Comments for HiFi Reviews

Comment on Yamaha A-S700 Integrated Amplifier Review by mal

mal — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:39:21 +0000

Bought this a couple of weeks ago not sure what speakers people are using but the amp drives my DM 2/6 beautifully

Comment on Onkyo TX-NR808 7.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver Review by Aiki

Aiki — Mon, 07 May 2012 09:57:34 +0000

I have to say I’ve not had the experience you’ve had with the many Onkyo units I’ve played with and reviewed over the years.

It makes me wonder if you haven’t been either incredibly unlucky or of the room you are using the units in has some oddities in terms of temperature or moisture levels?

Comment on Onkyo TX-NR808 7.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver Review by formerONKYOfan

formerONKYOfan — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:12:43 +0000

DO NOT BUY ONKYO IS CRAP I started into the home theatre craize about 5 years ago.. In gaining experience and knowledge into components and systems, I am more an more interested in advanced sound. This landed me with an ONKYO TX-NR806. It worked well for about a month. It had a number of problems that would render my ONKYO to little more than an anchor. ONKYO finally did replace the unit. It did not work at all right out of the box. They sent me another. IT DID NOT WORK either. In my struggle, a vice president, sent me the next unit higher, the TX-NR808. It worked.. What a concept… for 3 months. . The unit randomly changes modes, freezes up, shuts off, won’t shut off, turns it self on. I am unequivocally DONE with ONKYO. Their equipment is little more than CRAP at an extreme price.

Comment on Marantz SR7005 by Joe

Joe — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:51:00 +0000

Hi
I’m thinking of purchasing the Marantz SR7005. I want to connect to an Oppo BDP93 and a set of Polk RTI-A7 speakers, Polk CSI-A4 center and 2 in-wall Polk speakers. The Marantz and Oppo will be connected through HDMI. How will music sound with this setup? I know the BDP-95 has the better DACs,but if I connect it through HDMI, the DACs will be by-passed.

Comment on LG 42LK520 HDTV Review by Nosgoth1979

Nosgoth1979 — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:08:33 +0000

This LG set looks good, especially for the price, and 42” is just about perfect for my den. I want to buy more than one TV before next week before DISH, my employer, comes by to install the Hopper. I couldn’t wait to get one so now I’m kind of scrambling to get everything ready. That’s where online reviews like this help a lot. I’m pretty excited though, with the Hopper and the Joey units, I’ll have both DVR and HD in every room we watch TV in. Plus with the PrimeTime Anytime feature I’ll be able to record six shows at once, and since most of my family’s recording conflicts were during primetime—caused by the major networks putting all the best shows on at the same time—I expect that I won’t be having those issues anymore.

Comment on Onkyo C-7030 Compact Disc Player by acd

acd — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:49:42 +0000

For me, I go with the Onkyo C 7030. I am leary about the Denon/Marantz holding corp. low end products that were made in China with lesser qualiity control.

Comment on JBL ES250P 12-Inch Subwoofer by Weaver145

Weaver145 — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:13:57 +0000

You say it’s a 50Hz sw. Yet the stats quoted below suggest it’s response extends down to 25Hz. Which is right?

Comment on Sennheiser PX100 Headphones Review by Klipsch Image S3 Earphones | HiFi Reviews

Klipsch Image S3 Earphones | HiFi Reviews — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:02:25 +0000

[...] our good friends at EarphoneSolutions.com I’ve been using them in conjunction with my usual Sennheiser PX100s for commutes and gym work over the last few months and I have to say I’m actually quite [...]

Comment on Polk Audio Monitor 70 3-Way Floorstanding Speakers by Aiki

Aiki — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:36:16 +0000

Thanks Todd for the excellent personal review.

Comment on Polk Audio Monitor 70 3-Way Floorstanding Speakers by Todd Adams

Todd Adams — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:45:37 +0000

I found a pair, “refurbished” from Polk for $349 a PAIR. This was in 2009 and so…being that Polk was selling them on Ebay and it was the last pair. I got ‘em.

