Audio Reviews

with out it alot of your HDTV componets will not hook up because the industry standard is not close enough to be compatible with all brands

Several years ago I bought a RCA DCT 100 Hi Def. receiver in anticapation of my future upgrade to a Hi Res TV. I just purchased a Sony 32in. Hi Res TV. I hooked up the adapter and WOW HDTV in all its glory.

Very nice style, durable heavy quality construction, easy-to-follow assembly instructions, good for concealing A/V wiring. This stand serves well for putting various audio components on the shelves and a turntable on the top. Also can be used for a TV on top and VCR/cable/DVD on shelves. Although it's a very nice product, the price is much too high for what you get. Design is modern and a very nice additional piece of "furniture" for an image-concious consumer.

A good stand -- very sturdy; I was nervous based on the picture. The quality of the wood is good too.

If you have enough components to fill it, and plan on connecting those to other items (speakers, tv, etc.), it can be very challenging to run all of the cables through the cable hiding system in the back. A very minor complaint for an overall very nice stand....

I love these Sennheisers! They have great sound although I am less of an audiophile than most. I mainly care about comfort and these sure fit the bill! The main problem is that the cord is already getting weak after just a couple weeks of use and no rough handling. It's not a problem with the end that plugs into the sound source, it's the end that plugs into the headphone that I have to jiggle to get to work... and it's getting worse. I can still get sound, but one channel or the other will often cut out if I don't remain motionless. I have contacted Sennheiser and I sure hope they will replace my cord!

I'm a former radio DJ and *very* picky about my music and what I hear it through. I bought a set of HD270s to replace a pair of ancient Sony MDR-CD50s. I'm impressed - if I had known how much better the Sennheisers were, I would have bought them years ago.
I can hear things in MP3s now that I never noticed before.

This is actually the third Sherwood receiver that we have bought. We bought an entry level Dolby Pro-logic home theater package, with the 4050r receiver. This receiver is definitely a cut above the older one. This one has much better push through the high and low ranges than our old one. Even without a digital source, the clarity from the receiver is excellent. For an entry-level digital receiver for someone on a budget, I believe this receiver would be an excellent choice.

This surround receiver is a tremendous value for what you receive - both Dolby Digital and DTS decoders built-in, numerous functionality available only on more expensive receivers, etc. Its lower power (60 watts per channel) makes it most suited to smaller home theater speaker systems (I have the Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble IV). The receiver also does not offer S-video out. The RVD6095R is a great receiver value and has all of the features of its highly rated sibling, the RVD6090R. I highly recommend it for those wanting a highly versatile home theater receiver but who don't want to spend a lot or those who have smaller speakers to be driven by it.

Pros -

Fits nicely, if anyone complains that these headphones are uncomfortable they are freakin' moron. These things are a lot more comfortable than the many headphones I've borrowed, bought, or tried. I have a lot of hair, it doesn't get in the way either.

Another is the fact they stay on your head. From the pictures you might be curious if they really 'do' stay on your head. I do a lot of weight training and the few sessions so far with these / they have stayed put the entire time. Even when on exercises like incline bench when the head pushes back they budge a bit, but no serious problem. Also I ran around a good bit with them on for the hell of it, no problem.

They fold, very compact. Also the cord is kind of a ropey material: Very cool / needs the extension, but actually it's no problem.

Good noise canceling. It doesn't mention anything in the specs, but it blocks outside noise pretty damn well. Also, there is little noise escapage. Moments ago my brother asked me if I was even listening or if I was just wearing them / The volume was way up, so nobody is going to be annoyed or even know what you're listening to.

Great bass, plays almost all music well.

Cons -

The sound isn't perfect. It reproduces great bass, but sometimes it can sound like the musicians are playing behind walls or something. I listen to nothing but the metal genre, so maybe it's to do with the genre maybe? It's good, but slightly muffled sometimes. Can't quite grind the sounds out like I'd hope for certain bands. It's not the source either: I'm testing them on an Audigy 2 with front breakout port / a better source than any to test audio. Anyway, it's better than any other headphones I've tried. The conclusion:

Great fit, comfortable as hell, stays put, stylish, great bass, and mostly very nice sound. I'm pleased with my purchase.

EDIT: I'm not sure the validity (Or whatever) of the process of burning in headphones. But after 2+ hours of listening with them, they are sounding 100% better. These are wonderful!

