Good value for the Price
Written: Jan 07 '02
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Pros: Inexpensive, powerful, good DVD sound.
Cons: Poor remote control, limited jack set, lack of treble/base control in simulated surround mode.
The Bottom Line: Great for DVD/VHS/TV surround sound and unbeatable for the price. Not particularly impressive for classical or large ensemble/orchestral music listening.
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| cptnalaska's Full Review: Technics SA-DX950 5.1 Channels Receiver |
It's pretty hard to beat this CR "best value" receiver for the price (1/3 the price of the competing Onkyo DS696) but be prepared to give up some important features. The DVD/SatelliteTV surround performance is excellent in both digital modes.
I am less impressed when listening to classical music CDs. The only base/treble control available is in "pure stereo" mode (no surround)...when one switches to any of the simulated surround modes, the receiver seems to default to a "flat" non-controllable frequency response which is not (in my view) well-suited to the complex character of orchestral music. One can adjust the various speaker volumes and delays, but how could Technics/Panasonic omit Base/Treble control in the mode most widely-used by most music listeners? Pop,Jazz, Salsa, etc. based on brass, percussion and voice seem to sound a lot better than strings. Rock and HipHop are too synthetic for me to comment on and I don't listen to that stuff anyway.
If you use this receiver mainly for DVDs, VHS and TV I don't think you can beat the performance for the price. The DX950 outperformed the Sony STR-G3 I replaced with it. The set of available jacks is minimal. I'm happy, but something tells me I might have been a lot happier with the Onkyo DS696, despite its much higher price.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 230
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Epinions.com ID:
cptnalaska
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
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