They are black. Owning a log cabin, the cherry would have been sweet but also $250-300 more so I didn’t mind. The first thing that hit me upon delivery was that these aren’t small speakers. They are solid. They exude…that kind of “Volkswagen quality” which is of a well-built, attractive (within reason), a good price, no-frills, etc. But you do get bi-amp or bi-wire flexibility.

They need power. Sure, a twenty-watt amp will drive them but dynamic range will suffer greatly. I, having an old a/v receiver from the 90′s (an Sony 5.1, ) tried to use it but it was like driving a 15 year-old Hyundai up pikes peak. It will get there but not gracefully. Replaced it with a stereo Yamaha receiver with 125 watts. Real power. The Sony should have been rated 50 watts per channel, IMHO!

So, I’ve had them for going-on two years and here are my feelings.

Best speakers I’ve ever owned. That said, I have owned bookshelf speakers only. AR’s from 1980, Technics, KLH (forgot, one set was floor-standing), Micro-Acoustics, Sony, Bolivars and WSC’s, (the latter two both built in Tennessee and both very good speakers).

That all said, I know hi-fi and the Polk’s are the real deal. At twice the price they would be a deal. At current $200.00/ea pricing (even for cherry) they are
one of the rare, great-sounding modern components that deliver great sound at a great price. Modern or not, if I had been able to buy a pair of these in 1979 for $350.00 I would have worked all summer for it…gladly. Even then, a GOOD pair of large, quality BOOKSHELF speakers like an Advent or EPI, JBL, et. al. would have cost more and been at best no better.

When you realize that $400.00 was like $1200.00 now and the real value available now is staggering. You just have to know how to do it…and LISTEN!

POLK MONITOR 70′s rating ****1/2

Comment on Onkyo C-7030 Compact Disc Player by Jimmy

Jimmy — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:00:09 +0000

So which unit would you choose?

Onkyo C-7030 — or Marantz CD5004?

Both have had great reviews among lower priced cd players.

Thanks!

Comment on Marantz CD5004 CD Player by Jimmy

Jimmy — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:54:27 +0000

Ok — so which would be a better choice — Marantz CD5004 or Onkyo C-7030?

Difficult choices!

Thanks!

Comment on Sonos Play 5 Wireless Internet Music Player by Sonos Play:3 | HiFi Reviews

Sonos Play:3 | HiFi Reviews — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:28:21 +0000

[...] Play:3 Ok so in the past I’ve had great fun with Sonos products (check out my previous Sonos Play:5 review), they are universally of high quality an once you understand their product line and how everything [...]

Comment on Onkyo C-7030 Compact Disc Player by Dan

Dan — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:00:06 +0000

Does anyone know the Wolfson part # for the DAC in the Onkyo C-7030?

Comment on Polk Audio RTI A7 Floorstanding Speakers Review by Aiki

Aiki — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:42:15 +0000

Interesting. Do you mean John Meyer? Can you point me at the article/post where he said that? Id be interested in reading his opinion. Cheers,

Comment on Polk Audio RTI A7 Floorstanding Speakers Review by Mark Pagliacci

Mark Pagliacci — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 03:32:52 +0000

I’m seriously considering the rti A7′s I have a NAD C372 AMP
Meir mentioned they don’t sound so good with this AMP. I’d be interested to find out more details as to why he thinks this.

Comment on Onkyo C-7030 Compact Disc Player by Speaker Repair

Speaker Repair — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 03:37:30 +0000

Nice review. I didn’t care for the remote either.

Comment on Marantz CD5004 CD Player by Aiki

Aiki — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:17:31 +0000

Im afraid to say I can be of much use to you here George as I haven’t taken any time with a Denon dcd 510 cd player so I can in all honest compare the two.

All I can say as per my review of the Marantz CD5004 above its an extremely sonically trustworthy unit with a very clear sound and great build.

Luck,

Comment on Marantz CD5004 CD Player by George

George — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 02:14:10 +0000

Hello,
could you tell me how this unit compares musically with Denon cd player dcd 510??
How about connection with Denon stereo amp Pm 1300?( my existing very good amp.)
would they match??
Thank you…
George

Comment on Onkyo TX-NR808 7.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver Review by Aiki

Aiki — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:29:17 +0000

Thanks Rekaldsi for making me aware of this ongoing issue with the Onkyo TXNR808. I have to say I’ve not personally found this model to be any more prone to faults than receivers from other manufacturers but that avs forum thread makes me believe that this is a genuine issue.

