Audiovox CNP2000H XM Radio Mini Tuner Home Dock with Antenna Review

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(More customer reviews)Purchased this product in conjunction with a Samsung Nexus 50. It allows me to take the small tuner module to record on the Nexus or to work on this dock with my XM-ready Yamaha home theater receiver. Turns out I didn't even need to mount the antenna in a window or outside facing South. It works with a decent signal level located inside a cabinet on the south wall of my house, picking up sufficient signal levels through the cabinet and the outside wall of my house!!! I just used the tuner display of signal strength and moved it around till I found a good signal, avoiding the need to buy an extention cable, drilling a hole through the wall and mounting it outside.

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The Audiovox CNP2000H XM Radio Mini Tuner Home Dock with Antenna is designed to be used with the Audiovox CNP2000 XM Radio Mini Tuner Cartridge, allowing it to deliver XM satellite radio to any compatible XM-ready audio player. The Audiovox XM home dock works with a wide variety of products, including home theater and stereo systems, DVD players, mini and micro shelf systems, clock radios, and portable media players. This convenient unit can be inserted directly into an XM-ready audio device with a suitable port, and the CNP2000 XM tuner cartridge allows you to have just one XM subscription that you can take with you to deliver XM satellite radio virtually anywhere you go.
The Audiovox CNP2000H has a 6-foot cable that provides plug-and-play connectivity with your XM-ready audio device, and it comes complete with a protective cover and a windowsill mount. The windowsill antenna that comes with this dock unit is equipped with a 20-foot connecting cable so your home dock can be placed conveniently close to your audio device, while the antenna itself is placed in a location with clear visibility to the satellites above. And if a longer cable is required to achieve satellite signal access, the Audiovox CNP2000H is compatible with a Terk XMEXT50 accessory that provides you with 50 feet of extending cable. The compact and easy-to-use Audiovox home dock with antenna weighs only one pound, measures 8 x 10 x 6 inches (W x H x D) at its largest point, and is backed by a manufacturer's 90-day warranty.

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Yamaha RX-A1000 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)As I write this review, I am listening to my favorite music DVD (Eagles, hell freezes over), and I have the volume cranked to about 70% to match the listening volume of the Yamaha HTR 5790 (50% volume) that this RX-A1000 replaced. The 5790 had 110 watt vs 105 watt per channel for the RX-A1000. It was time to replace my 5790 because I recently purchased a Samsung 8000 series LED TV and wanted to pass 1080p signals from my BluRay player to the TV via the Yamaha receiver. The 5790 did not have any HDMI ports and you can't pass 1080p signals through component cables. The old Yamaha could not process Dolby True HD either. One of the nice features on this new receiver is the ability to pass video and audio to the TV via the HDMI cables even when the receiver is off. How cool is that? We don't always need 735 watts, especially when we are only watching a news channel. Another cool feature is the NET Radio. I connected the RX-1000's LAN jack to my router (via a gigabit switch)and 24 hours later (I could not get it to work imediately), I am listening to 15,000 radio stations. It took 24 hours for the receiver to figure out it was connected to a computer network? I don't understand why it didn't work right away. I checked all my settings over and over and then turned it off when my patience started wearing a little thin. The next day when I turned it on, the NET radio was working. This unit is about a $200 step up from my old receiver, but in my opinion does not match the sound of my older Yahama unit. Gosh, did 5 watts make the difference? Yamaha spent 2 years designing and building the Aventage series from the chassis up. This was not a redesign, (building and improving on an existing chassis), it is a complete new design including the number of feet (5) on the bottom. Well all in all I like this unit, but if I had it to do over, I would have waited a month and bought the RX-A2000. The RX-A2000 has video processing and upscaling that would improve the picture quality of whatever you are jacking into it, as well as 130 watts per channel.

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AVENTAGE is a dramatic, inspired step forward in audio/video component design. AVENTAGE brings studio-grade sound and sophisticated video enhancements to the home as a result of unparalleled attention to detail in design, engineering and fabrication. Details that, at first glance, would not seem to affect the quality of sight, sound, and control, when brought together within an AVENTAGE component produce a work of visual and acoustic art.The RX-A1000 A/V Receiver supports 3D and Audio Return Channel, with 8 in/2 out HDMI, new GUI, new YPAO, network functions, and control via web browser.

