Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Got this receiver from a friend and its was a huge diff compared to my older Pioneer.. It has all the options you need for a full surround sound system.. It will amaze you on how many tricks it has when you start fooling around with it.. I like how it has a sub-pre & AC-3 100X5 is more than enough for me and I dont even have to use the loudness button.. Sound Quality is Crisp and bass is hard and clear! The Remote and Manual are complicated but it take getting used to.. I know what some of you guys mean about the hissing sound when watching a movie!! Its pretty bad, I had the same problem with my older Pioneer also.. Then I tried using the AC3 input and its much much better. Maybe you guy should try to give that a shot an see what happens.. Use the Dobly Mod, then select Theater 2 under DTS I believe and hook up the AC3 cable from the DVD to the Receiver. When you hook up the AC3 cable the receiver screen changes and shows all your surround speakers.. Its Pretty Neat!!

Strengths:
Good Sound Quality Lots Of Power Sub Pre Out Good Price Many Features..

Weaknesses:
Remote takes time to get used to Inst. kinda hard to understand Hiss with dobly digital not as bad if your using AC3

Summary:
At the time I bought this, there wasn't a lot to choose from in a decent price range, so I was sort of forced into buying this. Overall, I've been satisfied, but the hiss is, at times, unbareable. the video input went bad after about 13 months (just as the warranty expired) so I don't get pro-logic surround out of that input. the quality is fair, but better than the current vsdx models that pioneer is putting out. if your not buying thier elite line, then your not getting quality equipment. Oh well, live and learn.

Strengths:
Outstanding remote, good tuner, hook-up flexibility

Weaknesses:
hiss in rear speakers,

Similar Products Used:
onkyo txds575, yamaha rx-v995

Summary:
They guy below covered it well...this is a 100x5 dd-ready receiver with all the bells & whistles I need. Sounds fine & works great. As far as other gear, we've had my wife's Pioneer component system and my mid-70's Kenwood integrated amp...so this is big jump for us. We got this cheap along with an Atlantic Technologies surround speaker system at a closed auction where my brother works....what a system.

One additional thing I'll mention--the remote rocks...it can be programmed to operate just about anything (wouldn't be surprised if I could get it to open the garage door! ;). This may be par for the course on recent receivers, but it's refreshing to have one unit that does it all.

At this point, you'd most likely find this model used or on blowout. I don't think you could go wrong if this price is right.

Strengths:
Seems to have all the necessary goodies in this price range.

Weaknesses:
Nothing blaring.

Summary:
This is a great product if you want a middle-of-the-road DD receiver. To me, it performs just as well as top-of-the-liners. You don't need the loudness button on or the treble/bass turned up. I listen to everything flat and get high-quality sound, with low, tight bass, and crystal-clear highs.

It has all the digital inputs you could want: DD, PCM, AC-3. Also has a subwoofer output.

There is only one thing that I never liked about this receiver, but you get used to it: background hiss during DD/Pro-Logic mode. I'm not imagining this, as it was brought up in reviews in audio publications when this receiver was introduced. But I got used to it, and it eventually becomes unnoticeable.

system:

Pioneer VSX-D606S (receiver)
Pioneer DVL-700 (DVD/LD/CD player)
Infinity SM 85 (center & rears)
Infinity SM 152 (fronts)
Infinity BU-2 (sub) [but I don't use it, on account of the SM 152's dipping down to 29 Hz; and, technically, getting stereo bass]

Unfortunately, I bought it when they were just becoming popular, at a retail chain, and paid retail price for it; seems like it was about $1,000.00. They've come down lots since then.

Strengths:
Excellent sound quality; plenty of clean power

Weaknesses:
annoying background hiss in DD/Pro-Logic mode

Summary:
I purchased this reciever over one year ago, just when Dolby Digital recievers had become mainstream, so i had to pay well above the today norm for a similar product. When i got it i didnt have a dvd system so i could not experience what i paid for, until about 6 months ago when i got a dvd player. Overall i am ver happy with the product. the only down side is that it doesnt suport s-video.

Strengths:
Great sound reproduction, clear and accurate, Dolby Digital

Weaknesses:
no optical digital input, no s-video switching