receiver

Five new Yamaha receivers for 2008

Yamaha has announced five new receivers for 2008, ranging from the budget $230 RX-V363 to the $1,000 RX-V863, which features HD Radio and three HDMI inputs. As is usual, Yamaha's receivers certainly don't impress from the spec sheet, as they offer fewer features than Sony's new budget receivers and even last year's Onkyo receivers. On the other hand, Yamaha loyalists are quick to chime in that spec sheets aren't everything, and that Yamaha offers more refined sound at these price points. We can't comment on that until we have get them in for review, but with that in mind, let's check out specs.

Yamaha RX-V363

Key features of the Yamaha RX-V363:

5.1 channels, 100 watts per channel Two HDMI inputs, 1080p-compatible… Read more

Sony's new budget AV receivers packed with features

When Onkyo released the budget TX-SR605 AV receiver last year, it rocked the industry with its low price and high-end features such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio decoding. Other manufacturers pretty much had to stay on the sidelines as TX-SR605s flew off the shelf, but it looks as if Sony is ready to fight back with its new line of budget AV receivers. The company's 2008 line of AV receivers includes four new affordably priced models--the STR-DG520, STR-DG720, STR-DG820 and STR-DG920--and they look pretty good from the spec sheet. Here are the details:

The STR-DG520

Key features of the Sony STR-DG520:

5.1 channels, 100 watts of power Two HDMI inputs Supports 1080p pass-through at 60 and 24 frames per second Available in March for about $200

The STR-DG720

Step-up features on the STR-DG720:

7.1 channels, 105 watts of power Three HDMI inputs… Read more

New Pioneer AV receivers sport three HDMI inputs

In just a few sort years, HDMI connectivity has become arguably the most important spec for AV receivers. Pioneer rolled out four new HDMI-capable receivers today, ranging from the budget VSX-518 to the midrange VSX-1018TXH-K. All four models have three HDMI inputs, which is one more than the previous standard of two. On the other hand, onboard decoding for the new high resolution soundtrack formats--such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio--is limited to the VSX-1018TXH-K, which is a little disappointing considering it was available last year on the inexpensive Onkyo TX-SR605. The VSX-1018TXH-K looks to be the sweet spot … Read more

HP MediaSmart Receiver x280N: set-top Media Center Extender

HP likes to hedge its bets. In addition to a couple of big-screen flat-panel TVs with built-in Media Center Extenders, the company is now offering a set-top box as well. Like the MediaSmart TVs, the MediaSmart Receiver x280N has the ability to stream a wide variety of video (including MPEG-2, DivX, WMV, WMV-HD, and H.264/MP4 files), audio (MP3, WMA, WMA-Pro, WAV, AAC/m4a), and images (JPEG, BMP, GIF, and PNG photos) from networked PCs to your living room TV via its wired Ethernet or wireless 802.11a/b/g/n connections. Local media playback is also available via … Read more

Hot deal: Logitech wireless music system, $40

This digital receiver transmits a signal from your PC to the receiver component, then pipes your playlist or streaming radio through your home (or office) audio system. It was one of the first on the market to use Bluetooth.

You can now have the highly rated computer-based wireless system for around a two-thirds discount. Originally listed by most sellers at $150 or so, Buy.com's offering it now for $40, with free shipping.

What: Logitech wireless music system for PC How much: $39.99 Shipping: Free Where: Buy.com (via Dealhack) When: Through unknown date Click here for CNET'… Read more

What if your GPS receiver became a phone?

As much of personal technology rapidly converges into single handheld devices, one of the last frontiers is GPS. But here's a twist: Rather than trying to cram a satellite receiver into a mobile phone, what if a company went about it the other way around?

Cybergraphy Technology's GlobalTrack G200P is a compact receiver with an integrated microphone and speaker that can actually be used as a phone, though we have no idea what kind of reception it would get. As a GPS unit, though, its credentials seem worthy--a high-sensitivity receiver that the company says has a maximum standby … Read more

Yamaha's new receivers, including an 11.2-channel monster

A few days ago, Yamaha announced three new AV receivers: the RX-V1800, the RX-V3800, and the flagship RX-Z11--which is an 11.2-channel receiver. We'll get into the details on each of the new models, but overall they share many of the same new features we've been seeing on models from Onkyo, Denon, and Sony, such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio support, several HDMI 1.3a ports, and extensive video upconversion options. Both the RX-V3800 and the RX-Z11 also feature a graphical user interface (GUI), following the trend started by Sony with the STR-DA5200ES and now followed … Read more

Denon line show 2007 roundup

Denon held its line show Tuesday, and over the last few days, we've been covering all the major announcements. From HTIBs to AV receivers, Denon showed a bundle of new products that will be coming out over the next few months. In case you missed anything, we've rounded up all our coverage here.

Denon line show 2007:

Denon unveils new AV receiver line Denon deals dough-intensive, iPod-ready HTIBs Denon intros RF-capable universal remote system Denon packs a lot into new tabletop units Denon enters the sound bar market with the DHT-FS3 Denon shows off two network-friendly iPod docks … Read more

Three new Sony receivers, and we've already reviewed the best one

Presumably in an effort to steal some of the buzz from Denon's line show yesterday, Sony announced three new receivers in its ES line slated to come out over the next few months. The flagship model is the STR-DA5300ES, successor to the excellent and innovative STR-DA5200ES, and we already have a full review. The big news about the STR-DA5300ES is undoubtedly its connectivity. There are six HDMI inputs, which is more than we've seen on any receiver in this price range. Match that up with its three component video inputs and the STR-DA5300ES's plentiful input names, and … Read more