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Onkyo TX-NR906 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Simply amazing! I must say, this has to be one of the most sophisticated pieces of electronic equipment that I've ever owned. I don't even know where to begin. Did I mention this thing is amazing?
I was running a Bose Lifestyle 48 prior to this, but when I finally decided to make the most of HDMI connections, I shelved the Bose and stepped up to the ONKYO. What a breath of fresh air! There are so many features of the TX-NR906 that I like. Starting with the remote control--I'm sure it's common practice nowadays for receiver remotes to be fairly smart, but this guy is really bright. I've managed to teach it all the commands from my three main remote controls (TV, BD & CD Players), more or less, just by pointing the controllers at each other and clicking. I'm referring to commands that aren't usually part of a universal controller's arsenal. The large number of connection choices are really coming in handy, as well. I'm maxing out the HDMI inputs and have one of the two outputs connected to my TV. There's a ton of digital audio options as well. The front panel offers a number of connection choices, including a USB port for playing MP3s.
Another aspect of this receiver that I really like is the fact that this system not only sounds phenomenal when playing movies, but sounds equally as incredible playing CDs or listening to music from my PC. With previous systems it always seemed like one was better than the other, but with the TX-NR906, I really feels like I'm getting audiophile quality sound from all components. Oh yeah, did I mention? HD FM radio sounds phenomenal! I don't have XM or Sirius yet, but that's on the short list of near term upgrades. There's an antennae connection for both.
This receiver is the hub of my home theater. Putting things in perspective, my setup includes a Samsung LN46A750 46-Inch 1080p DLNA LCD HDTV with RED Touch of Color, Panasonic DMP-BD30K 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player, a Sony 5-Disc Carousel CD Player, Dell XPS Pentium D 3.0 GHz/3.0 GB RAM/VisionTek Radeon HD4850 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express Graphics Card, Playstation 3 80GB, Motorola digital cable box/DVR , and Aperion Audio's Intimus 5T Hybrid HD speaker system. All this, combined with the TX-NR906, really sounds and looks incredible. I'm utilizing HDMI for video on all components. I'm also supplementing the digital cable box's audio with a coaxial cable. Similarly, I'm augmenting the BD Player's audio by connecting audio cables via the multichannel jacks.
I bought the TX-NR906 in October 2008 and so far, I haven't found anything I dislike. The only minor thing I will point out is with the remote control. When you are teaching it commands from your other remotes, you might have to try it a couple of times. At first, I thought that some of the commands weren't going to be able to be taught, but I stuck with it and eventually was able to teach it all commands. No big deal, just don't give up if it doesn't work right away.
Whether you're watching HD TV, listening to your favorite music, watching the latest release on Blu-Ray, or playing the hottest shooter on your PC or PS3--if you have the money, this receiver is the perfect addition to any home theater.

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Multi-dimensional, superbly crafted, and loaded with impressive specs, the TX-NR906 A/V home network receiver is a true champion for the age.With seemingly endless abilities-including HQV Reon-VX video processing, dual high-def HDMI outputs,Audyssey room correction technologies, and multi-room audio and video distribution-the TX-NR906 leaves no base uncovered. Built around an isolated power block and pre-processing unit, this network receiver reveals the full potential of virtually any media.This includes any internet- or computer-based sources accessed via its network apparatus (which incorporates a new vTuner interface and Certified for Windows Vista? status). It's also equipped with CD-quality HD Radio, Satellite and Internet Radio, and XM HD Surround sound capability.The TX-NR906 is the first receiver of its kind to include ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) video calibration, further enhancing its groundbreaking pedigree.

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Denon AVR-4308CI Multizone Home Theater Receiver with Network Streaming and Wi-Fi Review

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(More customer reviews)Denon 4308CI Receiver

Strengths: Great quality picture and sound, excellent build quality, nice display, GUI interface, easy to assign/rename imputs, HD radio, 4 HDMI, 140 Watt multizone output, good value for price point.
Weaknesses: Complicated user manual, Useless remote, Faroudja vs. Silicon Optix processor
Price paid: $1,780 (2/08)from a reputable retail store. (Please do not ask which one as I was given an insider price)
Summary: After considerable research I purchased the Denon 4308CI to upgrade a prexisting Sony STRDA555ES receiver. My main desire in upgrading was to obtain HDMI connection capability and take advantage updated sound processing and 1080P upscaling. I ruled out various other comparable recievers for a variety of reasons, including heat generation as my components are enclosed in a audio rack partially recessed into a closed media room.
As a longtime Sony fan and owner of three ES AV recievers, it came down to a choice between the STRDA 5300ES and the Denon 4308CI.
I opted for the Denon over the Sony for a few reasons. The display on the Denon is much larger. It might sound silly but I like to see the information displayed on the receiver from where I'm listing to music. The Sony display was rather small. I also liked the fact that the Denon has internet streaming capability and HD Radio reception. The Sony has more HDMI hookups and a longer warranty (5 years vs. 2 for the Denon) but the Denon has increased power handling and full 1080P upscaling. Pricewise the Denon was a few hundred dollars more then the Sony but I felt that it had a more "modern" feature set.
So far after 4 months of use I have been very pleased with the Denon. Sound is fantastic and the GUI was intuitive. I disagree with some of the other reviews that I have read regarding the ease of setup. It took a little longer then I anticipated to set up but as I previously noted the GUI was fairly intuitive. I really like the fact that you can rename the inputs so when you select them from the function selection dial it will display whatever name you decide on. I prefer optical connections so I had to reassign some of the optical connections. Rear connections seem pretty sturdy. The unit gets warm but not hot after a few hours of use. Still havent taken advantage of the 1080P upscaling as of yet. HD radio signal reception is pretty strong and so far no interference despite living in a New York City Apartment building.
Harmony 880 Universal Remote works better then supplied remotes.
Video processing is excellent. I have however occasionally noted video artifacts. This reciver uses a Faroudja DCDi FLI2310 processor which is simply not as highly regarded by professional reviewers as the Silicon Optix Realta HQV processor used by Denon's flagship 3800BDCI Blu-ray player or the Silicon Optix Reon chipset used by receivers such as the Onkyo TX-NR905 and Integra DTR 8.8. However, overall picture quality on standard 1080i and 720p cable source material is excellent.
3808CI vs.4308CI? The 4308CI appeared to have a slightly more "attractive" build quality and appearance. In comparing the two models side by side before purchasing, the 4308CI simply looked better. However, HD radio, increased power handling and WiFi capability were the primary reasons I opted to spend more to purchase the 4308CI.
4308CI and 3800BDCI blu-ray combo. Have had the 4308CI and the 3800BDCI paired for the last three weeks. The Blu-ray picture is simply amazing. Will never purchase another standard DVD again if available in Blu-ray format.
Conclusion: I've been very happy with the 4308CI. It offers great sound and picture features at an attractive price point. However,if you are interested in better video processing you may want to check out the Onkyo TX-NR905 and Integra DTR 8.8 as well.

