Appearance and Build

Yamaha RX-397 is quite unassuming and would be almost “old school” in appearance if not for the slightly over zealously marked up bass, treble, balance and “loudness” knobs (More on that last knob later). The large volume knob has a nice easy drift to it and feels solid.  Most of the other knobs are of decent quality and the bean and channel select buttons give a reasonably satisfying click when changing stations. The rears jacks and plugs are all solid and very usable, especially the “screw in” style speaker terminals. All in all the Yamaha RX-397s build quality is very good for a unit in this price range and it does look the part.

Check Current Pricing on Amazon

Specifications & Sound

As you would expect in a budget model like the Yamaha RX-397 this unit doesn’t have some of the balls and whistles you might expect from a higher end model (No multi zone functionality for example) but what it does have is a solid set of features and an extremely good sound quality. The unit boasts a decent 50 watts per channel (to be honest it actually sounds a lot louder than 50w being more comparable to75w amps). The quality of the circuity is extremely good for the price the sound is clear, has a very nice middle and top end, with an extremely low noise floor for the price. The tone and balance controls are more than adequate for most home use and the addition of a “loudness” control which is essentially a mid range trim may be useful to some. Extra additions include a “pure direct” button which bypasses the Yamaha RX-397s tone and gain circuits improving headroom and the overall percieved “air” the system produces.

Conclusions

If you are in the market for a simple stereo receiver for a mid sized room at home I challenge you to find anything this good for this kind of price. Quite frankly the quality of this unit makes me expect to pay at least $100 – $150 more. If you are looking for something in the $200 – $300 price range you cannot go wrong with the Yamaha RX-397.

Check Current Pricing on Amazon

Manufacturers Specifications

• RMS Output Power 2x 50 Watts
• Pure Direct Switch
• Super Audio CD/DVD Audio Ready w/Extended Frequency Response
• THD [0.04%]
• Linear Damping Factor (Speaker A) 150
• Continuously Variable Loudness Control
• Motor-driven Remote Controllable Master Volume Control
• 40-Station Preset Tuning
• IR Ports
• Low-Impedance Power Supply
• Remote Control Input/Output Terminals
• Tape Monitor Switch
• 5 Audio Input Terminals with Phono Input Terminal
• Front Panel Headphone Jack
• Impedance Selector (8 ohms/4ohms)
• Product Dimensions (W x H x D) / Weight (lbs.) 17-1/8” x 5-3/4” x 12-1/8” / 14.1
• Shipping Dimensions (W x H x D) / Weight (lbs.) 21″ x 9″ x 14-1/2″ / 17.4

Tweet This Post

Onkyo TX8555 Receiver

Check current Onkyo TX-8555 Stereo Receiver pricing on Amazon

Sound quality on this unit is at the top end of what I expect in this price range. While not exactly audiphile matreial it is fairly flat in terms of response and doesnt output too much colouration of the audio spectrum at normal to highish volumes, also the unit can drive a decent range of mid range speakers well and without introducing any audiable distortion. Power wise the unit should be fine for most small to medium sized rooms outputting 100 watts per channel (8 ohms) with only 0.08% THD. Overall we found the TX8555 to have a clean and punchy sound ideal for CD, mp3, Phono and DVD. Overall this unit is very decent value for money and is ideal for the home user with many stereo sound sources.

Onkyo TX8555 Receiver Rear

Check current Onkyo TX-8555 Stereo Receiver pricing on Amazon

Manufacturers Specifications

• 100 watts x 2 (stereo) into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.08% THD
• 4-ohm capability allows use with a wide range of speakers
• Pure Audio/Direct mode for cleaner sound
• Digital Tuner with 40 AM/FM presets
• 4 AV inputs and 3 Audio inputs, including Phono input
• 2 sets of speaker outputs & Line-level subwoofer output
• Zone 2 Capability
• XM/Sirius Ready
• iPod® integration (requires optional DS-A2x iPod dock)
• high-current, low-impedance amplifier design
• anti-resonant aluminum front panel
• front-panel switching for two pairs of main speakers
• Dimensions: Height: 5.9 inches, Width: 17.1 inches, Depth: 13.4 inches
• Weight: 18.7 pounds
• Warranty: 2 years
• RRP: $299.00 (Check current Onkyo TX-8555 Stereo Receiver pricing on Amazon)

