Audio Reviews

Having recently purchased a DVD player, I was looking for a digital receiver that could maximize the terrific sound that DVDs are known for.

I wanted to find one with DTS. I was dismayed at the prices I would have to pay to get that feature. When I found this receiver with DTS at this price, I was ecstatic.

The sound quality is terrific. I am 100% satisfied that I bought a great piece of audio equipment.

The sound from this receiver is impressive. The offering of both Dolby Digital and DTS decoding at this low price range is another great feature (The Eagles DVD was what drove me to upgrade to include DTS). Yes, the KAM amplifier, that some may view as cheap, is probably how Kenwood can keep the price down and yet can offer all the other features. A home theater magazine tested this receiver in the lab and their measured figures are actually much better than what was published in the Kenwood spec. You have to read the instructions to set this receiver up to make it play. It is true for all receivers with all these features. To some, it may be confusing. The pink noise generator in the receiver does not seem to help balance the channels properly during the setup. I ended up using a home theater calibration DVD with a sound pressure level meter to balance all the channels. I drive with this recevier a pair of Polkaudio RT800 speakers with its matching center channel and bipole/dipole switchable rear channel speakers, plus a Infinity powered sub. The sound is just unbeleivable. The only complain with this receiver I have is that it has only 1 optical audio input. I would like to have one more for the satellite receiver. I have to settle for the copper digital input. The 3 macro keys on the remote are extremely handy. Once programmed, you can push just one macro key to turn on and set up all the necessary components, such as the DVD player, the receiver with the correct audio/video input, and the TV with the correct video input. Push the same macro key once again to turn off all the components when done watching your favorite video. I am extremely happy with this receiver.

I got this receiver as part of Kenwood's Digital Home Theater in a Box. I was blown away by the sound. I had returned a different model and was about to give up hope of finding an affordable DTS receiver. I was a little confused by the hook ups and the remote, but a phone call to thier 800 support # cleared up all of my problems. I was able to program the remote to work with my odd mix of stereo and TV components. I would recomend this receiver to anyone looking to make the DTS plunge. I works great with my Sont 530 DVD.

I've had this cable for about 6 months. It made an immediate difference to my system. It sounds clear, transparent, smooth. Also, I like the directional indicators on the cable which help in installation.

My only gripe is that the connectors are cheaply made. When one of the "grab" pins broke off, I realized the connector is not all metal construction (like you would expect for the price). The pin was made of plastic - quite a disappointment. I hoped for better at this price.

After buying a Toshiba SD2200 DVD player, I didn't want to use "el cheapo" cables. I only wanted the best. That's were Monster came in with their high-performance audio interconnects. I compared the cable to the ones the came with the player and the difference was like night and day. I could not believe my ears! If you are looking for some high-resolution audio cables for your new home theater and you don't have optical or digital connections, this is the best route to take. Sure it may not be cost-effective, but who really cares, eh? You are a audiophile.

Just go out and buy some of these right now, you won't regret it!

These cables are excelent. They reproduce bass, middle and highs very clearly and in a soft way. They sound very good and natural. I think the guys who had problems should had checked their equipments, room accoustic and speakers before review this product.

I've had this cable for about 6 months. It made an immediate difference to my system. It sounds clear, transparent, smooth. Also, I like the directional indicators on the cable which help in installation.

My only gripe is that the connectors are cheaply made. When one of the "grab" pins broke off, I realized the connector is not all metal construction (like you would expect for the price). The pin was made of plastic - quite a disappointment. I hoped for better at this price.

After buying a Toshiba SD2200 DVD player, I didn't want to use "el cheapo" cables. I only wanted the best. That's were Monster came in with their high-performance audio interconnects. I compared the cable to the ones the came with the player and the difference was like night and day. I could not believe my ears! If you are looking for some high-resolution audio cables for your new home theater and you don't have optical or digital connections, this is the best route to take. Sure it may not be cost-effective, but who really cares, eh? You are a audiophile.

Just go out and buy some of these right now, you won't regret it!

