Surround yourself with sound
Written: Apr 11 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Amazing sound quality, good price, easy to use
Cons: Can be overwhelming to someone not familiar with products
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| jennwag's Full Review: Pioneer D-5500 |
Call me an electronics junkie, but I've always wanted a home theater system that made me feel I was at the symphony, or at the movies, completely engulfed in pure high quality sound.
My primary reason for upgrading to a complete audio system was because I have a DVD player, and it is wasted without a surround system. You cannot fully appreciate DVD technology without a surround system because the 5.1 Digital Surround Sound is identical to being at the movies and is especially noticeable with Special Effects movies like "The Abyss" and "The Matrix".
My choice of systems is Pioneer. Partly because of the great deal I got on the system and partly because of their reputation with high quality electronics. The system I purchased included the following components:
Dolby Digital Receiver with AM/FM tuner, model VSX D508
7-band Graphic Equalizer, model GR 408
Dual Cassette Deck, model CT W4000
301 CD Changer, model PD F908
5 Speaker system including 3 surround speakers.
Thanks to an incredible deal at Sears, I was able to get this out-of-the-box special for $699.00. (The speakers were boxed) I decided I didn't need to buy a sub-woofer since I live in an apartment and my neighbors would kill me. Rest assured, this system has enough power to delight even the most finicky of sound junkies. The receiver incorporates 5 independent 100 watt power amplifiers which allows for true high fidelity reproduction.
If you are going to invest in this type of system and you have a DVD player, I recommend that you buy a fiber optic cable to connect to the receiver rather than the standard RCA cables because this will give you pure digital sound. The CD Changer also has a jack for a fiber optic cable and again I recommend you use it.
It took a little bit of time getting the system connected but it wasn't difficult. The instructions for all the connections and wiring were pretty simple to understand but if you aren't too familiar with stereo components, I suggest you have a friend over who is, buy them a pizza and let them do it for you. I also suggest you get plenty of extra speaker wire to fully enjoy the surround speakers by mounting them on your walls above your couch or listening area.
The first true test of this system was watching the "lobby shooting spree" scene of "The Matrix" on DVD. It was amazing! You could hear the bullets firing, shells dropping to the floor, marble shattering, swirling around you just like the movie theater.
The receiver also has 6 Digital Sound Processing modes which provide you with different listening environments. Hall 1, Hall 2, Jazz, Dance, Theater 1 and Theater 2, all simulate the different acoustics of each environment. The 2 Hall modes are nice when listening to concerts.
With the receiver you can program your favorite radio stations, 20 FM and 10 AM. There are also video input jacks on the front of the receiver for plugging in a video camera or your favorite video game system without having to go behind the rack or stand where you have your system.
You can also adjust the speaker volume for each of the 5 speakers depending on their location in the room. You can do this with the remote or from the receiver itself. The manual gives detailed instructions on how to do this. Depending on the size of the room and the distance separating your speakers, you may want to play around with this until you get the sound that's right for your area.
Overall, this system has everything you could want in a home theater, but I suggest you really shop around to find the best deal for your wallet. When pricing individual components, you'll find prices of $399.99 and up just for a quality receiver so if you can find a package deal, it's a better value the majority of the time. If you don't mind floor models with a scratch or two, it's definitely worth it. I highly recommend you buy whatever extended warranty or special service plan that is offered only because this equipment is rather specialized and if anything goes wrong with it, you will pay a fortune to have it fixed without a warranty.
Enjoy!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jennwag
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Member: Jennifer
Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 9 members
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