If you get any resolution from Onkyo on this issue Id appreciate an update.

Thanks for the warning and good luck,

Comment on Onkyo TX-NR808 7.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver Review by Rekaldsi

Rekaldsi — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 04:33:45 +0000

DO NOT BUY THIS RECEIVER! ONKYO TXNR808. Since I took it out of the box, it’s been non-stop issues. On the initial setup, most of the HDMI ports did not work. After reading around, I come to find out that this is a common issue on Onkyo’s receivers. Because I was on a business trip I was not able to setup the receiver until about a month after I received it. After I found out that the ports were not functioning I contacted the seller, but it was already passed the return/exchange date. So I had to call Onkyo to see what they can do. I had to drive about 30 miles away to a Onkyo authorized repair shop (who by the way is not open on weekends and close at 5pm) and drop off my device. It took over a month to get my receiver back from repair, because they had to ship it out to Onkyo.

After picking up my receiver, I noticed that there were a bunch of scuff marks on it. I guess they had to tear into it to fix the problem. So much for my expensive new looking device. The HDMI ports that were not functioning, were now working. All was well for about a month and then the receiver decided to just start shuffling through its audio modes non-stop by itself. It wouldn’t let me change the input to anything else or watch a show on TV. The video signal was there, but the audio was gone. After this new issue, I came across articles that this AGAIN is a common problem.

I paid a lot of money for this product after doing some research to find the best device for my needs. But what I didn’t realize was all I was paying for was an EXPENSIVE BRICK! I fully regret doing so, because it’s just been headache after headache. I am in the process of contacting Onkyo to see if they can fix this new issue. If Amazon would let me, I would give this receiver “0″ stars. I’m determined to make sure no one else makes the same mistake I made by purchasing from Onkyo. I would not recommend this product to anyone. Save your money and buy from someone else. You’ll thank me later.

Don’t only take my word for it, here’s a link to a site dedicated to This receivers issues: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1339186

Comment on Yamaha A-S500 Integrated Stereo Amplifier by Alvin Pritchard

Alvin Pritchard — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:35:19 +0000

The Yamaha a-s500 integrated amplifier is everything a music lover could reasonably ask for all in one unit!

In the United Kingdom this amp was voted product of the year by “What Hi-Fi” and is simply considered to be the best amp ever made in the sub £500 category sector …. That speaks for itself!

I own one of these and am well pleased with it’s overall stereo sound quality.

I wish that they would have put a IEC power socket on the rear so i could have fitted my upgraded power cable to her as opposed to the captive one that is fitted, but hey, i guess that you cant get everything!

Comment on Yamaha rxv667 by Yamaha rx-v667 | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Yamaha rx-v667 | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:45:21 +0000

[...] been receiving universally positive reviews and no end of plaudits from the hifi community, the Yamaha RX-V667 Receiver is one of those pieces. Its been hovering in the back of my mind since its release but Ive [...]

Comment on KEF KHT3005 SE 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System Review by Aiki

Aiki — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:11:44 +0000

I have not tested this setup myself, but looking at the Denon AVR-2311CI systems specs its likely they will be a good match. Obviously such things are to seme degree a matter of personal taste, but if in doubt as always go to a nearby stockist and ask for a listen.

Comment on KEF KHT3005 SE 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System Review by Bob

Bob — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:56:30 +0000

Curious as to if a Denon AVR-2311CI rated @ 105W would be a good pairing with the KEF KHT3005SE-W system?

Comment on Polk Audio PSW10 by Polk Audio PSW10 | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Polk Audio PSW10 | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:02:33 +0000

[...] entry level subwoofer then one of the current best deals doing the rounds is most definitely the Polk Audio PSW10 Monitor Series a 10-Inch Powered Subwoofer the PSW10 looks good and has performance that far [...]

