per channel is more than adequate for a basic home theatre/stereo system. It blows my 80 watt, 2-channel analog (piece of junk) JVC amp out of the water! I am so happy I bought this receiver!

As other reviewers have noted, the sound is clean, perhaps "too clean" for some audiophiles, however I play reggae, trance, and rock music, loud, and it sounds great! There is adequate bass, and I suspect the addition of a powered subwoofer will take it over the top - that is next on my list.

I suspect that some users who wrote reviews did not have the desire or patience to work through the somewhat laborious set-up required to optimize the sound. While the setup requires a somewhat sizeable time commitment, once you finish it is unlikely that you will ever have to deal with it again, at least until you make a change to your system. It is worth it because an accurate setup results in the cleanest sound I have ever heard, no matter what the source (DVD, CD, PC, TV/Cable, Laptop, Tape, Tuner, etc...I have all 7 of these sources hooked up). 6 of the inputs have connections on the back, while the seventh is made through the jacks on the front of the machine.

I think the biggest asset this receiver brings to the table, besides the crystal-clear sound, is the fact that each of the digital inputs can be mapped and assigned to any number of the seven available sources. There are more than enough digital inputs (3 coax, 3 optical) and outputs (1 dedicated coax, one dedicated optical), owing in part to the fact that one set of input jacks can be reversed from their default setting to become outputs - leaving you with two digital ins, and two digital outs (both coax and optical).

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT, esp. for $500, there is no better value anywhere! And in the words of another reviewer, "This is the best purchase I have ever maid!!!" I recommend that reviewer purchase spell check next!

This system has been one of the best buys i ever maid. While some might shy away from this recever becaues of the little power out put, but if you put good speakers with it, you will have a spectacular suround sound experiunce.

Great Volume, FM is average but I've droped it many times and never had a problem. Very Great purchase!!

If you're buying an Intel Pocket Concert, save yourself some time and get the accessory kit right off the bat (or choose the package that includes it with the player). You'll want this kit...

For a start, it adds rechargeability to the Pocket Concert, sporting a pair of nickel metal hydride (NiMH) "memory free" AAA batteries. The docking station featured in this kit serves as your desktop charger... Just insert the Pocket Concert, and it'll begin refreshing your batteries.

The docking station doubles as a fancy (and more practical) USB connection to your PC for downloading your tunes into the player. And while I question the value of the feature, the docking station also has a pair of RCA connectors providing line-level output for your stereo system (or to the line inputs on your computer, presumably).

The carrying case is superb. According to the brand legend on the zipper pulls, this is a Case Logic case -- a fact that Intel doesn't bother to present. But typical of Case Logic products, it's a well made and useful way to carry around your Pocket Concert.

Finally, the standard issue cassette adapter provides you an easy way to play your Pocket Concert on the move in your car, or anywhere a standard cassette deck is available.

The reason I rate it 4 stars, not 5? Price... At late-2001 "ballpark" pricing, this kit boosts the overall price of the Pocket Concert ..., which is at the high-end for 128 Meg audio players. (By the time you read this, no doubt pricing and competitive issues will likely be different, so make your own assessment.)

But price aside, it's still an important thing for any Pocket Concert user to have.

The accessory kit is awesome!! I have the dock set up by my home stereo with a cord running to my computer. It is nice becasue you can send songs directly to it from your computer and then play them through your stereo. The only minor complaint is the rechargable batteries do not last as long as real batteries but I was able to go over six hours on a plane with them. I only wish it had a remote.

I recently purchased a new pair of these for around 50 dollars. Immediately I was pleased with the sound and comfort of these headphones, however, you may have to spend a little time fitting them on your head at first to keep them from hurting your ears. Although they are not terribly uncomfortable to wear for a few minutes, the size of the cups are a bit smaller than most professional headphones, and this makes them a bit uncomfortable for long-term listening as there is pressure on your ears.

Despite the uncomfortable pressure that may occur on the ears, these headphones are actually very comfortable to wear. They sound so good that I want to turn up the volume just to enjoy them more. The sound is clear, the bass is strong and clean but won't drown out the mid-tones or treble. The treble itself is sometimes lacking, but most of the time it isn't a problem. The individual sounds are heard so well with these headphones that if there is any extra noise or flaw in what you are listening to, you'll notice it immediately.

I have an older version of this headphone, and use it everyday for hours. It sounds very good, and for the price is very hard to beat for this type of headphone. My only complaint is that my ears hurt if i wear them for more than a few hours.

These Audio Technica babies really let the sound in! Outstanding in every respect, IMO!

Listening to movies and CDs through these 'phones is a pleasure. Surround sound effects come through nicely when listening to 5.1-Channel or 2-Channel Surround material, with many subtle surround effects seeping through that you possibly had never heard when listening through your regular speaker system.

The sound reproduction on this product seems very "natural" and undistorted. And not "tinny"-sounding, like can be the case with many different headphone brands.

