AV Receivers

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Ed Selley  |  Dec 12, 2011  |  0 comments
No lightweight… This slimline AVR re-imagines home cinema for the network age. Steve May hums The Times They Are a-Changin’…

Whether through luck or design, Marantz has created something rather special with the NR1602. Driven by a desire to innovate within the often stultifying constraints of hardcore AV, the company has taken the traditional hefty AVR form factor and chopped it in half. The result is a component with a good deal more va-va-voom than its peers.

Ed Selley  |  Dec 12, 2011  |  0 comments
A grand well spent Richard Stevenson revels in the sheer power and shower of features that make Denon’s latest receiver offering value for money

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.

Ed Selley  |  Dec 12, 2011  |  0 comments
Luxury for less Adrian Justins hunkers down in the suburbs with Onkyo’s latest mid-range networkable 7.1-channel receiver that punches far beyond its weight

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.

Ed Selley  |  Dec 12, 2011  |  0 comments
Apple-tiser amp Richard Stevenson considers this receiver as Pioneer’s homage to Apple, and calls it the VSX-2021 Steve Jobs Signature Edition

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.

Ed Selley  |  Oct 30, 2011  |  0 comments
A breath of fresh AVR hits the spot Richard Stevenson is bowled over by the entry-level model of Yamaha’s 25th anniversary amp line-up. How far does it punch beyond its price point?

There has been something of a dry spell for new AVRs of late. Months have passed without seeing one then, like buses, Yamaha launches the five-model strong RXV-x71 lineup all at once. To celebrate the 25 years since the launch of its Cinema DSP technology, Yamaha’s fledglings get some cutting edge features and obligatory eco-friendly credentials, too. While the flagship RX-V771 looks stunning on paper, I suspect this was a ruse by Yamaha just to tease us, because the RX-V471 turns out to be an absolute corker.

Ed Selley  |  Jul 15, 2011  |  0 comments
Future-proof hero Danny Phillips auditions the musically-endowed, super-featured AVR from the brand with a big reputation for value

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.

Ed Selley  |  Jul 10, 2011  |  0 comments
Raiders of the ARC With its quirky and complex setup, the ARC-based MX-700 still manages to put Richard Stevenson into a state of audio-induced euphoria

Canada: a land of sweeping mountains, pine forests and ice hockey, where maple syrup rules and giant moose walk the streets. But what the country is becoming increasingly famous for is its rather tasty AV equipment.

Ed Selley  |  Jun 17, 2011  |  0 comments
Chill-axing with a party animal Yamaha's top-of-the-range 3D-capable receiver has a musical heart. Steve May throws up some devil horns

The RX-V3067 is a deceptively polite flag-bearer for Yamaha’s latest generation of AVRs. It sits at the top of the brand’s 3D-capable range, but it’s an unassuming hero and certainly doesn’t cast the same shadow as its Z11 and Z7 forebears.

Ed Selley  |  May 28, 2011  |  0 comments
Denon bites Apple’s Airplay Music streaming to the AVR-4311 opens up all sorts of possibilities for getting audio entertainment flowing around the house

Denon’s AVR-4311 is the first serious AV receiver to feature Apple’s AirPlay media streaming technology. The latter was part of Apple’s iOS 4.2 launch last November and is essentially a new version of AirTunes for Apple’s AirPort Express wireless network system. The difference this time is that AirPlay has a much wider remit, with the capability of wireless media streaming to and from any current iOS4.2 device or to any AirPlay-enabled third party electronics. If that sounds a little familiar, this is just what DLNA promised and has thus far only half-heartedly delivered.

Ed Selley  |  Mar 07, 2011  |  0 comments
Return of the War Machine Onkyo has updated its flagship AV receiver for the 3D generation. Steve May looks for refinement amid the metal mayhem

When Europe’s biggest AVR brand unveils a new flagship, it’s time to take your head out of the popcorn bucket and pay attention. Not only has it outsold pretty much every other brand in the UK (and Germany) since 2009, but the Japanese marque has also consistently been first to market new AV receiver technology.

Ed Selley  |  Feb 16, 2011  |  0 comments
Muscular appeal Denon's upgrade to its esteemed 2310 model is a great performer, but its lack of networking won’t impress today’s AVR buyer, says Richard Stevenson

Coming to the ring in its all- black livery is Denon’s latest middleweight contender, the AVR-2311. The latest in a long line of Denon champions, this model is more an evolution of the heavy-hitting 2310 than a revolution in its own right. That said, the predecessor had a lot going for it, including a fast-paced and exciting sound, plus a feature list that had much of the competition whimpering in their respective corners.

Ed Selley  |  Feb 14, 2011  |  0 comments
An amp for life? Jim Hill finally finds a future-proofed AV receiver with the right number of HDMI inputs to suit high-end cinema and music needs

I’m weary of annually having to upgrade my AV receiver each time the HDMI standard changes, and gaining one more HDMI input with each new model. Why don’t the manufacturers understand that all AV sources use HDMI and, at this end of the market, accept we’re likely to need more than four?

Ed Selley  |  Dec 29, 2010  |  0 comments
Setting the scene Yamaha's latest lower mid-range AV receiver is sensibly-featured and delivers the goods from movies, says Martin Pipe, but lacks grunt

The 7.1-capable RX-V567 from Yamaha – a company that has played a pivotal role in popularising home cinema – is not the most affordable model in its line-up, but at £400 still looks like a bit of a bargain. The problem is, almost every other AV brand is aggressively targeting this end of the market, so does it do enough to stand out?

Ed Selley  |  Dec 29, 2010  |  0 comments
Sonic compromise Samsung's not usually an audio big hitter. Danny Philips wonders if the Koreans are spreading their AV dominion a little thinly with this budget amp

Samsung isn’t known for its AV receivers, but that hasn’t stopped the Korean behemoth having a stab with this affordable 5.1-channel effort. It doesn’t have the reputation to rival audio luminaries like Onkyo, Yamaha and Denon, but the HW-C500 may attract owners of other Samsung kit who like their system’s collars and cuffs to match.

Ed Selley  |  Nov 30, 2010  |  0 comments
Marantz reloaded With the SR7005 Marantz has shaken off its reputation for staid amp performance and is now a home cinema supremo, as Richard Stevenson discovers

I confess that I have never really been excited by Marantz’s AV receivers. They were never ahead of the features game and always aired too much on the side of sonic caution for my liking. Safe, reliable, solid and about as exciting as endurance snail racing. When the SR7005 arrived I brewed a really fresh cup of Horlicks, put my slippers on and settled down for an evening of light entertainment.

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