Great Budget DD/DTS system
Written: Jun 26 '01
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Pros: Onkyo quality, sound, price/value
Cons: 55 watts, cannot play a/b speakers simultaneously
The Bottom Line: Great budget receiver for the small-medium home theater. Onkyo quality and all of the features that the average user REALLY uses.
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| misterman's Full Review: Onkyo TX-DS494 5.1 Channels Receiver |
I purchased this receiver at crutchfield.com and have been happy with its performance thus far. I have it connected to a Toshiba dvd, and a full complement of Polk Audio speakers for the surround.
I upgraded from an old Kenwood Pro Logic system and I am much more impressed with the 5.1 surround sound qualities via the DVD. I have had to get used to the lower wattage though, as my Kenwood 9020 was RMS 130 watts. The 55 watts is sufficient for a small-medium size home theater, but you will need to have the volume up near the max to watch a movie with a 2 year-old playing in the same room. (I never set the Kenwood volume above half so this was new to me.) You can get more power with the 595 or 696, but the $$'s double/triple.
If you have alot of equipment, you may need to upgrade. I only have a vcr, cable box, cd, and dvd. With 2 video inputs, and 1 dvd input (either component or S-video), I use all of the inputs. The cd has its own analog input. There is also 2 coaxial and 1 optical input for digital sound.
The remote control is nothing special. It has some limited capability with my cable box/TV etc, but I cannot figure the code for my Sony CD player. It does work well with my Toshiba DVD, but over all it is small and unimpressive. It is a budget receiver though.
All in all I am happy with the purchase, especially for the Onkyo quality at the price. I also recommend Crutchfield, as I had a problem with a speaker, and they sent me a new one FIRST, then I sent the defective one back WITHOUT s/h charge. Usually you are stuck sending it back on your $, and waiting for the replacement.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 299.00
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Epinions.com ID:
misterman
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Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 2 members
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