Surround Sound Receiver Test

Reviews

"AVR 335 scores an 'A' for effort"

Issue: 3/2009

On test: Harman/Kardon AVR 355

A slick, minimal construction with stunning menu menu design, iPod dock and good connectivity, Harman/Kardon's AVR 355 holds itself up well against Sony and Yamaha, but perhaps they come out on top? Review details: Single Test → More

"Pioneer's latest is a real contender"

Issue: 11/2008

On test: Pioneer VSX-1018AH

Tying in well with Pioneer's successful Kuro range of plasma television sets, the VSX-1018AH can cope with practically all popular disc-based digital audio formats as well as offering support for USB devices and iPods. Review details: Single Test → More

"Shrieking Pana falls decidedly flat"

Issue: 11/2008

On test: Panasonic SA-BX500

With a finger in practically every pie, Panasonic had now turned its attentions to the surround sound receiver, but will its success in almost every other area translate to this domain currently comfortably dominated by more traditional hifi brands? Review details: Single Test → More

"Sony STR-DA1200ES"

Published on: 3/2008

On test: Sony STR-DA1200ES

Sony's STR-DA1200ES is one of a rare breed of AV products that has managed to stand the test of time and despite the company recently releasing a new similarly priced model, there are still no plans to take it from the shelves. Review details: Single Test → More

Surround Sound Receiver

The receiver is the most important component of a home theatre or surround sound system. This takes the signal from an audio source which contains a coded signal - usually a DVD film although many modern computer games and some audio CDs (SACD) and audio DVDs are also capable of outputting this – and uses this to output discrete sound from five or more speakers. There is also usually an extra speaker called the subwoofer, this is the 0.1 of a 5.1 speaker arrangement and is used for only the low frequency sounds. Using a surround sound system and a large screen television or projector, it is easy to recreate the feel of the cinema at home, just don't forget the popcorn.