receiver

I get this question all the time, "I just bought a new TV, do I need to buy a HDMI receiver?" The short answer is no.

You can hook up your Blu-ray or cable box's HDMI outputs directly to the TV, and run digital audio cables to your receiver, and live happily ever after. Granted, you won't be able to play Dolby TrueHD or DTS HD Master Audio soundtracks, just standard Dolby Digital and DTS audio you have enjoyed all these years. Some players, like the Oppo BDP-93 or '95 internally decode TrueHD and DTS Master … Read more

Yamaha has unveiled its AV Controller App 2.0 for Android and iOS devices. The app is designed to let users not only control Yamaha receivers and Blu-ray players wirelessly but also stream music to them via DLNA and from a mobile device.

The new app also offers multizone functionality, enabling users to control music in any zone, in addition to system functions such as power, source selection, zones, DSP, and volume.

The app lets users select computers and/or NAS devices from a source list, browse the media contained on them, and stream that media to a receiver. Yamaha … Read more

CNET Reader Name Withheld writes:

Hi, I own a Sony 46-inch TV connected to a receiver and cable box with HDMI. I've always thought the picture just didn't look as good as it did in the store...which I chalked this up to lack of bright store lighting/never calibrating the TV. I'm in the process of moving, so I'm running the cable box directly to the TV, and it now it looks WAY better. What's going on? Should I ditch the receiver? I really don't want to go back to switching inputs on the TV.

Thanks for your help.

Well, Mr. Withheld, interesting question.

… Read more

CNET reader John asks:

I am a senior. My hearing abilities are deteriorating and I expect there are a lot of others with the same problem. Background music in a lot of programming drowns out the voice. Higher frequency and soft voices are more difficult to understand.

I would like to know if there is any way to control the audio portion of a HD cable TV signal? Would a home theater sound system give you any control?

I know I may require hearing aids eventually but was wondering about an interim solution. If control is not an option, would headphones work?

Thanks for your help, John

I can't speak to the question of hearing aids, but as far as TV audio is concerned, it's not entirely your ears.

The problem is: all TV speakers are crap. Many people can't hear dialogue from their TV speakers. Fortunately, there are several solutions.… Read more

CNET reader Jibran writes:

Hi, I need your help. Currently I have my PS3 connected to my 5.1 AV receiver through the PS3's optical out. The TV is connected via HDMI. I'm planning to get an Xbox 360 also, but my dilemma is that how do I connect the Xbox 360 to the same AV receiver? There is only one optical input on the receiver.

Anxiously looking forward to your help.

Regards, Jibran

Great question, Jibran. There are several options. … Read more

Not content to leave the streaming to the new SMP-N200 box, Sony announced two new AV receivers at CEDIA with integrated support for Netflix, YouTube, and Pandora. They'll be among the first receivers we've seen with streaming-video support; most networked AV receivers stick to streaming-music services. The STR-DA3700ES and STR-DA5700ES are part of Sony's high-end ES line, which means they're likely to carry hefty price tags when they're released in November.

Whether buyers want media streaming in their AV receivers has yet to be seen. As we've argued in the past, AV receivers typically aren't great media streamers, … Read more

This Top-10 list of great-sounding solid-state and vacuum-tube amplifiers includes headphone amps and vintage models. Most are light on features, so if you need autosetup, GUI menus, AirPlay, iPod/iPhone/iPad compatibility, home networking, HD Radio, Bluetooth, HDMI switching, digital-to-analog converters, Dolby and DTS processors, that's not the main plan. The focus is on amps that provide the maximum sound quality for a minimal investment, but I included one receiver with some of those goodies.

I'll do a top-10 affordable speaker list soon.

Dayton Audio DTA-1 Amplifier ($40)

It weighs almost nothing, looks cheap and flimsy, but Dayton'… Read more

Sony AV receivers can be unpredictable, going from best in class one year to mediocre the next. The STR-DN1020 is Sony's midrange model for 2011, and it's underwhelming. It has fewer HDMI inputs than all of its competitors, it lacks the built-in AirPlay upgrade available on competing Denon and Pioneer options, and its paltry selection of streaming-media services is beaten by Onkyo and Yamaha. We'd be willing to accept those shortcomings if they were made up for with outstanding sound quality, but the STR-DN1020 was a step behind other midrange receivers to our ears. The STR-DN1020 doesn't have a deal-breaking flaw, but its competitors are better in every way that counts.

Read the full review of the Sony STR-DN1020.

… Read more

To go along with the consolidation of the Sirius and XM satellite radio services, the new SiriusXM rolled out a unified hardware platform: the SXV100 SiriusXM Connect vehicle tuner. We've already seen the first receiver to offer compatibility with the SiriusXM Connect from Alpine. Now, Sony strikes back with the second, third, fourth, and fifth as most of its new CDX line of CD receivers is now compatible with SiriusXM's module.

Four of the six new CDX receivers feature compatibility with the SXV100 SiriusXM Connect module ($60) and connect to the module's proprietary connection. The SXV100 draws … Read more