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HotHardware: It seems that the high-end home theater trend has started to fizzle somewhat, but those that have already invested in a home cinema of their own are obviously interested in keeping it up. Sony has been a big player in this particular market for some time now, and with this very company being a huge proponent of 3D from the start, it’s no surprise to see 3D as one of the standout features on their new line of A/V receivers.
The 3D compatible models, which are now available for pre-sale at www.sonystyle.com, include the STR-DN1020, STR-DH820, STR-DH720, and STR-DH520 AV receivers.  Starting under $500, all models will be available this spring The flagship STR-DN1020 receiver is a gateway to streaming music with access to Internet audio services including Slacker and vTuner when connected to an existing broadband home network through the model’s Ethernet port. There’s also a 7.2 channel amplifier and support for Sony’s Remote Remote app, which turns an iPod, iPhone or Android device into a remote.

The line also has HDMI 3D pass-through, an audio return channel, six HD inputs, Dolby TrueHD, BRAVIA Sync and plenty of other amenities. The full spread is listed below.

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iPodNN: Selected Denon and Marantz audio hardware should now finally support Apple’s AirPlay streaming technology, as promised, the two companies say. Supported Denon receivers include the AVR-4311CI, AVR-3311CI, AVR-991 and AVR-A100, as well as the N7, a combination networked CD receiver and two-channel speaker system. Compatible Marantz gear includes the SR7005 receiver, AV7005 preamp, NA7004 network audio player and M-CR603 networked CD receiver.

AirPlay support has been promised by the companies for some time. It was also originally supposed to be free until November 7th. Instead, existing Denon and Marantz gear owners must pay $50 for a downloadable upgrade.

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Engadget: If you long for the days of leisure suits and Magnum PI mustaches, or are just in the market for audio gear to match your arcade and TV, then Yamaha’s new R-S line of receivers might be just the ticket. The R-S700, R-S500, and R-S300 draw inspiration from the audio equipment of the 70s and 80′s and all feature minimal aluminum front panels with André the Giant hand-sized knobs for adjustments. Their throwback looks hide modern day goodies like YBA-10 Bluetooth audio streaming, iPod dock connectivity and a dedicated subwoofer output. Power-wise, the R-S300 provides 50 watts per channel of clean power, while the R-S500 and R–S700 scale the wattage up to 75 and 100 watts per channel, respectively. If you like to keep your power and tuner separate, then the similarly styled A-S500 integrated amp and matching T-S500 tuner can also oblige. Slated to time warp to shelves later this October, pricing starts at $330 for the R-S300 and works its way up to $550 for the top tiered dual-zoned and dual remote-toting R-S700. With all the retro love going around though, just make sure your short shorts stay in the attic — that history ain’t quite ready to be repeated.

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TechRadar: Sony has unveiled two new high-end receivers, with the STR-DA5600ES and STR-DA3600ES hoping to build on the reputation of the company’s ES.

Both the STR-DA5600ES and STR-DA3600ES offer 3D pass-through on HDMI, Digital Cinema Auto Calibration, DLNA with a four-way Ethernet hub, and 1080p upscaling.

“The two new products enable even better home cinema sound, plus state of the art features such as 3D pass-through, DLNA connectivity for networked audio and video and internet radio,” states Sony.

STR-DA5600ES

The STR-DA5600ES features six HDMI inputs, Sony’s H.A.T.S system to get rid of jitter and DAC-ED auto calibration technology.

“The 120W per channel STR-DA5600ES is built to produce top end audio quality and sound tuning,” says Sony.

STR-DA3600ES

The STR-DA3600ES has four HDMI inputs and one output, but also offers power off pass through and Audio Return Channel.

“The STR-DA3600ES delivers 100W per channel. It has full DLNA client capability, along with a built-in four-port Ethernet hub for easy connectivity,” adds Sony.

Both receivers have been given a UK release date of October 2010.

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Techradar: Back in 2008, Pioneer launched the SC-LX81 and we liked it. We liked it so much, in fact, it won awards and everything. It used ICEpower Class D amplification developed by B&O and it was the best-sounding implementation of the technology we had heard. It scooped all the Oscars for style and was festooned with must-have widgets, too.

