20 Best Ads B Receiver For Foreflight (2022 Updated)

It came sooner than expected. I followed the Quick Start Guide on the RTL-SDR Blog site. It proved easy to set up, so long as you follow the instructions properly. The reception of anything other than FM isn’t as good as I might have hoped with the supplied antenna.

While I have been able to listen to some short wave stations and also to some air traffic channels, they are far from clear, and I found one ham channel that was broadcasting on two different occasions, although I could only hear one side of the conversation.

This may be a combination of my inexperience and the need for a better antenna. So far I have just put the antenna on my desk indoors and moved it around a bit, nothing very scientific. Overall, I am happy with the purchase as an inexpensive and interesting way to get into radio, and I hope to learn more as I go on.

See the info image. Essentially you install gqrx-sdr which automatically installs gnuradio–an advanced SDR program where you generate software by dragging around flow-charts and what not. I’m using this SDR to experiment with high-speed data transfer via physical SCPA.

I’ve cut the antenna wire and applied it to RAM pins on running laptops, as well as to the SATA data wires of a busy spinning-disk hard drive. And I see beautiful order in chaos. Recording the I/Q data yields raw files which grow ~10MB per second–in “RAW I/Q” mode.

That’s plenty of processing for a tiny device like this. In this case, I set the frequency to 1. 635GHz for maximum contrast & minimum noise. I will provide more details of files produced using this SDR on github: compromise-evident.

I had it working within hours of the mailman dropping it off. I followed the quick start directions from the Web site printed on the SDR. I had SDR# working right away on my Windows 8 desktop. I later tried on a Windows XP notebook but the software options for that old operating system are more limited.

It still worked with the appropriate software. I have also tried the RTL1090 software to decode aircraft ADS-B beacons. It worked well for this, I was able to pick up aircraft more than 80 miles from my location (I’m near an airport and so there are lots of aircraft to look for).

This is with only the little dipole antenna in the package, stuck to a window that doesn’t even face the airport. I’ve also found ham radio APRS software that can work with this SDR. I can see transmissions by local police/fire services on the 770 MHZ band that my dedicated scanner doesn’t cover, but of course I can’t decrypt them.

I can pick up the ATSC digital TV pilot carriers at XXX. 310 MHZ – I set the “frequency adjust” to +1 ppm and these come in accurately on frequency. Wish I could demodulate at least sound. someone out there is working on that, I’m sure.

A few drawbacks. I’d like to get a bunch of these to use for chasing high-altitude balloons with APRS beacon transmitters – itcould work very well, directly receiving from the balloon instead of relying on spotty Internet coverage.

However, you need a laptop with sufficient horsepower, and there are rather a lot of software pieces to put together. I am just using the package antennas and I find there are very very many spurious and intermodulation products, such as in the FM broadcast band – and many narrow spikes at various UHF and VHF frequencies, Pretty sure these would get better if I installed an FM band filter.

I was surprised how warm the dongle gets – I would not recommend buying similar products in plastic cases. This is normal, the SDR draws 0. 3 amps from the USB port and that turns into significant heat.

I found the dongle stays much cooler even resting on a table top or any solid surface that conducts heat away from it. I’ll probably set up some kind of heat sink or fin to keep it cooler. All in all, tremendous fun value for the dollar spent, and it even got into my hands a little quicker than I had expected.

It’s great fun to play with receiver bandwidth and modes – to do the same thing when I graduated university would have taken a room full of gear, now you can illustrate all these principles with a low-cost dongle and free software.

I’m looking forward to getting this working ona Rasperry Pi – maybe I can single-handedly improve APRS coverage for next balloon season. And I haven’t even started looking at GNU Radio and the things it can do.

At this moment I use this SDR for observing DAB radio in the west of the Netherlands (Randstad & Flevoland) for the stations I’m helping like Oldies Radio and Dance Radio. But I’m still looking for good working software to use this SDR as Spectrum Analyzer for Shortwave (connected to an ALA loop) and VHF observations (connected to a Log Per for 150 to 225 MHz).

All reviews concerning the interfacing software are a bit confusing. So please send me some information where to find the right proper working software and interface dll’s for Windows 10. More difficult will be finding the right software for a Samsung Tablet Tab S6 Lite with the newest Android installed.

I’m also looking for the right OTG USB Cable to connect the Tab S 6 Lite to this RTL SDR. Please inform. Best Regards, Eduard Bakker.

Many spurious cancelled the common usb choke, it’s far better than a ferrite choke in usb cable. Direct sampling: this chipset not designed there, but interesting. Not better than an ssb capable shortwave pocket radio.

Bias tee : unfortunately the SDRSharp under W7 not manage to bas-tee, because i need this. But the most important for me, the 1ppm! This one feature valuable as a price difference between 820T2 and this dongle! No more ppm-sucking.

Is really sucking, because when calibrate a ppm to 28mHz a ppm shift value is 71 – for me. And then re-tuning 435mHz. The fix ppm settings not enough, because this band needed to a 75ppm ! Its very annoying the 820 and T2, but finally there no more need.

Once for all, the ppm no matter, forget the calibrate, set the 0ppm and good. Also not heavy frequency-temperature drift as 820 and T2. this terrible in the past a 820and T2, but no more thanks to 1ppm osc.

So i know to this is not an FlexRadio, but not bill hundreds dollar. Oh, almost forget : many user tells to better ADS-B decoding ratio compare T2. I tested this and it is true !.

Software defined radio hardware has been refined with this unit. Any SDR dongle will get fairly warm while using. This one is aluminum, so it pulls heat away from the RTL chip. That being said, it gets warm.

Im using mine with an older Win7 laptop. 4 gIgs of RAM. Nothing fancy. Ive tried HF with it, but have had almost no success. To be fair, Im not using a converter either. Only a balun and longwire antenna.

Most reception Im finding is from the FM broadcast band to the upper 400s. I scan around above that, but havent caught anything yet. Im using an old RS discone antenna with RG-58U coax and a pigtail adapter.

