The Onkyo TX-SR576 aims to provide epic movie sound at a reasonable price: it's a 7.1-channel surround-sound decoder and amplifier, with support for Dolby Digital and DTS decoding. It offers loads of features for people who want involving surround so...

Movie surround sound is fantastic; music performance is very good; plenty of power; easy to use and configure

Massive heat generation; a bit on the chunky side

By avoiding the pitfalls of expensive Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD decoding while still effectively supporting these codecs via LPCM over HDMI and analogue audio inputs, you save money and still get brilliant sound in every department -- the Onkyo TX-SR576 put...

Onkyo's TX-SR605 AV recevier supports an incredibly advanced specification with outstanding performance, and it's an absolute steal, price-wise. Sound is beautifully composed and natural, using excellent integration and the seamless steering of ambient ef...

Future-proof specification including integrated HD audio decoding; advanced connectivity; automatic calibration system; HDMI video up-conversion; refined performance

Outdated design; time consuming setup; HD player technology still needs to catch up

Onkyo's TX-SR605 simply has a better future-proof specification on paper and sounds better in practice than any other rival AV receiver in its class -- an absolute winner

The third version of Cambridge Audio's Azur 540R receiver is ideal for an entry-level buyer who is more concerned with finding better performance than the latest features. Sound quality is powerful and immediately engaging, giving film soundtracks the imp...

Competitive price; ease of use; dynamic sound performance with multi-channel and stereo

Uninspired design; basic connectivity; no auto setup; no video up-conversion

Cambridge Audio's latest Azur 540R receiver is ideal for an entry-level buyer who is more concerned with performance than the latest features. It's great value for money but the vanilla specification might not stand the test of time

Denon has a reputation for providing expertly designed AV receivers that produce impressive sound performance. The Denon AVR-1908 follows this spec as one of the most fully-featured budget models, with exceptional build quality and a full range of high-en...

Solid construction; intelligent remote; decent features; composed and detailed sound

Comparably expensive; no integrated HD audio decoding; lacks some dynamic drive

Denon's AVR-1908 offers a decent specification supported by impressive sound quality but in today's competitive market there are rivals that offer the same without spending as much

Sony recognises just how good a receiver the STR-DA1200ES is and has extended its shelf life. It offers outstanding ability with practically everything you play and has all the features you'll need. The sound quality on film soundtracks is sensational, ev...

Stylish design; extremely accurate automatic calibration; video up-conversion; outstanding all-round performance

No integrated HD audio decoding

Sony's STR-DA1200ES sits alongside the very best AV receivers at this price for design, features and performance. It's only because of the absent integrated HD audio decoding that loses it points

Media Extender device and upscaling DVD player

Wireless-N connectivity; easy to install; works as promised

Lacks support for all audio/video formats

The MCE DMA2200 is probably the best media streaming device we've ever tested. It's a shame you can only use it with Windows Vista, but for those who want to send media from their PC to their TV, it's the ideal solution

If high definition is the next stop in your system, then Denon's AVR-3808 receiver has all the future-proof features you need and more. It's one of the most flexibly fitted AV receivers we've seen with high-end features including streaming digital music,...

Exceptional build quality; flexible features including streaming digital audio; stunning graphics and automatic calibration system; integrated video processing; authoritative sound performance

Comparatively expensive; not as impressive with stereo soundtracks

If you're interested in the latest high-definition video players from Blu-ray and HD-DVD then Denon's AVR-3808 is equipped with all you need to enjoy next generation home cinema. HD film scores sound sensational but you can get better stereo musicality fo...

AV receiver for decoding and amplifing soundtracks

Sound quality; style; features; brilliant range of inputs and outputs

Size; it gets hot enough to fry an egg

If you want an AV receiver that has plenty of power and supports the latest high definition audio, the Onkyo TX-SR875 should be on your shopping list. Its support for DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD via HDMI is a boon

Professional speakers with amplifier

Tone and accuracy can't be faulted -- the 307s play back exactly what the mastering engineer intended you to hear

Too heavy to be truly portable, but this benefits the sound

Speakers are so often a relatively boring proposition, but the 307s consistently surprised us. The elegant styling and solid build aren't the only thing these units have going for them -- they sound like small gods. High praise for a pair of speakers bare...