Panasonic SA-XR55S Home Theater Receiver (Silver)

by Panasonic

Product Details

Product Manual [3.28mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 16.9 x 15.5 x 4.2 inches ; 9.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 14 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0009E1YPW
• Item model number: SAXR55S
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,244 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Color: Silver

Amazon.com Product Description

The Panasonic SA-XR55S Home Theater Receiver delivers clear, powerful sound through outstanding digital amplification. With this sleek silver receiver Panasonic has coupled the benefits of digital technology with a high-quality amplifier. Digital amplifiers are much more efficient than traditional analog amplifiers, generating less heat and taking up less space while delivering an even larger amount of clean output power. Sound quality improves with the elimination of digital-to-analog conversion when connecting a digital source device (such as a DVD player) to an analog amplifier. With the SA-XR55K, all the processing and amplification is done in the digital domain, resulting in low distortion and extremely low background noise.

With the crisp, clear sound amplification of the SA-XR55S, you will be able to experience the latest in surround sound formats. The amazing image quality of DVD is only half the movie-watching experience. Most DVD movies have high-impact, theater-quality Dolby Digital or DTS soundtracks that require a powerful audio system for faithful reproduction. This receiver can process these technologically advanced soundtracks so you can get the most out of your viewing experience.

When MP3s and movie soundtracks are created, higher frequencies are lost due to the limited frequency response of compressed digital audio. Most of these frequencies can't be heard by human ears, but their presence conveys subtle nuances. When they're missing in a digital recording, the sound and music just doesn't sound quite the same as in a live performance. This receiver answers the call for better sound with Panasonic's multi-remaster feature that examines the audio signal and compensates for those lost frequencies. The end result is an improved sound quality that is much closer to the original performance.

The amplifier built into this receiver pumps out high power levels for head-bobbing, satisfying volume levels with remarkably low distortion. You'll feel like you're in the front row of a multiplex cinema as the Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks surround you. The SA-XR55K has plenty of audio/video inputs to handle all your source devices (five video inputs, four digital inputs, seven audio inputs, and three S-video inputs). It even functions as a source selector, allowing you to connect multiple video sources to the receiver and then run a single audio/video connection to just one of your TV's audio/video inputs--no more flipping through multiple video inputs on your TV with this receiver.

Last, but not least, Panasonic knows that fumbling through a pile of remotes is the last thing you want to do. Clean up the mess on your coffee table and take control of your system with the included universal remote control. You can command many different brands and types of components after some simple programming--and the remote even lights up so you can see the buttons in the dark.

What's in the Box
Receiver, deluxe universal remote control, and user's manual.

Product Description

Panasonic SA-XR55 Home-Theater Receiver for A/V surround sound - If you use a DVD player on your TV or plan to upgrade to HDTV soon, having multichannel surround sound is extremely important to complete the truest home-theater experience. Though HDTV offers a 5.1 channel surround mode, this receiver can deliver76.1 channels for new DVD output. So you've got the choice of your surround mode. This receiver also has a stereo mode for your audio recordings. Let's call this a receiver for all seasons! Rear Audio Inputs - RCA - 4, Coaxial - 1, Optical - 2 Rear Video Inputs - Composite - 3, S-Video - 3, Component - 2 Selectable DSP modes Port for adding external FM antenna Slim Design - 2.9 H x 16.9 W x 14.7 D Weighs 8.8 Pounds Includes Remote Control Silver Finish

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

155 of 164 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars STUNNING little thing!, September 11, 2005

By 

Eduardo Nietzsche (Houston) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Panasonic SA-XR55K 6.1-Channel A/V Home Theater Receiver, Black (Electronics)

(The following is from my review on the ecoustics.com forum but you can also do a search for this model at the much bigger avsforum.com to read the massively positive feedback this receiver has won.)

Initial impressions:

1. I'd be lying if I said the Panny were as warm as my Marantz 5400 or NAD separates, but on the other hand I didn't find it "harsh," "cold," "flat," "lifelessly analytical" etc. as many anti-pure-digital audio folk have claimed. "Precise" and "neutral" would be how I'd describe it.

