Price Paid:  $200.00 from Peak Audio

Summary:
Great sound from this amp. I only have Paradigm Titans right now, but anticpate getting the other speaker for full surround soon. Yes, the remote does suck. I can operate just about any remote, but this one will humble even the most manly men. The "Effects" are alright. Everything sounds better flat with effects turned off. Very natrual sound. Dispersion is A1.

Strengths:
Clear, natural sound. Many features.

Weaknesses:
Crappy remote.

Similar Products Used:
Crappy Sharp Dolby Pro Logic system.

Price Paid:  $280.00

Summary:
A good receiver if you like listening to top 40 type music, rock, jazz fusion or are purchasing this solely for movie watching. This receiver is good for folks who want a bright, active sound, especially in the mid ranges. For music and movies that are more dependent on the mid ranges, the receiver is wonderful and pleasing. I was very happy with my initial tests using top 40 cds and dvd movies. I would guess that this would be a great college receiver for parties, or a perfect receiver if used solely for movies. However, I then tested my all time favorite cds....what a dissapointment. If you like musicians or vocalists such as Miles Davis and Kathleen Battle -- in fact nearly all of classical music, orchestras, opera, jazz classics...then this is not the receiver for you. The receiver is weak in reproducing any music with that reaches the higher octaves. For example, violins, trumpets, clarinets, oboes, voices in the soprano and mezzo soprano ranges are shrill, reedy, thin and lack resonance. Vocalists with full orchestra are not well balanced -- the mid ranges being a bit too bright in comparison to the vocals. Since I listen to music more than watch movies, this just is not the best receiver for me. I bought this as a replacement to my 10 year old Denon receiver and it is hooked up to Bang & Olufsen speakers (with monster cables) and a Sony dvd/cd player. It is surprising how much of a sound difference there is between the Denon and Yamaha. The Denon handles classical, opera, jazz and top 40 well. The Yamaha does not handle all of these types of music well. I made all of the adjustments that can be made to the Yamaha and even repositioned my speakers...but shrill, reedysound that lacks resonance in the upper octaves is quite difficult to compensate for. Tomorrow, the Yamaha is going back to the store. I've looked at the reviews for the newer Denons and it sounds like they have a more conservative (not as bright), even, cleaner sound that doesn't push the mid ranges at the expense of weakening the upper ranges.

Strengths:
* bright, active mid ranges -- typical American sound. * good for movies, rock, jazz fusion, Top 40 music. * clean design

Weaknesses:
* The upper ranges (higher octaves) lack resonance and sound shrill, reedy and thin. * Not for those who like classical music, classic jazz or opera.

Similar Products Used:
Denon receiver

Price Paid:  $275.00 from Jakarta

Summary:
Actually this is the review for Yamaha RXV 430 I use my Sony for main speaker, and JBL for center, surround and subwoofer. Although the speaker that I used is only the cheap one, I was very surprised with the richnest of the sound. I listened to Denon AV 1602 before which is very smooth and gentle. But with this Yamaha 430 you can hear the much more crisp sound, thanks to Yamaha DSP. I got little problem adjusting my JBL Digital 10 subwoofer, but after a while I got it right with the volume knob on the subwoofer adjusted at 65% the freq at 75 % and the subwoofer setting on the receiver is set at -8db. The remote control can be programmed to control also my TV(LG and Sony) and DVD player (Pioneer). Very natural sound for CD Audio. Great for Dolby Digital and DTS. I love the Dolby Prologic II, It transform your stereo input into a surround like audio.

Strengths:
Great Front Layout, a lot of DSP choice, programmable remote control.

Weaknesses:
Only one optical input. No S-Video output.

Similar Products Used:
Denon AV1602

Price Paid:  $400.00 from Audio One

Summary:
OK, this is my first ever review after spending much time sifting through this great site (thanks to the people who run this place) and getting some ideas for my first home theater. Being on a strict budget after buying a new home and finishing my basement I found that yes, you can buy something decent without breaking the bank. After setting this unit up I can only say one thing, WOW! I am completely satisfied with the 420, tons of power for my room 10X30 and crystal clear sound with none of this hiss noted in a few earlier reviews. I was super impressed by having control over each speakers volume. The DD and DTS is truly amazing and has a ton of power at any setting. I have yet to have this unit turned halfway, it''s that loud and clear. Equipment used: Sony KV-51W 16:9 wide TV Sony NS-700P Progressive scan DVD Paradigm Cinema 70 front and rear surrounds. Paradign Cinema CC Centre Channel Paradigm PDR-10 Subwoofer I actually came in under budget for the reciever and speakers which make this guy one happy camper. You should have endless hours of great listening. I am in agreeance with most of you that the remote is not user friendly and takes some time to learn. All in all a super nice reciever (I have had friends say it is more powerful then other higher wattage systems).

Strengths:
Lots of power, super clean sound, great theater effects, DTS, DD, speaker control.

Weaknesses:
Remote.

Similar Products Used:
None, first home theatre

Price Paid:  $318.00 from VanDenBorre Electron

Summary:
I''m kinda cheating here cause i''m reviewing the RX-V430, the newest entry-level model which replaces the RX-V420. Actually, the first receiver i bought was the RX-V420, but i returned that one after 3 days or so because there was a substantial amount of hiss on the speaker outputs. So i brought home the newer RX-V430 (which i had listened to first in the store) and the hiss has gotten less obvious than with the 420. I wanted to stay with Yamaha because i heard a Technics SA-DX950 and a Kenwood KRF-V4550D, both in the same pricerange and they couldn''t hold a match to the Yamaha. The 430 has some very nice updates over the 420, here''s a comparison of 430 vs. 420: -a new dot-matrix display replaces the old 14-segment one, an improvement imho -binding posts on ALL speaker outputs now (but removed the speaker A/B option, so 1 pair of mains max.) -added Dolby Prologic II and Matrix 6.1 surround. -remote layout changed, a little better now than the old ones -Digital volume control with on-screen (display) indication of dB attenuation, replaces the analog volume control with no indication what so ever. -they now sport 110W DIN power, RMS stays at 65W/ch -removed the video inputs on the front, which adds to the looks of the amp So all said and done, this is quite an improvement compared to the 420 model. I''d give it 5 out of 5 for overall rating if it didn''t have the hiss at high volumes (don''t think you''ll hear it though with the volume that high, but still). A very nice receiver for a very nice price.

Strengths:
-warm & full sound compared to Technics, Kenwood and other entry-level receivers -lots of punch for a 65W rms amp -affordable quality

Weaknesses:
-hiss on the speakers (small price though for the

Similar Products Used:
Kenwood KRF-V4550D, Yamaha RX-V420