My antenna is about 30 feet up and Im 25 miles away from Fort Worth Texas. This is a great dongle to start messing around with. The RTL-SDR website has a step by step quick start page with an FAQ and a troubleshooting guide.

Theres a TON of information out there. Theres even a Reddit section called RTLSDR.

This unit works extremely well in a LARGE warehouse in Elgin, IL. Installed one unit with Bell at loading docks and another at the complete opposite end of the building approx 325ft distance away, (era-dcrx with bell and stobe).

Signal must pass thru concreete exterior wall and fully stocked warehouse, purchasing another unit for the shop manager to install in his office. Great product hope it has longevity.

I have to admit i was skeptical about this working through a metal building. I’ve always had problems with wireless and metal buildings!!! THIS WORKED THROUGH 2 WOOD WALLS AND A METAL WALL !!! My customers only complaint was the dc output timer wouldn’t do less then 5 secounds.

(maybe a dial so you could dial it to exactly what you want) 4. 9 stars EXALENT wireless product as long as it lasts???.

Outstanding products! Very easy to set up and use. Very happy we chose the ERA-DCRX Wireless Warehouse Doorbell Receiver Compatible/ All ERA Transmitters/Sensors from 1800Doorbell.

works like it should, like the binding button. wish I could use a dxs satalite with it though. The plug is different it will only take the new spektrum satilite.

I don’t recommend the brand Spektrum for their corrupt ways. But this receiver works flawlessly. .

Never had a crash that was caused by a receiver from Spektrum. Always was my fault.

A nifty and dependable Rx. I use it in most of my planes. Really like its forward programming feature, enabling quick tweaking at the field when tuning new planes.

Great AR630 RX and easy binding,no more bind plug also no more fiddling around with antenna all it needs bind ,install and go. Stabilizer works great and easy set up. Small enough for small planes. I really like it and no problem at all.

It is small, and easily installable into the airplane i have,without much trouble at all.

It is early days yet as I have had this new box less than 2 weeks but so far so good. It was very easy to wire up the speakers apart from the fact that I had to remove the banana plugs from all the speaker cables connected to the amplifier with the exception of the front left and right.

The surround sound and centre speaker connections use a nice clip system which I had trouble getting my thicker speaker cables into. Setting up the 5. 0 speakers using the microphone was very easy but for some reason my centre speaker is too quiet meaning watching films it is hard to hear the dialogue.

Maybe I just need a new centre speaker, I just could not get a decent volume out of it. I have temporarily set the speaker system as 4. 0 with any dialogue being directed out of the front left and right speakers.

I am hoping to add some front left and right upward firing speakers in the near future if the wife will let me have them! I have also used the new amp to play music from a network music player connected via phones and the sound quality was superb.

I bought this receiver to replace my old DA 3400ES receiver, which I loved but after fifteen years a faulty volume mechanism which could not be repaired meant I needed to replace it. Being able to trade in my old receiver made this a great cost effective replacement.

Unfortunately this new model does not have a phono input for my turntable nor an AM radio option, resulting in having to outlay further expense to accommodate those features. However, my new AV receiver does accommodate my TV, CD & DVD players; as well as my speakers and subwoofer.

It was straightforward to connect up all these appliances. My new receiver also has a blue tooth option which affords the flexibility of connecting my phone through the sound system. And the sound is great! The receiver does the job I wanted.

I bought this unit to replace a Pioneer receiver I had that stopped working. I was expecting to have at least one or two hiccups when replacing this and every possibility that there would be some issue preventing me from using it with my setup.

But I was proven wrong. This unit fitted in seamlessly to my setup. Took me 20 mins to get it all connected to my 7. 1 setup , blueray player , google chrome box , gaming console, tv/set top box. My pioneer had some issues with randomly cutting out, frustrating intermittent fault.

It also had issues with the tv passthrough meaning I had to keep resetting it. But the Sony AV receiver had none of these issues. Other than turning on the passthrough (allowing me to watch the tv without turning on the receiver and the 7.

1 surround) there was nothing else I had to do. The room calibration was quick and easy, it picked up all 8 speakers , no issues with polarity or missing speakers (this process was a bit more complicated in my previous pioneer receiver).

Picture and sound quality are a bit subjective. I think the picture quality is comparable with my pioneer (less options to change the picture). Although I think the sound quality has a edge with the Sony unit (I used to fiddle a lot with the pioneer to get sound from the rear speakers but with the Sony the sound blasts out from all speakers).

One thing I noted is it doesn’t have a dedicated LAN connection. Although I have no need for this as I can get all I need from the internet via casting onto my chromecast and other devices can connect through bluetooth.

But you may need a dedicated LAN or wireless connection so this may be a problem for some. The unit is around 30 per cent smaller than my last one which meant lots of space at the back for the cabling and more ventilation room (note the vents are on the top so best not sit anything on top of the unit).

So in summary I am very pleased with the purchase. It’s been a simple plug in and play. 20 min setup. Not so many bells and whistles as my last unit but not as buggy either and I think there is a definite improvement in my sound quality.

Highly recommended as an entry level unit.

I have about 4 of these small compact receivers they are good value for money. Never had any problems with the Spektrum product. I believe the product is to be discontinued and replaced with a more advanced electronics and similar price.

Either way it still represents quality product at an affordable price.

This is not a review of motion but horizon hobby never does the best job. gotta leave that to motion 😉 Ive bought many of these from motion and hobbytown, they bind when they want to, they work in the air but only if its very level flight.

All of my ar400s lose signal at certain orientations and barely come back in time to save the plane. Also i think its due to the smaller range of bandwith these are limited to. I only use 6 channel plus receiver for that reason.

Motion RC is a ten star company but this reciever from horizon is not very good. If you value your aircraft invest in a better receiver.

I am brand new to RC airplanes; don’t know anything. I started building a bi winged airplane{Spad}. Although there are several options for motors and servos, etc. I needed to get a radio. I had purchased a flight simulator that came with a Specktrum DXe 4 channel radio that the hobby store said would work but I needed a receiver which they were out of.

