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If you're fortunate enough to have £1,500 or so to spend on an AV receiver, then you can expect a winning combination of cutting-edge tech and sound/picture quality of an awesome standard. It is true that at lower price points, AV receivers have improved beyond recognition over the past few years thanks to healthy competition. Component and HDMI connectivity are now commonplace, as are iPod integration, plentiful audio modes, hi-def audio support and auto-install systems of surprising complexity
However, at loftier heights nothing's static either. For the extra money - and remember that three pretty good AV receivers can be bought for £1,500 - you can expect useful top-end features that you'll never see in cheaper models. No-compromise video-processing, including conversion of analogue video sources to HDMI and upscaling to 1080p, now means that a single cable is needed to connect your display. One of our four receivers has ISF-certified video processing - and all employ 'branded' chippery more commonly found in upmarket DVD players, scalers and projectors.
Then there's the multi-room potential, which goes far beyond the capabilities of budget units. You can have two or three independently-fed 'zones', frequently with video and remote-control relays. The electronic tentacles of these receivers can extend beyond your house, too. Three of the four receivers we've gathered here come with Ethernet ports for 'streaming' audio from PC networks, or tuning into internet radio (the Onkyo TX-NR906, Pioneer SC-LX71 and Yamaha RX-V3900). The Sony STR-DA5400ES can be upgraded.
Some things don't change with AV receivers though, and that's a good thing. THX certification is a prospect in this price range - two of our contenders have it - and they still weigh a ton. Much of the sheer weight of these receivers can be laid at the door of the power supply. This tends to be a traditional 'linear' design, based around a hefty mains transformer - the largest, heaviest and most expensive single component. There's thus less chance of the receiver running out of steam during busy sequences when all channels are firing.
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Price: £1,400
More info: Onkyo
Size: 435(w) x 458.5(d) x 194(h)mm
Weight: 24.3kg
Power rating: 7x 220W
Surround modes: DTS-HD Master Audio/High Resolution, DTS-ES/Neo:6/96-24, Dolby Digital TrueHD/Digital/EX/Plus/Pro-Logic II/IIx, Home THX processing, 8 DSP modes
Video inputs: 4x HDMI, 3x component, 6x S-Video/composite (1 recorder)
Audio inputs: 3x phono (inc turntable - magnetic cartridge - and 1 recorder), 1x multi-channel, 3x optical, 3x coaxial
Video outputs: 2x HDMI, component, S-Video, composite, Zone 2 composite
Audio outputs: Zone 2/3 phono, 7.1 line-level multichannel, 1x optical
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Onkyo TX-NR906
Not so long ago, Onkyo's AV receivers were merely competent - but then something happened. The brand changed tack, and started producing feature-laden AVRs of unprecedented value-for-money like there was no tomorrow. Topping the current generation is the awesomely-featured TX-NR906 reviewed here.
The only receiver of the group to be certified to the top THX Ultra 2 Plus spec, this butch-looking 7.1 design also boasts a networked audio player (complete with Internet radio support - although, once again, the conventional broadcast tuner is FM/AM only). A USB port will play music from external storage devices, although an optional dock is mandatory for iPod use. At the other end of the tech spectrum, a turntable can be (directly!) connected.
No fewer than three 32-bit DSP chips look after the 906's audio processing, which includes the microphone-driven Audyssey MultEQ XT for room acoustics correction and speaker compensation. It almost goes without saying that the 906 supports just about every surround format currently in circulation (there's also THX processing). The seven amplifiers are claimed to deliver 220 watts apiece, and can be flexibly configured.
If you have no need of 7.1, the front channels of a 5.1 rig can be 'bi-amped'. Even with a 7.1 complement in tow, you can power speakers in an independent second zone (composite video is also available here) if you switch to 5.1. A third zone is also allowed for, although you'll need external amplification here. Basic IR 'repeating' is supported for external zones.
You only get four HDMI inputs, which should nevertheless suffice for most users. They will accept hi-def audio from Blu-Ray players, as well as standard bitstreams (like Dolby Digital and DTS). Like Yamaha and Sony, Onkyo has specified two HDMI outputs for simultaneous connection of a flat-panel TV and projector.
This leads us nicely to the 906's 'best-in-class' video processing. As with the others, it will convert the analogue video inputs (composite, S-video and component) to HDMI, complete with scaling all the way to 1080p. Based around the HQV Reon-VX chip - as found in some decent projectors - the 906's video processing offers a sufficiently thorough battery of adjustments for it to be certified by the ISF (Imaging Science Foundation).
These tweaks include deinterlacing, aspect, RGB contrast/brightness/gamma, noise reduction and day/night/custom ISF modes. Good news for those having their AV systems professionally-installed then, although there's obviously strong DiY potential for the knowledgeable enthusiast.
Video quality is excellent, and indeed a standard definition feed from a DVD player demonstrated greater clarity on our 720p projector via the 906's processing than did a direct connection. The sound quality with movies also impresses - it's gutsy and dynamic, if a little 'in-your-face'. Action movie enthusiasts will love it! Such traits also characterise the 906's performance with music; unless you like rock or dance, the Sony's presentation will perhaps be more to your liking.
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Plus points
Exceptionally well-featured, potent action-movie performance
Minus points
Not the most 'musical' AV receiver around |  |
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Page 2: Pioneer SC-LX71, Sony STR-DA5400ES >
Page 3: Yamaha RX-V3900 and winner >
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