Introduction This five-channel receiver has heavyweight features at the lightweight price of $529. That's right, just $529, which includes Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Pro Logic and a whole lot more. Discrete 5.1 processing is just the beginning for the TX-DS575. Starting from the ground up, all of the unit's technology is housed in a black solid-steel chassis with ribbed side panels to resist vibrations and is finished by a brushed aluminum black face plate. Moving inside, we find the power amplifier section which delivers 70W (minimum) of continuous RMS power to each of the five channels at eight ohms, from 20 Hz to 20kHz, with no more than 0.08% THD. The power section also utilizes Wide Range Amplifier Technology (WRAT) that, in the past, has been reserved for Onkyo's high-end amplifiers. In short, WRAT technology uses non-fluctuating ground potential through low-negative-feedback topology. (Oh sure, easy for me to say.) Translation: WRAT helps accurately reproduce present ...

Introduction Perhaps, the most compelling new concept in consumer electronics is the idea of convergence; which is the integration of real-time audio, video and data. Not surprisingly, Philips Electronics, is the first manufacturer to provide a practical and cost-conscience answer to convergence, the DVX 8000 Multimedia Home Theater. The DVX 8000 is the world's only A/V preamp/tuner that also combines a DVD drive, a line doubler, and a personal computer in the same chassis. Marantz developed the audio portion, incorporating Dolby Digital and THX's ReEQ(TM) circuit. Computers have become so prevalent in our lives that the idea of integrating them with our A/V gear doesn't sound as unnatural as it might have a few years ago. The powerful on-board computer is equipped with a 233MHz Pentium MMX(TM) processor, 32 MB RAM, a 3.1 GB hard drive, and a 3.5" floppy drive plus a 33.6 KBPS modem. The DVD drive can also access CD-ROM's and ultimately ...

Introduction In a nutshell, Yamaha has created the RX-V2095; a seven channel - two rack unit sleek black box - drenched with so many features that it once would have taken a stack of processing gear to duplicate its performance. Priced modestly at $1,599.00, the RX-V2095 is well worth a closer look. Let's get crackn'. First off, the 7-channels include; left /right main, center, left/right rear effects (surround) and left/right front effects. The addition of the front effect channel adds depth to the sound image. These effect channels are controlled by Yamaha's Digital Sound Field Processing, Cinema DSP, and Tri-Field Processing. Did I forget to mention this unit also has stored away built-in Dolby Digital, DTS and Dolby Pro Logic? Chock-full. Yamaha's proprietary Tri-Field Processing applies digital sound field technology to Dolby Digital and DTS creating a realistic movie theater experience. The DSP functions deliver live music performances right in your home. There are a total of ...

Introduction The TX-SV636 is a $799 Dolby Pro Logic receiver from one of Japan's leading high performance, low cost electronics manufacturers, Onkyo. It competes in one of the most competitive and significant niches in all of consumer electronics: the low cost receiver market. The average consumer may find $799 a hefty, but not insurmountable investment for a home theater control center, yet the performance of this receiver may very well determine if a consumer is going invest additional funds to develop their system into a world class, state of the art home theater system with all of the latest bells and whistles. The basic design of the TX-SV636's front panel is attractive and the usual assortment of buttons and knobs you'd expect to find on an all-in-one product are laid out in a logical manner. The LCD window is large enough for comfortable viewing of adjustments and selections from across the room. Also, most ...

Introduction It's not all that uncommon for people to assume it would be an expensive and frustrating project to design a high performance Dolby Digital/DTS home theater. It wasn't all that long ago when their assumptions would have been correct. Enter the comprehensive Sherwood Newcastle R-945, which provides powerful amplification for five channels, functions as a full-featured A/V preamplifier, has a built-in phono section, includes an AM/FM tuner, as well as a useful universal remote controller. Add to that the fact that the Sherwood Newcastle R-945 is the first A/V Receiver to offer both Dolby Digital and DTS decoding anywhere near $1299 and you have a serious A/V contender. Installation and Operation The R-945 is well endowed with inputs. There is room for CD, DVD, Laserdisc, VCR, a couple of audio tape decks and a turntable. If necessary, the tape inputs can be used for other audio/video gear. There are also outputs for all five channels ...