A REVIEW! Insignia IS-HC040917 receiver from Best Buy (2 Viewers)

[Seth=L]

Well first the good news. I got the receiver earlier than expected and was able to review it sooner for those who might like to get one for x-mas. I applied for Best Buy's credit card and I got it, yea! So I used the credit card knowing that I wouldn't likely keep this receiver as I was only wanting to review it.

So on with the review. I has all the makings of a good receiver, good power supply (toroid), decent caps (10,000uF Topcoms), and nice output devices (Toshiba).

Now to crap on the parade. The auto-protect is way to sensitive or this is just a poorly integrated piece of equipment. My Magnavox receiver with crap power supply, puny 4700uF caps and the cheapest IC output decice ever concieved would walk all over the Insignia in output.

It does have a hiss, but it is not very bad. You have to stick your ear up to the speakers to hear it. And when you adjust the volume it does make a clicking noise, but I have had lower end Onkyo receivers that have louder clicks.

It sounds good at lower volumes and it sounds good when you turn it up. The only thing that may distract you is when the amp turns on and off while you are playing music at what I consider slightly above easy listening levels.

For fun I took the unit apart after I was playing it at above easy listening levels. There are fans on the bottom of the heatsink, they never turned on. I checked the tranistors for heat, they were not hot they were barely warm.

My personal recomendation, DO NOT BUY THIS RECEIVER! It isn't even worth the money.

 

[John Brill]

Strangely, I'm left hollow after this review... No "I told you so" moments and the only problem seems to be an odd protect mode feature/problem that may be isolated to this individual receiver. Will you ask for an exchange to test out that theory?

I was hoping you'd say things like video switching doesn't work, or at best degrades your picture. RCA jacks for coaxial inputs, though a cheap workaround, doesn't provide a tight enough fit. AM/FM tuner performs worse than basic walkman. Stuff like that...

Since BB has a 30 day return policy, why not "borrow" a high-end receiver every month until HDMI 1.3 come out

 

[John Garcia]

I TOLD YOU SO!! J/K. All I have to say is, I didn't expect much from the receiver, but thanks for the review anyway, just for confirmation. So with what sounds like at least some decent components, what exactly is it that is making this thing such a POS? Bad output stage? El-cheapo amps? I suppose it doesn't really matter....

 

[Seth=L]

Quality control is important.

I am using a Fisher integrated amplifier I got for $25 from a pawn shop. It has wattage output meters. I turned it up to about the same level that I had the Insignia and the meters wear registering around 3-5 watts RMS. The Insignia craps out with even moderate demands, pathetic.

 

[DaveHo]

As crappy as it may be, I'm skeptical that it would perform that badly. Sounds like a short across the speaker terminals. Did you check for that?

 

[Seth=L]

No I didn't, and that is very possible considering the way I had it set up. Maybe I will try it again. I may wait till after Christmas though.

 

[Wayne Ernst]

Seth, does that mean you've already returned it, or had to wrap it up and put it under the tree?

Thanks for the review. I've watched your threads on this leading up to the review and was looking forwad to the results.

 

[Seth=L]

Yes I returned it. I may have to get it again and review it again since there is no way for me to be sure that I was the problem. I would like to wait till after Christmas, unless you guys can convince me to do otherwise.