I didn’t know what to buy so I ask you guys by the text thing and was told which one works with that radio. It came almost right away and works perfect. Thank you and I will be buying more from Motion RC as I learn more.

I am delighted with my STR-DN1080 AV receiver because the improvement in sound quality over my previous system is amazing. Why? the room where the system is installed unfortunately suffers from annoying resonances and with the previous AV amplifier (STR-DH790) or with the TV’s own speakers and even with the radio, the room acoustics caused resonances at the low end of the speech spectrum, producing an unpleasant “honking” tone on male and female voices and an uneven bass and vocals on music, varying with listener position.

Nothing I could do could cure this, by changing the loudspeaker positions or recalibrating the amp. or adjusting the equaliser controls. However the STR-DN1080 has completely eliminated these effects, as if by magic.

My guess is that it is a combination of the new and superior Auto Calibration (D. C. A. C. EX) the stereo calibration microphone, speaker relocation and the automatic phase matching (Calibration Matching).

With the new STR-DN1080, speech and vocals are now perfectly reproduced and music has smooth extended bass without holes and peaks, wherever I am positioned in the room. FYI most of the other component of the new set up have been carried over from the old – Bowers & Wilkins M1 speakers for front L, R and centre, B&W ASW608 subwoofer, smaller Boston Acoustics SoundWare XS for surround and height speakers, Sony BDP-S580 for Blu Ray, DVD and CD, Sony KDL46HX903 TV, Virgin TiVo cable TV box (HDMI connected) and an unbranded Android TV media box with 2TB HDD connected to the higher quality SA-CD/CD HDMI input.

The only difference is that the previous system used Surround Back speakers, which are now used for Height, while Phantom Surround Back has been selected during calibration. The media box is used for viewing stored home videos, photos and slideshows, extensive music collection (mp3 format) plus downloaded video and Internet radio (e.

g. Jazz FM, BBC iPlayer). So altogether quite a high quality system, which all works simply and seamlessly with the STR-DN1080 due to the ARC/eARC, Bravia Sync and because the TiVo and media boxes have semi programmable remotes meaning that only one remote at a time is needed to control the TV, Amp, TiVo, media box or BD player, making for a simple to control “home friendly” system.

I do not use any of the analogue inputs or outputs, but a stereo analogue output, mixed down from the 7. 2 HDMI output would have been useful for connecting to my Sennheiser wireless (not Bluetooth) headphones.

Because these are low latency wireless, I can use them at the same time that the speaker system is on, which I do sometimes (by direct connection to the source analogue outputs via a manual switch). The regular headphone socket turns off the speakers, as does the Bluetooth transmitter facility.

I have tried the Bluetooth transmitter facility with cheap Bluetooth earbuds, but while OK for music, the delay (latency) is so high that it makes speech on video awkward to watch. I see that STR-DN1080 features a high quality, low latency Bluetooth feature – LDAC, but I notice that LDAC does not feature in the specifications for the well reviewed Sony Bluetooth WF-1000XM3 premium earbuds, but rather the industry standard aptX, which the STR-DN1080 does not, so I wonder what is going on here? I have not used the Bluetooth receiver function for casting etc.

but I do like the Sony Music Center App which is a nice alternative way of controlling the receiver from my smartphone. The second HDMI output (B) is useful. I occasionally use it with an HDMI capture device to back up stuff recorded on the TiVo box, but in the future, will probably wire up an HDMI extension for a TV in another room so that we are able watch the same media that is playing on the main TV.

It is rather complicated to set up the STR-DN1080 in this way and it is not really explained simply in the user guide: 1. On Handset HDMI Out select HDMI A+B (view Amp display) 2. From Home – Zone Controls, select HDMI Zone Power – On 3.

From Home – Zone Controls, select HDMI input – Source 4. From Home – Settings – HDMI – HDMI B Mode, select Main 5. From HDMI Settings – select Audio Out – AMP + TV Phew! and note that when mains power is switched off, Audio Out reverts to AMP (only) and if not reset to AMP + TV there will be no audio from the second TV.

Ever since I had my first home theatre system (Sony DAV DZ-280), I preferred to use Dolby Pro Logic (Movie or Music) 5. 1 rather than stereo for listening to music, because Dolby produces a good sound stage, with precisely located vocalist or soloist (centre channel) even when listening way off the “sweet spot” position required for 2 speaker stereo.

It also sounded good when previous room layouts prevented far from ideal location of the speakers (which auto calibration overcomes). When listening way off the “sweet spot” (i. e. much nearer to one of the speakers), ordinary stereo sounds as if most of the output (especially the vocalist) is coming from the nearest speaker and there is little or no effective sound stage.

Now, the new “Dolby Surround” gives even better results, with clear location of the performers. I also like listening to music with “Multi Ch Stereo”, which seems to give a softer but wider sound stage, with a centre channel, rather like the old Dolby Pro Logic Music.

it would be good if the User Guide gave a better explanation of what it is. The receiver is located right next to my router (cable broadband) which means that the receiver and the Android media box can have a direct ethernet connection, which takes advantage of the very high speed available and provides for excellent buffering-free video and audio streaming.

However the RF hash from the router completely drowns out the FM tuner signal for the receiver and its wire antenna. In my case this does not matter because I use Internet radio, which is better anyway, via the media box rather than FM, but I suspect many users would prefer a DAB+ tuner with a coax.

connector for an external antenna. One slight disappointment is that the STR-DN1080’s Internet Radio Service only provides Spotify Premium (in UK), so Hi-Res streaming services, such as Qobuz or Tidal cannot be played directly by the receiver.

USB playback has always been useful on Sony equipment, but the ability to interface with higher capacity (e. g. 2TB) partitioned HDDs would be better. The Custom Presets are a very useful feature and have an excellent selection of controls.

I have programmed some of them slightly differently and for different purposes than the Sony defaults. Therefore it would have been nice to be able to re-name them to suit. Also, the Remote only allows Custom Preset 1 (Movie) to be selected.