Review system components: (used in review)
Panasonic TH-50PZ750U 1080P (limited Ed)
Artcoustic DF-65's
Artcoustic DF-Multi (center)
Denon 3800BDCI (DVD)(used three weeks)
Sony ES 5 Disc changer
Sony SACD player
Monster HPS7000 Signature Series
Monster AVS2000 Signature series
Polk XM Radio Tuner


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Denon AVR-4308CI Next Generation A/V Multi-Source/Zone with Network Streaming Receiver

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Pioneer Elite SC-25 - AV network receiver - Rhapsody, vTuner, Sirius internet radio - 7.1 channel - high-gloss black Review

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(More customer reviews)As the title instruct you to do above, do what you have to, to be able to get one of these gems! I have had this receiver for about a month, and I never cease to be satisfied with this Unit! This unit is all about the details, both in sound quality and build quality. The thing is a monster(over 40 lbs). The connection panel in the back even has copper screws to attach grounding wires to for your individual connections, if your connection needs to have a ground available . Not to mention, the sheer amount of inputs at your disposal means that you can hook up almost anything your heart desires. Anyone can hook this unit up and use the M.C.A.C.C. and get a good sound, but, as the saying goes the devil is in the details. If you want to take it a step further, you can hook your receiver up to your P.C. (as I took the time to do) with a non supplied cable and download pioneers advanced M.C.A.C.C. software and fine tune your sound stage to your hearts content. I have a Horn loaded set-up for speakers which some people whine about the sound (klipsch: rf63's, rc64, rsw10d, and 2 pairs of rs62's), but if you are knowledgeable enough about tuning to use you computer skills and M.C.A.C.C. (playing with the X curve roll off) then you can get a sound that's on par with the best. The ICE power amps deliver effortless clean and coherent power to all channels, and have been tested to deliver with in approximately 1% of the claimed power rating on test benches by several different magazines/reviewers, not like other brands (Onkyo to name one in specific,I have previous ownership experience tsxr-806, which might have reached its power rating if there was a power surge and the unit was blowing up). The kuro link is a nice feature for those of us who own Pioneer Kuro's (myself included). One last feature that is worth noting is the pure direct feature that delivers the sound with no processing as it should be, in 2 channel full range with no sub out put so make sure your speakers are up to snuff and you will get a sound that is as incredible as it was intended to be, you will hear things that you have not noticed on the recording in previous listening sessions on other equipment. If you can afford it, or at least over extend yourself to get one, buy it as fast as you can.
As an update I recently added two items to this receiver that I believe made a great improvement in sound quality, an Audioquest NRG-5 AC9 power cord, and a pare of 10' bi-wired with bananas, Audioquest Mont Blanc(bananas because of the lack of spade support, which is endemic to most receivers for space reasons). The first thing I think that anyone purchasing one of these darlings should do is to toss that wimpy ac9 cost saving power cable it was designed to save them $. Doing so will allow your receiver to eat as much clean power (assuming you are running a power conditioner) as it can demand, and the improvements in the sound staging and placement of instruments and vocals were night and day. It may be me but I think the power cable made a larger improvement than my $2k+ speaker cables.

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The Pioneer Elite SC-25 A/V receiver is the entry point for Pioneers exclusive Direct Energy HD amplifier with ICEPower Class-D technology; specifically designed to bring a new level of performance to stereo and multi-channel surround sound. The driving force for its development was the anticipation of new uncompressed soundtracks from Dolby True-HD and DTS-HD Master audio now emerging on the Blu-Ray Disc format, bringing sonically exact studio duplication into the home.

140 Watts x 7 Direct Energy ICEpower Amplification
Networking Entertainment featuring streaming Internet Radio, Rhapsody*, SIRIUS* and more.
3-Zone Multi-Zone and Source (A/V)
HDMI Ver. 1.3a (5 Inputs Including Front HDMI Input / 2 Outputs )
Sound Retriever - Multi
Dolby True HD
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby Pro-Logic IIx
Dolby Digital EX
Dolby Digital 5.1
DTS-HD Master Audio
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
DTS-ES
DTS 96/24

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Boston Acoustics Horizon HRD-I iPod Docking Station (Midnight) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a Boston Acoustics Solo radio and it's not compatible. I did as much research as I could be before purchasing and didn't find any specific information about compatibility so just be careful. It seemed to be well made and easy to use if you had the right equipment so I gave it 3 stars...

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The Duo iPod Dock from Boston Acoustics will turn your Duo radio into the the Duo-i but with an external dock. This dock will charge your iPod while docked and allows access to your files via the Duo's remote control. The Duo has a video composite output for enjoying your iPod's video files on your TV as well.