Tweet This Post

Onkyo CS-325B CD Reciever System

Check Onkyo CS-325 CD Receiver System Pricing on Amazon

The main unit hosts a simple 40 preset receiver and a simple (but very well built) Single-Bit DAC CD Player, there is also an optional iPod dock available for the system. Sonically the CS-325 is a solid performer with a flat mid range though perhaps a little uninspiring. Lets be clear about this, the CS-325 is not true hi fi quality, what it is though is very good bang for the buck. Sound wise it has decent quality bass and mids, it sounds clear and airy in the mids but to those listening closely the system may feel slightly lacking in the top end also the speakers don’t handle anything below 50Hz so sub bass is missing (at this price what were you expecting?). Some may wish to attach a separate Sub Woofer to this system to bass it up a little. The power output of this system is also not what you would expect from a full scale separates hifi system but it is powerful enough for general home or office use, perhaps in a small back room, kitchen or smallish office space.

Don’t let these minor issues put you off though, the CS-325 is an extremely good system for the money and both in terms of build and sound quality hands down beats many of the more feature laden entry level mini systems from other manufacturers. A solid choice for those who don’t want to get into separates systems.

Onkyo CS-325 base unit features

• Single-Bit DAC CD Player
• CD Shuffle / Random Play
• WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology)
• Discrete Output Stage
• Low Impedance Drive
• Audio Input/Output Terminals 2/1
• Subwoofer Pre Out
• 40 station Presets with preset naming functionality
• Automatic/Manual Tuning
• Sleep Timer
• Headphone Jack
• RI-Compatible Remote Control

Manufacturers Specifications

• Power Output: 14 W + 14 W (8 ohms, 1 kHz, FTC); 19 W + 19 W (4 ohms, 1 kHz, FTC)
• Dynamic Power: 22 W + 22 W (3 ohms); 20 W + 20 W (4 ohms); 14 W + 14 W (8 ohms)
• Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.9% (Rated power), 0.4% (1 kHz, 1 W)
• Tone Control: ±6 dB, 80 Hz (Bass); ±8 dB, 10 kHz (Treble); +7 dB, 80 Hz (Super bass)
• Speaker Impedance: 4 ohms–16 ohms
• Audio Dynamic Range: 95 dB
• Power Supply: AC 120 V, 60 Hz
• Dimensions: (W x H x D) 8 1/16″ x 4 9/16″ x 14 7/16″
• Weight: 8.8 lbs.
• Speaker Type: 2-way, bass reflex
• Frequency Response (Speakers): 50 Hz–100 kHz
• Crossover Frequency: 6 kHz
• Max. Input Power: 70 W
• RRP: $294.00 (Check Onkyo CS-325 CD Receiver System Pricing on Amazon)

Tweet This Post

Basic Features
The AVR-2809CI comes with 4 HDMI 1.3a inputs and a Faroudja FLi2310 to allow convertsion of analogue signals to 1080p, audio wise it also decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio ensuring great audio from Blu Ray players. Overall the AVR-2809CI does a fantastic job with diverse video and audio sources.

Denon AVR-2809CI Front - Click to enlarge

Check current Amazon Pricing on the Denon AVR-2809CI Home Theater Receiver

Interesting features

The AVR-2809CI comes with Audyssey Dynamic Volume, and Audyssey Dynamic EQ the first of which is an audio mode that keeps a stable volume level to stop the annoying tendency for commercials to be played at a louder volume than programming that gets on so many peoples nerves these days, I see this feature as a great boon that is likely to be used by many owners. Secondly there is the Audyssey Dynamic EQ which is supposed to make quiteter passages sound richer. We felt that this option didn’t really deliver and in fact we felt the unit performed better and with more clarity with this feature left off. Denon has also fitted the AVR-2809CI with Audyssey MultEQ® XT, a proprietary automatic speaker calibration system. The units included microphone is used to analyze sound from up to eight different listening positions, then automatically adjusts level, equalization, and delay settings for each speaker. We found this feature quite interesting and fairly simple to set up, likely to keep the tweakers amongst you happy for quite some time.

General Sound & Specifications

The surround processing section of the AVR-2809CI is powered by two 32 bit floating point DSP chips, and features extremely high resolution surround decoding with 192kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog converters for all channels. The  seven channel amplifier section features 115 watts of power per channel, and provides the choice of driving a 5.1 channel system in the main room, with another stereo speaker pair in another room with independent source selection.