Comment on Sonos Play 5 Wireless Internet Music Player by Lollu

Lollu — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:17:50 +0000

Sonos-s5 wireless…

Thank you for submitting this cool story – Trackback from Lollu…

Comment on Pioneer VSX-1020-K by Pioneer VSX-1020-K | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Pioneer VSX-1020-K | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:52:17 +0000

[...] “best in category” or “bestseller” AV receiver lists and you will see the Pioneer VSX-1020-K 7.1 Home Theater Receiver featuring prominently. This is not without reason, not only is the [...]

Comment on Logitech Squeezebox Touch Wi-Fi Internet Radio and Wireless Music Player Review by Johan Berserik

Johan Berserik — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:42:06 +0000

I have learned a lot, before buying an internet radio set-up.
As I am a high-end audiophile I like gonna buying a Touch, I think via Amazon.fr

Thanks a lot,

Johan

Comment on Polk Audio RM6750 by Polk Audio RM6750 | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Polk Audio RM6750 | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:10:12 +0000

[...] I asked to suggest a decent all-round entry level speaker system for home theatre, the Polk Audio RM6750 5.1 Channel Home Theater Speaker System is without a doubt one of the best recent offerings at this [...]

Comment on KEF KHT3005 SE 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System Review by Mitch

Mitch — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:16:41 +0000

I would like crystal clear sound for TV and big bang surround for movies.
What Denon (or other brand) receiver would you recommend with the KEF kht3005 speakers
I plan on just 5.1 system

Comment on Marantz SR7005 by Marantz SR7005 | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Marantz SR7005 | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:07:09 +0000

[...] to be too “fanboyish” or sycophantic in tone. The first draft of my review for the Marantz SR7005 receiver was such a document. Hopefully this rewrite will be a little more professional in tone, [...]

Comment on Sony ss-f6000 Speakers by Sony SSF-7000 Speakers | HiFi Reviews

Sony SSF-7000 Speakers | HiFi Reviews — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 16:43:59 +0000

[...] Sony SSF-7000 Floor Standing 4 way Speakers are in some ways the big daddy of the Sony SSF-6000s we reviewed a shot while back with a couple of changes the SSF-7000 sport an impressive sounding 8 [...]

Comment on KEF KHT3005 SE 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System Review by Aiki

Aiki — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 11:33:57 +0000

Well the KEF KHT3005SE speaker set and your Yamaha RX-V1900 receiver look like a dent match on paper, assuming you will be listening at low to mid volume levels I imagine the match will be fine. But be aware that the maximum output of the Yamaha RX-V1900 is 130 watts and the KEF KHT3005SE speakers were only built to handle a maximum rating of 100 watts. Generally you will get away with this as very few people will be pushing out 130 watts of power, but be aware of the possibility of overgaining your speakers. In terms of sound quality its pretty hard to fault the KEF KHT3005SEs they are a great 5.1 system, but as will all things audio I generally advise having a listen in the showroom first if you can, just to see if they match your personal preferences.

Comment on KEF KHT3005 SE 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System Review by Mathew Abraham

Mathew Abraham — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:13:20 +0000

Can I match this speaker system with Yamaha RX-V1900 reciever having an out put of 130W per channel?

Comment on Sony ss-f6000 Speakers by Sony SSF-7000 Speakers | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Sony SSF-7000 Speakers | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:11:50 +0000

Comment on Cambridge Audio Azur 350A Integrated Amplifier by Cambridge Audio Azur 350A Integrated Amplifier | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Cambridge Audio Azur 350A Integrated Amplifier | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:05:13 +0000

[...] of hard hitting amps & CD players over the years so with this in mind we come to the recent Cambridge Audio Azur 350A Integrated Amplifier, I have to say that with this unit the team at Cambridge have exceeded my expectations for an [...]

Comment on Infinity Primus P362 Floorstanding Speakers by Infinity Primus P362 Floorstanding Speakers | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Infinity Primus P362 Floorstanding Speakers | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:49:23 +0000

[...] one think I will say I immediately noticed about the Harman Infinity Primus P362 Speakers upon unpacking is just how solid and how much visual impact they have, I understand that looks are [...]