A year later came the equally good and stylish SC-LX82, but by this time the peer group had caught up in sound quality and surpassed it on sheer features. ‘Righty-ho’, said Pioneer’s engineer’s (albeit in Japanese), ‘prepare to be blown away by 2010′s SC-LX83.’

Out with the black

At just shy of £2K, the SC-LX83 is not cheap, but you know you have bought something special. It is a huge, superbly appointed box, and is still the most alluring AV beast on the market, even if its once piano black fascia is now a more conservative brushed satin.

The core power amplifiers remain unchanged, being the same Direct Energy HD ICEpower devices as its forebear. This is no bad thing, as Pioneer’s implementation of them not only sounds great, but also claims to use a frugal amount of electricity – about a third of traditional Class A/B amps, in fact.

The brand’s PQLS anti-jitter system has been further advanced and now works on bitstream signals, as well as LPCM multichannel and plain old, standard stereo PCM. With a compatible PQLS Pioneer Blu-ray disc-spinner, digital jitter over the HDMI interface is all but eliminated, resulting in a cleaner and more accurate audio transfer from player to amp.

Add to this a new suite of 32-bit DACs prior to amplification and the LX83 has all the potential to be a sonic diva with high-resolution material. Even if you are listening to compressed formats such as MP3, WMA, A2DP transfer Bluetooth audio or even old school, DVD-based Dolby Digital or DTS (ah, how passé…), Pioneer’s latest Sound Retriever Air system is on hand to rekindle some depth and vibrancy to the sound.

And it comes as no surprise that this baby offers the full gamut of HD-audio decoding, 3D-compatible V1.4a HDMI connections and upscaling of any video to 1080p. Interestingly, it remains a stoically seven-channel amplifier, even though it features Dolby ProLogic IIz decoding for front height channels.

Instead, the rear-back output can now be assigned to front height duty, and there is a 9.1 channel line-level output suite should you fancy going for the full complement of rear-back and height channels.

Like its forbears, this is a top-spec THX Ultra2 Plus certified machine, complete with all the associated post-processing suites, and is fine tuned by Air Studios. But this receiver really excels on its controls and connections.

App control

Yeah, everyone does Ethernet and USB networking, but the LX83 adds a fully A2DP-compliant Bluetooth dongle for wireless music streaming and control. Pioneer’s genuinely revolutionary iPhone/iPod/iPad iControlAV App will also operate the bulk of this receiver’s day-to-day functions. Moreover, it does so with a grace and animated style that makes traditional remote controls look like objects for the Antiques Roadshow.

The iControl AV software is inspired and allows your i-whatever to speak to the LX83 either directly over the Bluetooth dongle, or via your Wi-Fi router and hardwired Ethernet to the amplifier. Either way, it works seamlessly, offering genuine two-way communication, has informative videos and is simply the coolest thing in AV since Ice Age 3.
 

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The Audiophiliac: Few big-screen-TV buyers are willing to invest in bona-fide home theater systems with a receiver, five (or more) speakers, and a subwoofer. Most folks are satisfied with the sound from the tiny stereo speakers built into the display. That’s sad, since based on what I’ve heard from the displays being reviewed at the CNET offices the sound is at best barely passable. In fact, the quality of the built-in speakers is getting worse with each passing year. Great-looking high-definition video matched to lo-fi sound doesn’t work for me, but we all have our priorities, don’t we?

Those considering stepping up to a $300 sound bar speaker are more sophisticated buyers, and by the time we get to home theater in a box systems, with five or more speakers and a subwoofer, we’re getting to the elite buyer class. I’m not joking, HTIB buyers can deal with a tangle of wires, and nearly all the setup hassles associated with a receiver-based home theater system. If you want an even higher quality home theater system with a receiver and full-size speaker/subwoofer system plan on spending close to $2,000. Sure, you can spend less, but you’ll just wind up with something that doesn’t sound much better sounding than a really good HTIB.

Here are my recommendations for the best-sounding affordable home theater solutions. (Editors’ Note: The following list is Steve Guttenberg’s personal opinion, based on his evaluation of sound quality and audio performance. For a more complete list of CNET’s official product recommendations [which takes design and features into account], check out CNET’s in-depth list of best home audio products.)

