tungitek

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $350.00 from ebay

Summary:
i am very please with the unit, i have it for more than two years now. The remote is cool but gets annoying after a while. I like to watch movie really loud and it keeps lighting up so i had to find a good place to put it when watchign movie. The battery run out quickly for normal remote usage. You really gotta find time to figure the unit out, i assume the guy review this before me didnt have that much time before his unit blew up. Well im here to tell u about the unit so here goes. First it's made in malaysia which is good. it's 120wattsX6 channels. You can only adjust +10 or - 10 db bass or treble in stereo mode. With 5.1 setup u can adjust +10 or -10 for subwoofer (which i love), surround left and right, center , surround back ( if you have that turned on). The front left and right channel doesnt have level adjustment though. Then there's different sound field which is fun sometime to listen to. This reciever have very low THD (total harmonic distortion) and that's every important when you're buyin reciever so be sure to read about it when making a decision.

Strengths:
powerful, low harmonic distortion, big saving for high end audio

Weaknesses:
I know some people just skim to the strengths and weaknesses so i'll be clear on this section. This unit is very good accept there are minor annoyances that is really not a big deal when take into consideration. The remote is universal but you have to program the codes of all your unit yourself. It lights up when there's small vibration. The unit does not remember your last setting. I dont know if its mine only but i cant seem to get over that situation. I like to set my SW , Surround L + R to +10db all the time but it doesnt remember that setting, i have to set it everytime. That's about it though. I run 2 SVS subs, Klipsch 5.1 RF-3 system (except my surround are RS-7, i like loud surround sound),Sony DVD player (looking to buy a new one). I turn it louder than the club and no problem. Deffinately a buy. I hope this helps u guys decide this site help me so much so i figure i give something back.

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha RX-V1500 (great unit, using it right now)
Sony STR-AV1010 (too high Total Harmonic Distorion, dont buy it)

Price Paid:  $375.00 from www.ecost.com

Summary:
I spent the better part of 9 months researching A/V Receivers. I was looking at high-end models, HK, Onkyo, and even Marantz to replace my 30 year old Marantz. But then I discovered the VR7080. For the money $500-$1000 cheaper, Kenwood gives you everything one would want, Phono jack, THX, awesome touch pad learning remote, that shows you only the functions for the component your controlling at the time. Perfect for my wife! Finally after reading the manual cover to cover multiple times, I still was hesitant. Mind you I have not purchased a receiver in 30 years, and I did not want to buy a white elephant. However, I final bought the unit from www.ecost.com (great group, as there was no pressure in trying to up sale me to buy something additional). I hooked it up and it worked great for 1 week. I was very please with my purchase, it was doing exactly what I expected of the unit. Until one night the remote touch pad began flashing at me. I had no control, I thought it was the batteries, but after replacing them I still had no control. Oh well so the next day I went to manual, turning the power on at the base unit or adjusting the volume, etc. Then suddenly the music stopped, I looked at the display and it was suddenly dark. I turned the unit back on and sparks and flames came out of the right rear of the unit. I unplugged the unit, tried it again and same thing. I plugged it into a different outlet and still sparks and flames were shooting out. The thing that bothered me the most about this is that in all of my research I had read of a similar situation with regards of the receiver blowing up. However, I ignored the comment thing that it must have been a fluke. I called e.cost and they were very helpful, they took the unit back and have not forced me to take another or charged me with a restocking fee. At this point I am not sure if I am going to replace it with another VR7080 or spend the money for a HK, Onkyo, or Marantz, as I am back to square one.

Strengths:
A lot of bang for your buck, THX, great touch pad learning remote (really great feature). Very nice sound unless you’re an Audiophile, then you probably would want to look more high end.

Weaknesses:
Four things come to mind for weakness. 1.) the lack of Kenwood customer service, it is non-existent. If you had a question about how to adjust something on the unit, good luck getting a representative. 2.) the manual is not very comprehensive, I knew this when buying the unit, but it was even more evident when I had the unit in front of me and I wanted to adjust something as simple as the Bass. 3.) the remote although it is really cool, it quite working after 5 days of less than normal usage. And not having anyway of contacting Kenwood, I felt a bit taken. 4.) the unit blew up on me after 6 days of less than normal usage.