These cables are excelent. They reproduce bass, middle and highs very clearly and in a soft way. They sound very good and natural. I think the guys who had problems should had checked their equipments, room accoustic and speakers before review this product.

I've had this cable for about 6 months. It made an immediate difference to my system. It sounds clear, transparent, smooth. Also, I like the directional indicators on the cable which help in installation.

My only gripe is that the connectors are cheaply made. When one of the "grab" pins broke off, I realized the connector is not all metal construction (like you would expect for the price). The pin was made of plastic - quite a disappointment. I hoped for better at this price.

After buying a Toshiba SD2200 DVD player, I didn't want to use "el cheapo" cables. I only wanted the best. That's were Monster came in with their high-performance audio interconnects. I compared the cable to the ones the came with the player and the difference was like night and day. I could not believe my ears! If you are looking for some high-resolution audio cables for your new home theater and you don't have optical or digital connections, this is the best route to take. Sure it may not be cost-effective, but who really cares, eh? You are a audiophile.

Just go out and buy some of these right now, you won't regret it!

These cables are excelent. They reproduce bass, middle and highs very clearly and in a soft way. They sound very good and natural. I think the guys who had problems should had checked their equipments, room accoustic and speakers before review this product.

I had high hopes for this inexpensive but powerful home theater receiver as the foundation of my new home audio and (eventually) home theater system -- a repleacement for my 25+ year old Sherwood 7250CP audio-only receiver.

No go. After unpacking and sorting out which features I needed to initialize first, I got it plugged in, connected and fired up an audio CD on my trusty Sony carousel player and piped the sound through a pair of reliable Ambient bookcase speakers ...

After two minutes I shut it off, rechecked the connections and tried again. Same results: the audio was playing fine but the sound itself was harsh, brittle and not at all the listening experience I expected -- a far cry from the warm, smooth sound of the lower-power 40watt Sherwood. The JVC's FM tuner seemed incapable of holding a station, another disappointment as the Sherwood handled this task just fine in the same location.

Subsequent tests didn't improve matters, and the incredibly complex and hard-to-read remote (when will the ADA weigh in on the design of remote control handsets?) made opertating the receiver an exercise in frustration.

Sorry, JVC. I sent it back.

Let me start off by saying I mix sound for movies and TV. I am very aware of how my shows should sound and I'm very impressed with the sound of this unit. The Dolby Pro Logic II is outstanding! This unit is easy to use and is simple to set up. The remote is very small, it could be larger, but it works well. If you want a fine sounding unit at a very reasonable price with a fair amount of options look no further.

This is a professional sounding receiver at a low end price. It produces wonderful sound when connected to a good set of speakers.

I first used the receiver with a pair of old Bose 301 speakers. I can honestly say that I have never heard the Bose 301 speakers sound better! There was clearly more definition and overall response than with my old Sony receiver.

Finally, I connected the receiver to my Cerwin Vega AVS-5.1 speaker set (reviewed separately). I set the front, center and surround speakers to "small" on the receiver and then I was completely amazed by the sound. There is absolutely no audible distortion. The unit sounds really fantastic with the best DVDs - like "Pirates of the Caribbean". In my opinion, even better than the sound in a movie theater.

Although low on features, this is a great sounding unit which and I am extremely pleased with it. It looks, feels and - most importantly - sounds like a professional unit. I highly recommend the JVC RX-6030V or the higher-end units in the series (the RX-7030V and RX-8030V).

Forget about Optical cables, with this coaxial cable you will experience the BEST sound from your DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 system. It provides the best DIGITAL audio connection between your DVD and your dolby digital receiver.

For some time, I had been reluctant to switch to coaxial digital cables. I figured I was getting good sound with the optical cable which I paid [price] for, and why should I spend another [price] for digital coaxial cable. Last week I switched to Monster Cable IDL 100 Interlink Datalink 100 coaxial digital cable and now my optical cable is collecting dust in my garage. The difference in the sound is incredible!!! This Interlink 100 cable eliminated "sound inpurities" and turned it into a much crispier, detailed sound. The bass from the subwoofer is crystal clear and powerful but without the "puffy"/distorted bass. dvd players have both connection options in the back. Some new models have only the digital coaxial option. Buy this Interlink 100 and experience the difference yourself. You will not be sorry you switched. I give this product two thumbs up!!!

