HDTV Reviews Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Sound Quality’

LG 22LH20 22 Inch 720p LCD HDTV Gloss Black

22″ LCD TV HD 1080p (1366 x 768p) resolution, 8,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, ATSC/NTSC/Clearn QAM – 1 Tuner, XD Engine, 178 True Wide Viewing Angle, SRS TruSurround XT, Invisible Speakers, Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoder, HDMI, includes swivel stand

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Features, Great Picture, Great Price
For those of you who want a bright, sharp HDTV packed with useful features for the bedroom, this is your set! I have used my television as an alarm clock since my college days in the 1970’s (that is not a typo!) and this television has that feature. You can wake to your favorite morning news show. Another feature that i didn’t expect and love, is touted as a “Green” feature. For all of us insomniacs out there, if you can’t sleep, and you like the “noise” of the tv, but don’t want the whole room lit up, this television has a feature that allows you to listen to the television but shut the picture. I was surprised and thrilled when I discovered this. Of course there is a sleep timer, different picture settings etc. The audio, unfortunately, leaves something to be desired. But that is the only negative I find, and it is way overshadowed by the great features of this television. I highly recommend it.

5 Stars Great Bedroom/kitchen TV
This is a great little hdtv for any bedroom or kitchen for its size!

I was however, a little worried about the sound quality from other reviews I had read about this particuar model. After having it for a week I have found these bad reviews of the sound quality to be unfounded. The sound quality is excellent and plenty loud enough for a smaller room. The #1 feature of this set is the quality of the picture in brightly lit rooms. I have not seen another flat screen that handles light reflection as well as LG’s. I am considering buying a second one to use for my desktop computer as it has a RGB input as well!!!

4 Stars Good purchase
Decent tv for the price, the settings to adjust color and picture aren’t difficult to use but difficult to get the picture I desire. The size is okay for an average size bedroom (12 X 12) but if I had it to do over I probably would choose a 26 inch or larger.

Buy/More Info

Samsung LN32B360 32 Inch 720p LCD HDTV

31.5″ screen (measured diagonally) * widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio * high-gloss black finish * built-in digital (ATSC) and analog (NTSC) tuners for over-the-air TV broadcasts (antenna required) * built-in QAM cable TV tuner receives unscrambled programs without a set-top box (cable service required) * 1366 x 768 pixels *

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star 1 year & 2 months later
This was the original review for the earlier model of this TV(LN32A330) however I feel it still applies as other Samsung models are known to have the same issues.

This LCD was a steal for the kind of picture and sound quality it provided. We rarely had any issues with it until now. One day when we came home we were looking forward to just vegging on the couch to watch our program. Grabbed the remote and pressed the power button. The Direct TV console turned on followed by the familiar red light at the bottom center of the tv. This is usually followed by a distinct ringing beep that would indicate the power is turned on. There was no beep. No ring. No sound. No picture. Just pure black with the red power light winking at us. We tried everything to resurrect the picture including disconnecting the power cord and using different wall sockets. Nothing. I called Samsung worldwide and the service agent said that it is a service call issue however since we bought the TV on June 30 2008, we are no longer covered by the warranty as it is now August 2009. It amuses me how crap like this happens soon after the warranty runs out. I looked all over online and many Samsung owners of various models and sizes have experienced the same thing, a defective power supply and it will have to be replaced. I also looked to see if I could do it myself if I buy the part and save a little scratch. But it turns out that it involves using a soldering gun and having failed shop class, I figured I would call a professional. Repair will cost upwards of $250 including service call, parts and labor. Just when you think you’re getting a bargain, just be aware that it could cost you in the long run. Next time I don’t think I’ll worry about spending a little more if it means not having to go through this headache.

5 Stars Outshines LG and SONY
We looked and looked. Finally standing for almost an hour looking at the LG and SONY 32″ 720’s side by side. Can honestly say after looking at the 1080’s that in this size the 720 outshines the 1080. If you are looking at a 50″ set then it’s a different story. Color was fantastic and superior to the LG in my opinion. Ease of set up is great. Design and layout of the remote is intuitive, making tweaking to get your final settings of the flesh tones, contrast, and sharpness easily to your exact likings. Remote has some buttons allowing you direct adjustment of certain settings without going into the full menus to reset them. For a bedroom view of 8′ to 10′ the 32″ is just great. I’ve had this TV for just about one week and have been trying to decide if I really need to upgrade to HD but guess I’ll go all the way for the full experience. This TV really blows away your viewing experience. We purchased the 4 year extended warranty so reading the few negative reviews doesn’t bother me! There will always be those Monday morning fabrications that will throw a clunker into the works. But I am pleased to the maximum from this purchase and highly recommend the Samsung LN32B360 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV.

4 Stars TOO EARLY TO TELL…ONLY HAD IT 2 WEEKS…GOOD SO FAR
I WAS LOOKING FOR A TV ABOVE BAR AREA IN BASEMENT…ONLY HAD 2 WEEKS….DOING GREAT SO FAR…NO COMPLAINTS…..

4 Stars Great TV
Really love this TV. It arrived before schedule in great shape. Had no problems hooking it up. And have been pleased with the picture quality and color since we have been using it.

