Home theater on a budget.
Written: Mar 15 '01
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Pros: Good sound, great bargain price, plenty of inputs and outputs
Cons: Cheap remote, not very user friendly.
The Bottom Line: You can find better receivers for home theater. However, if your needs are basic, this receiver may be worth a look.
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| Ahab1973's Full Review: Aiwa AV-D57 5.1 Channels Receiver |
I bought this receiver about 4 months ago to go along with my DVD player. It has a built in Dolby Digital decoder with optical and coaxial digital inputs. The total system wattage is about 350 watts or 70 watts per channel with a five channel system.
The main reason I bought this receiver as opposed to a Sony or Pioneer was that at the time, I really didn't have that much money to spend and I wanted something that would at least be good for a couple of years. The price for this unit was $170. Much less than the cheapest Sony but just a little less than a Pioneer unit that I saw nearby (which wasn't in stock of course.)
Now I'm no audiophile but I do have pretty discriminating ears. To my untrained ears, this system sounds pretty good for the price. You can spend a lot more and get sound that the untrained ear couldn't distinguish from this inexpensive unit. The Receiver has Aiwa's Super T-Bass for those who need the extra bass. For my left and right front channel speakers, I'm using a pair of Sony three way speakers. I don't have a subwoofer. Because I live in an apartment, I really have all the bass I need. Even without a sub, the bass with just the two front channels and a center is enough to rattle the windows.
This receiver is not exactly easy to use when it comes to the more advanced features. This is mainly due to the poorly designed remote. Many buttons serve two or more functions and you have to hold down the shift button to access advanced features. Even setting the front panel clock is tedious.
The Am Fm tuner isn't very sensitive. Even with a decent antenna that worked great with one of my old two channel stereo systems, I have trouble tuning in even local stations.
One thing I really wish that Aiwa had included is seperate bass and treble controls. As I said, sometimes the bass can be a bit too loud. It would be great to be able to adjust it a little.
The instruction manual is pretty skimpy. Some features are barely mentioned or not adequately explained. Other features aren't mentioned at all.
Still, even with all of these little minor annoyances, this receiver works great for the purpose that I bought it for. However, if you're thinking of buying one of these, at least shop around and look at what else is available first. You may be able to find a receiver that's much easier to use for just a little more.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 170
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Epinions.com ID:
Ahab1973
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: Brian
Location: USA
Reviews written: 132
Trusted by: 65 members
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