This is for the gentelman from Houston who has been lost in the world of cables and wishes to return the Monster Cable IDL 100 Coaxial digital cable. Do not return it!! As another reviewer suggested, you run the IDL 100 from your Digital receiver (it will not work if your receiver doesn't have a digital coaxial out put) to your dvd player. You connect the end of the IDL 100 with the arrows into your digital coaxial out put in the back of your reciver and the other end of the cable into your dvd player (NOT your TV) This cable is an audio cable NOT a video. The back of your Sony TV is for video connections: component, analog or S video. Read your owners manual or visit Amazon.com, find your tv model, your dvd model and read thechnical information. You will be surprise how easy it is.

Forget about Optical cables, with this coaxial cable you will experience the BEST sound from your DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 system. It provides the best DIGITAL audio connection between your DVD and your dolby digital receiver.

For some time, I had been reluctant to switch to coaxial digital cables. I figured I was getting good sound with the optical cable which I paid [price] for, and why should I spend another [price] for digital coaxial cable. Last week I switched to Monster Cable IDL 100 Interlink Datalink 100 coaxial digital cable and now my optical cable is collecting dust in my garage. The difference in the sound is incredible!!! This Interlink 100 cable eliminated "sound inpurities" and turned it into a much crispier, detailed sound. The bass from the subwoofer is crystal clear and powerful but without the "puffy"/distorted bass. dvd players have both connection options in the back. Some new models have only the digital coaxial option. Buy this Interlink 100 and experience the difference yourself. You will not be sorry you switched. I give this product two thumbs up!!!

This is for the gentelman from Houston who has been lost in the world of cables and wishes to return the Monster Cable IDL 100 Coaxial digital cable. Do not return it!! As another reviewer suggested, you run the IDL 100 from your Digital receiver (it will not work if your receiver doesn't have a digital coaxial out put) to your dvd player. You connect the end of the IDL 100 with the arrows into your digital coaxial out put in the back of your reciver and the other end of the cable into your dvd player (NOT your TV) This cable is an audio cable NOT a video. The back of your Sony TV is for video connections: component, analog or S video. Read your owners manual or visit Amazon.com, find your tv model, your dvd model and read thechnical information. You will be surprise how easy it is.

I have a few questions before I buy this. I have hundreds of songs downloaded on Musicmatch can i transfer them onto this product? Also it said that this has a built in battery, will it ever run out of "juice". Please email me if you know these answers. rel61@hotmail.com

Unlike some I have had the product for more then 5 minutes and it is USB 2.0 compatible and you can transfer a song a second!!!!

It is funny how people who write negative reviews always promote another product.

Anyways here is an unbiased one. Do I have an IPOD or ZEN or another product???

NO

But I do have the RipDrive and the picture AMAZON has is incorrect.

What can I say about it,I love it.

The unit has one great feature no OTHER PLAYER has. The ability to upgrade your hard drive in the future up to 137GB.

I added an 80GB HDD and it works great!!!

1.You can set your own EQ levels, make on the fly playlists and store anytype of digital files in it.

That is just for starters.

I love the fact you need no drivers to use the product and the quality of playback is awesome (especially setting your own EQ levels)

The unit also can record (it is built in) from any audio source.

It has a line in and built in internal mic. I was able to record meetings/conversations and upload those fast using my USB 2.0 system.

It also has an FM tuner and that gets good reception in my area.

The unit weighs 10oz and comes with a cool case that you can attach to your belt or side (much like a cell phone)

It is not heavy at all and feels and looks very durable.

The user manual instructions are easy to follow and written in good english.

So far I love the unit and use it to transfer all my data files.

Look around and you will see a 1GB SD card costs 300+ dollars.

This is an all in one backup solution and portable MP3 player and recorder with an FM tuner built in.

I love it. GOOD JOB POGO!