5 Stars For the price, great TV
For the price, this is a great TV. The sound isn’t the best, about the only complaint I have.

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Yamaha CDC 697BL 5 Disc CD Player Black

5-disc carousel-type CD changer offers uninterrupted enjoyment of high sound quality with superior digital performance and easy operation with CD-RW disc compatibility, custom control interface, and CD Text display.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Best upgrade for my old CD player
My Onkyo CD player was 9 years old and I just bought a new Yamaha AV-Receiver with digital connection

possibilities.Sticking with Yamaha I bought the CDC-697 5-disk player.The sound is GREAT and my

Resceiver remote automatically detected the CD player

5 Stars Another Yamaha Excellent product
I have searched and reviewed and even owned other brands but the one that ALWAYS delivers is Yamaha. My entire Sound system is now Yamaha, (Surround Sound Amp, Speakers, CD changer). Why? Because they work and deliver. This CD changer is easy to install, fast change when a selection is made, and produces true and full sound. My only complaint is that where we live in Central California, there are NO REPAIR services available, in the rare instance when one might be needed. If your looking for a quality, fast and reliable CD changer, look no further, you just found it. I have owned Sony and Dennon and they are not able to match the responsiveness of this unit (in my estimation).

5 Stars A Fine Piece of Equipment
I was used to a Sony player/changer that had suddenly lost its mind, jumping around the discs at will and stopping when it got tired. I turned it in to Goodwill. I’ve heard people say that Sony has been riding on its reputation for some time now. I don’t know if this is true but I DO know that this player lasted only a couple years. Thus, the upgrade to Yamaha.

And so far, so good! My ear told me the first time I played a disc that its sound was better — more present, more real. These are not technical terms but they best describe what I’ve heard. Operation is smooth and fast enough and I’ve encountered no problems so far. I do wish the remote had specific numbers for going directly to discs on the changer, rather than just forward or back. But this is only a petty complaint (if even that).

All told, satisfaction!

5 Stars happy listener
It’s not easy to find a multi-disk CD player anymore. We now have a blu-ray DVD player and it is single disk and won’t play CD’s so we needed something else for our CDs. This one works perfectly and plays random tracks with little switching noise or delay. We are very happy with it.

5 Stars Great Product!
Works as advertised, no problems with set-up, no problems with delivery,no problems at all, follow the directions, hook it up and listen to your cd’s.

Buy/More Info

HDMI F F FEMALE GENDER CHANGER ADAPTER COUPLER FOR HDTV

HDMI Female to HDMI Female Adaptor

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Works fine, too good to be true
This coupler worked great for me. I used it to connect two 25′ HDMI cables together in order to make it all the way from my upstairs Tivo HD to another HDTV in my basement. For some reason, I kept doubting that this would work. It seems like too much to ask for the HDMI cables to run that long, and the coupler seemed like adding an even bigger hurdle.

But the signal is absolutely perfect. There are no traditional “losses” in an HDMI connection. Either the digital “handshake” works or it doesn’t, it’s an all or nothing connection. So this coupler maintained the connection.

5 Stars HDMI CONNECTOR
This was a great solution to having to buy yet another length of expensive HDMI cable. I did not notice any degredation of signal or

picture/sound quality and would recommend the product.

3 Stars satrisfied
Product arrive3d in my country on time , I am completely satisfied with its function.

5 Stars just what i expected
Received it in about 3 days, hooked it up to my existing HDMI cable, and everything worked fine. When connecting, it makes a nice assuring ‘click’ sound. Didn’t notice any loss in picture quality. Not sure about sound because i put it on the end of a DVI to HDMI cable, and DVI doesn’t transfer sound, but so far so good!

Buy/More Info

Sony Bravia S Series KDL 32S5100 32 Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Black

Step up to Full HD 1080p resolution and stunning contrast without breaking the bank. The KDL-32S5100 32-inch BRAVIA S series LCD flat panel HDTV features Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE) for an impressive dynamic contrast ratio of 30,000:1 and BRAVIA Engine 2 digital video processor for superior resolution. Plus, 6 HD inputs are provided to connect all of your HD devices.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Sony Bravia sound quality
I like the TV, but I wish I would have saved for a bigger one. Also, sometimes when I am watching television, the sound just goes out on me and it’s not muted. I hope the speakers are not going bad! It is supposed to be brand new. I’ve considering sending it back for a refund.

5 Stars great tv
I bought this tv for my dorm and it is awesome everything looks so nice. Great tv ands the price makes it even better.

2 Stars STOP! STOP! STOP! Serious Audio Issues. Recall?
I love Sony TV’s. They have always had a superior product but this time, this set is highly flawed and Sony is doing its best to still sell the inventory left at lower prices leaving you with an item to return or to tolerate.

The audio is DEFECTIVE on units dated thru AUG 2009. The sound bar on the screen will reflect this distortion on level 1-3. Beyond 3 and up, the louder audio mixes in with the distoration so that you hear less of it. It’s ultra annoying at lower sound settings.

