Great sound, great build quality, pretty easy to set up
Pros:
Awesome sound, great build quality, easy setup and remote control
Cons:
Display could be larger.
The Bottom Line:
A very very good surround receiver. Just like ANY other surround receiver, requires a review of the manual. The rewards are worthwhile!
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I've had this unit for about 5 weeks now. I use it with JBL SCS300.7 speakers, a hifi vcr and a dvd player. This AVR system is identical to the AVR-1707 except for cosmetics.
After reading negative reviews about the setup and the ergonomics of the remote control, I was cautious about purchasing this unit, however the reviews about the build and sound quality were enticing.
The end result, though is that I'm very very happy with this purchase! After reading once through the user guide, hooking up all of the peripherals (speakers, dvd, vcr) was very simple. I don't have a component video tv yet, so I didn't have a chance to deal with that.
Firstly, the remote control does NOT deserve all the bad reviews that it's been getting. It is a two-sided unit, with only frequently used buttons on the one side. The buttons are large and easy to hit without looking. On the bottom side, under a door, there are all of the 'missing' buttons. At first I thought 'yuk', having all these buttons hidden on the back side, BUT soon I realized that these back-side buttons are used only rarely after the initial setup. All of the correct sound modes are selected automatically depending on the source that you choose. Sure, initially I tried all of the different surround sound combinations when watching a movie, but in the end, I usually end up at the same configuration. In other words GOOD RIDDANCE to those buttons, what a GREAT idea to tuck them away on the back.
Now, with respect to the setup. I don't know what problem others might have had. I've never had a surround sound system, so reading the user guide was essential. With very little complication I had my room rockin! Hookup of peripherals is the same as any other surround system. Lots and lots of wires to keep track of. Setting up sources and surround modes was straight forward, plus the final setup with speaker balance is done with a supplied microphone.
With respect to quality! WOW. This receiver pumps out great sound effortlessly. I'm using only bookshelf surround speakers but they have no chance of consuming the 75 W/channel that is available. As with the majority decent subwoofers today, they are internally powered, thus the power of the receiver has NO PART in the subwoofer sound. Except, that the receiver can be used to control the crossover frequency. For me I got good results at 110 Hz with my bookshelf JBL 300.7, and 60 HZ with my floor standing full-size set that I use for 'stereo'.
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