Price Paid:  $370.00 from Taiwan, 2002

Summary:
This is very impressive HT sound if ....... you find the right DVD player
when I change DVD player from Panasonic to Toshiba , the sound was more open, more clear , impactful.. well suited for movie

Strengths:
powerful

Weaknesses:
Picky with DVD player

Similar Products Used:
toshiba hd dvd player
Celstion F series

Price Paid:  $400.00 from Indonesia

Summary:
Best for the price paid!

Strengths:
Process the digital sound beyond my expectation as casual listener (first timer in multi-channel surround sound field)

Weaknesses:
A bit on the remote. But what a heck! I'm buying the unit for listening the surround sound, not to play around with the remote!

Similar Products Used:
None

Price Paid:  $250.00 from Ovations

Summary:
I love it. Does everything I need it to do(so far).

Strengths:
great sound, fairly easy to use.

Weaknesses:
Manual is a bit of a pain

Similar Products Used:
none

Price Paid:  $309.00 from Good Guys

Summary:
Can I say, "I love this product!" It was extremely easy to set up and the signal distribution to each channel is outstanding. I had a VSX 409 Pioneer before this and could not get much from the surrounds. Now with the Denon, I hear everything so clearly from each speaker. The Denon produced such clarity for my dvds and cds it made my inexpensive speakers sound better than they ever have.
Check out Blade 2, Lord of the Rings, and Toy Story 2, and Star Wars, Episode 1 and you will know what I mean. If you like the ability to accentuate your surrounds like I do, this receiver will definitely help.
I debated between the Yamaha 5540 and the Denon AVR 1602 based on features and price. The Denon won by reputation for overall quality, although the Yamaha had a ton of features.

Strengths:
Value, quality, and improved HT by a thousand fold.

Weaknesses:
Awful remote control. Saved a $150 from purchasing the AVR 1603 and spent a $100 on a Sony RMAV3000 lcd remote control to use for the entire system!

Similar Products Used:
Pioneer VSX409

Price Paid:  $425.00 from dumoulin

Summary:
Yeas the remote is scrap (I changed it for a 7-in-1 from radioschack).

Yes it lacks power!

But for the price paid (649 CAN$), it's quite good. It's really friendly and easy to set-up and use.

As for the small center and rear, if you have such good speakers, what the heck are you doing with that receiver??? It's entry level for pete sake!

Strengths:
price;
easy to read from afar display window (10 feet away);
5 minutes set-up;
A/B front speakers

Weaknesses:
Just not enough power;
Yukky remote;