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Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi Internet Radio Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been wanting a Squeezebox for some time but didn't want to pay for the controller. The Logitech Squeezebox software has long been open source and has a large and very active online community that is supported by the company. I looked through their forum (http://forums.slimdevices.com/) and found that one of their senior members wrote software allowing the Squeezebox Receiver to be configured WITHOUT the remote control. A link directly to the software, as reported in a comment to a previous post, can be found at http://robinbowes.com/projects/Net-UDAP. It's not officially supported by the Logitech, but I was able to get my receiver configured with it in less than an hour.
One caveat though; you should be a bit tech savy if you are going to go this route. The software is still in beta, has not been *offically* released (by reading through the thread on this topic (http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=43722&highlight=network+configuration), mostly because the guy who wrote it hasn't had time to package it up). So, currently the software is only available through an online subversion repository, which if you haven't worked with before, could take an hour or two of fiddling around to get repository software and check out the code. The configuration itself is done via a perl command line, so windows users will need ActivePerl. Check out the documentation, it's pretty straightforward.
So if none of that scares you, this is an incredible solution for wireless streaming music from a computer to a stereo for 150 bucks.

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Logitech Squeezebox Receiver - Add on network music player for your Squeezebox Duet System

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Pyle P1002AI 1000 Watts Hybrid Receiver and Pre-Amplifier with AM-FM Tuner/iPod Docking Station Review

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(More customer reviews)Just received this on Friday and hooked it up to our new Bose environmental outdoor speakers 251 putting out 200 watts per channel. Hooked up Itouch ipod to it, was working great at first, but then unit started going haywire until it ultimately FROZE and none of the operations worked properly. Called their support office today and was informed that this unit is NOT compatible with Itouch ipod models and it will short out the unit if you try to dock it in the included dock on the top. The dock on the top is made for older generation ipod models. However, you can purchase a universal ipod doc that hooks up to the back of the unit via RCA outputs if you want to use this unit with Itouch ipod. Doing this will charge the Itouch, but then in order to hear your songs you may also have to hook up the Itouch via the Ipod/Mp3 jack on the front of the unit. Once this is hooked up properly, the sounds is AMAZING for the Bose speakers that we have! It's reallly incredible and sounds like an outdoor concert. I only gave it three stars because the manual has no directions in it and no way of knowing that if you try to connect Itouch into the ipod dock that it will short out the unit. Had we known that from the beginning in the item description or the manual it would have saved us a lot of headaches trying to figure out what the problem was! Also, another FYI, the technical support agent suggested purchasing their lower end model P1001AT that DOES NOT have the ipod dock at the top if you are going to strictly use an ITOUCH ipod with it. Again, you would just have to purchase a separate universal ipod doc.

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Pyle Pro's amazing new 1000 watt Hybrid Reciever and Pre-Amplifier is the perfect solution for any home or office audio needs. Using sophisticated circuitry and premium components for uncompromising musicality -- this reciever is famous for delivering powerful and accurate sound. Complete with i-Pod docking port -- simply plug in your i-Pod and enjoy hours of high quality music. Experience warm, detailed sound from all your music sources with the P1002AI integrated amplifier. This powerful amp and reviever can easily power up to 4 speakers and has a separate gain control for the preamp and subwoofer. Unit includes AM/FM radio with auto-seek, 2 mono RCA outputs dedicated for subwoofer use, and tons of other great features. You won't find a higher quality amp/reciever at a lower price.

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Sony LBT-ZX66i iPod Ready Mini Shelf System Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been listening to my new Sony LBT-ZX66i for the past 3 hours. It does everything it claims to do and does it well. Unlike last year's equivalent model which had a (now obsolete) cassette deck, this year's model gives you a much more useful iPOD dock.(for most full-sized iPODs, such as my iPOD Classic, you can insert your iPOD directly into the LBT-ZX66i's dock. Some older or smaller iPOD's may require an adaptor)
The Sony features a 5-disc carousel-type CD changer, an iPOD dock & AM/FM radio, plus the ability to do Karaoke(there's two microphone inputs via quarter inch plug) and a headphone output which uses full sized quarter inch headphone plug.
This system is powerful and clean, and the "X-Groove" button will provide the outrageous thumping that your disco,rap, hip-hop & Dance music enthusiast craves. But here an important difference: unlike many similar systems from other manufacturers, when the thumping mode("X-Groove") is switched off, the LBT-ZX-66i can provide clear,natural sound, with crisp midrange and highs for those of us who prefer rock, pop,jazz and other types of music. Believe me: even without the added thumping, the LBT-ZX-66i is no slouch in the bass department. The 3-way speakers(with horn-loaded tweeters) are better than you would normally get in a system of this type.
There are number of effects modes optimized for various types of music(Rock,Pop, Salsa,Reggae,Dance,Jazz,Samba,Tango). "Rock" seems to yield the clearest and most natural sound. There's also a simulated surround mode(which I have yet to try), and a 3-band digital equalizer(you can create your own custom E.Q. settings in the unit's memory). I'll eventually experiment with these features. And if you have a turntable, there's a phono input. Programming the FM/AM tuner was easy and the reception and sound quality was fine.
My only complaint is this: the remote control is a bit too basic. There are too many features of the LBT-ZX66i which can't be controlled from the remote control. These features(including the effects modes) can only be selected from the main unit's front panel.
I normally wouldn't comment on the merchant here in a product review,but I'll say this:I've had a great experience buying from "J&R Music World" for the past 29 years, whether directly, or more recently through Amazon. After buying a Plasma T.V. from J&R(via Amazon) and seeing J&R drop the price $200 lower ten days later, I contacted J&R, who gave me a $200 store credit, which I used towards this Sony compact stereo system.
One other thing:this system is fairly large. It is not exactly a shelf system, but if you've got room for it, then go for it. You won't be disappointed. Not that many companies are making this sort of system anymore(JVC doesn't make systems of this size & power any more), but Sony can make this sort of system better. The manufacturing quality is excellent, and it's got enough features that can either be used or not used, so it can be tailored to produce good sound no matter what your musical tastes are.
AS AN UPDATE TO THE ABOVE:The effects modes CAN be selected on the remote control, via a button called "EQ".
Important additional note: if you are planning on playing CD-R's on this unit, I would advise you to try a few of your CD-R's on this unit before buying. While the LBT-ZX66i had no problem playing CD-R's that I recorded on my rack mount pro audio CD recorder or CD's that I recorded on my iMAC computer, I have hundreds of CD's that were recorded by my friend on several PC's that he's owned over the past 5 years. None of these discs can be played on the LBT-ZX66i(which cannot read the table of contents on these discs). The LBT-ZX66i is one of 14 pieces of equipment(and one of four Sony products) in my home which can play CD's, and the only one that can't play these PC-burned CD-R's. All of these CD-R's feature standard CD Audio.

