Top of the (midpriced) heap: Sony STR-DG920
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET Networks)Back in November, I asked the question, "What's the best midpriced AV receiver?"--but had to confess that we hadn't reviewed as many as we would've liked. Since then, Senior Associate Editor Matt Moskovciak and resident Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg sequestered themselves in the CNET listening room and put several models to the test.
When the smoke cleared, the Sony STR-DG920 was at the top of the heap, with the Pioneer VSX-1018AH and Onkyo TX-SR606 impressing us as well. The Denon AVR-1909 sounded great and was packed with features, but that model's confusing remote control and Sisyphean setup duties relegates it to advanced AV nerds with plenty of patience. Rounding things out was the Yamaha RX-V663, with only two HDMI inputs and subpar video conversion. We recommend avoiding the Panasonic SA-BX500 altogether--even selling at a discounted price, it's far too underfeatured compared to the other receivers listed here. (We tried to get our hands on the Harman Kardon AVR 254, but a review sample wasn't available.) Check out our full comparison for the head-to-head ratings, links to the reviews, and hands-on videos.
All of the receivers tested were 2008 models. For 2009, Pioneer is the only major name that's announced its product lineup, but we're expecting news from Yamaha and Sony in the very near future. That should be followed up in the spring by new model announcements from Onkyo, HK, and Denon. Receivers will be a priority in 2009, so we're looking forward to reviewing the next crop of models as soon as we can. In the meantime, let us know what you think of the current reviews, and what you're looking forward to in the AV receiver realm for 2009.
(Credit:
Pioneer)
Update (February 12, 2009): Check out our follow-up story, with full reviews of all the products mentioned here.
I receive a lot of e-mail asking why we haven't reviewed many AV receivers in recent months. First off, let me say: mea culpa. Reviews coverage of this category has suffered, mostly because AV receivers are among the most time-consuming products to analyze (because they now need to be examined in detail for their audio and video performance). But enough of the excuses; here's what we're doing to remedy the situation.
... Read more
The new Onkyo TX-SR606 looks a lot like the old TX-SR605, at least cosmetically.
Last year, Onkyo pretty much dominated the budget AV receiver market with the TX-SR605, which offered up cutting-edge features like onboard high-resolution audio decoding at a bargain price--and it earned our Editors' Choice award. Today Onkyo has announced its successor, the TX-SR606, which adds some significant features, such as four total HDMI inputs and 1080i upscaling. Here are the details:
The Onkyo TX-SR606
Key features of the Onkyo TX-SR606:
- 7.1 channels, 90 watts per channel
- Four HDMI 1.3 inputs
- Onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
- 1080i upconversion for analog signals
- New "music optimizer" software that claims to improve the sound quality of MP3 sources
- Powered second zone
- Available in April with a list price of $580
There's a lot to like about the TX-SR606, but we're tempering our enthusiasm, at least for now. For starters, there's the price: The $580 list price actually translates to a more affordable $500 street price (at least according to Circuit City, where the product is already listed for preorder). But last year's TX-SR605 is still widely available for around $400. Secondly, the playing field has leveled quite a bit from 2007. Sony's upcoming STR-DG920 has a list price of $600, has four HDMI inputs, upscales to 1080p, and will feature an icon-driven menu system, probably similar to what we've seen on the STR-DA5300ES. Lastly, in most cases, analog video upconversion past simple 480p (480i deinterlacing) just isn't that important to us in an AV receiver, since most quality HDTVs already do a solid job converting 480p signals to the set's native resolution (see this column for more info). And we've seen enough issues with AV receiver video processing that we're at least a little skeptical that it will do a better job than your existing HDTV.
That doesn't mean the TX-SR606 won't be a good option--it's definitely the best price-to-performance model in Onkyo's line, as the step-down TX-SR576 doesn't offer any kind of analog upconversion at its $480 price point. As always, though, we're reserving judgment until we get to do a thorough hands-on evaluation of the TX-SR606. Onkyo's PR agency has indicated that we'll be getting a review sample in "two to three weeks," so--if they stick to that schedule--look for a full review of the TX-SR606 by CNET sometime in May.
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