The AVR-2809CI’s channel isolation is second to none and provides excellent signal purity, the unit also includes denons “Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit” technolgy which gives you discrete circuit blocks for such tasks as DtoA conversion, AtoD and surround decoding. All of which makes for an extremely clear, responsive and pure sound.

Manufacturers Specifications

• 115 watts x 7 into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.05% THD
• 192kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog converters for all channels
• Dolby® TrueHD, DTS-HD™ Master Audio, Dolby® Digital Plus, DTS-HD™ High Resolution Audio, Dolby® Digital EX, DTS-ES™, Pro Logic® IIx, and DTS Neo:6 decoding
• Audyssey Laboratories’ MultEQ® XT eight-point auto setup and room calibration system (microphone included)
• XM Satellite Radio Ready (requires XM subscription and optional XM Mini-Tuner package)
• Neural Surround decoder for XM’s HD Surround channels
• ALPHA 24 Plus upsampling for stereo digital sources
• Dolby Pro Logic IIx – with Cinema, Music, Game Modes
• Active Center Channel In All Surround Modes
• Pure Direct/Direct/Stereo Modes on Digital/Analog inputs
• Analog Audio Inputs, Incl. Tuner: 11 (inc XM)
• Phono Input: MM type
• Analog Record Outputs: 2Composite Video Inputs: 7 (inc 1 in front)
• Composite Video Outputs: 2 (plus Mon/Z2)
• S-Video Inputs: 7 (inc 1 in front)
• S-Video Outputs: 2 (plus Mon)
• Component Video Inputs: 2
• Component Video Outputs: 2 Main Zone
• Dolby Digital Surround EX Decoding
• dts ES Discrete 6.1 Decoding
• dts ES Matrix 6.1 Decoding
• dts Neo:6 Stereo-to-Surround Cinema and Music Modes
• dts 96/24 5.1 for DVD-Video Processing
• dts-HD Master Audio
• SIRIUS satellite radio capable (requires SIRIUS subscription and optional SiriusConnect™ home tuner kit)
• iPod® integration (requires optional Denon ASD-11R, ASD-3N, or ASD-3W)
• Compressed Audio Restorer for better sound with compressed music sources like MP3 files
• Audyssey Dynamic EQ™ for fuller sound at lower listening levels
• Audyssey Dynamic Volume mode to keep listening levels steadythree-room/three-source output:
• line-level and powered stereo audio output with volume, balance and tone control for 2nd room (using powered 2nd room stereo output allows 5.1 home theater in main room)
• composite video output for 2nd room
• line-level stereo audio output with volume control for 3rd room
• conversion of optical or coaxial digital signals to analog audio output for 2nd and 3rd rooms (PCM signals only)
• high-current, low-impedance amp design
• Pure Direct modes switch off all unneeded circuitry for the cleanest possible sound
• on-screen display for easier system setup and operation
• learning/multibrand touchscreen electro-luminescent remote
• basic remote for second or third listening room (requires remote control extender system, not included)

Denon AVR-2809CI Back - Click to enlarge

Check current Amazon Pricing on the Denon AVR-2809CI Home Theater Receiver

Connectors

• 1080p-compatible HDMI digital video switching (4 in, 1 out)
• analog-to-HDMI video upconversion (up to 1080p) with Faroudja DCDi™ video processing and scaling
• HDMI version 1.3a with support for Deep Color, x.v.Color, auto lip-sync, 7.1 uncompressed 24/96 audio, DVD-Audio, SACD, and HDMI-CEC
• component video switching (3 in, 1 out)
• component video conversion (composite to S-video, or composite and S-video to component)
• digital audio inputs: 3 optical (including 1 front panel), 3 coaxial
• digital audio outputs: 1 optical
• 7 audio/video inputs, including: 1 front-panel & 6 rear-panel inputs with composite and S-video
• 2 audio-only inputs (inc phono)
• 7.1-channel analog audio preamp input
• 7.1-channel analog audio preamp output
• RS-232C port for automated control systems
• detachable power cord
• 2 sets of main speaker outputs
• back surround speaker channels re-assignable for bi-amping front left and right speakers

Physical Specifications

• Weight: 28.2 lbs
• Width:17.1 inches
• Height: 6.75 inches
• Depth: 16.55 inches
• Warranty: 2 years
• RRP: $1,199.00 (Check current Amazon Pricing on the Denon AVR-2809CI Home Theater Receiver)

Tweet This Post