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iPod - Charge, Play, Control 540W Total Power Output (RMS), 5-Disc CD Changer with Play Exchange, CD-R/CD-RW, MP3 Playback, 3-way, Bass Reflex Spkr Sys, 6.7" (17cm) Dual Hybrid Woofers, 1" (2.5cm) Horn Tweeter, Game Sync: Front A/V Input, Big, bright vivid display, AM/FM Tuner, 30-Station Presets, Remote Control with full iPod menu control

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Philips AmbiSound Home Theater Sound Bar with Integrated 1080p-Upscaling DVD/MP3 Player, HTS8100/37 Review

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(More customer reviews)Always a tricky one when reviewing something which sounds great, but doesnt really do what it says on the tin.
I read a few reviews on the Phillips sound bar and decide to go for it rather than the Yahama, due to its inclusion of an upscaling DVD player being built in.
My house just doesnt lend itself well to placing 5 speakers, particularly rears, so I thought what the heck I'll try this.
The audio quality is excellent, deep bass (not quite sharp enough with movies on normal settings but that can be fixed by tweaking the audion settings and cranking the treble)and a huge array of different pre set movie and audio settings to suit your ear.
But as far as virtual Surround Sound capability goes...there isnt any as far as I can tell. I've tried various DVD's with scenes I know bring in the rear speakers on full systems and there is no distinguishable surround effect.
Disappointing really, although I have to say I still love the overall sound when its cranked up, it really booms out.
So if you want a boost to your TV sound and have a beautiful looking sound bar with built in DVD (and it does look awesome), you cant go far wrong. But if you are thinking you can change the laws of physics and have surround sound without rear speakers, think again, cause this just doesnt work!

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Sometimes the quest for home surround sound is as ignominious as seeking the holy grail. Where do you place all those speakers? Do you have to reshape the room? Philips engineers have tackled that problem. They've managed to take the output from 5 distinct channel amplifiers and placed them in a single speaker called a Soundbar. Within the soundbar, speakers are angled to provide a realistic audio environment that literally emulates sound as if it's coming from all sides. It's 5.1 surround without the mess! In addition to the latest audio technology, the Ambisound system is only five inches thick and can be easily mounted onto a wall underneath an existing Flat-TV. The simple, yet elegant design enhances the décor of any home theater space, regardless of the room layout or design. The center console is designed to be mounted on a wall or resting on a stand. For maximum audio quality and clarity, the Ambisound system features a 3-band equalizer and DoubleBASS deep bass performance, creating a smooth cross over between sounds. The speakers feature soft dome tweeters for increased clarity and clear voice performance and are designed for maximum efficiency for full midrange performance. Additionally, users will enjoy the Smart Surround feature, which automatically ensures correct surround sound settings whether a movie or music is playing. Though not exactly 5.1 channel sound, The HTS8100 uses a host of technologies including array processing, precise driver positioning and psycho-acoustic innovation to achieve the full surround sound performance that is 5.1 channel compatible. Auxiliary input ports Subwoofer Only five-inches thick, the Ambisound SoundBar provides a stylish system with amplifier and a DVD player all in a single sophisticated design Philips advanced Sonowave surround SonoWave surround sound technology is compatible with all 5.1 channel surround-sound sources, such as DVDs, SACDs

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Turtle Beach AudioTron Digital Audio Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Very pleased with my AudioTron, makes the most of an existing home network and archives of MP3s. Far cheaper than hard drive-based digital audio receivers, the AudioTron has excellent sound quality, solid construction, and is generally easy to use. Only took me about 15 minutes to setup, making connections to my reciever and network hub.
PROS:
- Bright, easy to read LCD display
- Solid construction of case & controls, rack-mountable
- Digital audio out (optical SPDIF)
- Web interface is quite good, makes device accessible throughout your home
- Excellent sound quality, particularly when using digital out and higher bit-rate MP3s (192 kbps+)
- Great phone support from Turtle Beach, software updates
- Adjustable pre-buffering to eliminate interuption of music stream and reduce latency
CONS:
- Included remote feels a bit [flimsy], has too many buttons allocated to preset "favorites" while lacking important functionality like accessing "Options" menu
- Bundled Audiostation software has a lot of functionality, but a bit buggy (I experienced some difficulty using CD ripping features, but plenty of other software available which provides similar functionality)
- Connecting to a wireless 802.11b network requires additional hardware since device only has Ethernet 10Base-T connection
All in all, an excellent and truly networked device. Offers more functionality that similar devices (like Rio Digital Receiver) and looks right at home w/ your other stereo components.