Extraordinarily comfy, to boot! The ear cups don't pinch, or dig into your head. The padded headband adjusts to fit the biggest (or smallest) of craniums. And they don't make your ears sweat like a nervous politician on Election Day (oh, sorry ... I should have said "perspire"). :)

You can wear these things all day and suffer no ill effects on your head/ears. (Well, unless, of course, you lay too heavy on the volume control.)

It *is*, in fact, difficult to keep the volume in the "low"/"restrained" range while using these sonically-pleasing babies. Because they sound so good!

The ATH-M30 is an exceptional product; and a terrific bargain to be sure.

Hard to imagine even $100-plus 'phones giving better performance than these.

It was fun while it lasted. Bought it last Father's day, and by this Father's day, it was already broken--won't load, freezes, won't play DVD (apparently the lens needs replacing). A local TV repair shop says it will cost more than the player itself with labor involved. Audiovox will charge a flat rate of 93.75 plus the cost of shipping it to them to fix it. So basically a year later I'm having to buy the player all over again. Pretty steep considering it is only one year old, and that I took impeccable care of the player (cleaned often and kept in padded case).

I bought this for a planned cross country road trip that did not happen. Now I use it often if not for movies, to listen to music.The picture is great, sharp and clear. The sound is great as well.It is lightweight and it comes with the things you need to either use it in a car or to hook it up to your tv at home. The battery holds the charge well. Things that are important to me in a portable. Do not let the price fool you. Yes it is lower than most other portables but the quality is outstanding. I would and will someday buy another.

I bought this for my husband's birthday (50 - so I splurged a bit). He absolutely loved it! Our two teenage children were fascinated. My husband's co-worker wanted to see it - and then ordered one for herself. My husband loves to watch dvds that I don't really want to see so the portability of the dvd player is very useful to us. It has a great picture - extremely clear. I highly recommend this player.

The "Harman Kardon AVR-500" Surround Sound Receiver,
is, without a doubt, The finest receiver I've ever had the privilege to experience "Over the Top!! Being a classical Violinist, I listen to various aspects in music mostly from the perspective of a "live performance". The dynamic and transient responces of the AVR-500, offer the listener who is unfamiliar with accurate "True to the Source" Sound Re-Creation, a most shocking and delectable surprise!! What I look for in home music listening, are the subtle nuances of a whisper and the thunderous rage of an immensely powerful organ, tearing up the Earth. Without these characteristics, it quickly becomes tedious to listen to. H/K's High-Current design, is meant to express these delicate and votile surges without fatigue, all the while preserving the intimate details underlying the music's "hidden harmonics". The H/K AVR-500, handles this effortlessly and with aplomb. +)*(+ If this sounds like a description of a fine musical instrument, it is. The H/K AVR-500 is easy to set up, and the remote is straight-forward, you will not find divergent discrepancies prompting constant visitations to the unit proper. After initial set-up, you can relax, everything else is handled via remote, which also has an attractive "Blue-Green" backlit illumination. H/K is known to be ultra-conservative in their Power Ratings, as well as THD (total harmonic distortion). With the AVR-500 at no more than .07% THD, that's driven "Wide Open"! A very Very Clean Machine Indeed!! I could say much more, but its better to let H/K's AVR-500 tell you!!

Harman Kardon AVR-500. Elegant, Understated, Smooth

Highly Recomended *****

Stan Slonski

+)*(+

Harmon Kardon by far is the best in home theatre there quality of receivers is almost as good as the movie theatre
sound itself.If you only have 1000 dollars to spend buy this
baby and when you get it home it has enough power to blow you out of the house , with crystal clear dynamic Dolby Digital &
DTS sound incredible power this is the top of the mountain for
below a grand if you own Gladiator slip it in turn it on DTS
and crank it up and you'll see it dosen't even phase it at all.

When I, invite my friends over they think iv'e purchased an
actual movie theatre system.All receivers come with a midnight
setting incase your in an apartment and your bothersome lanlord
complains about the sound it is useful for when people are sleeping.Enough options to keep you busy figuring them out but
one things for sure when you buy this you know exactly how awsome this receiver is when you get it home it's a good deal.

I purchased this amp/receiver about a month ago and had it hooked up the night it arrived. The setup is kind of confusing at first but once you figure it out (what the manual is saying) it isn't too much trouble. I am a big believer in amps over watts because you can create high watts with low amps and hence no sound but if you reverse the order; high amps and low watts the neighbors come a knocking. I also like to be able to "feel" my sound ie. the rumble of a tornado in the movie Twister. This receiver does/has all of this and more. The one con I have for this receiver is that it is short of inputs by 2. 1 is phono which I don't listen to alot so it wasn't a big con. The 2nd missing input is one for my satelite which has digital outputs which would have been nice to hook up but this was overcome by entering through the VCR. Oh well can't have everything on a buget. Overall this is one of the best AVR's I have seen for the price. If you like the artificial sound stages of other systems then don't buy this AVR but if you want the sound that came with the DVD, CD or Tape then this one is for you. You won't complain about the price when you get it set up.