good clear sound , great pl2 sound .

european remote is not configurable ! on big rooms (10mX8m) the volume is on 3/4 if you want to feel in a loud theatre (like i do ...)

after reading alot about the A/V receivers for this price range (which is 2,500 - 3,100 israely shekels) i was going to pick between the denon 1602 and onkyo 494 - the salesman in the place i bought it told me the onkyo is a sure bet , and sounds better in music ... well , as for what i feel - i think that in terms of home theatre usage it should receive 10/10 without hesitation for it''''s category (though if you have the money maybe you should purchase the 595 which has more power) - i tested it with gladiator and moulin rouge and it sounded superb even in the difficult parts (low sound and then a big orchestra coming out of nowhere ...) and in terms of music - i just loved the doly pro logic II music sound but i loved less the stereo sound , maybe its because the speakers i am using (JBL SCS-135 satellites) ... anyway - i recommend it !

good clear sound , great pl2 sound .

european remote is not configurable ! on big rooms (10mX8m) the volume is on 3/4 if you want to feel in a loud theatre (like i do ...)

after reading alot about the A/V receivers for this price range (which is 2,500 - 3,100 israely shekels) i was going to pick between the denon 1602 and onkyo 494 - the salesman in the place i bought it told me the onkyo is a sure bet , and sounds better in music ... well , as for what i feel - i think that in terms of home theatre usage it should receive 10/10 without hesitation for it''''s category (though if you have the money maybe you should purchase the 595 which has more power) - i tested it with gladiator and moulin rouge and it sounded superb even in the difficult parts (low sound and then a big orchestra coming out of nowhere ...) and in terms of music - i just loved the doly pro logic II music sound but i loved less the stereo sound , maybe its because the speakers i am using (JBL SCS-135 satellites) ... anyway - i recommend it !

Pro-Logic II, Lots of useable power for a 55w/ch. Simple and straight-forward no useless bells and whistles. Lots of S-video ins, and the DTS is so nice it would definitely be THX if it were only a few watts stronger. Plus I love the 5 sets of Banana plug compatible bindings posts, it just says "hey... I am no Kenwood or Sony"

Remote, but really- If you want a nice system get a good learning remote like the Chad.

I have had a run of bad luck with receiver, mostly I was simply not satisfied with the sound that I was getting... Some like a Denon Avr-1600 had incredible sound with CD''''''''s but DVD''''''''s were HORRIBLE. I had the Onkyo TX-DS484, and was a bit dissapointed with the surround. But I took this out of the box, and it Blew Me Away. What clear mellow, beautiful sound. I have this hooked up to AR speakers all around, and an AR downward firing Sub, and I could close my eyes and it just takes me away. Plus Getting Prologic II at this price is Unheard of!!! Hats off to you onkyo, after the 484, I thought my onkyo days were through, but you have made me a believer again.

Similar Products Used:

Denon AVR-1600, Onkyo 484, Onkyo tx-8211

excellent value, relatively simple to understand and connect.

55 watts/ch is passable at best. The remote is small with printing requiring my glasses to read.

I am well satisfied with this unit, which was a refurbished model,with no apparent defects. I felt that getting Pro Logic 2 at a reasonable cost was essential and do not regret the decision. Be aware that Ubid.com will simply soak you on the shipping charges, but still remains a Solid value. I agree with those who evidence concern with the power. Watching DTS movies usually means having the volume at a setting of 55 out of a possible 80 and this in a small sized room.

sound quality, ease of use and setup

weak output, the remote's doesnt sit nicly in your hand.

This is my first HT reciever, a friend at work recomended this firm (onkyo) but the 696 model. (a few months ago i was a total audio ignorant...), I couldnt aford it (the price scared me!...), so i went for the 494.
Now i know i should have spent more money, though this machine is great. it sounds amazingly good, and is a good place to start with home cinema. my start is over though, and i'll shop for a stronger amp.
i recently placed a paradigm reference HT set (60's v2, cc, adp) and the 494 spends much time at 2/3, 3/4 volume level.
I like the 797, but in israel it's too expensive, so i was thinking about denon 3802. (also featuring DPL II, like the 494).
anyway, a good buy.

