July 29, 2009 7:04 AM PDT

Music 2.0: Where stereo rules

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Matching SACD player and stereo amplifier from Onkyo

(Credit: Onkyo)

Face it: Most people listen to music on CD, LP, radio, or some form of downloaded file, and each and every one is a stereo format.

Even high-resolution formats like SACD have stereo mixes, so it's no surprise that Onkyo just introduced two new stereo components: An integrated stereo amplifier, the A-5VL, and a stereo SACD player, the C-S5VL.

The amp seems like a rational alternative to a feature-laden AV receiver, jam-packed with so much wizardry you need to read and comprehend a 100 page user manual to get it to do much of anything. Stereo is simple; no need to navigate multilayer menus to turn the bass up or down. No, with the stereo Onkyo amp, all you'll ever do is select the input--CD, aux, radio, etc.--and adjust the volume. Then sit back and enjoy the tunes.

The 2-times 40-watt integrated stereo amplifier features the latest version of Onkyo's VL digital power amplifier technology. Digital it may be, but that didn't stop the designers from including an MM/MC phono input stage for analog-loving audiophiles with turntables. Stereo home theater, HT 2.0 might clinch the deal for some buyers. Just plug a Blu-ray or DVD player into the amp, and you're good to go.

The amplifier is compatible with Onkyo's RI (Remote Interactive) iPod dock and charging stations, making it simple to integrate an iPod or iPhone into your home audio system. The C-S5VL SACD player and A-5VL integrated stereo amplifier are available at suggested retail prices of $599 and $699, respectively.

Steve Guttenberg is a frequent contributor to magazines and Web sites including Home Entertainment, Playback, and Ultimate AV. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.

Topics:: Music,; Home theater,; High-End Audio,; Sound

Tags:: Onkyo,; Onkyo C-S5VL,; SACD,; Onkyo A-5VL,; stereo,; HT 2.0

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About The Audiophiliac

Ex movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has more or less successfully hitched his future to home theater, but he still pines for the clickity-clack of 35 MM projectors and all the stale popcorn he could eat. Between projectionist gigs he worked as a high-end audio salesman for sixteen years, and produced records for an audiophile label. Oh, and one more thing, nothing annoys Steve more than being confused with the other Steve Guttenberg, the washed-up Police Academy actor. The wordsmith Guttenberg is a frequent contributor to a number of magazines and websites including Home Entertainment, Playback, and Ultimate AV. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.

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Music 2.0: Where stereo rules

Music,

Home theater,

High-End Audio,

Sound

Onkyo,

Onkyo C-S5VL,

SACD,

Onkyo A-5VL,

stereo,

HT 2.0

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