Introduction Receivers are better today than they have ever been; yet their reputation continues to be plagued by memories of low quality mass-market products of the past. A decade ago Japanese electronic manufactures had the reputation of churning out low quality inexpensive garbage-in-a-rack, a reputation that the better Japanese manufacturers have since worked hard to overcome. Today’s top performing receivers are substantial collections of advanced electronics that perform near the ultimate level, and provide convenience, excellent sound quality, and the most state-of-the-art features the industry has to offer all in a convenient compact package. The Kenwood VR-5900 Audio/Video surround receiver resides at the top of the Kenwood line. It measures 17-5/16 in width, 16-3/8 inches in depth and seven-and-one-half inches tall with a net weight of 44 lbs. The retail price of the Kenwood VR-5900 is $3,000. The Sovereign series is Kenwood’s reference line of components, a product line that provides consumers with a high performance option. Taking ...

Introduction I’m a purist when it comes to all things audio. Being a purist, I prefer the simplest approach to creating music, meaning the least amount of circuitry in the chain from source to loudspeaker. Until the big wave of home theater came along, it was fairly easy to keep the focus on producing high-resolution music playback in my system, ever searching for that one component that would put me closer to musical truth. I’ve had to revise my philosophy on playback ever since I became enamored with home theater, as the hardware required to pull off the magic has to work through other components to be able to utilize all of the media we love to manipulate. Since home theater is so compelling, it wasn’t too hard for me to make the transition from audio geek to home theater dude. But I still have issues with how some products handle the all-important data. ...

Introduction The AVR-3802 is mid-level in Denon’s line of AV receivers. As you ascend the range, the units get bigger, more flexible and a great deal heavier, thanks to Denon’s use of increasingly massive main power transformers to insure that the amps have the ability to hit loud transients hard without running out of oomph. The AVR-3802 is a happy medium between Denon's low and high ends in both quality and price, with plenty of power for many normal applications (110 watts all round into eight ohms, with rather more in the lower impedances, which mildly increases distortion here). It comes with a pair of "surround back" amps, which can be configured either to handle a second "zone" outside your listening room – where you can select an input other than that being used for the main output – or to deliver the rear outputs of the on-board DTS ES system that can decode ...

Introduction As more big-budget, blockbuster and effects-laden movies are being released in new formats such as DTS ES 6.1 and 7.1 , the choices expand in new receivers that take advantage of these exciting formats. Separate components allow the flexibility to get the best performance and the ability to change a single aspect of your system to take advantage of the latest technology without replacing your entire rig. However, most of us aren’t in the financial position to have "Best of Breed" gear and must remain financially realistic when it comes to spending our hard-earned deneros. And, let’s face it, not all people like to search for the perfect component to highlight the rest of a system. Some folks want a centerpiece that has a good reputation for reliability, performance, versatility and, if possible, upgradeability. One serious contender in this area that commands consideration is the Marantz SR-19EX AV receiver ($2,299.95). At seven-and-one-half-inches wide, 18 inches ...

Introduction It wasn’t long ago that the advent of Dolby Digital EX and DTS ES in movie theaters gave us hardcore movie buffs another reason to make the pilgrimage to the local cineplex to hear the best in movie sound reproduction. These new audio formats for movie soundtracks improved the realism of the sounds that went along with the action, drawing us ever deeper into the sensory experience and adding another dimension that took the moviegoing audience to the next level. For those who want the ability to enjoy this experience in their own homes, it is possible to create that environment and not break the bank with Yamaha’s happening $1,999.00 RX-V3000 AV receiver. The RX-V3000 is an eight-channel receiver that has so many features, it may be easier to say what it doesn’t have than what it does. Although at first glance, the RX-V3000 looks fairly simple, that is a deception. It is second down ...