2. Yes, the pure-digital fans are correct about the amazing lack of noise/distortion and the jaw-dropping detail of the mids and highs. Yes, I noticed many more subtle background sounds and textures than I ever did with analog equipment.

I haven't hooked up my DVD player to it since I bought it strictly for 2-channel music but this kind of meticulous detail should be ideal for HT, one would think.

3. The Panny made me doubly appreciate the intuitive ease of use I enjoyed with my old Onkyo and current Marantz. Both setup and manual are rather convoluted. You cannot use the remote to change the setup, for one thing...argh!

4. The Panny certainly has no shortage of power...its volume goes from silent at -79 and maxes out at 0, I was easily hitting 80db at -40 and not the slightest hint of distortion. I am very curious to hear how it sounds when I get some extra speaker cable and bi-amp my Ascends, a very handy feature that I had only seen on the Pioneer Elite series in the $700 and up range.

5. The Panny doesn't provide quite the same muscular bass of the NAD, nor the aggressive fullness that the NAD achieves at high volumes (+80db)...it seems to have more of an intricate and laid-back personality best suited to moderately loud volumes of around 70db.

7. Cosmetics. I wasn't crazy about the small, crude-looking LED display which reminded me of my $65 Panasonic DVD player's display but oh well this is a $228 receiver after all. Otherwise the simple black faceplate is pretty tasteful. Should score some WAF (Wife Approval Factor) brownie points for any guy who decides to keep it. The remote is indeed a cheap POS but still a pretty minor gripe at this price.

****

After several days of listening only to the Panny, today I finally started doing some A/B listening with the Panny vs. my beloved NAD...and the "aha" moments are coming in spades right now.

Started with some Bach: a solo piano piece ("Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring") and the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major (Allegro). The piano piece had both receivers pretty close at moderate volumes, though I could already hear a clarity advantage in favor of the Panny, which simply sounded more open and natural.

However at high volumes (90-95db) and particularly on the violin concerto, the Panny simply WIPED THE FLOOR with the NAD, which started to get thin on the highs and weak on the mids during musical peaks, with a layer of fuzz settling in around the edges. The Panny on the other hand calmly delivered the goods with perfect aplomb, didn't even get hot to the touch, stayed the same warmish temperature to the touch throughout.

Moved on to Norah Jones, "Don't Know Why" and "Seven Years"---didn't crank the volume above 80db this time, but again the Panny held a clear advantage. Wow, the midrange was just tremendous...Norah's voice seemed much fuller, her breaths more audible, when she held a note for a couple of seconds it all came through clear and effortlessly. In comparison the NAD seemd to favor certain parts of the frequency range over others, Norah's voice while still very pleasing did not have the same range.

Van Morrison, "Moondance"---a mediocre recording, but again the Panny did it with a bit more life and verve than the NAD.

Santana, "Put Your Lights On," "Maria Maria," and "Corazon Espinado." This is one of my favorite demo CDs because the songs have a variety of tempos and both simple and complex passages. There is also a lot of treble and midrange happening at the same time, all driven by a strong beat.

Once again, during complex passages (by which I mean lots of instruments, voices, percussion all happening at the same time) the Panny pulled ahead and never looked back. Separation of musical inputs was outstanding, bringing out many details that were muted on the NAD.

The NAD clearly does deliver more bass (I had my speakers set on large on the Panny, with the sub turned off) and on simpler compositions did have more of a laid back, warmish sound. However at about six times the price (an equivalent NAD amp + pre-pro today would run about $1300 compared to the Panny's $230) that's a lot of dough just for a particular sound characteristic with a particular type of musical compositions. In fact if I were buying my system from scratch today, I would choose the Panny without a second thought over both the NAD and the Marantz and spend the extra money on the speakers and sub...complete no-brainer.

What particularly surprised me was the fact that the slim featherweight Panny actually seems far more powerful than the behemoth NAD in both SPL and maintaining SQ at high SPL. It is rated at 100wpc at 6 ohms, but after today I would guesstimate that they could easily list it at 150wpc at 8ohms if they wanted to and they'd still be far more honest than 90% of their competition. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this receiver even as a party appliance.

Wow, wow, wow..a 230 lousy bucks suddenly goes a VERY long way, indeed!

