Electronics

John

I want to hear feedback first hand by people who have heard or own the Panasonic SAHE 200 and or 100. This is the one that Consumers Reports was raving about.

thx
jtmj

brettw22

John,

First of all, welcome to the forum.....any questions ya got ask and we'll try to help ya.....

If I'm not mistaken, we had talked about this receiver when that Consumer Reports first came out several months back. The general consensus when that came out was that ultimately, if you're wanting to get a bare-bones unit that will give you some of the basic functions of a digital unit, OK, but it's not really geared to give you the quality sound that you can get out of units that are at a little higher pricepoint. One thing to also consider is that the review came from Consumer Reports. When I would think about a stereo receiver, they wouldn't come to mind as being overly picky for what I'd want.....

What would really help us in giving you a good opinion is to have you tell us what you currently have, listing everything like what model DVD player, VCR, TV, Receiver, Speakers, etc. so we have somethin to go on. Also, from the receiver that you have asked about, I'm assuming that you're on a fairly tight budget, but let us know what that budget range is so we can guide ya to the best until for your buck. Panasonic though would be something I wouldn't put money into if you have any plans to keep it for any substantial period of time.......

Frank Z

Gotta go with brett on this one, Consumer Reports does a good job with selecting the best products for the Average consumer who knows very little about electronics. Comparing toasters and microwaves is one thing, but evaluating A/V equipment is an area that they do not really excel at. They tend to look at the features vs. cost rather than sound quality. Don't misunderstand, cost is always a important, but for most of us the end product ( great sound!) is the determining factor.

John

Hi Brett,
Thx for the rapid reply and for the thoughtfulness you had put into it re the Panasonic Receiver question.

As to the equipment I own they are a Pioneer I picked up for a couple hundred at Costco two (2) or three (3) years ago. I have a VCR by RCA, a connection to Satellite/Dish TV, 27 inch RCA inexpensive TV bought at CC a couple years ago as well and I have a generic DVD that sounds quite well, and perhaps the best of the whole get up is the complete Polk speaker system such as the RT2000P's in front, and have a ---300 center and some FX--- side surrounds that seem a tad weak.

I wish to continually upgrade into higher end equipment that will do justice to my speakers and challenge them to perform at their peak capability of course. maybe even separates.

Having said that, I must say the system sounds OK, or good to say the least. The Pioneer is OK but want to upgrade and having combed over the reviews from folks owning the Panasonic 100 or 200, they sound inviting and sound like they are loaded with capabilities, are six (6) channels, 130 wpc on the 200 model which apparently has softened the distortion level with something called TAKE or something of that nature taken from bamboo; if you haven't be sure to read the specs on the 200, which shoul be a jump from the the 100 which Consumers raved about.

I am intuiting, due to the mid to hi fi nature of the Polk Forum, that you may have only heard about the Panasonic and perhaps due to the inexpensiveness of the unit, may not have heard it? Forgive me if my intuition is in error, but due to the efficiency of the Polks and the elevation of electronics in this age, the Panasonic may prove so good that the notable difference between it and others much higher in price may not warrant one to put money into the higher priced units. Now, I may be wrong and know that usually you get what you pay for, but how much of a difference can one really purchase?

I've really not heard much of the system and believe only have heard a taste at Video Only and don't recall exactly how good it was for their set up/listening area, was not adequate to make an accurate decision.

In closing, I am hoping folks who've heard this monster hooked up to some fine Polks will write me even though the price or perhaps even the performance is below their standards.

Sincerely,
John
jtmj

John

Hi Frank,
Thx for the rapid reply.

John
jtmj

Frank Z

Where are my manners?!?

Welcome to the forum!

John

Thx Frank,
By the way your HT site is very nice. My computers been a tad slow so I only opened a couple of icons. What a wonderful system you have.

John
jtmj

Frank Z

Thanks!

jrausch

The power is a bit off on that unit. The spec is 20hz-20Khz 6ch X 100 watts average into a 6ohm load. In realistic terms this is more like 6ch X 70watts into an 8ohm load. Manufactures tend to fudge the numbers to make them more appealing. Panasonic does build quality stuff for the money, but is this the best solution for your needs? Probably not if you want to move into some power hungry rt2000p's and if you buy timber matched speakers to complete your theater system you will be sorely disappointed with your purchase. The 200 will be greatly underpowered and the speakers would win out over the receiver.


What you want is a receiver that takes control of your speakers and shows them whose boss. Most of us have been down the same road you’re traveling spending as little money as possible while trying and get the job done. Most of us ended up where we should have started in the first place because we lost money trying to get rid the stuff that did not work. Do yourself a favor and demo the stuff you never thought you would spend that much money on first. This stuff usually has all of the latest technology, features and power that you will most likely need. This way you have a better idea of where you need to be in terms of the quality you expect from that product. Check out the top of the line Denon , Yamaha, Sunfire, B&K and Rotel receivers. Then do a demo of the Panasonic and see if you can live with what it will do for you.

John

Hi J Rausch,

Thx for the rapid reply on the Panasonic. Would love to hear of folks actually demo-ing this baby.

I too have reflected on your suggestions. To be sure, I really need to listen closely to this 200 product. Gee, I thought there might be a soul out there whose either got this hooked up or has seriously listened to it with the RT2000P's ?

What's your opinion though on the Outlaw folks? I am sad to hear they don't have places situated throughout the states or even globally for that matter, where one can visit and simply listen to the products they promote. Something like this coupled with their internet flow of product they could not go wrong, if they are truly that good. Currently they have a promotion of separates where they reduce the price and it sounds affordable for folks like myself. I have read reviews on the 1050 and it sounds real nice. It would be foolish though to purchase something one has not audited first hand. If the purchase does not pan out, ya still need to eat the return shipment costs which could be an issue for folks as well as an inconvenience.

Sincerely,
John
jtmj

jrausch

Hi John,

Welcome

I think I speak for the majority of the folks in here that Outlaw makes very capable equipment. Yes it would be nice to get some kind of demo at a local audio salon, but this is where they are saving you allot of scratch. If you have the means to demo their stuff go for it. First I would demo other receivers and separates as much as you can and then give them a call. This way you don't get "puppy dogged" into falling for the product before you have a chance to see what's out there. Outlaw makes amps that will take control of those Polks and feed them plenty of power. Outlaw has found a niche market where you can buy the same quality as the name brand high end stuff while saving you a few hundred in the process. This stuff can get expensive, so just do enough homework so you get what you want and maybe some cool features you didn’t expect.


Happy hunting,
Jer

John

Thx Jer,
For getting back with me re the Outlaws. Sounds like good advice. I am wondering if their separates that are on special are worth purchasing.

Is there anyone out there that has some Outlaws in Oregon. Would like to audition them.

I firmly believe that it would complement Outlaws business if they were to simply have some folks available to share their ware.



Peace
John
jtmj