Being able to select any of the four (e. g. by cycling through them like the sound field buttons) would be better, rather than having to go through the Home Menu to access the other three Presets. The Preset 1 button is still useful, since it is the most used Custom Preset.

Summarising, all the slightly negative comments mentioned above are very minor (suggestions for future improvements?) compared to the superb sound quality, which has brought back my listening pleasure enormously.

I would recommend the Sony STR-DN1080 to anyone!.

I bought the STRDN1080 to replace an ageing Yamaha av receiver that whilst working perfectly, lacked 4K/HDR support, streaming features and Dolby Atmos. Service by Richer Sounds via their telephone sales line was excellent as always and I excitedly swapped the Sony in for the Yamaha.

The installation process was a doddle – the auto setup gave you various options and allowed you to adjust the speaker layout to reflect your room. Initial impressions were of great sound – a really broad and realistic sound field with real detail – and a user interface that was light years ahead of the old Yamaha.

The sound really is superb – clear surround and great music reproduction, even on streamed audio. However, after installing, there was a strange humming sound present. After tracing all of the speaker cables and checking on-by-one it wasn’t a problem with a dodgy connection, or one of the other devices, it became apparent that the humming was coming directly from the amp chassis.

I tried adjusting various settings, but nothing seemed to cure it – it was very prominent and could be heard over the sounds coming out of the speakers, and was particularly distracting during TV watching as it was audible over the dialogue.

Disappointed, I took the amp out of the cabinet, placing it on the carpet to start disconnecting everything to return it to RS, and the humming disappeared. It transpires that there is what I can only think is bad transformer hum which was being transmitted straight through the feet and was resonating badly with the wooden cabinet.

I used some closed-cell foam underneath the amp to decouple it from the cabinet and there’s now no discernible hum, even close up. It’s a shame that Sony haven’t taken steps to isolate the transformer to prevent hum being transmitted by the chassis – I suppose isolation feet might do a similar job but it shouldn’t really be necessary, even at this low price point (certainly I experienced nothing similar with the Yamaha).

Looking online, it’s something reported by a number of users. The second issue is a bug with the HDMI CEC control – when turning a connected device on, the HDMI CEC control switches the input and TV correctly to the device, but after a few seconds the ‘HOME’ menu on the amp appears.

Again, looking online it’s a known issue and there doesn’t appear to be any way to prevent this happening, and it’s completely unnecessary. Yes, you can cancel it using the HOME button on the remote, but this is ‘laggy’ so can end up with multiple presses with the HOME menu popping up and down, but it should only appear if called for by the user – it’s shouldn’t be the default setting.

Those niggles aside, it’s a good amp – a real step up sound-wise from the Yamaha and a bargain at this price point with all these features, but if Sony had just done the last 1% of development, it would be unbeatable.

I’d recommend it but with caveats. I.

At $1,749AUD the 1080 is not a strong enough value to warrant a purchase but for me I got mine new as part of a speaker pack for $1,080AUD for the AMP but not speakerswhich was a bargain. The listed RRP here for this amp is a straight don’t buy at this price as for example one would be better off with a “Marantz NR1711 Slim 7.

2 AV Receiver” as its feature list is better in my view and its cheaper. Sony is asking a lot for $1,749AUD and kinda or is now outdated by Sony’s current range of Smart Tv’s. Actually it is outdated because it doesn’t support new HDMI standard, no 8K, no 120hz refresh rate and no VRR which means not even the PS5 will work with this amp with 120hz setting on.

Next is those crazy watt ratings, its marketing targeted at those not experienced in audio gear, seriously 165Wx7 lol yeah right! What is an fact here is that number is red line or maximum breaking force as in you will break speakers, distort audio, short out amp and worse go deaf.

Sony unlike Marantz use’s big numbers to sell this unit rather than state real facts as again the average joe thinks those big numbers is better when thats not the case. With my DN-1080 I have been driving speakers from 20watts to 150watts playing them at reasonable volume without casualties proving that those big numbers are just a show and tell rather than telling it the way it is.

As for sound vs price point that I paid for it is a great sounding home theatre amp with no regrets. My issue that I have is that not all system settings can be seen on my Sony Tv with no option to allow this, Amp menu can not be seen on TV yet other amp settings are visible on screen and also it would be nice to see on screen how much watts is been put out.

Also its listed as 7. 2ch yet in system settings it thinks 7. 1, also to point out that sub settings only list one output when in reality there is two subwoofer outputs on amp; system audio configuration just lists one subwoofer.

The remote does not have backlit keys or glow in the dark buttons. All in all this is a good amp for ones Sony line up if you can buy one between $1,080AUD to $1,300 but not a dollar more as there’s more updated home theatre amps out there for that sum of $1,749AUD.

The low score is not something I wanted to give as I do like this amp its just that thats what I felt I should mention especially if one happens to have a PS5.

I use this unit in my small home office where I work 3 to 4 days per week. It provides the perfect blend of power, convenience, and functionality. I have it connected via my home ethernet network and it performs beautifully.

The YPAO feature worked great in achieving excellent sound in my small office. I have it connected to a pair of vintage JBL L20T speakers and a Polk subwoofer. I mainly stream music from my Mac over my home network and listen to FM news radio.

This is an excellent unit and I highly recommend it for those who desire a no-muss, no-fuss, easy-to-set-up unit that delivers excellent, high-fidelity sound.

This receiver was purchased to replace a 24 year old Yamaha receiver. Pros: Nice simple appearance, good features for the price, easy to set up, felt well built. I had it hooked up, connected to my wifi (through IOS share) and playing via AirPlay very quickly.

Cons: the sound quality was disappointing. It sounded “leaner” than my old receiver that was rated at 80W vs this at 100W. Also it had a higher noise floor which I could hear at low volume levels. I may still recommend this if you have a basic audio system and you don’t want to spend any more.

I already have a few of these and a couple of the ia10 receivers. I installed them on my airplanes and helicopters. Bought this for one of my airplanes to use with my Turnigy i10. The receiver works flawlessly with good range.

