Price Paid:  $199.00 from Crutchfield

Summary:
This is a very nice, clean budget unit. I'm a fairly serious audiophile--my music system, put together lovingly and carefully over several ears, is a hefty investment. I only mention that to give you some framework for interpreting my remarks. My old second-generation Yamaha DSP is a wonderful piece of equipment, and it still works perfectly. But it only has the original ProLogic mode (nothing else had been invented et!), and I wanted contemporary capabilities. Now, my old DSP was only that--a signal processor. It fed out to my main preamp for frints, and I had separate receivers to drive the surrounds and the center. I couldn't find anything comparable today--everything's in a receiver. At best, I could have bought an a/v preamp, but one comparable to the rest of my music system would have cost over a thousand bucks, and I would have had to replace the receivers driving the surround and center with a three-channel amp (and rerouting the wiring so that amp drove the front and center), all ending up costing me a couple thousand--and movies aren't that important to me. So I decided to go for the least expensive 5.1/digital receiver I could find. This unit offers very good Dolby processing, and gaining the newer Dolby modes is quite pleasing. Of course, the old Yamaha, playing through the pricier system, sounded much better in absolute terms--I won't be playing music through this Panasonic unit. One connect wire that I had been using successfully with my other system had to be replaced--the receiver initially kept overloading, and I traced the problem to that wire. That does suggest, as a less-snaguine reviewer noted, that the unit may be hyper-sensitive to loads. But once I replaced that wire, I've had no problems. I wouldn't want to use this unit in a large room, or in my music system. But for nice, clean, pleasant Dolby processing for movies, I am extremely pleased.

Strengths:
Price. Good channel separation. Easy set-up. Apparently good protection circuitry.

Weaknesses:
Seems hypersensitive to overloading

Price Paid:  $289.00 from AAFES (Military Exch

Summary:
I can't believe an individual called this Panasonic model (SA-HE100) Substandard!! This Receiver is awesome and enhances all my DVD movies and Satellite programs flawlessly with clear, crisp, clean sound. There are no "spikes"! Of course, you must use "common sense" when operating any electronic product so as "not to" BLOW IT UP! You get so much value in this product it will make you feel like you cheated the store!!

Strengths:
Powerful, crisp, clear, latest technology to include DTS-ES, Digital, Prologic II

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Technics (made by Panasonic)- still works well (moved to Den).

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Unlike most Panasonic products, which usually offer an excellent price/quality ratio, I considered this line of receivers (SA-HE70/SA-HE70K, SA-HE100/SA-HE100K) as subtandard. They indeed pack a lot of features for the price but are very susceptible to spikes, overheating and they have great difficulty sustaining high-volume for most than 15 minutes. I blew up a SA-HE100 at one store (while testing some B&W speakers) and my SA-HE70 just started to crap (returning it to the store). I'm re-plugging my 20 years old Rotel. Furthermore, before failing, the models I've used exhibited random power output fluctuations. My objective was to invest heavily on the speakers while remaining conservative on the receiver. I guess I'll have to revisit that thought.

Strengths:
- Lots of features for the price

Weaknesses:
- Very low reliability

Similar Products Used:
Rotel, Yamaha, Kenwood, Onkyo, Marantz, etc

Price Paid:  $150.00 from Fry''s electronics

Summary:
I went into Fry''s because my onkyo 757 DIED RIP... Anyway, I went into Frys thinking "CHEAP"... I really wanted the Onkyo to last for awhile until I moved to get a new house and a new HT ROOM. Anyway. Instead of buying a 120 dollar system, I saw the Panasonic and thought what the heck I SPLURGE another 20 bucks! Anyway... Out with the Onkyo ... In with this! Wow! At first I didn''t think that it was driving my Infinity speakers like the Onkyo did. But now that I tweaked it out, set everything it up I put on the matrix, Terminator DVD. Dolby Digital and DTS play well in this unit! Effects are just as good as Onkyo! The unit was plenty loud, There was hardly any distortion at the Top end. Seems like for 150 bucks... I coouldn''t have gone wrong. I was expecting worse. But, I really think this is an EXCELLENT reciever for the cash. I think I am going to keep this unit for awhile.

Strengths:
100 Watts Per Channel really is... Sounds like it''s got a lot of power I had it all the way MAXED out and NO Clipping, No Pop''s, No over heating... Nothing. YMMV. PRICE is RIGHT! Sounds gread and Digital effects are good! Nice Sub managment. Good slection of inputs, Dual Optical, 3 SVIDEO Connectors.

Weaknesses:
SPRING CLIPS!!! GARBAGE! I hate Spring Clips! But for this price. Yeah... Maybe we can do a MOD! Trying to get Monster Cable into it is a pain. Best thing to do is get out the soldering iron Tin the cable (soak it with solder).. Buy some binding posts to replace the clips! I haven''t opened it up yet. I am sure doing this would void the warranty. The Build Quality is kind of weak. You look in this unit and it''s mostly just air. Granted I haven''t actually taken the cover off to look closer at the CAPS. But the Heatsyncs seems a bit small. This is just a nit pick of mine. But, if it works well why fix it? For the price I expect this tho. 4 stars over all, 5 if they would have put binding posts on the back of the unit.

Similar Products Used:
JVC, Onkyo, Sony

Price Paid:  $229.00 from FutureShop

Summary:
seldom computer/music geek like me would ever hook up a AV-receiver to a computer. yup!!! that''s what I did :) I used to have Cambridge FPS-2000 computer speakers set... however... I am losing my patient on it... cuz... I cannot stand the sound anymore. (while every night I would spend some time on my another great stereo. i.e. B&W speakers with Marantz Amp) anyways, this Panasonic AV-receiver really amazed me!!! at such low price, I would never dreamed I could get such a beauty. I hooked it up with my Monitor Audio Bronze 1 speakers as my front, and Omage 8" sub, along with a free set of speakers (Quest)-> it was the promotion from Futureshop... paid $229 CDN to get the receiver and free Quest speakers. (3 pieces) SA-HE7 REALLY has the ability pumping the power into the speakers!!! it''s really powerful and detailed sound with a niec set of front speakers. undoubtly, it could drive any kind of music quite well... no kidding, I use it listen to pop music, classical, vocal and jazz etc. (and watch DVD as well) if you can find such a good price like I do, I suggest u, BUY it. of course, u, again, gotta have a nice set of front speakers to deliver the clear sound for ya :)

Strengths:
powerful (really have the power to handle 100 watt!!!) clear sound

Weaknesses:
no DTS

Similar Products Used:
Technics 750