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The Turtle Beach AudioTron transforms your PC into a powerful jukebox for your entire home. AudioTron uses your home network to play streaming audio from a networked Internet connection and digital music files from a PC hard drive. With the PC as your digital music library you can easily manage your music collection, create custom playlists, and find any song you want without having to search through a pile of CDs.
The Turtle Beach AudioTron connects to your PC via either an Ethernet or HPNA (home phone line) network. If you already have a home network AudioTron is easy to set up--a comprehensive setup utility helps you get started and analyzes your network configuration. (If you need to set up your home network, read our networking buying guide to learn how to get started.)
To run the AudioTron, you'll need a PC with at least a Pentium 233 MHz processor and 64 MB RAM, running either Windows 98 SE, 2000, Me, NT 4.0 SP6 or later, or XP. The PC should have sufficient hard disk space for storage of your digital music files and have an Internet connection to take advantage of streaming audio.
The AudioTron includes a phone cable for the HPNA connection and a CAT 5 cable for the Ethernet connection. It also includes a stereo RCA-to-RCA cable for connecting the analog audio outputs to powered speakers or a stereo receiver. The IR (infrared) remote provides access to all playback functions, including up to 20 presets that can be customized to instantly launch your favorite songs or Internet radio stations.
The included AudioStation jukebox software can convert your CDs to digital audio files, as well as operate with jukebox programs compatible with music files in the MP3, WMA, and WAV formats and ID3 tags in version 1.0, 1.1, or 2.3 format.

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Onkyo TX-NR1007 135 Watts 9.2-Channel AV Surround Home Network Receiver (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been an Onkyo fan for years now. This is my 5th Onkyo receiver in about 9 years or so. I've upgraded for feature set rather than anything being 'wrong' with the prior models I've had. This is the highest end model I've purchases thus far. Hopefully I'll be able to keep this one around for quite a while. It's more than I needed but I was tired of upgrading and wanted something with enough HDMI inputs and features that I wouldn't get the itch.
I have a standard 5.1 surround system for speakers so I am not using the Audyssey DSX or ProLogic IIz functionality. Nor am I using the multiple zones at this time so I have no comment on that functionality.
Things I like:
Audyssey MultiXT - I've had versions of Audyssey in all but maybe the first Onkyo receiver I've had. I don't know whether they changed something or I've gotten better at setting my HT system up properly but after running through the Audyssey speaker setup on this receiver everything sounded much more balanced and even than the setup I had gotten with my previous TX-SR705. The 'sweet spot' is wider and I'm not getting the slight tonal shift as audio moves from one speaker to the next across the front speakers like I used to.
Audyssey Dynamic Volume - This is a fantastic feature! All of my audio for everything is piped through this receiver, whether I'm watching TV, Movies, Music or playing games. With my previous receivers I was always fumbling for the volume when I was watching a show and the commercials came on since they were so much louder. I don't have to do that any more. I have the Dynamic Volume feature set to Light. It makes soft passages loud enough to hear and tones down loud passages, and when the commercials come on they aren't any louder than the tv show I was watching. I do have one quibble with it. There doesn't seem to be a feature to turn it off/on based on the source you've selected. Having this feature on when listening to music is a not a good thing. This isn't a problem with Audyssey, rather an oversight on Onkyo's part.
THX Loudness - I've never really used the THX audio modes of my previous receivers much. Primarly because in order to get the sound approaching that in a theater THX recommends listening at reference volume. There are two problems with that. I live in an apartment and I like not to bleed from my ears. The THX Loudness feature works kinda like the Audyssey Dynamic volume. I find that on some movies the THX method sounds better to me than the Audyssey Dynamic Volume.
Internet radio, Pandora and streaming - The interface for this could use some work (it looks like something from the 90's) but I really like the network features. Streaming audio from my PC in the office is more convenient with this than firing up the Xbox or PS3 and it's one less peice of electronics I have to have running. I also like that the Onkyo will wake up my office pc if it is sleeping when I go to stream audio. I don't know if this is something with my pc that allows this or not but it is convenient.
Things I don't like - I thought my TX-SR705 was loud when it did audio or HDMI switching. This is louder. I'm hoping it's due to beefier switching components. Fortunately this is only an issue at the beginning of movies where they show previews and don't steal me warnings. Also on cable when watching non-movie channels and the commercials have been broadcast in different audio then the show.
One time issue with zero audio. I was watching a tv show and changed channels. After changing the channel I had zero audio. I thought it was the channel but changing the channel back or selecting a different source (tuner) didn't fix it. I was able to fix it by unplugging the receiver for about 5 seconds and plugging it back in. This was disturbing but it hasn't happened since then. If it does I'll have to call Onkyo and find out what they can do.
Overall I love this receiver even with the odd audio issue I had.