Comment on Yamaha A-S500 Integrated Stereo Amplifier by Infinity Primus P362 Floorstanding Speakers | HiFi Reviews

Infinity Primus P362 Floorstanding Speakers | HiFi Reviews — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:35:10 +0000

[...] stop there though, we tested a pair of the P362s in a simple stereo configuration with our Yamaha A-S500 Amplifier and found the bass to be excellent, these units can handle almost anything you throw at [...]

Comment on Onkyo TX-SR308 by Onkyo TX-SR308 Reciever | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Onkyo TX-SR308 Reciever | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:53:44 +0000

[...] Receiver over the last few months I’d have to say that they are onto yet another winner. The Onkyo TX-SR308 is aimed squarely at the lower end of the market for people who want a quality product and solid [...]

Comment on Onkyo TX-SR608 Receiver Review by Onkyo TX-SR308 Reciever | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Onkyo TX-SR308 Reciever | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:53:27 +0000

[...] does best. Their design teams have experience of building these products in spades (see the onkyo tx-sr608 or tx-nr808 as examples) and the expertise gained in designing these flagship models [...]

Comment on Denon DM38S by Denon DM38S | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Denon DM38S | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:53:12 +0000

[...] with month in month out but also try to have some focus on the normal home user aimed products. The Denon DM38S Micro AM/FM CD System is one example of such a product, squarely amide at the casual music fan it [...]

Comment on Onkyo TX-NR808 7.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver Review by Onkyo TX-SR308 | HiFi Reviews

Onkyo TX-SR308 | HiFi Reviews — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:25:44 +0000

[...] Their design teams have experience of building these products in spades (see the onkyo tx-sr608 or tx-nr808 as examples) and the expertise gained in designing these flagship models has certainly been applied [...]

Comment on Onkyo TX-SR608 Receiver Review by Onkyo TX-SR308 | HiFi Reviews

Onkyo TX-SR308 | HiFi Reviews — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:10:55 +0000

[...] Onkyo does best. Their design teams have experience of building these products in spades (see the onkyo tx-sr608 or tx-nr808 as examples) and the expertise gained in designing these flagship models has certainly [...]

Comment on Polk Audio RTI A7 Floorstanding Speakers Review by MEIR COHEN-ISRAEL

MEIR COHEN-ISRAEL — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 09:26:43 +0000

polkaudio has few great speakers:
lsi 9
rti6
rti A7
AND NOW THE NEW LSI M !!!

Comment on JBL L890 8-Inch 4-Way Dual Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review by MEIR COHEN-ISRAEL

MEIR COHEN-ISRAEL — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 09:23:51 +0000

the jbl LX60 is one of the best speakers of jbl ever.

Comment on Definitive Technology ProMonitor 800 Bookshelf Speakers Review by C C

C C — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:55:55 +0000

I have ready so many reviews on a pair of these babies and then finally bit the bullet and purchased them WITHOUT listening to them. Wow, I was simply amazing by the pure sound that came out of them given their size. I use these exclusively in a 2.1 setup for music since my room is so small, but it sure does pack a quality punch!

Comment on Sonos Play 5 Wireless Internet Music Player by Sonos S5 Wireless Internet Music Player Review | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Sonos S5 Wireless Internet Music Player Review | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 16:03:56 +0000

[...] first glance the Sonos S5 Wireless Internet Music Player could be mistaken for a slightly odd looking speaker, often found completely on its own in a room [...]

Comment on Onkyo TX-SR608 Receiver Review by Reach a new level of Sound in Home! | My recommended sites

Reach a new level of Sound in Home! | My recommended sites — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:57:16 +0000

[...] a look to the new and the best Channel Home Theater Receiver, the Onkyo TX-SR608. This is the best update for the Onkyo Company, this product is available in all show room and is [...]

Comment on Marantz CD5004 CD Player by Marantz CD5004 CD Player Review | Hi Fi Reviews Blog

Marantz CD5004 CD Player Review | Hi Fi Reviews Blog — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:34:38 +0000

[...] can one say about the Marantz CD5004 that hasn’t already been said by other commentators? I have to admit that while I do tend to [...]