It’s easy to bind and the end pin design fits my requirement perfectly. A very nice inexpensive option for most rc airplanes and helicopters.

Although this receiver is a bit bulky I highly recommend it if you have the space. Well protected and works great. Not the smallest and the antenna don’t have ufl connectors so you won’t be able to replace them when they break without soldering.

However, if you take care and heatshrink the antenna’s with zipties and mount them in a safe location that shouldn’t be an issue.

I needed a second receiver for my Flysky-i6. You showed 3 different models. I didn’t know which to buy. Your service technician was very helpful and pointed me to the right one.

My old Onkyo TX-NR818 HDMI board died and I needed a replacement. Like everyone else, I really wanted the Onkyo TX-RZ50, but since December, I have not been able to get one. Pioneer and Onkyo are both owned by the same company now, and technically this and the RZ50 have nearly the same hardware and specs.

The setup is easy, features are amazing, and for movies it’s a beast! THEN, I started playing Stereo Music through full range B&W tower speakers. It is nowhere near as good as my old Onkyo TX-NR818 (sure my old Onkyo had more raw power in Stereo mode, but this unit just killed the bass and some highs on the speakers — i tried adjusting all the settings for the speakers and did not make it any better).

I seriously hate that you cannot adjust the crossover per channel (only Small\Large). I knew this before buying it, but hate the wait of the Onkyo and I was hoping people here were just exaggerating it’s audio quality output (keep in mind this of course depends on the speakers you have).

I do prefer the plain and symmetrical looks on the Pioner (the new Onkyo has a bunch of buttons to the right that looks hideous in my opinion) and love the orange display. But the sound quality just killed it for me.

I cannot say if the TX-RZ50 will be any better (now-a-days quality in certain products is just going downhill), but the fact that you can adjust the crossover and it’s $100 cheaper is a good start. The waiting to be in stock game beings.

It’s honestly not a terrible receiver and if you don’t have demanding speakers, you want 9. 1 or even 11. 1 (with external amp) output, and Pioneer was the only item in stock, then it’s a good unit to have.

Other than that, it’s worth waiting a bit more for better speaker adjustability and pricing on the Onkyo. [I honestly don’t understand why this is $100 more].

This receiver has many things going for it. EARC support, Dolby atmos and vision support, assignable terminals, etc, however I believe the spec of 145w can trick people into thinking they’re getting more than reality.

Let me explain Sony rates this receiver 145 W (6 ohms, 1 kHz, 1ch THD 0. 9%). A couple things to note, this receiver does NOT support 4ohm, so if you need that look elsewhere. Secondly, while most brands include a rating for their receivers based on 8ohm, 20hz, 2 channel driven, Sony only gives its rating at 6ohms impedance, 1kHz starting frequency, and 1 channel driven.

What this means is if you intend to use this as a 7 channel system, at 6 ohms, the maximum theoretical watts per channel you can expect is 20 watts per channel. Expect less if you use 8 ohm speakers.

Not to mention that 1kHz starting frequency will yield higher wattage results, so also expect less if you have things going down to 20Hz. This receiver is also passively cooled and will throttle itself <5 watts under heavy loads.

The distortion level THD (Total harmonic distortion), is also quite high. 0. 5% is considered great, but Sony is rating this at 0. 9%. This is worrisome for loud music listening. I would suggest not going beyond volume 60 for this reason.

Enough with the rating, what about the experience setting up and using the receiver? The setup is fairly straight forward, although it is disappointing to see Sony still using push pin speaker terminals on the latter 5 channels, but it isn’t a huge deal.

Getting through the setup screen is fairly easy, and it does come with a calibration microphone that gives a simple measurement of speaker level and distance. Other brands have better and more advanced calibration methods, but this one gets the job done.

My biggest gripe is the microphone itself. In the two years I’ve owned this receiver, I’ve had to replace the microphone 3 times, as it breaks very easily. It will look fine, but the receiver will refuse to accept the input, so I’d suggest being very delicate if you get this receiver.

The rest of the setup is pretty straight forward, nothing to complain about. My next complaint comes with the GUI of this receiver. It only provides you with basic adjustments. If you want to adjust every setting, you will have to use the receiver screen, which is pretty disappointing looking at other manufacturers that have moved away from that style of configuration to complete onscreen controls.

In 2022, I would not recommend this product. For the price, the competition delivers higher wattage per channel, less harmonic distortion, HDMI 2. 1 support, full onscreen control, and a much better calibration system.

I was interested in a budget home theater sound system. Having gone through several soundbars at different price points and not enjoying the sound experience, it was time to research in store. If you’re in the North Dartmouth store, I always lean on Jayden for advice on all things Sony.

I gave Jayden my budget and wanted equipment that would play nicely with my 85″ Sony X900H (purchased in March 2021). He pointed me towards this receiver, and I have been happy so far. I have a Xfinity 4K DVR and an XBOX Series X running to this receiver with no issues.

The only issue I have had so far is running my Apple TV 4K (1st GEN 64GB) through to this. For reasons I can’t explain, I get green flashes across my screen when I have Apple TV in Dolby Vision. I tried several fixes (including several HDMI cables), but the only fix was running the Apple TV to my TV (input 4).

That aside this is one nice receiver. Movies sound incredible and so does normal TV broadcasts. It is not a huge receiver compared to let’s say a Marantz, Denon or JVC to name a few. That’s something I like because my entertainment center is just able to accept this receiver.

Along with this receiver Jayden pointed me towards these Sony speakers as well. Front towers are model #SSCS3, Center channel model #SSCS8, Rear bookshelf’s model #SSCS5 and Dolby Atmos Elevation model #SSCSE.

I am using my own subwoofer (Martin Logan Dynamo 500). Overall, a really nice system that didn’t cost me a lot of money but is delivering BIG TIME! And if you catch the sales correctly, you can score all this for a better price than I did! I honestly highly recommend everything listed here in my review.