The Samsung HW-C450 sound bar ($300 street price) is a worthwhile step up from your TV’s built-in speakers.

Want something better? If you already have a DVD or Blu-ray player, put Onkyo’s HT-S3200 HTIB on your short list. It comes with five nice speakers, a hefty subwoofer, and a component grade receiver, all for around $350!

For a 5.1 channel HTIB with a built-in Blu-ray player, I like Samsung’s HT-C6500 ($650 street price).

For an entry-level receiver, I’d go with Pioneer’s VSX-920 ($399) matched up to a Klipsch RF-10 ($1,464) speaker package with tower speakers, full-size center speaker, dipole surround speakers, and a 200 watt, 10-inch powered subwoofer. This system will blow away the pitiful speakers built into your TV, as well as every sound bar and home theater in a box ever made. Chances are you’ll own this system long after your shiny new TV is taking its place in a landfill.

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iPodnn: Onkyo has introduced three new receivers, each featuring support for 3D video and iPhone/iPod connection. The TX-NR1008, TX-NR808, and TX-NR708 offer an Ethernet port for integration with home networks, enabling DLNA streaming and access to additional content such as Pandora. (more…)

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What HiFi: Pioneer may have pulled out of the TV market, but it has a comprehensive line-up of new products for 2010. There are two new Blu-ray players (with a pair of 3D models to follow later in the year), eight new multichannel receivers, three Blu-ray home cinema in a box systems, a trio of DVD home cinema systems, five new iPod docks and a vast array of headphones.

Blu-ray players

The two Blu-ray players, due this month, are the BDP-LX53 (£399) and BDP-330 (£299). Both new models offer a choice or wired or wireless internet connectivity, BD-Live capability. YouTube and RSS feed browsing and control via a free iPhone/iPod Touch app, but they don’t do 3D (nor will they be upgradeable to make them 3D compatible).

They have onboard decoding for audio formats up to the HD versions of Dolby Digital and DTS, and can output as either raw data or Linear PCM.

In addition they use Pioneer’s Precision Quartz Lock System to ensure jitterless digital audio transmission over HDMI to suitable Pioneer AV receivers. The system works by synchronising the digital clocks of player and receiver.

The upmarket BDP-LX53 is set apart from the mainstream model by its rigid construction, using a layered chassis and drive stabiliser Pioneer calls its ‘Armoured Chassis Concept’. This reduces vibration, and thus plays a part in the player’s superior audio performance. It’s also fitted with more advanced audio components.

Home cinema receivers

There are eight new multichannel receivers from £250 to £1200.

All of the new models (aside from the entry-level VSX-420) can be enhanced with wireless Bluetooth audio streaming and are capable of supporting 3D via the latest HDMI version 1.4 connection. 

All but the cheapest two models are Works with iPhone certified too and thanks to the Pioneer iControlAV app you can use your iPhone or iPod Touch to fully control your receiver.

Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding is on board all but the entry-level model, as well as Dolby ProLogic IIz height channel processing.

The VSX-920, VSX-1020 and VSX-1025 feature the new Pioneer-developed Sound Retriever AIR specifically developed for use with Bluetooth sources, as well as internet radio.

And the forthcoming Pioneer VSX-LX53 is a replacement for the outgoing VSX-LX52 model.

There’ll be two additional high-end multichannel receivers available later this year: the SC-LX83 and SC-LX73, replacing the existing ‘LX82 and ‘LX72. Pioneer has not yet release any details on these two, but we do have a picture (below).

Blu-ray home cinema systems

Pioneer is releasing three new Blu-ray in a box home cinema systems for 2010. Key technical features common across all three models include:

• BD-Live Profile 2.0

• 1080p/24fps resolution

• 12-bit Deep Colour support

• Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential

• Wireless music playback via Bluetooth

• DLNA home network connectivity

• Made for iPod/Works with iPhone certification (iPod dock included)

• Support for DivX, DivX HD and MKV vieo files

• Support for WMA. MP3 and AAC audio files

• FM radio with RDS

iPod docks

There’s a five-strong range of iPod docks, building on the success of last year’s XW-NAS5. The XW-NAC3 and NXW-NAC1 are equipped with docking stations for two iPods or iPhones so, using the ‘shuffle’ function, music can be played back from both of the docked devices at random. Both models are Bluetooth-enabled too.