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As Onkyo's first ever 9.2-channel receiver, the TX-NR1007 combines network capability and advanced A/V processing with a myriad of surround sound speaker possibilities. For instance, you can use Audyssey DSX or Dolby Pro Logic IIz to create an expanded, more immersive 9-channel soundstage for games and movies. Alternatively, you can supplement one of several different 7.2-channel set-ups in your main room with 2-channel sound in a second room. Along with the assurance of THX Ultra2 Plus certification, the TX-NR1007 brings greater convergence to your home entertainment. Audio files from a networked PC or streaming internet radio can be fed to the receiver, and then processed and output with customary Onkyo power and fidelity. Audyssey MultiEQ XT ensures a well-balanced, room-matching speaker set-up, while ISF video calibrationand 1080p upscaling via Faroudja DCDi Cinema work to get the most out of your video sources. Merely cherry-picking the specs, though, doesn't do justice to this mighty receiver-we suggest giving it an audition and letting your own eyes and ears be the judge.

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Yamaha RX-V2065BL 7.2-Channel Network Digital Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just received this receiver (no pun intended) yesterday. I spent around 2 months researching this purchase and finally decided to go with the RX-V2065 because I have always owned Yamaha receivers. I'm amazed at the sound quality!! This unit replaced my old Yamaha HTR-5140 and there is a world of difference in the sound. The internet radio is amazing. It sounds great and there are thousands of stations to choose from. I was listening to a radio station in India earlier. The HD radio is also a very nice feature and the few stations that I do get sound great in HD. I did have some trouble getting connected to my network because for some reason I had my router only assigning 11 IP addresses and they were all taken, so the 2065 wasn't being assigned an IP address. Was an easy fix once I discovered it. So if you have any problems connecting to your network, be sure to check your router settings first, as the Yamaha should just connect with no intervention.
CONS:
As some people have stated in other forums, Yamaha has cut some corners on their new receivers. My Yamahas have always had two power outlets on the back and I have always used one of these to plug in the subwoofer. The 2065 has no power outlets which I did not notice until after I bought it. I'm going to have to get a power strip in order to plug everything in and I won't be able to power on and off the subwoofer simply by turning the 2065 on and off.
The FM reception is not very good at all. I cannot get the two local stations that I listen to (and I could easily get them on the HTR-5140). If you go to the AVSForums and look in the 2065 thread, you will see that others have complained about this as well. With all the choices I have with the internet radio, this isn't going to be a big issue for me, but it might for someone who listens to the radio a lot.
The speaker connectors are very close together. I spent way more time than I should have getting the wires connected. If you do not already have them, I highly recommend getting banana plugs for the connections to the receiver. As soon as I get the chance I'm going to order some banana plugs and cleanup the connections.

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Yamaha RX-V2065BL 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver

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Bose 3-2-1 GS Home Entertainment System - DVD surround system - radio / DVD - graphite gray Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was a little nervous at first purchasing this system because of some of the negative feedback I heard on other systems from Bose & the high price $1199. ABT electronics did throw in the $120 speaker stands for free which was nice. After I first installed the systems it did not sound as expected; but after some adjustments to the angle of the speakers and raising the bass and treble in the setup menu the sounds is terrific. As Bose states in their manual this system is meant to realisticaly recreate sounds, not overdue certain effects like many systems do. So far I have had great enjoyement listening to CD's and DVD's, Top Gun sounds better than I have ever heard it. The set-up was easy, including the stands it took 25 minutes and then another 30 min to understand all the menus.

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The Bose 3-2-1 DVD home entertainment system offers superb sound, elegance, and simplicity in an advanced home-audio setup. The system comes with a central DVD/CD media center, a pair of shelf speakers, a powered Acoustimass module (subwoofer), and everything you need to hook it all up with ease. Using Bose proprietary signal-processing technology, the 3-2-1 system provides improved spaciousness from stereo recordings and bold movie effects from Dolby Digital surround-encoded materials. Yet its few parts require little labor to set up, so you can enjoy your new system's performance right away.The DVD/CD player plays your DVD-Video movies and CD-based music,including MP3 files written to recordable CD-R or CD-RW. Disc featuresinclude repeat and random play, DVD parental controls, forward andreverse chapter/track skip, and scanning within tracks.The supplied shelf speakers employ Bose's Articulated Array system witha patented driver configuration to provide clear, lifelike sound and aneven sound coverage not always possible with conventional designs. Thistechnology reduces acoustical dead spots and lets you hear the fullfrequency range of music and speech from small and unobtrusive speakers.In the Bose Acoustimass module, 2 downward-firing drivers give youpowerful performance for the lowest audible notes and effects. Andproprietary Bose technology ensures that you hear with clarity theproper balance of deep lows from all channels for music and movies. Hide the module almost anywhere, even behind furniture, and all the sound seems to come from the small cube speaker arrays.Other features include AM/FM tuning with 50 preset stations (25 FM, 25AM), a sleep timer (1 to 90 minutes), and console input jacks forconnecting other source components (such as a VCR, DSS, CD changer, ortape deck).What's in the Box An integrated AM/FM tuner and DVD/CD player in a small console, 2 shelf speakers with rubber feet, floorstanding Acoustimass module (subwoofer) with rubber feet, AM/FM antennas, a module cable, a system speaker cable, a composite-video cable, a stereo analog audio interconnect (red/white RCA), infrared remote control, remote batteries, an AC power cord, a user's manual, a quick-setup guide, and warranty information.Note: Bose recommends that you maintain at least 3 feet (1 meter) ofspace between the 2 speakers with no more than 3 feet (1 meter) betweeneach speaker and the edge of your TV screen.

