receivers

Two more AV receivers join Onkyo's 2011 lineup

Less than two months after unveiling three new AV receivers with loads of extra features, Onkyo is already expanding its 2011 lineup. The new models feature Marvell Qdeo 4K video upscaling, USB audio support, and the ability to stream some Internet audio services such as Pandora, Rhapsody, and XM. HT-RC360 and HT-RC370 replace last year's HT-RC260 and HT-RC270, respectively.

Read on to find out more about Onkyo's latest additions and see some of their key features.… Read more

Pioneer's 2011 line of AV receivers compared

Pioneer's big home-audio news this week was the VSX-1021-K AV receiver with built-in AirPlay support, but the company also released full details on the rest of its 2011 midrange AV receiver line. We've broken out all the key features of the models below:

Pioneer VSX-521-K

Key features of the Pioneer VSX-521-K:

5.1 AV receiver, 110 watts per channel Four HDMI inputs 3D video pass-through, standby pass-through, and audio return channel Minijack input $250 list price; available later in March

Pioneer VSX-821-K

Pioneer's new VSX-1021-K receiver has built-in AirPlay

Pioneer has announced the new VSX-1021-K this afternoon, the first midrange AV receiver we've seen with built-in support for AirPlay, Apple's new streaming audio platform. For iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad owners, we expect it to be one of the easiest ways to browse and listen to your digital music collection, allowing you to stream music directly from your device to your receiver--even from digital music apps like Pandora and Rhapsody. AirPlay also allows you to stream music directly from iTunes on a PC or Mac.

The VSX-1021-K needs to be connected to your home network for AirPlay to … Read more

Sony unveils 2011 midrange AV receiver line

Sony announced its new 2011 line of midrange AV receivers this morning, adding lots of new iPhone/iPod connectivity features throughout the line. The $500 STR-DN1020 is also getting support (via an Ethernet port) for Sony's new streaming audio platform HomeShare, which we were impressed with back at CES 2011. There are a lot of changes from last year's models, and here are the key details announced so far.… Read more

Onkyo brings networking to its midrange receivers

Receivers used to be little more than an amplifier, then they became the central hub for video signals, and now they're getting network functionality too. Onkyo has announced three new AV receiver models, with the two higher-end models featuring an Ethernet port and the ability to add Wi-Fi (via a dongle) for $40. A lot has changed in Onkyo's AV receiver line for 2011, so let's run down the most important features.… Read more

Roundup: Which AV receiver is right for you?

When people ask "Which AV receiver should I buy?" the answer depends on what you're looking for. For some, the Pioneer VSX-1020-K's excellent out-of-the-box iPod connectivity is a must-have feature, but audiophiles couldn't care less about listening to an iPod on their home stereo system; they're better off with the Denon AVR-1911. Our list of best AV receivers is still the easiest way to see how rank different models, but here we've tried to narrow down the choices based on what kind of buyer you are.

Best overall value: Pioneer VSX-1020-K The Pioneer … Read more

CES: New JVC receivers upgradable with MotionX-GPS app

LAS VEGAS--Car audio manufacturers often tout some sort of way to upgrade their video receivers to support GPS navigation. However, that has usually meant purchasing an expensive module and paying for a second installation. If you have one of JVC's new KW-AVX series and an iPhone, adding navigation may be as simple as downloading an app.

JVC has announced a partnership with Fullpower, creators of the MotionX-GPS Drive app for the iPhone, to allow its receivers to interface with and directly control the MotionX app. After connecting an iPhone via the KS-U30 USB audio and video cable, you can … Read more

Samsung announces a combo receiver/Blu-ray player

LAS VEGAS--We're used to seeing AV receivers with integrated Blu-ray players in home-theater-in-a-box systems, but they're pretty rare as standalone products.

Samsung's newly announced HW-D7000 combines a full, component-style AV receiver with a Blu-ray player, packed with features on both counts. The receiver has standard midrange specs, such as 120 watts per channel, four HDMI inputs (each with audio return channel and 3D compatibility), and DTS-HD Master Audio/Dolby TrueHD/Dolby Pro Logic IIz sound processing.

The HW-D7000's Blu-ray features are similar to those of other high-end Blu-ray players Samsung is showing at CES 2011, although … Read more

Secure Gmail In Firefox

Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) is a standard public key encryption protocol for e-mail. Gmail S/MIME is a free Firefox add-on that lets users send and receive encrypted e-mail via Google Mail from inside Firefox. It secures your e-mail messages so that only recipients with valid digital certificates can open and read them. To use Gmail S/MIME, you must have a digital certificate validating your identity for your accounts. These are available for free online, and they're easy to install, usually via a wizard. Both users need secured e-mail to open each other's messages; … Read more

Supercharge your iPod's sound at home

Matthew Moskovciak recently wrote about AV receivers that play nice with iPods, but what about stereo receivers?

Teac now offers not one, but two iPod-friendly stereo receivers, the Reference Series AG-H380 ($499) and the Reference Series CR-H500NT ($799).

The CR-H500NT is a CD player/stereo (2x40 watts) receiver, and also offers Internet radio, an Ethernet port, wired and wireless LANs, high-quality phono input, subwoofer output, and best of all, a USB iPod Digital Direct Interface.

So instead of using your iPod's good-enough internal digital-to-analog converter, you'll be listening to the CR-H500NT's higher-quality 24-bit/192-kHz converters, which will … Read more