Versatile + Multi-room with Great (But Not Audiophile) Sound

I purchased this AV receiver online for about $275. Mine is the silver version (SA-XR57S) not the black one in this listing's photo. I also own a much more expensive Denon AV system. I bought this Panasonic receiver to integrate sound and video for a remote plasma TV hanging above the fireplace. I'm using with an RBH Sound Labs TK series in-wall 5.1 surround sound system, a PSB subwoofer, and a set of Bose outdoor speakers. As this is not our home theater but rather a secondary viewing/listening location, I did not want to spend $500-1000 for a premium receiver, and I am pleased so far. The SA-XR57 will satisfy most of your audio-visual needs, offers a very versatile multi-room and wireless rear speaker capability, and is well constructed with good fit, finish and quality.

Ergonomically and functionally, the system has an uncluttered front panel with a large volume knob on the right, an input selector wheel also on the right,then surround mode selector, A/B speaker selector and power on the left. The Panasonic logo is in the center... some neat-freaks like me like their manufacturer brand logos to "stack" vertically so keep this in mind. I purchased a silver model since my cable set-top box is also silver, and on my model the silver finish is contrasted with a 1-inch high by 17" wide mirror finish feature strip across the front panel. This mirrored strip houses the LED display. It's cool how the LEDs emit through the mirror. Some people might not like the mirror finish, I was OK with it. My opinion, though, is that the SA-XR57, especially in silver, looks a little like a home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) model, and Panasonic should have tried a little harder. The remote was a neutral feature - nothing special but works and feels fine.

At about ten pounds, the SA-XR57 is not as heavy as my other receiver, although it's rated at a similar power. It's a standard 17 inches width by 4-1/4 inches high and 16 inches deep ... in other words, it's a pretty typical size for an AV component. It should stack with other brands well. It does have a steel case (not plastic) and when you shake it, there's not any looseness or rattling inside. I can also speak favorably about the amplifier circuit quality; while installing I inadvertantly shorted two channels together and the protection circuitry smoothly tripped the speaker output power off while keeping the unit power on and displaying a warning message. (Nice performance on this ill-advised real world test!)

On the back, the connections are good, but there is only one HDMI input and one output. The speaker terminals are very high quality bannana plugs with adequate spacing in between terminals to also use as screw binding posts for bare speaker wire up to 12-gage (this can be a real problem in other amps with heavy gage "boutique" speaker wires). Another really great feature is a digital connector for driving a pair of wireless rear surround speakers. I did not use this feature but it seems like a very convenient way to add surround sound without wires. (You'll need an optional Panasonic wireless surround speaker system for this to work). There is no phono (LP record player) input but I don't need (or even want) one, especially for this application. There are two each composite (digital) and optical (digital) inputs, so plenty of room for a CD player, DVD player and cable/satellite box. Of course there is a good pre-amp subwoofer output and component video (Y-Pb-Pr) outputs plus component video and S video inputs/outputs as well. There is also a 6-channel input for direct amplification of analog multi-channel surround sound, but most of us will use the digital audio connections. Best to check the Panasonic website for all the details on connectivity. I found the website helpful with a handy PDF version of the owner's manual.

The multi-room second channel audio feature is exceptional for a receiver in this price range. This is the best differentiating feature on the receiver and the reason I purchased it. You can run a second set of speakers at full rated power (i.e. "B" speaker dedicated amplification), or a 7.1 surround setup (with two more surround speakers) or a bi-amp setup with separate amplification for high-freq and low-mid freq signals on specially configured speakers. I am running two Bose 251 patio speakers and they sound great, with plenty of range and bass. Note the SA-XR57 is multi-room, NOT multi-source so you are limited to playing the same signal on the B speakers as the A speakers. This is how I use the system, though, for parties that spill out onto to patio from the family room. You can play A, B or AB speaker channels all with dedicated amplification ... in other words you're not splitting the power to drive the B channel.

This receiver lacks onboard video upconversion, but it's better (in my opinion) to handle upconversion through your DVD player, not through your AV receiver. Several new AV receivers are still struggling with this feature. Upconversion of a non-HD signal (for instance from a progressive scan 480P DVD) to 1080i or 720p will allow the use of a single HDMI cable to the TV monitor, which is very useful. The absence of on-board upconversion in the receiver will require the need to run a separate analog video cable (like an S-video cable) to the TV monitor for non-digital signals like are commonly found on lower tier analog channels on a cable set top box. {I am not a video connection expert .... if you see something here that does not sound right please add a comment!)

I do not use the tuner feature that often, but I was was not impressed with the capture on the tuner. I hooked up the loop antenna to the unit but it seems like I get better reception in my truck!

The speaker level setup and configuration utility was very simple ... allowing the receiver to recognize any combination of speakers from two up to seven. The system will auto-detect speakers and allow you to adjust volume levels and timing for a custom sound setup. I left everything at the default and it sounds great. It's also handy that you can use the set up procedure with or without a video monitor display since there is plenty of information available on the front panel for set up.

Rated power on the digital amplifier is 100 watts per channel into all seven channels. Overall I am satisfied with the power. It was loud enough to show off to my friends without any audible distortion. My first real world operational test was a six hour holiday cocktail party at elevated (but not blasting) volume levels driving all speakers ... thw SA-XR57K ran great and did not get unusually warm.

I have always respected Panasonic's video equipment reputation and performance, and this factored into my decision to purchase this receiver. If you are looking for a super-performance, audiophile quality, snob-busting, full-out "$$$$" AV receiver, the SA-XR57 is probably not for you. But, if you want to move a notch (or two) up from home-theater-in-a-box, this is a really good choice. You can add a moderately priced Panasonic (or other brand) upconversion HDMI DVD, then put your savings into speakers. The SA-XR57 has the power and versatility to drive premium speakers to their full dynamic potential, and in my opinion, that's the most important element of a great sounding system.

You'll like this receiver.