I just got these headphones and there tight, THEY FOLD, THEY FOLD! Not to mention the sound is great and they look awsume. Another cool feature is the non-tangle cord which also comes with an extension cord that is non-tangle too! And they fold into mini speakers and they sound pretty good, especially if your player has some power to it. Theses are off the "shizznick" and I strongly reccomend them, espcialy if you are looking for some "over the ear" headphones that everyone doesnt have (at least not yet). I have too admit, they are a little pricey but they are worth it, i like them alot and they look cooler and I think they sound better than any headphone "in its class"

They are "neeto",
PS- Holler to my dog Reagan,
R.I.P

This reciever comes with 6 input options for various audio appliances. It is quite powerful and I found it to have some very cool sound options, such as hall, live, etc. The remote is also very handy with many controls for numerous operations, and features key buttons that gow in the dark for use in dimly lit areas. However, I found that it is not the easiest thing to learn how to operate. The remote uses several abreviations that many people might not be familiar with. It also has buttons that may need some fooling around with to figure out(or you could go the easy way out and use the manual *ha* ). Overall, the STR-DE335 puts out good sound for a relatively [low]price.

Comparing receivers in this price range, I have found several new things that anybody should take into consideration when purchasing a new receiver. First, what features are you looking for? How important is sound quality? How important is having theatre-sound capability?

My Sony receiver STRV-114 (1984) recently underwent a serious meltdown. Believing I had been fortunate to have a receiver last this long, I went without hesitation to find a new model with more features that didn't break the bank.

I went to all of the area low-priced dealers (ABC, Circuit City, Best Buy, Sears). If you want to buy Sony because it's a Sony, you can go anywhere, and the prices are comparable. I have found shopping for a receiver at this price level does not make the salesmen jump up and down and provide you with their undivided attention. In fact, at ABC and Circuit City, I wanted to listen to 3 different models including the STR-D-E335, Kenwood ARV-304, and Pioneer's comparble model. ABC's salesman was bold enough to tell me I wouldn't notice the difference between them and I should take his word for the best quality. He wanted to sell me a Kenwood Arv-304.

Circuit City was very similar, but wanted me to purchase the Kenwood ARV-355 (a higher priced model), and I still hadn't listened to any of them yet, because I was assured I would not be able to tell the difference. So, I went to ABC and bought the Kenwood ARV-304. Then I went to Best Buy. They did not have Kenwood in their lineup, but, amazingly enough, I got to listen to the other 2 models I wanted to listen to (STR-D-E335, and Pioneer's comparable model). After listening to them, the Sony came out ahead hands down. I purchased the STR-D-E335 and also found out that there was a set of free home-theatre speakers that came with it (Best Buy promotion).

I took the receivers home, and first hooked up the Kenwood. To put it simply, there was a LOT of sound missing. No matter how I adjusted the Bass and Treble something was missing (the theatre speakers were not part of the test)even when I used the Bass Boost button, all it did was take the Bass setting up to +10 (max setting).

I then hooked up the Sony 335. WOW! My speakers came to life. When I used the bass boost, amazingly enough, there was extra bass, and full rich sound. Both receivers were rated at 100 watts x 2 into the same speakers in the same position. Somehow, despite all the comments from the salespeople that I would not be able to tell the difference between them, I was, in an instant, able to determine which one sounded better.

This receiver will please even the most critical of audiences (shopping in this price range), and add some features that will allow the expansion into the digital world, down the road.

...but it doesn't entirely walk the walk.

The upsides? A bevvy of inputs, slick looking, a whole slew of decoding options, the clean feel of the nightglow remote. Easy to set up, but still a tweaker's paradise if you want to dig into the menus.

The downsides? The amplifier section of this receiver is much weaker than one would expect from a receiver rated at "100W x 6". I guess that's why Sony sells an "ES" line...

Honestly, I really like this receiver. It has a good number of A/V inputs... probably enough for your average Joe with a VCR, DVD, satellite and possibly a game console, and if you take advantage of the two component inputs it has MORE than enough. There are also enough digital inputs, as well, but only one of the four are coaxial. The DSP modes are plentiful (a few of them are actually useful, which is rare in my opinion), and the '985 does the new Dolby Digital EX mode which is astounding if you have a center rear speaker connected (fire up Star Wars: Phantom Menance and you'll see). No DTS-ES, though. I can deal with that given the low [$$$] price.

