Recently Reviewed AV Receivers

We checked out some cool Marantz, Denon and Boston Acoustics gear at the 2012 CEDIA High Performance (HiPer) Listening Rooms. This entailed sinning up some Dire Straits on vinyl and also SACD.

The Sherbourn SR-8200 ($1999) and SR-8100 ($899) 7.1 receivers are built really well, with full billet aluminum faceplates and buttons and a 10-year warranty that is almost unheard of in the industry.

The new DMI-40.4 AirPlay docking accessory integrates with just about any Integra receiver and finally allows users to stream or dock their iDevices, be it iPhone, iPod or iPad.

While $2800 is a lot for a receiver, considering the cutting edge features and flexibility, the Integra DTR-70.4 seems to be worth it. 140 watts per channel, THX Ultra2 Plus certification...

Would you pay $1000 to update a $5500 Denon AVR-5308CI(A) AV receiver or the even more expensive Denon AVP-A1HDCI preamp processor to the latest firmware and features?

The big selling point of the Onkyo flagship TX-NR5010 is 11.4 channel DTS Neo:X support. But if you aren't planning on using all 11 channels, you might be able to get most of these features for less.

The RX-A2020 retails for $1700 and is the 2nd to top-of-the-line receiver in Yamaha's 2012 Aventage lineup under the RX-A3020. This year seems to be the year of 4K, Airplay, and network apps.

The Yamaha RX-A2020 and the RX-A3020 not only are improvements over the rest of the Aventage line, but they are significantly different from each other.

The Aventage line from Yamaha has been popular since it was introduced and there is little to complain about with the new RX-A720, RX-A820, and RX-A1020 receivers.

The comparison between the new Marantz & Denon lines is apt - they share a lot of the same features. What distinguishes the Marantz 07 offerings from the rest, is the number and types of connections.

It is easy to see how Denon has targeted their new '13 IN-Command receivers. The difference in price, rather than adding features that you wanted at all price points, adds power and connections.

The Marantz NR1403 features discrete amplification, tons of HDMI inputs, and Audyssey MultEQ. The NR1603 adds video upconversion, two channels of amplification, a second zone, Apple AirPlay and more.

The new Pioneer Elite SC line for 2012 is truly full featured. If you are on the market for a receiver, you owe it to yourself to take a look at these new Elite receivers.

We take a look at the NAD T 787 & T 777 flagship modular A/V receivers. NAD employees beefy power supplies and rates their amplifiers "all channels driven". They are future proof with upgrades.

It is easy to get excited about the $1000 TX-NR717 until you see what the extra $200 for the TX-NR818 gets you. Audyssey XT32, 13.5 extra pounds and 25 extra watts per channel, and lots more.

The new 2012 Pioneer-branded line of receivers should have consumers excited by bringing fully functional HDMI connection (including 3D, ARC, and Standby Through) plus MCACC room correction to all.

The new Distinction series from TEAC appear to be a nicely crafted, high performance audiophile line of integrated amplifiers ranging from 85wpc to 200wpc and stable into 4 ohms.

Onkyo's new 2012 line of entry-level receivers sport upgraded amps and tons of networking and streaming features but leaves out room correction under $500. Silicon Image's InstaPrevue is available.

Today we're looking at the new Sony STR-DA3700ES Receiver. We're actually pretty excited about this one because we got to see it up close and personal at this year's CEDIA event in Indianapolis.

The new AudioControl AVR-4 HD Home Theater receiver features a high efficient Class H 120wpc x 7 amplifier and the latest in HD audio & video decoding options (including 3D support).

Yamaha RX-A1010 A/V receiver is a solid offering that emphasizes audio quality and hosts all the latest networking features. This review explores the RX-A1010 features and performance capabilities.

The Marantz SRSR5006 receiver looks like the audiophiles took over the design department. Their new line of receivers looks very much like their reference line of 2-channel products.

The Limited Edition Marantz PM-15S2 Integrated Amplifier may have very few substantive improvements over the standard PM-15S2 but those improvements now come in black - and without raising the price.

If the Marantaz PM6004 sounds like an Integrated Amplifier built for the high end crowd; it does to us as well. Until you get a look at the price. At $600 MSRP, the PM6004 is well within your reach.

What could the Integra DTR-70.3 have to offer over the flagship DTR-80.3 other than less features for less money? How about the same features for less money!

Universal Remote Control debuted its upcoming TSP-2000 9.2-channel surround receiver. The receiver feature 125 watts per channel for each of its 7 channels and is slated to be THX certified.

The Integra DTR-80.3 receiver has everything the DHC-80.3 processor claims plus 20 lbs of amps. At 145 watts per channel, this THX Ultra2+ 9.2 channel receiver has most every feature available.

Pioneer announced two new 9.1 channel A/V receivers (SC-57 @ $2000 and SC-55 @ $1600). Both utilize their new D3 amp module rated at 140wpc x 9.