Thank you, Sony, for making high quality equipment that didn’t break the bank and saved my marriage! ;-).

Here’s the thing, the receiver has a limited feature set, and that has caused some reviewers to rate it poorly. The problem with their view is that this is a budget friendly set, that has very good features for the money.

What can you expect from this? Well you can run this in a 5. 1. 2 configuration for your Dolby Atmos or DTS-X needs, or you can run it in a 7. 2 setup for a more immersive experience with a larger stage.

You do not get pre amps and only a limited number of the connector support banana plugs. You get a sound tuning Mic that works fairly well with the receiver, and a visual interface for your TV, so you can see your speaker configuration right on screen and tweak the levels for all of them.

As for the sound, well I find the entire setup sounds far better than the Bose 900, bass, and rear speaker package. Yet I paid exactly the same price as I would have for the Bose 900 and have far more flexibility with the speakers I purchased in that package.

Overall, if you’re looking to build out a decent entry level Atmos setup, this is probably your best option and you will most likely enjoy what it delivers.

The printed directions that come with this product show that this receiver INDEED puts out RSSI to channel 14 WITHOUT having to hard wire flash it! I see no difference in range when comparing this to the flagship full sized FS-X6B (need hardwire custom firmware flash to see rssi).

That chip is more than twice the size and thickness. however it does have 30×30 mounting, and has a voltage sense connection. This particular receiver is meant for low profile. My range in open air before I start to feel like my rssi is dipping low using the old standby flysky transmitter is about 350 to 400 yards.

Considering AFHDS2A is much older technology, this diversity receiver makes full use of it! Definitely use this thing if you are on flysky!.

Easy to bind. Don’t know the range, haven’t used it yet. It does not have telemetry by default. I thought it did and thats why it was purchased. Shouldve read better. I would’ve bought frsky with telemetry at roughly the same cost.

Going to flash the modded firmware.

Great build quality, including the switches, knobs, and pots. This does sound like the Legendary K boost overdrive pedal. A boost at low gain, as well as a high gain sound for extra sustain leads! Mosky pedals are excellent.

I can also recommend these Mosky guitar effect pedals: the MM Overdrive (my favorite OD pedal!), Spring Reverb, and Mini C4 Compressor. All work and sound great!.

This is a great product! You can integrate the latest technology into your sound system with the numerous inputs and outputs. For instance, I have the tv, 2 gaming systems, a dvd player, and the online smart tv applications all going through the receiver.

In addition to the video components, we have a line-in hooked up for (non-Apple) digital music, and the built-in USB slot for iphone/ipod charges the device while it plays. You may have read a review about not being able to Bluetooth, but we bought an external Bluetooth device, hooked it up to the receiver, and its working great.

Everything is running through the receiver with no delays or glitches. The other vital component for a receiver is for control of your powerful, state of the art speakers. Because lets be honest if you were satisfied with good sound, you would have purchased a sound bar and portable Bluetooth speaker.

You have rock star speakers and want great quality sound. This receiver has fantastic control capability with either auto or manual setups. There is accessibility to balance between left and right, boost bass or highs, set optimal distance for sound to travel, and so much more.

This is where I cannot give the product a 5. I would like easier access to the controls. The access is only on the tv screen, its a lot of steps, and it interrupts viewing and sound as things are adjusted.

I expected the equalizers and balancers to be on the remote since they were not on the receiver itself. If there is accessibility that I am unaware of, I would appreciate the feedback. Overall, I am very satisfied with this purchase.

Everything is set up through one system, you can FEEL the bass, and the highs are nice and crisp. I highly recommend this receiver.

I’ve been looking for a new Home Theater AV Receiver for some time and was hesitant to pay more than $200 for it. I also wanted to feel I did some kind of upgrade compared with my previous system, so I wanted to have HDMI inputs that worked with 4K TVs and also ARC Support.

When I say this item in a special price I jumped and get it right away, even if I was a little hesitant, coming from a Yamaha System that lasted me for almost a decade (my previous one). Well, while this Sony AV Receiver is kind of simple and doesn’t have a lot of settings, I actually find this a plus.

It sounds great with not a lot of effort configuring it properly. I tested the ARC HDMI feature and worked great, even if my TV refused to send anything but PCM 2. 0 audio to the receiver. Pros: – Easy Setup – Very Nice Sound (just remember it will depend on your speakers) – Not a lot of settings and audio options (you don’t need to be an expert to make it sound great) – Very Good Price Cons: – Not a lot of settings and audio options (in case you need to fine tune your receiver).

– Slow when changing inputs (it will take some time for the audio to start). – Some glitches (I’m not sure if they are the fault of my TV or the receiver) When I mention glitches, I mean there are times when you won’t get audio from an input.

It is usually solved by changing to another input and then returning back to the original input (again, I’m not sure if this is because my TV or because the receiver). It’s also worth mentioning that I love the pass thru feature.

I leave the Cable-TV input before turning off the receiver, so when my wife turns on the TV, she will be able to see and hear that input without turning on the receiver (the receiver will let pass thru the signal for the last active input before it was turned off).

As soon as it arrived,I got to work on hooking it up. I’m still playing with settings but even my wife can tell the difference from my old receiver. I have it going through some JBL speakers and a sony powered sub.

I’m just a little disappointed in the bass controls,but after wathcing a movie I’m ok with it! Ill be buying one more sub to balance that out. Volume is much greater than my old system,nice clarity to music.

I like the on screen tuner controls. Was very surprised when I but a movie in my sony blue ray player,this switched the tv and receiver to DVD automatically. Nice change. Won’t play music from my cell phone its a Samsung Galaxy not iphone.

No big worries there. Very satisfied with the price and performance! When I get things dialed in better I’m sure my viewing and audio will not disappoint me!.

Great trigger. Very reliable. I have pocket wizards and always struggled to get the system sync’d. This is a no brainer at a fraction of the cost. If you shoot manual and need a reliable trigger system for back fill at an event/Reception this is the product to get.