Odds are, the default settings that are given in the manual will suit 90% of the '985 users. But if you are one of the 10%, you'll *really* like the additional features, such as the subwoofer crossover that is selectable in 10hz increments for the L/R, Ctr, Rears. Indepentant of each other, no less. There is also a three band parametric EQ for timbre matching your center channel if it is a different brand than the left & right. The remote is glow-in-the-dark and learning, and can even remember three fifteen-step macros. Coolness.

But like I mentioned earlier, the amplifier section really falls short. The "100W x 6" rides a technically fine advertising line. Yes, each channel can put out 100 watts, but not all at the same time. While this isn't a HUGE problem, as most home theater movies don't stress all 6 channels at once, and most people use a subwoofer to take the stress of the receiver, it IS worth noting that the '985 isn't well suited to larger rooms where the extra power would be called upon regularly. It'll simply run out of oomph. Don't try and use the '985 with anything less than 8 ohm speakers, either. It'll get too hot and go into protection mode. I tested this receiver with some very amplifier-friendly 4 ohm speakers, and it went into failsafe mode within 25 minutes of critical 95db listening (Telarc DTS-Audio sampler). Given the efficiency of my speakers, I estimate the receiver was putting out no more that 16W per channel on the peaks, so I wasn't abusing the system. The amp was fine after leaving it sit for 10 minutes, and plugging it back in. I had to return it based on that fact alone, and I wasn't happy to see it go. If you like things loud and take no prisoners with your A/V gear, you might want to consider an extended warranty plan, just in case.

If you have moderate input needs (no more than 3 S-video components, and only one Coax digital device), if your speakers are efficient 8 ohm speakers, and you don't plan on peeling the paint off the walls with volume, this receiver will do well for you. It's a gadget-lover's delight, and the remote is one of the better laid out. It's a great deal in this price bracket, and would have been a "5 STAR" recommendation with a better amplifier.

I actually purchased the STR-DE1075 first but returned it. The STR-DE985 is the new year model and they have made a couple of really significant changes. The STR-DE1075 advertises the multi-room capability... a big seller for me. But when I got it home it wasn't as easy to set up as advertised. It also didn't have any output for a 2nd set of speakers. The STR-DE985 corrected this issue. Sony has added another set of terminals coupled with the A/B speaker selection. The 2nd room feature still uses RCA plugs ... I'm still not sure how to set that up ... I was hoping I could just use existing speakers. There are more digital/optical inputs as well as more S Video inputs than the STR-DE1075. The STR-DE985 looks almost identical to the STR-DE1075 which was a great value ... but just not thought out too well. The STR-DE985 is everything the STR-DE1075 was and more ... The remote is smaller and a lot more comfortable in the hand ... Recommended for all ...

I've had this hammer for a few years now and I like it quite a bit.Knowing this is a light duty finish tool,I've put it through some serious pounding and pulling.my torture test didn't loosen the head or break the handle.It passed with flying colors.The black finish has worn off over the years but thats no big deal after all it is a hammer.the price is very good. Well worth the money.In my opinion this hammer is tool box worthy. Now get out and pound something.

.... I think that this particular hammer is the best of its kind. The head is made of stainless steel and the wooden handle is durable and easy to hold. ....

Wow! I wanted to buy a dvd player but my tv didnt have the right hook up. the solution=this modulator!!! It is awsome!!! it isnt very big so it wont get in the way. and i can have my dvd player AND my VCR hooked up at the same time with this baby!!! THis thing is small sleek and helpfull. I didnt have to buy a new tv!!! as for picture quality....awsome!! i rented some dvds and they all had great picture quality...exept for a Startrek movie..it was a little fuzzy. other than that it Rocks!!!

The Terk "RF" modulator is fantastic. I've connected a DVD player through the modulator to the "RF" adapter on my 15(!) year old tv, and the sound and picture quality are absolutely perfect. I would highly recommend this product for anyone who would like to hook up a DVD, Hi-fi VCR, or video game system to an older tv.

I only have one negative comment about this newly released Toshiba design. When switching stations, I hear a "whump" in the first moment of sound. It seems like a dampening problem in the design. Probably only audiophiles will notice it, however. Other than that, I think it is an excellent buy for the money.

Gives a Big Theater appearance when used in the rather small living room of a modular home. As the manufacturer states: there is no glare such as conventional screens produce, and it does have an amazing viewing angle. Very easy setup to any other components. After owning most of the major brands, I recommend this product very highly. A great price too!