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Audioholics overviews entry level receiver choices

by Steven Kim posted Jul 23rd 2009 at 11:53PM

Entry level receivers
Take one sagging economy, add in advancing technology, bake them with some economies of scale and serve up to consumers hungry for this newfangled digital, HD AV craze -- it's a winning formula. When it comes to AV receivers, however, the pool is so crowded that picking a winner in the entry level category (remember that sagging economy) is daunting enough to push people to HTIB simplicity. The truth is that there's no single "best" entry-level receiver, but Audioholics has gone through the trouble of putting appropriate models from Denon, Yamaha, Harman Kardon, Onkyo and Pioneer into a feature comparison grid. The answer that emerges on which receiver is the "best" is a definite "it depends" -- you basically get to pick two out of three: audio features, video features and price. So the bad news is, you've got some choices to make; the good news is, you've got some choices to make.

Pioneer refreshes, lowers prices on its Elite receivers

by Steven Kim posted Jul 1st 2009 at 5:09PM

Pioneer Elite SC-27 receiver
If you love the good stuff -- and who doesn't -- then the four new receivers Pioneer has dropped into its Elite lineup might be your cup of tea. Slotted in at the high end of the range are the SC-27 (pictured) and SC-25; and the prices of $2,000 and $1,700 respectively even manage to shave a few dollars off the outgoing SC-07 and SC-05. The SC-25 and SC-27 both hold up the ICEPower tradition, and the SC-27 wears a THX Ultra2 Plus badge -- the first class D amplifier to earn the distinction. Add in the Burr-Brown DACsADCs and Wolfson DACs on these two and you've got the makings of top-end gear. Lower on the totem pole but continuing the trend of shaving a few bucks off the older models (VSX-01TXH and VSX-03TXH) are the VSX-21TXH ($700) and VSX-23TXH ($900). As you'd expect, all the Elites get loaded up with a heap of Pioneer's best wizardry, including MCACC room correction, network connectivity and (of course) compatibility with iPods and iPhones. There's plenty of other good info in the press release, so hit the link for the full details.

Ask Engadget HD: What's the best upscaling receiver?

by Richard Lawler posted Apr 15th 2009 at 12:01PM Featured Story


Alright, we've delved into receivers a couple of times recently, based on price and best for a 2.1 setup, but Justin has a slightly different situation that you might be able to help with:

"What's the cheapest A/V receiver with 3+ HDMI inputs that does upconversion/upscaling to 1080? I'm looking at the H/K AVR-254, Yamaha RX-V565 and the Onkyo TX-SR606 so far. The Yamaha is a newer model and I was also wondering if there is anything on the horizon that might mean a cheaper/better value for the above mentioned features."

Luckily, Justin came to the right place. We're sure you have just the box in mind that fits these specs - go.

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.

As receivers pack more features per dollar, Audioholics questions the trade-off

by Steven Kim posted Mar 24th 2009 at 7:19AM

Yamaha RX-V663 vs RX-V665
One welcome trend in AV receivers is the addition of more features at lower price points. Modern, full-featured AV receivers are signal processing powerhouses, and we've come to expect HDMI switching, video processing, on-screen UIs and room correction as de rigeur features. Everyone loves these conveniences, but there's a catch -- in many cases, sound quality is what's getting left behind in the transition. Audioholics has put its hand to enough receivers to know this, and without crying foul, the linked article does a good job of keeping you informed of the tradeoffs. Bottom line -- software-laden silicon keeps getting cheaper and lighter, but the (largely analog) componentry used for audio amplification doesn't. So if your latest receiver is lighter, cheaper and sports a longer spec list, you have a good idea where designers trimmed; and it's not the S-Video ports. The differences may not be audible, but if current trends in audio are any indicator, the limit of what is "good enough" is headed for market testing. Meanwhile, take your ears along with the spec sheets if you're shopping receivers.

Denon rolls out updates across 10 receiver models

by Steven Kim posted May 23rd 2008 at 10:07AM

Denon logoBecause it covers just about every price point in its receiver lineup and doesn't want to leave anybody feeling slighted, Denon is bringing updates to 10 models in the heart of its offerings. The company is emphasizing bang-for-your-buck in the AVR-589 ($299), AVR-689 ($399), AVR-789 ($599), AVR-889 ($749), AVR-989 ($1199), AVR-1909 ($649), AVR-2309CI ($849) and AVR-2809CI ($1199). It's a good-looking refresh: on the video side, the emphasis on more HDMI 1.3a inputs and 1080p video upscaling. On the audio side, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA decoding, Audyssey room tuning (MultiEQ) and volume regulation (Dynamic EQ and Dynamic Volume) get sprinkled through the lineup liberally. All this goodness should be finding its way to your dealer soon; expected availability is July. If you're in the market for a new receiver, hit the link for the details and decide if you want to wait on these new models or score a deal on the outgoing ones.

NAD launching VISO TWO / VISO FIVE all-in-one receivers

by Darren Murph posted Jan 3rd 2008 at 6:55PM


Not even two months after NAD introduced a trio of new receivers, the firm is hitting back with a pair of new all-in-one characters. Up first is the VISO TWO DVD / CD Receiver (pictured above), which givers users 1080i DVD upscaling and plays nice with DVD-Audio discs, too. Furthermore, you'll find an AM / FM tuner, readiness for XM Radio / iPods and ports galore including HDMI, S-Video, composite, RS-232 and an undisclosed amount of oomph to drive a pair of speakers. Stepping up to the VISO FIVE (shown after the break), you'll find DVD upconverting, DVD-A support with full bass management and support for DTS / Dolby ProLogic II. Beyond its ability to support surround sound, it looks to mimic its lesser-spec'd sibling in all other areas. Sure, these things look mighty sexy, but we'd recommend that you chew on the facts above for a tick and decide whether or not either one even sounds worthy of your $1,299 / $1,799.

Continue reading NAD launching VISO TWO / VISO FIVE all-in-one receivers

Onkyo will release an HD DVD player in 2007

by Richard Lawler posted Jan 8th 2007 at 11:31AM Breaking News

Following up on the HD DVD Promotional Group's statement about other manufacturers lining up to support HD DVD, Onkyo has confirmed that it has a player in development to be released this year. Onkyo plans to introduce its HD DVD player along with HDMI-connected receivers to capitalize on the enhanced audio/video capabilities of the format. More details about the player aren't available yet but 2007 apparently will be the year we see HD DVD players from someone other than Toshiba.




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