I went into the menu trying various sound settings but was not unable to correct. I then called Sony who said they would make a case number and that a Sony repair agent would have to insert a USB correction device. Wait time was 2 months!

I took mine back to Best Buy and the manager at the store said he could give me another set but that all of them were being returned with sound issues. He said that Sony was almost ignoring the issue trying to avoid a recall.

Another feature missing was a zero 5.1 set up and only 1 HDMI on the rear JACKPACK. One terminal for HDMI is insane in design but Sony does add two more HDMI inputs on the side of the TV for camera or camcorder connections. You could use those if you didn’t mind the wires.

Avoid this Sony.

1 Star 2 Replacements, Various Critical Problems
(I urge you to read this review before making a purchase, I know I wrote a lot, but they outline some very critical deal-breaking issues.)

My first HDtv, a Sylvania broke about after 2 years, and I decided to get this Sony after doing a bunch of HDtv research. I’m using the HD capabilities for gaming (Playstation 3 at 1080p, Wii at 480p) and just getting a regular coaxial cable signal for my TV shows.

1) First, as can be seen in various reviews for this TV, there are some sound issues. The one I experienced was that, sometimes, the speakers would get very pop/crackling sounding and also have an echo on top of that. This issue happened when you changed channels. You’d land on a channel, and the issue would begin and would not go away unless you changed channels (I left it on for a couple hours just for testing purposes). However, this TV has a new firmware on Sony’s support site which apparently directly addresses this issue. The first iteration of this model had the sound issue, but I got it before the new firmware came out, so I sent the first model back, and received the second one. The second one came with the new firmware and there was no more sound issue as far as I could tell.

2) This one bothered me more than the sound issue, as the sound issue only happened about once every 20-50 channel changes, and you could simply remove the echo sound just by changing channels. It’s a visual issue that was not fixed between my first set and the replacement one. It’s hard to describe; when a color would transition from a light color to a dark color in an image, you could see the actual separation lines of each gradient change, rather than just seeing a smooth transition of, for example, light blue to dark blue. It looked sort of like when you throw a stone into a pond, and the water ripples out in a circle from where the stone landed in the water–so the outer ripple would be dark blue, the next inner ripple would be a lighter blue, the inner ripple after that would be an even lighter blue, and so on. I thought maybe it was my PS3, my Wii, or possibly the HDMI/component cables I use for them, so I brought all of my equipment over to a couple friends’ houses and tested my stuff on their Sharp HDtv and a different model Sony Bravia–the issue was not present on my friends’ TVs. However, the issue is present on both KDL-32S5100 sets I had. This issue became very obnoxious when gaming, because it was very noticeable and pretty abundant. It would appear in skies (drastically in skies for some reason), smoke, floors, walls, etc–anything that’s mostly comprised of a solid color that has gradient changes–however, it does not appear on a static image (such as a wallpaper), only something animated. It also appeared when using composite cables, and appeared on every display signal (480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p).

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If you have a PS3 and this model TV, change your system theme to “Original” then change the color to blue–this is a pretty easy way to notice the gradient issue. Generally on the blue color, the bottom left hand corner starts out dark blue, then going to the top right, it changes to a light blue. Around the bottom left hand corner when everything is dark blue, the gradient issue is very noticeable. I asked my friends and family to see if they noticed anything, without telling them what the problem was, and every single one of them (even non-gamers who have no idea what the PS3’s original theme or games’ skies should look like) noticed the issue right away. On any other HDtv I’ve ever seen, this issue is not present. It may not be a big issue for some, but if you’re getting an HDtv, it’s probably because you care about the quality of your display, and you won’t be getting decent quality with this issue present.

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I had a Sony tech guy come out to look at the issue, and he said he’s never seen the issue before (what a Sony rep would say anyway, whether or not he has seen this issue before ) but said he wasn’t sure what was causing it, or even how to fix it. He did confirm, almost immediately, that this is a problem and shouldn’t be happening. Considering this happened on both sets of this model I received, it’s either a) a problem inherent in this model, b) a problem inherent in a certain batch of this model, or c) I’m ridiculously unlucky to get two brand new sets of this model and have the same issue in a row, which is unlikely.

3) After all of this, last night the TV stopped being able to receive signals from all 3 of its HDMI ports. It was very, very odd. My friend and I were playing around on the PS3 and everything was fine (not counting issue 2 described above). We finished, shut the PS3/TV off normally and went to get some coffee. Twenty minutes later we came back and turned on the PS3/TV, except the TV said it wasn’t getting a signal. So, everything was fine->we leave->we come back 20 minutes later->all 3 HDMI ports stopped working. The composite ports work fine as do the component ports. We had 2 different PS3s with 3 different HDMI cables to test out, and none of them worked on this TV, but they both worked on a friend’s Sharp directly after. Totally ridiculous.

I’ll update if I decide to give this model one last try and get yet another replacement, but right now, I’m looking into other brands.

5 Stars Great value!
I’ve always been a Sony fan, and this is our 4th set. Amazon had the lowest price, and the delivery was prompt and professional. Our TV arrived as promised, on schedule, undamaged. The wait was only a few days, and we saved over $200.

Buy/More Info