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Yamaha RX-Z11BL 11.2-Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been a home theatre enthusiast for a long time now. Not many showrooms have this baby on demo and I've read a lot of reviews on the Z11. I decided to take the plunge and I'm glad I did! I've had yamaha's all my life and my previous amp (RX-V1700) was no light weight but compared to the Z11 sonically, it's night and day. Zll is simply crystal clear on both 2-channel stereo mode and obviously pure direct whilst the 1700 was lacking the liveliness in pure direct and 2-channel was average. Movie mode is very clear too and I think the Thx mode helps the transition of movie soundtracks optimised for the home.

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Yamaha 7.1 Channel Digital Home Theater Receiver is designed to deliver 140Wx7 channels plus 50W to the presence and rear presence channels, allowing simultaneous use of two sub woofers.It is compatible with the newest version of the HDMI standard and can be connected to a PC or Yamaha MCX-2000 enabling access to internet radio via LAN. This includes extensive zone control capabilities and achieves an unprecedented level of audio performance.

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PYLE 6-Way 300 Watt Multi-Source Wall Mounted Sound Bar - PSBM200 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Awesome
I just received this item about four hours ago, hooked it to my 46" LCD TV and my Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player and the sound is just great.
Pros: Many: It looks like it was built with quality in mind. Sound is just great. I watched the movie Avatar from a USB hard drive which is connected to the WD TV Media Player and what a difference it makes going from the TV speakers to this sound bar. Can play MP3 files from USB drives as well SD card; I recorded some music to an SD card and to an USB flash drive and it played both of them flawlessly and one can even shuffle the music. I also connected my MP3 player through the sound bar's 3.5 MM connection and, again, no issues.
Cons: My main negative is no HDMI; of course that's the reason for the low price, so I cannot complain. A little larger and heavier than what I expected.
Will edit this review as I spend more time with this sound bar, but for such a low price you can't go wrong.

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This 300-watt Pyle soundbar envelops any room in rich, full sound. It's all contained in one package - an FM radio, USB and SD card inputs for MP3s, and three stereo RCA inputs for plenty of ways to get your favorite music rocking. It's all housed in a piano black finish painted wooden case with a beautiful blue backlight LCD display that will add new life to your home entertainment system. The sound is generated by two 4 Inchwoofers flanking four 3 Inchfull-range speakers - for deep, punchy bass, and rich mids and highs. SRS 3D technology enhances your sound for a bigger soundstage. Adjust the volume and select the input using the built-in controls, or use the included wireless remote control, An integrated wall mount allows you to easily attach this soundbar to the wall.

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Sony HT-DDW660 Home Theater System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I will just say a few words that have not already been said about the system:
- This unit does not come with a digital optical cable so if your player needs one make sure to buy one.
- The provided coax cable is only 3feet long. So if you need a longer one, plan to buy one.
- I bought the Sanus HTB2 floor stands for it and it works very well.
- The remote has buttons for selecting between Video-audio and DVD-audio. This was kind of confusing at first since the audio from my digital optical cable comes through by selecting Video-audio. But at the same time the diagram in the manual suggests that you can plug another source into the analog Video-audio input. Turns out, if you read further into the manual, the system detects for signals on the digital input and analog input and prioritizes digital over analog. So if a digital signal is present, it will select digital. If it is absent it will select analog automatically.
- I like the fact that the satellite speakers all look exactly the same. The unit as a whole is well styled compared to the equivalent Panasonic system (SC-HT05), which looks cheap and gaudy. I originally wanted to buy the Panasonic to match all my other Panasonic components but after reading about the problems other reviewers were having with it, and after seeing how fragile it looked in the store, I decided otherwise. At the local store I noticed one of the legs on the Panasonic's subwoofer had broken off.
- It would have been nice to have a second digital optical input. Unfortunately the only way to get a Sony system with 2 digital optical inputs is to buy the receiver separately and the speakers separately, which would give you a 7.1 sound system but would also require an investment at 3 times the cost of this unit.
I looked at other competing systems (the Panasonic SC-HT05 and the Yamaha YHT-150) that had this capability at a small price increase. But online reviews indicated that some of the Panasonic units had a random squeeking problem with the digital audio input. The Yamaha looked very promising since it also had video inputs which would mean that it would be convenient to switch both the video and audio signals on the same remote. However the Yamaha only supports RCA composite video inputs, NO S-Video and NO Component inputs. Also the reviewers said it was difficult to install.
So weighing all those factors I eventually decided on the Sony. A simple, entry-level, no fuss unit that sounded great! I tested it on the Empire Strikes Back and it was awesome to hear the Star Destroyers rumble and the Snow speeders zip by around me. I had never realized until now just how many tiny little nuances of audio there were in the film....

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Sony's HTD-DW660 Home Theater in a Box System offers you the ultimate entertainment at home. Allow this 420 Watt Home Theater System to surround you with sound that is astounding.

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