This receiver worked well with a very casual home theater setup I had. However, when matched with my JBL L-46 speakers, the sounds is harsh and tinny. Overall, pretty good for home theater, not as good for plain old listening to music. Unfortunately, I'm more inclined to flip in a CD than crank up a DVD.

- Good design. (Mine is yellow version) - Rich function remote - Powerful surround sound - Crossover to 60Hz which only found in higher price range receivers.

- Bought it for one week and broke one optical port cover plate => Stupid design for optical ports. - Funny speaker termials. Need good eyes and small fingers to handly speaker connection! - Should have one more coaxial port. - Manual could be more comprehensive.

I was considering between Denon AVR 1604 and Onkyo 501 and eventually decided to pick up Onkyo. Running to the shop with enough money but that model (Onkyo 501) had sold out already so I had to wait several days. One week later, they informed me of a new model (Onkyo 502)just arrived: more advanced, more powerful and much better remote control with the SAME price. Holly sh*t! No hesitation! I never thought a change of amplifier could make such a big improvement on sound quality until my speakers were connected to this monster (12.5kg) People around my home started to complain about the thunder from my room when I watched movies. That amazing result implied a very high power consumption so I checked the backside of the receiver: an incredible 470W/h. Oh my poor electricity bill! While I was totally impressed by the surround sound, I was a little bit less impressed by the stereo. Obviously no one expects aodiophile level for a budget receiver but its impression with surround brought me some hope for the same result with stereo. Anyway, I'm happy with this one. I finally found out that the additional weight of Onkyo 502 over 501 comes from bigger aluminium heatsink. I guess Onkyo increases 502'w power so it needs more efficient cooler system.

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None! But I have tested many entry level 6.1 receivers from Denon, Yamaha.

crystal clear sound.and it's power

none for me at this time

this one of the best receiver,good sound quality w/my wharfedale speaker...and this is a 75 watts per channel but as if u're listening to 100 watts per channel... i will recommend this receiver to anyone.

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my prev. onkyo's

Clear, un-muddied sound. Source signal information. Re-assignable backpanel connections. Varied decoding schemes. Cross-over adjustability for sub/mains

The use of just one video format (or the inability to reformat video).

For $300 this cannot be beat. For $165 (recconditioned) it's an outright steal! Setup is relatively easy. Integrates well with my Infinity, Boston, SVS 5.1 speaker setup. The Hero DVD is sparkling lifelike. Dts vs Dolby digital differences can actually be noticed. Standard Pro Logic decoding from cable box 2-channel digital source via SPDIF is probably about the best that can be attained from that format. When combined with my 300W SVS subwoofer, there is more than enough power (75W x 5 plus 300W) for the moderately sized HT room.

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NAD, JVC, Pioneer.

Clean power Hansome Design Serious Heat syncs Customer support from Onkyo

Speaker connection posts could be a better designed.

This unit pumps out a lot of clean power for a 75W receiver. I am hearing sounds in my CD's that I didn't know where there. It's nice to hear fingers strum across the strings on flamenco guitar tracks from Ottmar Liebert! Viewing DVD's like The Matrix is a new experience with the surround sound of Dolby® Pro Logic® IIx and the near master quality of DTS® 96/24. Blend this Onkyo with a good quality digital source - quality CD player or DVD player, and rich, warm speakers and you will be very happy. I like the direct input option that links directly from source without the Stereo translator intervening.

Power, ease of setup, great manual when it comes, aggressive pricing

I bought the unit refurbished and it arrived in mint condition although the manual did not make it with the unit. Hookup was a snap after I downloaded the manual from the Onkyo website. The unit works flawlessly so far. I listened to several CD's and played a variety of DVD's on it. The sound is clean and it doesn't strain to push my speakers. (Fluance SX-HTB). The remote is easy to use although large. The unit runs somewhat hot so give it some air space. This is not a major concern.

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Sherwood stereo receiver

All the features for the price. Onkyo quality!

Can't get the remote to operate my cable box.

I purchased this receiver a month ago to replace my old Onkyo TXDS-474. It flat out does everything better than the 474. I use it in a room that is 12x14ft and it has more than enough power to fill this area. There are plenty of DSP modes to keep you happy, and the set up is straight forward and simple. I'm sure that as soon as I get a decent sub, the sound will be all the much better! For a price of under $300, you will not find better sound or features.

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Onkyo TXDS-474