AV receivers

Panasonic SA-BX500
Panasonic's cool-running SA-BX500 receiver sounds fine, but it's woefully underfeatured, especially considering its high price tag.
Specs: AV receiver, Surround Sound, 520 Watt, 4 - 40000 Hz, DTS Neo:6, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Universal remote control (Infrared), 16.9 in x 13.3 in x 6.3 in, 11 lbs

Onkyo TX-SR606 (silver)
The Onkyo TX-SR606 offers tons of functionality for the price, but subpar video processing and improved competition means it's less of a standout receiver than last year's version.
Specs: AV receiver, Surround Sound, DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD decoder, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Digital Surround EX, 5 bands, Remote control, Silver, 17.1 in x 14.8 in x 6.9 in, 24.9 lbs

Onkyo TX-SR606 (black)
The Onkyo TX-SR606 offers tons of functionality for the price, but subpar video processing and improved competition means it's less of a standout receiver than last year's version.
Specs: AV receiver, Surround Sound, DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD decoder, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Digital Surround EX, 5 bands, Remote control, 17.1 in x 14.8 in x 6.9 in, 24.9 lbs

Denon AVR-3808CI
The Denon AVR-3808CI AV receiver is absolutely packed with functionality and sounds great, but you'll need to be an AV geek to unlock all its potential.
Specs: AV network receiver, Surround Sound, DTS Neo:6, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Pro Logic, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Digital Surround EX, Digital graphic - 9 bands, AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, Network audio player - MP3, WMA, Universal remote control (Infrared), 17.1 in x 16.5 in x 6.7 in, 39.2 lbs

Pioneer Elite VSX-91TXH
The Pioneer Elite VSX-91TXH AV receiver delivers excellent audio quality and a host of cutting-edge features, but competing models offer even better values at this price point.
Specs: AV receiver, Surround Sound, 770 Watt, 20 - 20000 Hz, DTS Neo:6, DTS decoder, Dolby TrueHD, THX Select 2, Dolby Digital, DTS-ES decoder, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Digital Surround EX, Digital - 9 bands, Universal remote control (Infrared), Black, 16.5 in x 18.3 in x 6.8 in, 33.7 lbs

Onkyo TX-SR805 (silver)
The Onkyo TX-SR805 is an all-around excellent AV receiver with plenty of audiophile appeal, but its less-than-ideal video performance may give HDTV aficionados a reason to hold out for higher-end alternatives.
Specs: AV receiver, Surround Sound, 910, 20 - 20000 Hz, Dolby TrueHD, THX Select 2, DTS-HD decoder, Dolby Digital Plus, Remote control (Infrared), Silver

Sony STR DA5300ES
With six HDMI inputs, an intuitive graphical user interface, and excellent audio and video quality, the Sony STR-DA5300ES raises the bar on what to expect from a high-end AV receiver.
Specs: AV receiver, Surround Sound, DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6, Dolby Digital, DTS-ES decoder, Dolby Pro Logic, Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Digital Surround EX, Universal remote control (Infrared)

Sony STR-DG810
The Sony STR-DG810 delivers three HDMI inputs at a fairly low price, but connectivity, features, and sound quality shortfalls spoil the deal.
Specs: AV receiver, Surround Sound, 660 Watt, DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6, DTS decoder, Dolby Digital, DTS-ES decoder, Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Digital Surround EX, Universal remote control (Infrared), 16.9 in x 12.2 in x 6.2 in, 17.6 lbs

Yamaha RX-V661
The Yamaha RX-V661 is a solid, budget AV receiver with HD switching, but it's a tough sell when competing models with next-generation HDMI 1.3 features are available for just a few dollars more.
Specs: AV receiver, Surround Sound, 630 Watt, 20 - 20000 Hz, DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6, DTS decoder, Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic, DTS-ES Matrix 6.1, Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS-ES Discrete 6.1, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Digital Surround EX, Universal remote control (Infrared), 17.1 in x 15.5 in x 6.7 in, 25.6 lbs

Sony STR-DG910
We preview Sony's entry-level AV receiver, the STR-DG910, which offers 1080p compatibility, onscreen set up, and features Sony's Digital Media Port.
Specs: AV receiver, Surround Sound, DTS 96/24, DTS Neo:6, DTS decoder, Dolby Digital, DTS-ES decoder, Dolby Pro Logic II, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Digital Surround EX, Universal remote control (Infrared), 16.9 in x 13.9 in x 6.2 in, 23.4 lbs