Not everyone will agree, but I think there is a compelling argument to be made that audio is the most important aspect of creating an immersive home theater experience. Yes, video matters, a lot, but what really draws you into the experience? Better contrast, or when you can hear the shell casings hit the ground behind you to the right? […]
Read more
I have a Denon AVR, and I’ve found it to be quite solid so RHT’s conclusion on this HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2 $480 Denon AVR-S710W doesn’t surprise me in the least. Trying to pick a future-proof receiver in 2014 was a challenge. You had to pick between full bandwidth HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 copy protection, and DTS:X didn’t even exist […]
Read more
Googling MusicCast was the first thing I did when this bit of PR showed up in my inbox. If it’s your preferred scheme for wireless audio, or just limited for space this $600 AVR could fit the bill nicely. Seems to tick all the right boxes (4K, HDCP2.2, HBR audio, etc.), including one of the most important – decent (YPAO) […]
Read more
From what I understand Pixels is a pretty rubbish movie, but who doesn’t like to win free stuff? You will have to answer some questions though, so better brush up on your Google skills. Answer a few trivia questions about this action comedy starring Adam Sandler and you could win a Dolby Atmos-ready AVR from Pioneer! In conjunction with the […]
Read moreIf you’ve ever wondered how to approach matching up a set of speakers with an amp (or AVR), but didn’t know where to start Home Theater Review has a great primer available. But first, a caveat: this article is intended as a quick primer for beginners. As such, it contains a number of simplifications, many of them bordering on grossness. […]
Read more
It’s always great when an OEM adds value to devices in the field (instead of asking you to upgrade your hardware), so it’s welcome news that Yamaha is adding support for Spotify Connect via a firmware update to select audio video receivers (AVR). I’ve never spent much time with the service so I can’t speak to how useful it is […]
Read moreI consider the audio video receiver (AVR) to be a critical home theater component, but aside from a basic understanding of what’s inside my knowledge of what is actually in the black box in the stack is pretty limited. That’s not to say I’m not curious, just a little leary of cracking open a very expensive component just to have […]
Read more
While I wish that they would do more to officially embrace a position in orchestrating the home theater it is still interesting to see how AVR OEMs evolve their products. At least from Onkyo it appears to be the year of integrated Wi-Fi & Bluetooth – which is a nice get. I’m not that interested in their custom integrator (CI) […]
Read more
As the glue in a well-equipped home theater, the audio video receiver (AVR) is a natural hub where audio and video processing can be consolidated into a single device alongside other functions like over the top (OTT) IP services. Onkyo has embraced this ideal with the 135 watts per channel TX-NR818, which offers decoding support for all of the modern […]
Read more
Offering pre-outs for 11.4 and nine amplified channels, Onkyo’s newest high-end AVR (TX-NR5010) is a beast. Including all the good stuff like MultEQ XT32, HQV video processing, and IP content that piqued interest in the TX-NR818, alongside top-end audio processors it’s clear that it earned its spot at the top. The TX-NR3010 and TX-NR1010 were also announced for July arrival, […]
Read more