Insignia IS-HC04091 2 Channels Receiver

This receiver is a basic 2 channel stereo receiver.
This is marketed by Best Buy for around $100-$125, and it frequently goes on sale for around $99.00.
It can also be had on Ebay as a new item from other distributers for as low as $50.00, it pays to shop around.

We purchased this unit as a package deal with a pair of KLH speakers and a Sony CD changer.
The sales person tried selling us overpriced accessories such as better cables, an antenna and a service plan, we refused all those needless extras.
I have loads of cables and I use a MATV system so we're set.
And extended warranties are useless in my opinion.

First off, this receiver is very easy to use. It has a simple remote control that duplicates all the front panel controls.

The tuner has an incredible amount of memories available; 64! And these can be set to any combination of AM and FM presets. With a good outdoor antenna I set every available station in my area and still had about 24 available.
For AM I only listen to the news stations and a talk station so the supplied loop antenna suffices for that.
While the tuner has good separation quality and sensitivity it can be easily overloaded by strong local signals.
The tuner can be switched between mono and stereo signals and the display shows the frequency, preset # and receive mode clearly.

This receiver is about 15 LBS. and is constructed with plastic and thin pressed steel sheets.
It's construction is typical of a low end component.
As long as it stays on a secure, stable surface it should be fine for years.

The back panel has all the usual inputs and outputs including a phono input. So it should suffice for a simple stereo system.
There is one tape monitor loop and most unusual; a preamp in/out loop as well in case you want to add an external amplifier and/EQ.
The antenna connections are cheap clips like most other modern receivers.
The speaker terminals are screw terminals that can accept bare wire or bananna plugs.

The inside appears to have a large torroidal transformer,
a pair of large caps and a huge heatsink. It looks like a Onkyo clone. But it's no Onkyo. While it seems to be a hefty PS and amp combo the specs are show something else;
The frequency response of the amp is 40hz-20khz.
The THD is 10% at 10 watts.

The front panel is plastic with electronic controls and a large display.
All functions are displayed on the display.
All inputs are electronically controlled.
The super bass button puts heavy muddy bass in the sound.
The volume,bass,treble and balance controls are electronic and are selected using a selector button and the large electronic knob.
There is an A/B speaker selector switch and a headphone jack that is 1/4" for good stereo headphones.Mini headphones are not recommended.

While the specs can be disappointing, the sound out of this is quite good. It drives our KLH pair to ear splitting levels and the only distortion apparent is the speakers not the amplifier. The amplifier does supply prodigious amounts of power when called for. As a result, the top can get quite
hot so be sure to leave good ventilation around the unit.
All the inputs including the phono are quiet with no hiss are noise.

The controls have a cheap plastic feel to them, so it's durability remains to be seen.The supplied remote control
controls only the receiver,nothing else. But it works well from across the room.

That's about it. For a low end 2 channel receiver at a low price it's good. It's no Onkyo or Denon, but it does not have the price tag neither.