Price Paid:  $220.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
Works for a beginner home theater, incapable of being a good music receiver

Strengths:
price, ok for non-critical listener

Weaknesses:
Packaged speakers sound like transistor radio when playing music. All features on the remote and the usability of the remote is terrible.

Similar Products Used:
Technics receiver, AIWA mini music systems

Price Paid:  $420.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
This is a great model for anyone who is starting out on setting up a "first" in home theatre. I have had nothing but good reviews from entertaining company with this model. I have to admit i have out grown this model and is now used in my bed room. But the system combined with a set of Sony 5:1 speakers; with powered sub is a great way to go and is hands down enough to satisfy the begginer for a few years!!! I bought this receiver when it first came out but they are a heck of alot affordable now!

Strengths:
Tuning, input jacks,

Weaknesses:
DTS, 1 optical jack

Similar Products Used:
Harmon Kardin

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
I have had great luck with this unit. I don't know about these other guys and their crap reviews. I have listened to several before buying this on and it sounds just as good if not better. It was also a lot cheaper than any of the others. The sub is wicked and the provided speakers that came with my package are good for what they are. The Polarity thing commented on is definitaly something that requires attention. All around pretty good though.

Strengths:
Good Sound, Affordable, Lots of inputs, video switching.

Weaknesses:
Crazy "shift required" remote, One more optical input would be nice. The user manual could be more thorough as well.

Similar Products Used:
Sony, Kenwood, Fischer and Pioneer.

Price Paid:  $200.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
Well I've had this unit for a few years now and it was fine for a first buyer of a surround unit and to give you a little bit of a feel for surround, but this thing just doesnt cut it. I'm using 2 real nice Mirage Fx-3s and a Technics center and Mirage Fx-1s for rears which are great speakers, but with this unit you just dont get to hear the full sound of the speakers. Also the remote is crappy too. Though the main thing with this receiver is that it just lacks way too many features that a real surround unit should have.

Strengths:
Good beginner unit and it is pretty easy to use

Weaknesses:
TOO little features, bad remote, cant do a lot of things, very little power, and bad signal to surround speakers

Price Paid:  $17999.00 from Best Buy Century 3

Summary:
Well it seems that this product got bad ratings, but if you read the manual it warns you to make sure the polarity for each speaker is correct before even plugging the unit in(this means the polarity for all the other speakers in the housing of all your speakers, this mainly means that it will protect your speakers by not letting them operate at peak performance without correct wiring)I have only the front A-channel turned on, wired to 2 pioneer 10's, I used the signal splitter in the housing to hook a seperate midrange speaker, and 360 tweeter to each, and disconnected the stocks, I have a Mitsubishi Shielded Center, and 2 Aiwa 100w, in the rear. Subw Off(makes more dynamic with 2 10's 20 feet apart!)center on 3 or 4 for most signals, RearR on 3 or 4, RearL on 6 or 7, because of the position, CenMS on 0, SurMS on 5digital(default), and 20analog(default), Dolby Digital= LFE off, Midnight Theater Mode on MIN-Dynamic as hell! Others are,STD-what they want you to put it on so you think it sucks and upgrade, and MAX-for a cool late night experience. I have the GEQ on ROCK with 1 Tbass mostly, but you can use the other Tbass settings with a digital signal with the LFE off(sounds cleaner)Well i am tellin ya, for those who think it sucks, for real check with the person who wired you up, if its you, then I am sorry but your going nowhere. Hook it up right! Its a great buy!

Strengths:
If you have it hooked up correctly, and tuned to the best settings possible, you will get High end Sound out of this thing! Dont think you have it hooked up right to you check each speaker, and component speakers Polarity, then reset or plug back in. All of my friends are Audio Nuts, and they all like my Home Theatre, I mean dont get me wrong, you can get something 3x as powerful, but this is a killer System if you have it hooked up right for 180$

Weaknesses:
Lack of Tone Control, but if you use a seperate EQ, you can adjust the signal to any analog input, some EQs offer Coax, and Optical adjustments.

Similar Products Used:
Sony High End Reciever, 100x5-1998