Home Theater Receivers: Reviews

This inexpensive 5.1-channel surround-sound receiver doesn't have many extras, but reviews say the Onkyo TX-SR304 does provide great sound quality for the price. Output power isn't particularly high at 65 watts per… channel, but that's enough to fill even a medium-sized room. One area where the TX-SR304 does falter is connectivity. You won't find HDMI here, and S-Video is also missing. The digital audio inputs are also less than generous, with just one coaxial and two optical. However, reviews say this is a good-quality basic surround-sound receiver.

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HDMI sends digital audio and video signals over one cable, minimizing the rat's nest of wires found behind most home theater setups. Unlike some budget receivers, the Yamaha RX-V463BL can process, not just switch, HDMI… audio, which means it can play back high-definition audio from Blu-ray players that have their own decoders, such as the Sony PlayStation 3. Audio quality is generally excellent, and is sometimes exceptional. A scene feature reduces the job of setting up the receiver for anything from listening to an iPod to watching a DVD with friends and family to a single button push.

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Critics and users say that this 7.1-channel Onkyo receiver (which can support two additional satellite speakers compared to most home theater receivers) delivers nearly unbeatable bang for the buck. It features HDMI 1.3a… capability, and has its own on-board decoders for the latest high-definition audio formats used by Blu-ray discs. Other features include Audyssey's excellent automatic speaker setup/room equalization program and on-the-fly dynamic equalization to maintain a realistic surround-sound effect even at low volume levels. It's also Sirius satellite radio ready. At 95 watts per channel, this receiver has enough oomph for high-action blockbusters, and reviews say it delivers all types of music and especially movie audio with great detail and clarity.

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This receiver builds upon the Onkyo TX-SR606 above by adding an even better Audyssey automatic speaker setup/room equalization option. Additionally, the Onkyo TX-SR706 is THX Select2 Plus certified, meaning it will… deliver accurate, as-recorded sound at movie-theater sound levels in an average-sized home theater. THX Loudness Plus joins Audyssey Dynamic EQ (also found on the TX-SR606) as choices for dynamic room equalization. On the video side of things, the Onkyo TX-SR706 can upscale signals from digital and analog sources to 1080p for output over HDMI, and upscaling performance is good.

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