jdm56 Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 I got a mailing from Consumer Reports a couple of days ago, wanting me to subscribe (of course). The thing that caught my eye, though, was one of their quotes from past comparisons: "$250 Panasonic (SA-HE100) receiver outperforms $760 Harmon-Kardon" (325). So, for all you H-K lovers out there: You better go swap them things for a nice cheap Panasonic. HAHAHA After all, Consumer Reports knows best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STL Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 While Consumer Reports is very good as a guide for some merchandise, I learned very quickly (and a long time ago) that they honestly don't know squat when it comes to A/V equipment. Their A/V suggestions might be good for the average joe, but their recommendations would definitely not make audio/videophile happy. FYI, I did get the sarcasm but wanted to get my two cents in anyhow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Consumer Reports feels that $800 is "too pricey" for a receiver, and marks them down for being that expensive. They pretty much refuse to review anything over a grand. That should tell you everything you need to know about their opinions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 They don't know crappola about garbage bags either. I went got their bags that are the best. Yeah right! I don't believe anything consumer reports says. The cheapest HK is probally better musically than that Panny. If I was a betting man I would bet it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scp53 Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 I like to read them for the heck of it but I would definitely not use them as a reliable source... not hijacking your thread, but does anyone know of reliable online review sites or magazines? Id like to go online and see reviews of products that aren't a bunch of bs from people who don't know squat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted June 25, 2004 Share Posted June 25, 2004 Tnt audio, enjoy the music, good sound or is it sounds good? You read so many reviews you start to know who is giving a good review. Some are sponsored by the product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 Yeah, their car reviews are also pathetic. I have a feeling their parking lot is full of Camry, Accord's (but not the V6 6-speed Coupe), and Civic's. I don't think a single person on their staff is a car person. Their quality studies are fine, but not their driving impressions. And for god sakes, SUV's are clunky trucks, and they CAN tip over, don't be so danm surprised!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 I have had that cheap panny for about a month now. My old sony bit the dust and the panny is a gift. It sounds ok with digital input but I am not so sure about analog. I will say one thing in its favor: It has a phono input when nothing else does until you get back up to around the $800 range. I still like my old Yamaha integrated but that does not get me anywhere for HT. After I find an Academy to buy I will probably be looking for something more serious for power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffgeorge Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 I will be the first to tell anyone not to pay attention to Consumer Reports, but in this case I may just agree with them. About two years ago my Denon AVR2801 crapped out on me. I was tight on cash at the time and bought this Panny for $249. This thing is an admirable performer for home theater. I would put it up against my Denon (when it worked) any day. It is ok on music, but a little harsh at times. But for $249 I would dare say that most of us in a blind test would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the Panny and a mid priced Denon, Yamaha or H/K. Don't knock it until you've tried it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 I value their automobile repair records quite highly. Their thick annual auto repair guide saves me a lot of money. Our 2001 Mercury Sable LaScala Premium was steal at $11K - before CR rated it as a best buy. Now I cant find for that price even a year older. But. They say there is no difference between CD players, when I and little miss sensitive ears can hear a difference. They give high scores to Bose 301s, when they are nice, but at that price range, JBL and Sony sounded better to me at Best Buy. Plus every time I go to buy their top rated brand item, there is some generic or clone item selling for so much less, that it throws off their value reports. Maybe the Panny is a good deal. There are Panny DVD players that are better than models the times the price, according to the Secrets of HT web site, due to the quality chip used. So it is NOT hard for me to believe that there are low cost solid-state receivers that sound as good as the expensive crap foisted on us by the audio stores. But HK? That I will soon know for myself: a 630 is coming any day now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeslice Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 This actually doesnt surprise me. I've read quite a few personal praises about the Panasonic receivers in different home theater forums. I cant judge either way since I've never heard them before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted June 29, 2004 Author Share Posted June 29, 2004 I may as well confess: I was driving my klipschorns/belle /RS7's set-up for awhile with a big brother of the Panasonic receiver that CR praised. And as for pure sound quality, I had no problems with it. It was the SA-HE200, that I bought from J&R Music World for $320. A raging bargain, in my experience. I bought it to use in our family room HT system, driving a 5.1 Optimus set-up, but I put it in the klipschorn rig while my Pioneer Elite receiver was in the shop. For the money, build and sound quality was really good. So, I would not knock Panasonic receivers either. I still find it hard to believe the SA-HE100 from the CR test, would outperform a $760 Harmon-Kardon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleve Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 Hey, my first 'good' piece of stereo electronics was a Technics (by Panasonic) SU-8600 Integrated amp with a conservative 73 watts/channel that I bought new in the fall of 1976! It was big, and built like a tank. I used to drive a pair of Cerwin Vega HED 10" woofer speakers with it. To my then 17 year old ears, it sounded great! Loved the feel of the big attenuated volume control. And my current DVD/CD player is a relatively inexpensive Panasonic RP56 - my TV can't accept the Progressive scan output, but the picture quality is still amazingly clear and sharp. It's got a Faroudja/Sage chipset, which was unusual for this price class DVD player. Evidently, many other owners have had mechanical problems, but for me, so far so good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JewishAMerPrince Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 I too have had a bad taste for Consumer Reports for years, but in the case of the Panasonic receivers I may agree. Four months ago I bought an SAXR 25 which is a 100 wpc 6.1 receiver with digital amps. While the receiver is very limited in it's feature set (ie. no OSD) the sound is remarkably clean. I use the XR in my MBR setup where it's small size was the determining factor in order to fit underneath my 46" Hitachi Ultravision in the Hitachi made equipment rack. Driving RB 15s and and RCX4 center with RCS4 surrounds the reciver is capable of holding it's own with some of the best...including HK. After purchasing the Panny, I read several reviews from various audio/video sites that substantiate my experience. I have even seen the amps in the XR25 and it's 7.1 brother compared to the likes of ...Krell...believe it or not! Jerry Rappaport Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hofy Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 First off let me say that Panasonic makes some good stuff. Yes my RP82 DVD died on me last week, but I know of 3 friends who have Pannys some that are older than mine and havent had any problems. I still remember consumer reports blasting the Rotel 855 just because it didnt have a headphone jack. That was probably one of the best CD players I have ever owned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.