The XW-NAC3 also includes internet radio via the Vtuner portal, DLNA connectivity and a multiline display.

For those who want video capability with their dock, the XW-NAV1 has a built-in CD/DVD drive with 1080p upscaling via HDMI, an FM radio, USB connectivity and iPod video/photo playback (via composite connection).

Later this year, two further models will arrive: the wall-mountable XW-NAW1 (£199) and the more upmarket XW-NAM1 at £350.

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EngadgetHD: The Marantz brand definitely has its fans, but positioning the marque against its sister brand Denon is a tough balancing act.

Many were hoping for the old Marantz flagship SR8002 receiver to get the updates (cosmetic and otherwise) handed out to the SRx003 models; but those folks will have to hope the 8-series skips generations, because the rest of the lineup has quite expectedly been upped to SRx004 nomenclature.

Convenience features take center stage on the SR6004 ($1,250 / €877) and SR5004 ($850 / €596), headed up by support for Marantz’s RX101 Bluetooth receiver that lets you beam music, sans wires, to the receiver.

These models also get Dolby Pro Logic IIz and the popular trio of Audyssey MultiEQ, Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ. After that, it looks like Marantz is getting served second at the D&M feature table — 4-in/2-out HDMI ports, no Audyssey DSX, and no mention of Anchor Bay video processing. Still, true fans might still find the Marantz sound that they love in these new models.

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Pioneer: Pioneer has announced four new range of AV receivers, arriving in Europe from May.

The four models include:

1. VSX-1019AH: 7.1 Channel AV Receiver with HDMI, HD Audio, iPod/iPhone Digital Direct via USB and 1080P upscaling
2. VSX-919AH: 7.1 Channel AV Receiver with PQLS, HD Master Audio and iPod/iPhone Digital Direct via USB
3. VSX-819H: 5.1 Channel AV Receiver with HDMI, HD Audio and iPod/iPhone Digital Direct via USB
4. VSX-519V: 5.1 Channel AV Receiver with Auto Level Control and Advanced Sound Retriever

Each receiver is available in silver or black.

The top three receiver models feature iPhone and iPod certification for enhanced compatibility to Apple’s mobile digital devices. Built upon the best-in-class audio standards that Pioneer has set over the years, the new receiver line enhances the sound quality of compressed music files to ensure a dynamic surround listening experience.

Full specs are here.

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EngadgetHD: One welcome trend in AV receivers is the addition of more features at lower price points. Modern, full-featured AV receivers are signal processing powerhouses, and we’ve come to expect HDMI switching, video processing, on-screen UIs and room correction as de rigeur features.

Everyone loves these conveniences, but there’s a catch — in many cases, sound quality is what’s getting left behind in the transition.

Audioholics has put its hand to enough receivers to know this, and without crying foul, the linked article does a good job of keeping you informed of the tradeoffs.

Bottom line — software-laden silicon keeps getting cheaper and lighter, but the (largely analog) componentry used for audio amplification doesn’t.

So if your latest receiver is lighter, cheaper and sports a longer spec list, you have a good idea where designers trimmed; and it’s not the S-Video ports.

The differences may not be audible, but if current trends in audio are any indicator, the limit of what is “good enough” is headed for market testing. Meanwhile, take your ears along with the spec sheets if you’re shopping receivers.

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T3: Denon has blessed the home cinema market with four of their new ‘advanced’ receivers with some nifty features like HDMI 1.3a capability and Deep Colour support.

The entry-level model, the AVR-1509 offers a 1080p video pass-through function, and Denon’s ‘proprietary High Picture Quality Circuitry’ will enhance your existing DVD collections.

Thee AVR-2809, AVR-2309 and AVR-1909 models have up-conversion and scaling to 1080p from your analogue sources, and other support from Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding.

There’s some funky features throughout the range, most will know that TV channels play adverts louder than actual programmes, so Denon’s ‘Audyssey Dynamic Volume’ protects the viewer from changes in volume when the material changes.

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