AV Receivers

The Aventage range represents the current high-end in AVR design from Yamaha. Combining bomb-proof build quality with brilliant DSP, they are arguably the most exciting new home theatre arrivals from the brand since the launch of the outrageously over-specified RX-Z11 THX battle-cruiser back in 2008.

The bigger brother of the TX-NR709 (reviewed in HCC 202), Onkyo’s TX-NR1009 boasts a bulkier frame, greater muscle and a fuller spec sheet – including a claimed 9 x 180W power output (into 6Ohms) and DTS Neo:X, the latest audio mode to deliver extra front height and width channels.

Apple’s nifty music streaming feature, AirPlay, is slowly finding its way onto more and more home cinema products, and Denon’s AVR-1912 is another one to add to the list. This makes it dead simple to play music from iPods, iPhones and iPads, but with DLNA-certified streaming and USB playback also on board the rest of your devices are in safe hands.Denon hasn’t dubbed this AVR the ‘Everyceiver’ for nothing.

I must have been snoozing last year as I missed Denon’s AVR-3311 completely. That well specified £1,200 receiver forms the base on which the AVR-3312 is built, updated and refined. And it’s damn fine news for potential buyers that this year’s contender comes in £200 cheaper. Where the money has been saved is a mystery. The new kid gives little away to the old guard, boasting all its power and features, and adding more networking and HDMIs, AirPlay as standard and a new set-up wizard.

Pioneer’s VSX-2021 is a receiver for the Apple generation. It’s all but intrinsically linked to the company’s wares with iPhone/iPad control Apps, dedicated music sharing for multiple iPods, remote control of the latest OS devices and full AirPlay integration. Even the user manual and set-up navigator are fully interactive iPad Apps. Okay, this £800 receiver can be operated with its own remote control and you can ignore the Apple-centric features, but that would be like buying a BMW and never using the iDrive. Even those VSX-2021 buyers with a penchant for Android devices (there is an app for that platform, too) might find themselves considering an iPad for its Pioneer-centric features alone.

Onkyo’s TX-NR709 ups the audiophile ante of the much-loved TX-NR609, and has a back panel busier than Oxford Street at Christmas. In come binding posts for all speaker terminals, bi-amping capability, 7.1 phono inputs and 7.2 pre-outs, which is strictly speaking 7.(1 x 2). You can hook up a grand total of 11 speakers, with the option to enjoy 7.1 sound at any one time through the usual 5.1 configuration, plus either surround back, front high or front wide expansion.

very year, Onkyo’s home cinema hubs top the bestseller lists, appealing to punters looking for an amp that delivers maximum bang for their buck.