I purchased my Ripdrive from J&R Music World through Amazon at a 10% saving. Why is J&R gone now?

Well, let's review.

This is an outstanding player and certainly beats any memory card player. I downloaded ~ 7GB of music (2145 songs) to it in less than 10 minutes, so you won't have to wait an hour or more to load the player (USB 2.0). It is extremely simple to operate and has only ten buttons. For those seriously interested, I recommend downloading the manual and reading it. It has superb playback and volume. I'm currently trying to run the battery down, but it's been playing 8 hrs. and 17 minutes and the battery indicator still shows full (> 70%). However, it took 6 hours to charge from 40%. I purchased a backup battery just in case from Pogo Products for $20.00. If you play it in random (shuffle) mode, it remembers the order it played the songs in, and you can backtrack. Also, if you turn off id3 tags, it will show the previous and next songs even in random mode. The time display can run in either elapsed or remaining mode. The picture of the player is still wrong unless you get to it from ThinkGeek. (See the manual or preferably pogoproducts.com.)

It has a number of repeat options: All, directory, subdirectory, and single. It also has an A-B repeat feature. Transferring files couldn't be easier. Simply drag and drop or select and then move or copy. I simply mirrored my main music directory on it. You can browse through the files or search for a particular file. You can create playlists on the fly. Updating the firmware (mine came with the latest version) is also extremely simple. Download the latest version from pogoproducts.com and copy it into the FIRMWARE folder.

The display is fairly large (160X105) and shows just about everything that you could want. It comes with a belt clip case that allows complete access to all buttons and ports, so you never have to remove it from the case. All cables are provided, along with earbud earphones which I didn't bother to open. I also purchased an FM transmitter (Belkin - seems quite satisfactory) which plugs into the earphone jack so that I can play my music collection through car radios. It has the capability to record voice on its built-in mike or any audio source on the line in jack which can be analog or digital. It can also record from its FM receiver which allows for 20 presets. This player has a number of other features which I won't go into here but which will no doubt pleasantly surprise you. The warranty is for one year, unlike Zen. I did considerable shopping on Amazon and also physically at Best Buy, CompUSA and Circuit City. Whatever you get, be sure and check out the warranty. An Archos that I was considering had one year parts, 90 days labor, which means that after 90 days you'd probably do better to can it.

Usually when I purchase a piece of gear like this, I find a number of points that I disagree on with the designer(s), but I have to say that I really can't find any nits to pick with this player. The price is low, it has more than ordinary functionality, and the performance is great. 5 STARS! Apple eat your heart out. Addendum: I was interrupted while writing this review, and the battery now has 12 hrs. 41 min.and still shows 2 bars (40-70%).

I got this player as a gift in February. It didn't work when I got it. It took 2 months for Samsung to return my messages and finally they let me send it back. I got it back in worse shape then I got it in the first place! When I first got it, my computer at least recognized there was a detachable device. Now my computer can't detect it at all. Thier customer service is unresponsive so I finally was able to send it back for a refund. Not worth the money at all.

alright well i bought this guy last year, when it was $180! ya im an idiot-- well this was hte time where we didnt know much about mp3 players because apple just introduced the first one and only 10gb ipod. So i looked at this samsung yepp because it wasnt as expensive as the ipod. I really liked it and it was cute and i loved how it looked. It has a great back lit screen and it is easy to use. It was not worth the money! it is now, since its $70! Ugh i guess i should have waited. Anyways it was not worth $180 because it holds 5 cds. The battery power isnt very good. Another thing is the program it uses. The samsung yepp mp3 program is extremely confusing and i am a computer wiz and i still dont understand it. Anyways its a great little toy. Its mainly for exersizing, when you go out and jog and stuff like that. If i had waited, i probably wouldnt get it today, since the other mp3 players that were $400, decreased to the price i bought this one. Ya its great, but you should wait and look out for others that hold more and that are better quality.

This is the best MP3 player if you like small. Great sound and it does not skip one bit. Downloading the music onto this player is so easy. It comes with all of the accessories. It is worth more than I payed....I recommend buying it!