Delivers the goods
Written: Feb 07 '01
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Pros: Low price point, good configurability, ease of use, power, phonograph input
Cons: No S-VHS input, optical digital input only.
The Bottom Line: For the money, it's hard to find a more feature-rich, higher power, ready for the 21st century unit. I'm happy and I recommend it highly.
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| tgeorges's Full Review: Technics SA-DX940 |
I'm in the minority here, as I see it. Up until my purchase of this receiver, I was the proud owner of a 15+ year old bargain basement, 20W/channel Magnavox receiver. No DVD. No home theater. But I did have an old pair of EPI speakers that were just gathering dust unused, so I decided to break down and get a new receiver. At first I was going to just go for plain jane audio, but found that the phonograph input is going the way of the Dodo, and this not only in high or low priced gear! However, I did notice a trend that receivers with lots of newfangled stuff decided that the owner probably wouldn't still have a record player, so the space was used for something else.
Well, my search took me finally to the SA-DX940, which has lots going for it (including phonograph inputs) and can be had on the street or mail order for under $200. Feature-wise, I've used only the Stereo and Dolby ProLogic, and special effects (e.g. simulated surround). The Stereo, at 100W/channel, sounds great thru my dinosaur speakers. The unit I got came with a set of Technics surround speakers, which gave me my first "home theater" experience with some of my "Dolby Surround" VHS tapes (I don't have a DVD). The "Simulated Surround" or "Theater" modes both give better bass response than Dolby Surround. I was impressed with the configurability of speakers (small, large, spacing, relative volume, subwoofer cutoff, etc.). All these parameters helped me tailor my setup for optimum listening. I was also please that it had a set of "B" speaker outputs, allowing me to wire my kitchen to listen, as well. And it has phonograph inputs!!
It was very easy to setup and use, and the manual was actually useful to a DIY like me. I considered it's lack of a coax digital input when I purchased it, and you should, too, especially if you already own a DVD that does not have optical output. It also has a built-in fan that comes on when pumping out higher power output. I like this, as overheating can kill a unit. Overall, I'm happy with my purchase. It's built-in DTS and DD decoders will make it quite usable for today's and tomorrow's home theater.
Did I mention that it has phonograph inputs?
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 249.00
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Epinions.com ID:
tgeorges
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Reviews written: 1
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