It's too early to tell if gold-colored components really are making a comeback, but you better believe Onkyo's at the forefront of the gilded parade. Shortly after pumping out the TX-SA606X in Japan (and the TX-SA606 in America), the TX-SA706X has arrived to take things one step further. This 7.1-channel receiver delivers a potent 200-watts of juice to each channel and includes five HDMI 1.3 inputs (alongside one output), a frequency response of 5Hz to 100,000Hz, Audyssey Dynamic EQ processing and built-in decoding for Dolby TrueHD / DTS-HD Master Audio formats. Granted, such a monster of an AVR won't become your very own with putting a nice size dent in your wallet, but those in Japan can treat themselves on July 19th when it lands for ¥189,000 ($1,781).

[Via HDTV Space]

We've seen a few HTIB systems trickle out from the Pioneer labs of late, but never four at once. Today, the firm has made official a foursome of home cinema systems slated to hit Europe in the fall, so we'll cut right to the chase. The LX03 is the lone system with a DVD / SACD player and USB port, while the others thoughtfully include Blu-ray decks. The LX03BD (satellite speakers included) and LX08BD (no satellites included) feature 500-watts of power, HDMI 1.3 sockets (2 in / 1 out), KURO LINK, an iPod connection and a 7-band equalizer. The LX01BD includes omni-direction speakers, 400-watts of power and pretty much everything else found on the LX08BD. For complete specifications, be sure to give the read link a visit; as for availability, you'll find the LX03, LX03BD and LX08BD systems in October while the LX01BD arrives in November.

Earlier this month, ASUS introduced the "world's first HDMI 1.3a compliant audio / video enhancement combo card." Who knew numero dos was so close behind? Auzentech has just announced its very own HDMI 1.3-native PCIe audio combo card, which is built around Creative's X-Fi processor and enables PC users to easily output 7.1-channel audio with no downsampling. Essentially, the Auzen X-Fi HomeTheater 7.1 "accepts video from either an internal or external connection, mixes it with digital audio, and outputs the combined video and lossless multichannel audio via a single HDMI 1.3 port." Yep, that means Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio codecs are fully supported. The only digs? For one, pricing remains a mystery, but the real kicker is the September release -- talk about a long wait.

Looks like one of those "souped-up" set-top-boxes could be just what the doctor ordered for ailing U-verse users. It's no secret (not even to AT&T) that many customers have been experiencing intermittent audio dropouts using optical audio connections on the current Motorola STBs. Typically, the glitches occur every 30 seconds to a minute, and the problem seems to reside within the box itself. Reportedly, Tier 2 technical support has advised some subscribers that Cisco boxes are now being dispatched for those dealing with the issue, and of course, AT&T asserts that these units will solve the problem. The latest word on end-user availability is "within [a few] weeks," so hopefully a bona fide fix isn't too far out.

[Thanks, Ryan]

Home theaters have almost always been a balance between usability and experience. On one had having surround sound while watching TV is much more enjoyable, but at the same time trying to explain to the significant other how to turn it all on can be a nightmare. And in the spirit of a solution, William writes in:

"I've been thinking that the next TV I bought would be the center of my system, with all of the HD inputs connected directly to my TV and the TV feeding digital sound to my multichannel Dolby Digital decoding amplifier. Then I noticed that the TVs SPDIF output doesn't work with HDMI inputs. This seems to me that it's negating the entire purpose of HDMI, using one simple cable. If I connect my DVD player to the TV using HDMI then I don't want to have to string a separate digital cable from my DVD player to my amplifier. I want to connect my TV to my amplifier once, and just use the power button and volume controls on the amp. Is this sort of thing common among TVs with digital sound outputs? Is it some copy restriction issue with the HDMI stuff that the digital sound can't then be shipped to a separate output?"

Unfortunately this is very common and we've heard the DRM excuse on this one a few times -- but who knows if it's true. The fact is that the receiver has been the junction point of the HT system for years, and even with HDMI it continues to be. The good news is that if you play your cards right you can still have one remote (non universal) that easily controls everything. The trick is buying equipment -- which might mean replacing what you already have -- that supports HDMI-CEC, and works well together. Using HDMI-CEC, the receiver's remote can send signals to the HDTV via HDMI to let it know when to turn off and on. Furthermore, you Blu-ray player can tell the receiver to change inputs when it is turned on, etc. The bad news is that although HDMI-CEC is a standard, most manufacturers only guarantee compatibility with their products.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

No sooner do we ask about just how many readers actually give a hoot about multi-channel audio, in comes this. Considering the plethora of folks in the exact same situation, we knew right away it'd made a beautiful Ask Engadget HD question. Without further adieu:

"I recently splurged on a hot new plasma, but now I am looking for a surround sound system to complete the joy. My issue is that I currently live in a rental property, and don't have the luxury of poking holes in walls to set up my system. I know there are a few options out there for people in my position (sound bars, wireless rear speakers, PowerLine?) but I have no idea which gives the best surround sound result. I was looking to spend no more than $2,000."

We'll be honest -- almost anything is possible at $2,000, unless that includes the price of a few (very) nice drivers. We've seen solutions from Rocketfish and a slew of other companies that essentially enable users to add two rear surrounds sans wires when running cabling towards the back proves problematic, but often these are underpowered and flaky at best in actual use. Let us know what you've found to be superior in comments below.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

With all this focus on HDTV of late, we've been wondering if high-def junkies care nearly as much about their audio as they do their video. Sure, we know video trumps audio in the general public's eye, but we're talking home theater freaks here. Folks who make a point to hang up sheets to eliminate light from a room. Folks who take a vacation day just to calibrate their TV -- you know, people like yourself. Toss your vote in below and feel free to elaborate on your audio setup (or lack thereof) in comments below.

[Image courtesy of Infendo]

It's not often that we'll take time out to cover a single chip, but when said chip can handle "streaming of up to eight different concurrent single streams or four bi-directional streams of HD audio," we figure it's worthy of a mention. The STS DARR81 allows HD audio to be both transmitted and received with a single device simultaneously, and it also supports "5.1 and 7.1 surround sound, headphone and multi-room applications at the same time." Currently, we're not exactly sure what types of electronics will be housing these in 2008, but a slew of gear based on STS' technology will reportedly be showcased (and peeked by us) at CES next month.

[Via Embedded]