My second shooter also has the same set and he just goes on a different channel. We can easily use each other’s systems if need be. Wish I had bought these years ago.

I purchased these without doing the research available. I shoot Nikon and it seems the hot shoe on the Nikon D750 allows the unit to slide in just a tad too far for the connection pins to align properly.

I have to pull it back about 1/32 inch to get the locking pin to seat. it’s a bit annoying but the units work well once I get them properly seated. This is a Nikon problem so do your research to make sure they will seat properly with you camera.

Google it!.

Very nice stereo receiver. I needed a way to stream sound from my PC, laptop, and other devices so I could have big sound. Was looking for a unit like this one that has many channels and good power. So far so good.

The unit sounds great and looks good too. Out of the box the sound is somewhat flat, so I’m using my PCs app equalizer to make the sound better. Also the unit does not have Bluetooth so I added a Bluetooth receiver/transmitter so I can connect my phone.

Works great. Thanks guys!.

First off, if you are looking for a 2 channel receiver with decent output for most situations, this is it. The amplifier is of a tried and true design having it’s roots in older equipment like the NAD 3020, only using faster and more powerful output transistors.

Here is where this receiver shines. It had a dedicated and discrete phono section operating on 15volts. Frankly, If I could buy these cheap enough I would buy all I could get my hands on and sell the phono amp as a stand alone with a power supply of my own design! Anyway, the only fault to find and frankly typical of MOST electronics made today is the voltage regulator pair.

If left on continuously for weeks on end, one of the pair will burn up due to no heat sink. But you want to know how this sounds. I have audio equipment costing thousands. (Marantz 7 and Model 9’s) This little unit sounds better than most any receiver I have auditioned, including 1970’s Marantz units that people pay stoopid money for because they have pretty face-plates.

I would recommend this unit over a Cambridge Audio, Yamaha or HK receivers made today and frankly any other Sherwood with the exception of the S-7900A/8900A and S-7310. This unit shares architecture with Insignia and Pioneer, as all receivers come from the same spot on the globe.

The difference is that Sherwood has some subtle changes to the circuitry that make it sound fantastic! The take away is that if you listen to records, you can NOT beat this thing for the price they bring used.

You can not beat it’s sonic performance even if you spent $500 on a receiver.

Great Old School receiver. Replacing a Marantz ST-60 with wore out input switches. Needed a phono and tape inputs to go with my Blue ray to drive my vintage Allegro speakers. Added a powered sub woofer to have 2.

1 sound for movies. Not really a home theater unit as it does not have separate interdependent control front and center channels for surround sound. I works for me.

this award winning product Denon 2100 has new added features like Bluetooth, twin-HDMI outputs, Air play this is real value for money. this model is better equipped for networking than ever, with Built in Wifi, Bluetooth.

By equipping this Denon AV receiver with 4K upscaling Denon have engineered in comprehensive levels of future proofing. we can also upscale signals to 1080p for the best image quality with Full HD TV as well as projectors.

With Bluetooth connectivity it’s easy to connect up to eight compatible devices and stream music wirelessly. I connected my smartphone, tablet, laptop, and Mac and did stream my music library or favourite music streaming services at ease.

New to this year’s model are twin subwoofer outputs. These allow the use of two subs in room for both a more powerful and better balanced bass response around the room. As you’d expect from Denon, the AVR-X2100 has also been designed with sound quality as a priority.

I’m very impressed with the range of features on offer at such a good price and was extremely happy with the look of the unit. Richer Sounds were happy for me to audition the unit at their store and I was very happy with the sound and image.

After having an Onkyo TXNR609 die on me after only 4 years I was sceptical about getting another despite being very happy with its performance. Despite the low price, Denon has a great reputation and as such I was happy to replace my £500+ Onkyo for an item half that price even though I had the budget to get a more expensive item.

Performance is my top priority but I also want an item that looks good in my AV stack and the Denon doesn’t disappoint. The range of features such as Spotify connect and AirPlay are excellent and unexpected on such a low priced item yet musically, I have discovered the Denon is far superior than my Onkyo.

HD images are crisp and after some initial tweaking on both the amp and my Samsung D8000 TV, the picture is beautiful.

I upgraded from a one box home cinema set up to this alongside some Tannoy TFX speakers. Working to a budget I expected to see a step up, but was shocked at performance increase. Movies, games, TV. all have a new dimension.

Exceptionally easy to set up, within a few minutes I was sat watching a bluray and tinkering with the finer details of what the receiver was capable of. There are more HDMIs than any average household is going to need (7 rear, 1 front) amongst the expected analogue and legacy connections, together with in built wifi, and zone 2 capability.

I spent a long time checking out various recievers in my (fairly low) budget, and this was the only one that stood out as having what I wanted, and I wasn’t disappointed. My only noticeable drawback so far has been a less than excellent music playback performance, the sound can be a little ‘muddy’.

But still perfectly acceptable, and listenable, to my ears and for my (mostly rock based) tastes. Thoroughly recommended.

Upon my preliminary set-up of the Aventage 3040, I discerned the middle frequencies were rather austere and lean, lacking a sense of depth with muddy low bass. I believed this situation would be resolved upon completing the system set-up, but to my chagrin the sound remained rather austere.

I started questioning my speaker locations, room configuration and reflective surfaces, quality of source material, blue-ray player and all things related to my home theater system until my brain bled.

So, after 30-days of tweaking, calibration adjustments, room layout re-dos and generally driving my wife crazy with my obsession to optimize the sound quality, I began to question if I made the proper decision regarding the Aventage 3040.

I listen to the system on average 5-hours every day. Constantly evaluating the sound, speaker placements and room layout while struggling with my auditory self-doubt. But here’s where it gets interesting, after 120-hours the Aventage 3040 began to come to life.

The 3040 began to develop a presence of voice, a smooth richness of tone, and a 3-dimenisional depth of stage, with movie sound effects filling the room and the low frequency effects now tight and clear.

