Consumer Reports Rates A/V Receivers

[GreenJelly]

Just so you guys know, consumer reports rated consumer level audio equipment. Unfrotunately I didnt get to look at the List but Im sure its cheaper priced stuff. These are good for the buyer looking to spend less money. If anyone can get a copy, it might be helpfull to post the winners

 

[mtrycrafts]

Just so you guys know, consumer reports rated consumer level audio equipment. Unfrotunately I didnt get to look at the List but Im sure its cheaper priced stuff. These are good for the buyer looking to spend less money. If anyone can get a copy, it might be helpfull to post the winners

Good value receivers: Onkyo tx-sr504, Yam rx-v659, Pioneer vsx-1016txv
HTIB: Onkyo hts790, Yam yht670

 

[Audioholics]

In the past their methods for audio have been extremely dubious at best... That Bose debacle had them losing lots of credibility. I can't speak for their video testing, but I'd trust them for toasters, not AV products.

I have an online membership.

 

[Matt34]

In the past their methods for audio have been extremely dubious at best... That Bose debacle had them losing lots of credibility. I can't speak for their video testing, but I'd trust them for toasters, not AV products.

I have an online membership.

I used my mom's membership when we were looking for a good cordless home phone.

 

[Geno]

CU is good, but not for A/V

I've been a CU subscriber and supporter for decades. In their defense, they are the only consumer testing organization that doesn't take advertising, plus they buy all their tested products on the open market. I believe their ethical standards are the highest I've ever seen.

As for A/V products, it appears to me that they test only mass-market mainstream brands. Their speaker tests emphasize "accuracy" as just about their only criterion for judging the relative merits of each speaker (My God, they rate Bose Accoustimess systems as "excellent"...eeeuwh!) I've never seen any of the more popular "upscale" brands mentioned or tested, so most of us audioholics who have succumbed to our particular obsession are not likely to be part of their target audience.

On the other hand, their auto and appliance tests have been a Godsend to me over the years, and their consumer rights activity is worth its weight in gold.

 

[GreenJelly]

First notice that I put this under A/V receivers, and not speakers

Most AV receiver questions on this forum are for low end system receivers. The audio magazines just dont deal with this equipment because the good ones have people who spend their entire lives dedicated to audio. They simply are not satisfied with low quality audio, and I can understand why.

Most people spend under $1K on a 5.1 surround system... YUCK! I just havent heard a single system with these low priced speakers that meet my needs. I would be VERY excited if something did come out at these low prices. Unfortunately my favorite speakers are B&W, and their lowest end speakers come in at around $400 for a pair. I wouldnt recommend their lowest for anything but surround sound. Their floor stand speakers can become amazing. I just dont test speakers that cost more then $1200, so I am not the guy to ask about the high end price range. I tend to see the law of diminishing returns quickly come true after $600-$800 range.

Reviews of All TV's and AV receivers is all I recommend from them. I wouldnt trust anything other then my own ears on speakers.

I buy systems that sound the best for me. I am different then everyone else in the world, and so are my ears. Magazines can report and test signal -> audio -> Mic -> signal, but thats about as far as they can go. All the other information is opinions. I value these opinions, no matter where they come from.

Consumer Reports are not paid to give good reviews and have no advertising. I also assume they only test brand names and not the good audio names like B&W, Paradigm, Thiel, etc. If anyone has a copy, please mention the brands they review, and or pricerange for the speaker systems.

Consumer Reports are also good at toys like MP3 players, etc...

I never heard of any reports of BOSE reviews, but I wouldnt doubt that BOSE may have the best tiny satilight speakers. But thats like saying Woopie, we have the best of the worst possible design idea for sound possible. You also have to look at the level of competion they are reviewing.

I would rather own Great pair of speakers then a commercial 5.1 surround sound. I would NEVER recommend satilight systems, wireless systems, etc...

If you have $800 for a speaker system, then spend it on a single pair of speakers... Not a 5.1 surround sound system.

If the speaker enclosure isnt the size of a very large shoe box, and the midrange speaker isnt atleast 3-6 inches large, then its not going to produce any quality midrange sound. Even that small emclosure size is pushing it; but there are some amazing enclosure designs.

Mike

 

[dponeill]

I can't speak for their video testing, but I'd trust them for toasters, not AV products.

Keep in mind that they once stated that LaserDisc was no better than std VHS.

 

[GreenJelly]

Keep in mind that they once stated that LaserDisc was no better than std VHS.

That isnt far off. The video on LaserDiscs was analog and not digital.

Mike

 

[freddorn]

although not always a huge fan of CR,

You have to admit, they are the ONLY source of unbiased info.

 

[Davidt1]

I love CR. Their honesty is beyond reproach. Most people try to justify their purchase by looking for glowing reviews of the product. When they find the opposite, they blame the magazines or the reviewers for the bad review. Most of us even write very positive reviews of stuff we bought for the same reason. I am as guilty of this as anybody. Recently I wrote a review for the URC-200 remote control that I bought. I gave it 9 out of 10 rating when I should have given it an 8 out of 10. Anyway, I am glad there is CR.

 

[Tom Andry]

I've said it time and again - If you know nothing about a subject and don't want / have time to learn, go with CR. They won't lead you to a bad product (most of the time). If you are a hobbyist, enthusiast, or expert on any of the fields they review (speakers, circular saws, refrigerators, etc) you are going to think that their suggestions in your field of expertise are off. Of course they are. They only review the products that are widely available and of those, only a small subset. They review HTiBs because that is what most people buy. I still look to them for advice on most of the stuff I'm going to buy once (like power tools, kitchen appliances) if for nothing else than to see the criteria they evaluate things on.

 

[dponeill]

That isnt far off. The video on LaserDiscs was analog and not digital.

Mike

"Digital" is no guarantee of quality. The sound on your cell phone is digital. Would you want your home theater to have seven channels of that?

 

[Jack Hammer]

I've said it time and again - If you know nothing about a subject and don't want / have time to learn, go with CR. They won't lead you to a bad product (most of the time).

Thats been my experience. I used them several times, mainly years ago, for lots of products I knew nothing about. I was always happy with their best value rated stuff. Good bang for the buck. I bought a mtb they recommended in the early nineties and recently gave it to a friend of mine for his daily city bike - it's outdated but held up well for 15 years, not bad for a few hundred bucks.

 

[Xsound]

I am not sure I believe the claims of CR...

I've been a CU subscriber and supporter for decades. In their defense, they are the only consumer testing organization that doesn't take advertising, plus they buy all their tested products on the open market. I believe their ethical standards are the highest I've ever seen.

I have always heard that they accept no ads (you don't see them in the magazine) & that they buy all of their tested products on the open market, but I have to tell you that stretches credibility. How do they purchase all of the cars that they test. I find it difficult to believe that they make enough money selling their magazine to purchase automobiles totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars not to mention all of the other items they test.

I understand there is some type of a foundation, but where did they get their endowment?

I agree with several others. they are good for info on cordless phones, and some other things, but on audio equipment, I disagree with many of their findings.

Perhaps I am just too cynical.

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