AV Receivers

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Jamie Biesemans  |  May 21, 2024  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomendAfter a period of absence, Pioneer wants to return to its former position as one of the main AV receiver brands. And what's the best way to go about this? By launching an all-singing, all-dancing 11-channel model to compete with the similarly specified amps of its rivals. Enter the VSA-LX805.
Steve Withers  |  Apr 04, 2024  |  0 comments
Denon has successfully carved a niche for itself when it comes to AV amplifiers and receivers, from the entry-level AVR-X2800H to the all-singing, all-dancing AVC-A1H flagship. But it's the middle segment of this market where the brand has perhaps proved strongest and the AVC-X4800H auditioned here is the perfect example...
Steve May  |  Mar 01, 2024  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomendBehind Marantz's Stereo 70s is the idea that traditional two-channel audio is back in fashion. Combining the setup simplicity of a soundbar and the system-switching sophistication of a full blown 8K-capable AV amplifier, it offers a seductively fresh take on home theatre. It's aimed at those who want to keep things simple, aren't impressed by the prospect of a multiplicity of speakers, and who maybe prioritise music over movies and TV.
Jamie Biesemans  |  Jan 10, 2024  |  0 comments
It was very quiet around Onkyo for the last few years, but an invigorating partnership between Sharp and the Premium Audio Company means the iconic Japanese brand is making a comeback. And the charge is being led by the TX-RZ70, an 11.2-channel AV receiver launched in 2023 at £3,099.
Steve Withers  |  Nov 17, 2023  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomend Mention the name McIntosh to anyone with even a passing interest in home audio, and two words probably spring to mind: 'gorgeous' and 'expensive'. The new MHT300 seven-channel AV receiver certainly ticks both those boxes with its classy looks and nine-grand price tag...
Mark Craven  |  Oct 13, 2023  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomendThe TX-NR6100 has a feature list that appears designed to cover every base anyone buying a £799 AV receiver could wish for, from Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding through to an MM phono input and DAB. 
But, really, I wouldn't expect anything less from Onkyo.
Richard Stevenson  |  Jun 28, 2023  |  0 comments
hccrefstatusbadgeJapan's Denon has a rich history of wheeling out truly reference-class AV amplifiers and, spoiler alert, it has done it again. 
The AVC-A1H is its latest feature- and performance-heavy flagship multichannel machine that can trace its heritage back to the likes of the 2007 AVC-A1HD, 2004's epic AVC-A1XV and even the DSP AV granddaddy, the 1996 ACP-A1.
Steve May  |  Mar 02, 2023  |  0 comments
What better way to put this Marantz high-end home cinema amplifier through its paces than with some high-brow music. Specifically, Winter, from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons (or, as I like to call it, Le quattro stagioni). The trilling of violins, beautifully elucidated by this amplifier's melodious HDAM amplification, is sublime, and I just love the way the strings are dramatically engulfed by a full orchestral storm… and heavy weapons fire.
Mark Craven  |  Oct 19, 2022  |  0 comments
hccbestbuybadgev3Mark Craven samples the expansive sound – and specification – of an upper-tier nine-channel AV receiver

As part of Yamaha's flagship Aventage receiver lineup, the RX-A6A promises to put everything the storied audio brand knows about movie sound into one, feature-packed box. Priced £2,000, this is a big brooding beast of an AVR, and it has the performance to match – film and music playback is never less than enthralling. Ask me where it comes up short, and I'd have to give a shrug.

John Archer  |  Feb 17, 2022  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomendDenon's entry-level X Series AV receiver is also its most advanced in terms of HDMI connectivity. Go figure, says John Archer

Thanks to problems with first-generation HDMI 2.1 ports, the last year was unusually tumultuous for the AV receiver and amplifier world. The late arrival of Denon's AVR-X1700H (sold in the UK exclusively through retailer Peter Tyson) therefore turns out to be quite handy.

Steve Withers  |  Aug 06, 2021  |  0 comments
hccbestbuybadgev3Anthem has given its MRX AV receivers a long-overdue upgrade. Steve Withers takes the new seven-channel model for a spin

Anthem's range of AV processors and receivers finally get an update, and at some point in the past five years it looks like the Canadian manufacturer drew inspiration from the Scandinavians. The new models are elegant, minimalist, and a definite step up from the dated appearance of the previous generation. But are they just surface charm, or is more going on underneath?

Steve May  |  Jun 18, 2021  |  0 comments
hccbestbuybadgev3Denon's entry-level X-series AV receiver is indisputably brilliant, says a smitten Steve May

'It's called driving, Marcus!' proclaims Will Smith during the opening road race sequence of Bad Boys for Life. You could also call it a perfect demonstration of this Denon receiver's ability to lift and separate high and low. After only a few seconds with this AVR, I was hooked.

Steve May  |  Apr 01, 2021  |  0 comments
hccbestbuybadgev3The affordable Marantz NR receiver could meet all your cinema and gaming needs, says Steve May

The latest in Marantz's now long-established slimline, half-height receiver range, the NR1711 is a bijou behemoth for those of us who don't require unhinged power, but do want advanced connectivity to best work with modern wired and wireless sources.

Jamie Biesemans  |  Dec 04, 2020  |  0 comments
hcchighreccomendJamie Biesemans wonders if this flagship nine-channel model points the way forward for AVR design

NAD's new T 778 features a large touchscreen display, mirroring the design of its two-channel M10 and M33 amplifiers. It's a standout feature, suited to a world dominated by smartphones. But does it actually make this 9.1 AVR any better?

Mark Craven  |  Oct 07, 2020  |  0 comments
This 5.1 combi system doesn't offer much mileage from its onboard 3D audio decoding, but in other ways it offers solid value for money, reckons Mark Craven

All-in-one home cinema systems, which were the darlings of the AV market at the turn of the century, have fallen so far out of fashion that practically all manufacturers have given up on them. At first glance, you might think Onkyo's HT-S3910 is a lone holdout against the soundbar revolution, but then you clock that it lacks the integrated disc player that made all-in-one systems so convenient.

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