The Aventage 3040 was “breaking-in” and the sound quality was improving, musical performances, movie sound tracks and even cable telecasts were developing a pleasant and pleasing tonal quality. My obsession to constantly evaluate the sound quality and speaker layout ceased, I actually began to enjoy the system.

Expanding upon my voicing comments, I want to point-out that the Yamaha 3040 needs a substantial amount of run-in (break-in) time to sound its best; as much as 200 hours. As my playing time accumulated, traces of leanness and austerity gradually resolved, enabling the 3040 to reveal a rich, smooth, and full-bodied persona.

My system consists of Time Windows, Def-tech 8040 center channel, Paradigm 12″ subwoofer and Fluance XL series bi-pole surrounds with the system configured for 11. 1 with the Time Windows (front left/right) driven by an Onkyo M282 amplifier, a Samsung Series 8 LED flat panel and blu-ray player (which will soon be replaced by an Oppo 105 blu-ray player).

I have estimated that the total system is capable of producing 1. 65 kilowatts. yep, the eighborhood’s lights dim when we watch movies. So in closing, please understand that higher-end equipment like the Advantage 3040 requires at least 100-200 hours of run-in/break-in time to develop its’ voice.

I can highly recommend this system. I will follow-up with future recommendations. I am still learning the idiosyncrasies of the Advantage 3040 and how best to utilize its features, interpret the owner’s manual and which sound programs work best.

Until then, Charles Haase.

I replaced an RX-Z9 with the RX-A3040 since the Z9 began intermittently dropping the left front channel. I think the 3040 is much more musical than the Z9, and reminds me of my RX-V2090, which I thought was one of the more musical Yamaha AV receivers I’ve owned.

I always thought the Z9 sounded a little muddy no matter what the program selection, i. e. DSP, 2 CH, 9 CH, etc. I also own an RX-V4600, and find it more musical than the Z9, but not nearly as nice as the 3040.

Well done! When I first powered up the unit and turned up the volume, I got nothing other than background noise/static. I was more than a little freaked!! Then, it occurred to me that I might need to run AUTO SETUP using YPAO to initialize the amps.

That worked. Second problem was that I could not log into SiriusXM via wired cat5 network to router connection. I recalled an on screen message saying an update was available, so I ran the update. I could then log into SiriusXM.

Home Theater: I find the receiver front panel displays useful in terms of operational information and control. I also like the bass management and DSP program options. The 3040 seems to deliver a better overall home theater experience/sound than the Z9, especially with bass.

In addition to Boston Acoustic presence, center, and surrounds, I’m running 4 Boston Acoustic VR975s with powered subs front and back, and the bass sounds full and deep on the 3040 for all program choices.

It can rattle the windows. I use the 3040 most often for HD Radio (24×7 classical on WERN HD2), which is the primary reason I selected the 3040 versus the 3050. My Z9 did not have the HD Radio feature.

Yamaha, please put put an HD Radio channel selector button on the front panel (i. e. MODE) of HD radio receivers versus having to use the remote? This is annoying to me. Another minor problem I’ve run into involves the optical output on the AV Out section.

The RCA out jacks ALWAYS send audio to connected devices, but the optical out does not, and I can’t figure out what the pattern or rule is. User manual didn’t help. I’ve contacted Yamaha support via email.

For example, when listening to HD Radio, the optical out does NOT send output through the optical out connector but DOES through the RCA jacks. However, when I switch the source to my Motorola cable box (optical input connection on AV4 in), it does send audio out through both the AV Out optical and RCA jacks.

Confusing. I like the network radio feature and, once past the SiriusXM login snafu, I find that I use this feature second most to HD Radio. I also appreciate the fact that I do NOT need to login into SiriusXM every time I use this source as the receiver “remembers” my credentials and automatically connects.

Very user friendly. Since I listen to classical music most often, for both HD Radio and Network material, I very much appreciate the DSP program/sound options, i. e. church, music hall, etc. Especially useful when listening to pipe organ music.

Here is another area where the bass management/output capabilities of the receiver shine. I also have a Marantz SA8001 SACD player connected via both RCA and optical. It’s fun to switch the Marantz DAC (RCA connection) versus the Yamaha (optical connection).

Either way, the sound is amazing. Again, I think the 3040 is much more musical from an audiophile point of view than my Z9 was. I forgot how tuneful/musical the Boston Acoustic VR975s could be until mating them with the 3040.

The internal amps are sufficient for my needs using the Boston Acoustic speakers mentioned above. I have a large listening room and get a very full and loud sound running 9. 2 without having to crank up the volume much past half to three-quarter volume.

And at that level, I usually here from the wife pretty shortly, i. e. “Does it have to be that loud?” Our house if about 2800 square feet on four levels and I can hear the receiver clearly when at 3/4 volume.

Plus, the sound remains clear and undistorted when cranked up. I use the zone 2 feature to route fixed audio output to a second powered system on the sun room attached to my listening room. I love the zone 2 feature and the audio distribution options available with this and other Yamaha AV receivers.

In summary, I am 99. 9% happy with the RX-A3040. I think it’s a great AV receiver value at list, but I purchased mine at more than 30% off. Since I use HD Radio most of the time, I would really appreciate a MODE selector button on the receiver front panel.

Last word is that I am very pleased with the musicality of the 3040 versus the Z9. The 3040 equits itself admirably with 2 channel audio receivers or separate preamp/power amp combos. I’m sure it would be an outstanding preamp if used in this configuration.

Highly recommended.

The product is well built and has plenty of power works really well for movies. I want a product for both music and movies. The 2 channel selection is lacking there is no way to fine tune the sound. I am a tone chaser and like to dail in the sound by way of an equalizer which you do not have in 2 channel mode.

I replaced a high end 135 watt Onkyo due to some problems that they have now fixed. The Onkyo was better for 2 channel sound. I am running SVS subwoofer and the bass is lacking with this unit. It is there but not like the Onkyo.

I am going to eventually try a second SVS sub. Still a good product for what is out there. Yamaha has always been good for what I need but this needs a little fine tuning to be great.