This Panny is far from perfect in terms of componentry, features, remote, and ease of use no doubt---but the performance it delivers at this ridiculously low pricepoint is simply staggering. If Panny adds another say $200 to the price tag to give it higher grade features and components, it will be extremely hard to beat.

Simply put, I cannot imagine there being too many solid-state analog receivers around 10 years from now, other than the real high end die-hard audiophile niche.

SOLD!

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sound, great price, November 8, 2005

By 

Alvin Lau "Home Theater Nut" (New Hyde Park, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic SA-XR55K 6.1-Channel A/V Home Theater Receiver, Black (Electronics)

I purchased the Panasonic SA-XR55K to replace a Sony STR-DA4ES. I used a digital optical signal from a Sony DVD changer and a digital coaxial signal from a cable box for the sound sources. The Panasonic is powering a set of Athena Micra 6 speakers.

I wanted to evaluate the new digital amplification in the Panasonic. I watched a few DVDs, listened to some CDs and watched both standard definition and high-definition TV. While the Panasonic doesn't have all the features the Sony has, the sound quality is superb. The treble and mid-range are very detailed and the bass is precise and well-controlled. I saw no loss in picture quality by using the Panasonic to switch between two component video connections. Digital amps are definitely here to stay.

It's amazing that the Panasonic is even comparable, given that the Sony cost almost four times as much and weighs 30 pounds more. If you want great sound at a bargain price, give this unit a listen - highly recommended!

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars In a few years these amps will be the future of audio, March 12, 2006

By 

Calm Driver "Audio fan" (Santa Cruz, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panasonic SA-XR55S Home Theater Receiver (Silver) (Electronics)

If you have searched for the review of this receiver, you must have noticed that there are lot of very polarised views. People have loved the clarity of the amp and have hated it. I used this receiver for last one month and found it quite upto the task. But, will it be my primary audio amplifier ? NO.
All of below mentioned observations were compared against NAD T743 receiver, CA 640A stereo integrated and NAD 7175 PE stereo receiver. Speakers used were Paradigm Monitor 11 and Wharfedale Diamond 7.2

Strengths:
1) Amazing clarity you can hear lot of notes that were probably mushed away while using class AB amps. Absolutely phenomenal bass. Try "Dreams" by Brooks and Srinivas. NAD and Cambridge Audio were not even close.

2) Power efficient. You can play at relatively high volume without increasing your energy bill.
3) Relatively easy to setup but would love to have an OSD based setup.
4) Love the bi-amping feature. Though unless you do an active bi-amping the improvement is miniscule.

Weakness
1) Sound quality is good only with digital inputs. Very average mid range performance. Male/Female vocals sound artificial. I can vouch for these as I have heard some of the singers live, on vinyl and CDs with other amps. This is very easy to fix with the TI amps that are used internally. I think Panasonic needs to hire some of the audio engineers from British/Canadian audio companies to tweak the output filter settings.

Re-digitising the analog inputs probably makes it worse. To check this you can play Diana Krall, "Love Scenes" DVD-Audio, Dolby digital side through Toslink output and 6 channel output. There is much more warmth in the digital signal. I think better ADC s can solve some of these issues and would certainly increase the cost. This receiver is absolutely NOT recommended if you listen to SACD and DVD-Audios.
2) Average sound quality if you listen to Chamber music. It is very hard to separate the instruments particulary the 2 violins and the viola. Violins sound shrill compared to the actual sound.
Cellos don't have the warmth that is associated with them. Cambridge Audio on the same set of speakers is absolutely fantastic with an almost 3D soundstage.
This problem should be fixed in the next few iterations. Same music played using Sonic Impact T-Amp had a much better sound stage.
3) No video up-conversion, only switching.
4) Audio switching between DVD and DVD-6 Ch is clumsy. You have to press and hold the DVD input selection button for couple of seconds. People using Universal remote controls would appreciate the problem with these kind of switches.

Overall the receiver is lot of value for people looking for an entry level receiver. I would definitely recommend this receiver for people who are looking for sub $600 Denon, Onkyos and Yamaha.
People who love warm and accurate British sound would be disappointed.
If you are looking for a receiver for mainly movies then look no further. Buy this receiver for $230 and spend rest of the hard earned cash for good quality speakers and DVDs.

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