Unlike other electronics companies such as Sony, Panasonic, JVC or Pioneer, Onkyo only makes consumer electronics. No professional electronics, industrial electronics or software. Onkyo's sole purpose is to manufacture electronics for people to enjoy in their homes. Because its corporate life depends on the quality of its gear, Onkyo products are always among the top performers in their class and price range.

Onkyo is diversified in its market approach, offering three separate lines for three types of customers: Equipment sold under the Onkyo brand is intended for the general public and is available in big-box stores as well as online; the Integra brand is an upscale, higher quality line sold by home installers; and Integra Research is expensive, high-end gear sold only at the most exclusive home theater retailers.

Onkyo's entry-level receivers have been a staple recommendation of mine over the years. Onkyo's $299 TX-SR502 (502) has been my favorite so far and has continued the trend. Why am I so fond of the 502? Good feature set, good sound, good looks, good quality of construction and good value.

The 6.1 channel 502 has 75 watts per channel -- plenty of power for most applications in small to medium-sized rooms. The most important surround modes, Dolby Digital-EX, dts, Dolby Pro-Logic IIx, and dts NEO:6, are all present and accounted for, as is component video switching for HDTV and progressive scan DVD players.

It's easy to get great sound if you spend a lot of money -- and it also is possible to spend a lot of money and get mediocre or bad sound. A close friend combined a 502 with Axiom Audio's excellent $1,200 Epic Midi home theater speaker system for a $1,500 home theater sound system with performance that belies its price. As we sat back watching "Lord of The Rings" one winter night, the clarity, detail, realism and just plain good sound of his system kept me mesmerized and impressed throughout the film. The 502 has a clean, modern design with a brushed black metal finish, attractive green LED display and excellent fit and finish. It's well built, feels solid and buttons and knobs respond solidly and smoothly.

Is there anything I did not like about the 502?

Changing settings is not intuitive and can be frustrating at times. Like many other receivers these days, the 502 is so loaded with surround modes, surround processing and set-up options that it can be confusing.

Selling for $299, it will find itself in the hands of many budding audiophiles as well as regular folks looking for something a bit better than a home theater in a box, and with this target market in mind, it should be a little easier to set up and use. Onkyo should delete the features 95 percent of its customers will never use and focus on ease of setup and operation.

The 502 will soon be replaced with the 7 channel TX-SR503, which is almost identical except for the seventh channel, which most people do not want or need. This means bargain prices on the 502 should be readily available.

I've seen them sold as open box specials at retailers or as refurbished units on the Web for as little as $150. If you are looking for the hub of a great yet inexpensive home theater, snap one up and add some good speakers from companies such as Axiom Audio, PSB, Polk Audio, or Monitor Audio.