receivers

AV receivers are supposed to have inputs and outputs for everything, but manufacturers have been surprisingly slow to meet modern needs, especially when it comes to wireless audio streaming.

The Onkyo TX-NR626 ($500 street) is an exception, offering both built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, which makes it much easier to use with increasingly ubiquitous smartphones and tablets. From the other end of the spectrum, the TX-NR626 is the only midrange AV receiver we've seen with a dedicated turntable input, a convenient bonus for anyone who still likes to spin vinyl. Pair that up with six HDMI inputs and there's … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Cobra Electronics announced on Tuesday that it has launched AirWave, a wireless music receiver that uses Bluetooth technology and costs $39.95.

Though it's not entirely wireless (it still requires either an auxiliary cord or a 3.5mm-to-RCA cable), the device lets you effortlessly connect any Bluetooth-enabled smartphone to car stereos, stereo docks, or home audio receivers.

Design Weighing in at a little over an ounce, the device is extremely lightweight and portable. Its square black body runs just 2.2 by 2.2 inches, and it would have no trouble finding space in your car.… Read more

I've had a run of bad luck with some of the latest AV receivers' autosetup programs; they set the subwoofer volume way too loud, or misidentified the "sizes" of the speakers (one receiver tagged our small Aperion 4B satellites as large speakers). These reviews have yet to post, but that boo-boo played havoc with the sound. Rerunning autosetup sometimes fixes the problem, but not always. When I'm testing speakers I always do a totally manual setup. In this man versus machine contest, I always win.

Automatic calibration programs started to appear on Pioneer's higher-end receivers … Read more

Sony has been one of the few bright spots in the slothlike AV receiver market, with last year's STR-DN1030 being the first with long-overdue features like built-in Bluetooth, AirPlay, and Wi-Fi in a $500 receiver.

Rather than resting on its laurels, Sony goes even further with its two new AV receivers, packing in more features. The STR-DN840 and STR-DN1040 continue to stand alone this year in offering Wi-Fi, AirPlay, and Bluetooth, while the STR-DN1040 has upped the ante with eight HDMI inputs and an overhauled user interface.

Here's how I'd break down the most important features:

STR-DN840 ($… Read more

When we set up our first head-to-head listening tests with the latest crop of 2013 AV receivers, Yamaha's RX-V475 ($400 street) came out on top, besting Pioneer's VSX-823-K ($400) and even Denon's $600 AVR-E400.

But edging out its competitors in our subjective listening tests isn't quite enough to make the RX-V475 our top pick at the $400 price point. Differences in AV receiver sound quality tend to be subtle, and factors such as room acoustics and your choice of speakers have a much larger impact on the sound quality you'll hear.

Despite its advantage in … Read more

Even the most die-hard home theater buffs will admit that setting up an AV receiver can be a chore, and that goes double for those who don't know what they're doing. Denon's AVR-E400 ($600 street) is at the top of the company's midrange AV receiver line, for which the company has focused on ease of use in 2013. There are worthwhile improvements: an onscreen setup guide, a simpler remote, and push-in speaker connectors that are more convenient with bare speaker wire.

But in other ways, the AVR-E400 misses the mark. It's hard to truly herald … Read more

In my kitchen there's a big ol' Fluance speaker dock. It's great except for one thing: no Bluetooth. If I want to listen to music, I have to dock my iPhone. And if I want to change apps or playlists, I have to go over to the thing and interact (awkwardly) with the screen while it's docked.

That's why I've always been a fan of Bluetooth speakers, which let me kick back and enjoy my tunes while keeping my phone close at hand. Thankfully, now I can retrofit my Fluance.

For a limited time, and … Read more

Most car stereos that I've ever fiddled with have offered some sort of equalizer setting that lets the driver customize the sound to their liking, but fitting more than the basic treble, bass, and --occassionally-- midrange controls onto the cramped display of a single DIN receiver is a tricky endeavor. Alpine wants to make it easier for users of its new CDE-147BT receiver to access advanced graphic EQ controls by offloading the audio tuning interface to an Alpine TuneIt app for Android and iOS devices.

The app lets users create a profile for their vehicle and any other Alpine … Read more

One of the things that separates high-end audio from mass market gear is that it's built to last and perform at a high level for decades. I bought a 20-year-old, mint condition Audio Research SP-6C tube preamplifier 10 years ago. It looked great and sounded wonderful, but a few years later I sold it to my cousin, who was just starting to get into high-end audio.

Late last year, I bought a 30-year-old Krell KSA 50 stereo amplifier from one of my old customers. He loved the amp and listened to it all the time, but he needed money … Read more