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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"I have been very happy with this unit for 2 years now"
Pros: Clean clear power, front input jacks, protection circuits
Cons: Input selection, large unit (very deep), FM reception
Summary: It's been a little over two years, since I acquired this unit.
The sound is fantastic. This receiver can not be beat. I have not needed to â??twiddleâ?? with the settings too much. I use a digital coax cable from the DVD output and set the receiver Surround Mode to Auto - which then defaults to whatever surround mode is selected from the DVD source.
I almost did not buy this unit, because, I had read that it does not have A/B speaker selection -- it DOES. You can use it for A/B if you do not have it set up in 7.1 surround. If you use 5.1 surround, then it will support A/B. I have set mine up like this, and have had no trouble. You can have both A/B running at the same time, and playing different sources (play the radio in the kitchen, while a movie is playing in the living room). You do not need an additional amplifier for this configuration.
I was also concerned because it was rated for ~only~ 90 watts per channel. Well - that ought to have been my least concern. I have yet to be able to listen to anything at full power (0dB) for more than 5 minutes, as it is extremely loud - even in a large room. This receiver is much louder than the 100 watt per channel JVC receiver it replaced, and a 100 watt per channel Yamaha I use in another room. Heat dissipation is not much of an issue. Even if run for long times, and loud volumes, it does not get unusually hot.
The downsides to this unit have nothing to do with its acoustic abilities. They are a) the physical size of it; b) input selector knob; c) FM reception.
At over 18 inches deep, it is a challenge to fit into a cabinet. Also, all 7 speaker binding posts are located fairly close together, and getting all the wires in properly can be a challenge, especially if you use small gauge wires and bi-wire your mains.
Input selection can be done via the remote control: by holding the button down for 3 seconds (which can seem like an eternity); or by rotating the selection knob that cycles one-by-one through all of the inputs, of which there are many. I miss the good-old days when you want to listen to FM, you press FM
Speaking of FM, I have not had much luck capturing FM stations on this unit with the supplied antenna or even a set of rabbit ears. I have overcome this by using my CATV 75ohm for FM; which results in great quality, however my CATV supplier does not carry my favorite radio station.
Being a few years old already, this unit does not support HDMI. But thatâ??s not so much a problem (yet) for me. I do not use my receiver for video switching, and instead run my DVD video to the TV through HDMI, and audio to the receiver through digital coax.
Current setup: Marantz SR5500 receiver, Klipsch RF-62 main speakers RC-52 center, Pro-media rear surround, Paradigm 4 x CS-60R in-ceiling speakers as speaker B with 2 x VC-150 control knobs.