Similar Products Used:

an older yamaha prologic

Dolby Pro Logic II, High Current Amp. Build Quality

Remote, weak bass without sub, relatively low power output

I did some research before purchasing this amp, which led me to choose between the Onkyo and the Denon 1601, which was about $50 less. In my opinion both amps sounded great, with music and movies, however I picked the Onkyo because it supported Dolby PL II, which makes Pro Logic material sound much better.

The Onkyo is lacking some low down Bass, this however is easily solved by the addition of a sub. The bass produced by this amp can be described as Punchy, far more so that the Sony amplifier it replaced where the bass, while stronger, sounded a little wooly.

Otherwise there is little to complain about sonically it just sounds great, as log as you have a sub. some reviews complain of a lack of power, and if this amp is used to drive speakers with a low sensitivity that is probably the case, but if you speakers are 89db and upwards I don't think it will be a problem.

Also, be prepared to purchase a new remote, as the one supplied with this unit is crap, (the denon remote is just as bad).

If I was to now choose between the Denon 1602, which included Dolby PLII processing, I would probably still pick the Onkyo, but may go for the Denon if I already didn't have a sub. However both units are excellent and I suppose it comes down to personal preference.

I have given the amp a 5 star rating , but would have liked to pick 4 1/2, due to the bad remote, however I could not bring myself to pick 4 stars, the remote is probably as good as any other in its price range.

Similar Products Used:

Sony

Crystal Clear Sound

None yet

Wow what a difference!!! Had Kenwood 5 Channel Pro Logic w/ 100 watts/channel for the last 6 years. I can't believe what I've been missing all these years. This is definitely a much cleaner sounding receiver than any of the receivers for this price. DVD's w/ this monster @ 55w x 5 rocks my house 13x25 w/ hardly any distortion. Setup are as follows:

Fronts: AR Acoustic Research 318PS
Center: Polk CS245I
Rear: Polk 300 FX/I
DVD: Sony cheapie NPS300 @ $179.00

Future upgrade: Polk RT800I's, Polk CS400I and of course an ONKYO >>> maybe 797.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood

Excellent feature set and quality at $299

No front AV inputs, minimal AV inputs, not rated lower than 6ohm

I'm fairly critical when purchasing anything. I search, review, search some more, then a couple weeks later after spending dozens of hours researching and reviewing I finally audition the equipment and make my purchasing decision based on features, quality, and of course the all-important price.

I found the Onkyo 494 to offer an incredible amount of quality and features for $299. I was almost swayed into a Pioneer 509 due to the additional AV inputs, front inputs, and higher output wattage. However, the quality and Onkyo name prevailed and I made the plunge.

As soon as I got it home and connected my digital cable, DVD, and VCR to the unit I had exhausted nearly all of the video inputs. Additionally, I was somewhat concerned about the lack of front AV inputs that most other manufacturers include across the board on their products. You have to go really high in the Onkyo line to get front AV inputs, up to the $899 model 787 if I'm not mistaken.

I only have the 494 connected to some 9 year old Yamaha 3-way acoustic suspension bookshelves and I have to say, it makes them sound very poor. I attribute this to the lack of an EQ on the Onkyo which replaced a 10 year old Techniques stereo receiver which had a 4-band digital EQ built into the unit which was able to shape the Yamaha's into a reasonably aggressive sounding stereo. They sounded somewhat bland and bassless connected to the Onkyo. This wasn't terribly concerning to me since I was shopping for a 5.1 speaker setup next, which brings me to my next point.

I had shopped all of the local stores for a good-to-great sounding 5.1 system for under $1000. I found myself drawn into the PSB speaker line which rates their speakers and 6ohm nominal but down to as low as 4ohm under peak loads. The Onkyo 494 is not rated below 6ohm and a call to their tech support confirmed this and they suggested I look at the 595 which is rated down to 4ohm loads.

I'm taking back the 494 to CircuitCity and am purchasing a 595 for $100 more from http://www.jandr.com/ This model includes a slightly higher wattage amp, the ability to safely drive to 4ohms, in addtion to the bonus of the following added features...

* 1 more digital optical and Svideo input (unsure if I'll ever use them)
* speaker distance settings
* remembers your audio selections per connection (for example, VHS set to PL2)
* better remote with macro capabilities (no more pressing 12 buttons before I can watch a DVD)

The downside is it's $100 more than what I really wanted to spend, though I'm sure I'll enjoy the added features. The macro-capable remote should also help offset the cost increase as I was seriously considering purchasing a separate "smart" remote.

I absolutely would recommend this unit assuming it is capable of providing enough inputs and driving the speakers you intend to connet to them. It sounds very neutral (which is good), has enough power (never turned it past 1/2 way), and is a good buy at $299.

Similar Products Used:

No other digital AV receivers used.

Clean sound, ease of use, phono input (for turntables)

A & B speakers can not be used simultaneously
No tape monitor
Not much treble boost

After being thoroughly disappointed with a JVC RX6000VBK, with its weak and distorted center channel, and poorly translated user manual, I carefully read reviews here and elsewhere looking for the best surround receiver available for my target price of $200 - $250. (an admittedly low budget)

The Onkyo TX-DS494 sells for a bit more than that new, and within that range refurbished. I found a bargain price on a customer returned unit at ABT electronics.

All of the positives you read about the 494 are true. Good, clean sound. Easy to use. Quality features (such as large binding posts) not normally found at this price range.

I especially like the "all speakers" stereo mode that does exactly what it says ... plays well-imaged analog stereo through all 5 speakers (plus sub). This is great when all you want is background music.

The negatives are somewhat true: Even though 55 watts can be more than enough power for living room use, it seems true as others have said that the 494 sounds best at volumes louder than you might always want. And while I was pleased to have actual treble and bass controls on the front of the unit instead buried in menus, to my ears they don't do a lot ... or they do more in cutting treble and bass than in adding it.

But to me the biggest negative -- and a big disappointment -- is that the A & B front speakers can't be used simultaneously. I've never heard of such a thing. The possibility of this limitation absolutely did not occur to me when searching for a new receiver. I believe the whole point of having a receiver that can drive a second pair of front speakers is so you can play the same music in two rooms at once.

So now I either need a separate amp to power the two small speakers in the other room (which increases my cost to more than I wanted to spend and makes the system a little more complicated for other family members) or I have to sell or return this unit to get something else ... maybe a Technics or Kenwood.

Similar Products Used:

JVC RX6000VBK

Dolby Pro Logic II, All Channel Surround Mode for analog sources, clean sound, solid brand, 2 digital coax inputs with one optical, awesome all around for the price

Can't find one

First of all Circuit City in North Austin sucks. Don't buy from them ever. I bought it on special order and they kept lying to me about when it was going to be there.

Now, about the receiver....WOW! I love it. The only knock you can have against it is the wattage, but anyone who knows what they are talking about will tell you that 55 watts per channel is way more than you need for most people. I had been researching forever as you probably are now to find a receiver that would satisfy me for under 300 bucks. I found it in the Onkyo TX-DS494.

Dolby Pro logic II--What a difference and improvement over the old Pro Logic. Sounds great with music and tv. Also the All Channel function for analog inputs(which is what our cable here is-it comes to campus digital and then they break it into analog signals--why you ask, I don't know)is awesome as is simulates dolby surround.

I have no complaints, PS2 games come to life, music sounds awesome (there are Dolby Pro Logic II Music and Dolby Pro Logic II Movie settings), I put in Fast and the Furious and the final car scene sounds great.

I was going in the 250 range but spend the few extra bucks because you won't find a better receiver for the money. Remember this is an investment. The Kenwood that I received for Christmas which was 150 at Sams sounded like a 150 dollar receiver. Movies were great, but music and tv--horrible--no bass and no way to crank up the bass with out manually reseting the sub. The Onkyo shines though in every way.

Dont know what else to say other than stop reading reviews and go buy the thing!

My Setup:

Receiver:Duh--its what I was writing about.
TV:Sony Wega 27"
Sub:Sony SA-WM40...also a great buy
Speakers: Technics Floor Speakers, Center and Surround also
DVD/cd:Pioneer DV-333
and RCA VCR

Similar Products Used:

For the last seven years-Technics Tuner ST-K55 with Technics Integrated Amp SU-G95, Got a Kenwood VR-505 for Christmas(want a suck receiver--you get what you pay for with the VR-505)