Last year Onkyo introduced a truly stunning product, the TX-SR605, which offered HDMI 1.3 inputs, HD audio processing and a host of other advanced features at the amazing price point of $599. As 2007 has moved to 2008, Onkyo has now introduced their TX-SRxx6 series receivers and a new model, the Onkyo TX-SR576, that looks to move some of the TX-SR605's novel features to an even lower $479 price point.

I’ve really had the itch to try out one of the new wiz-bang receivers with HDMI, high def audio, auto configuration etc.  Luckily, at least for my bank account, the Marantz SR7002 recently showed up at my door to help scratch my upgrade itch. 

Hsu Research is an A/V company selling only online, and which continually produces superb products at affordable prices. Until recently, Hsu sold nothing but subwoofers. I bought one of the original Hsu Research VTF-2 subs, which had incredible performance for a $500 price tag. I’ve since upgraded to the VTF3-HO with Turbocharger. Like the rest of the Hsu’s line, those subs had a ported design.

Now comes Hsu’s first sealed-box subwoofer, the Hsu Research ULS-15. It's one of the first subs to hit the market with wireless connections (RF), and it has four separate channels, so you can have several discrete wireless subwoofer channels if you like (e.g., front left, right, and LFE).  Along with the ULS-15, Hsu also sent their newly redesigned HB-1 Mk 2 bookshelf speakers and HC-1 center channel speaker, for a complete 5.1 system. I had heard good things about the HB-1’s, but never had a chance to audition them in person. Plus, I was very curious to see how Hsu’s experience with subs would translate into full range speakers.

JL Audio's new Fathom f212 subwoofer is an astonishing product. Their years of building car audio subwoofers that you can hear a block away have paid off in this subwoofer meant for audio and home theater applications. It is expensive, but notwithstanding, even just one of these subs will satisfy the most critical of home theater aficionados. The f212 is one of the finest subwoofers in the world.

The gloves were off, and the gauntlet thrown. On May 26, 2008, Jim Pierce of Amazing Audio sent me (Jason Serinus) a major challenge via e-mail.

Sigma's new DP1 compact digital camera has the same large Foveon sensor as in the SD14 DSLR, yet it can fit in your pocket. Read Secrets exclusive, detailed bench test report to see how it compares with its larger SLR cousins.

With the TX-SR806 Onkyo further pushes the bar of what can be done within a $1100 Reciever:  THX Ultra2 Plus certification, 1080 line video processor, and the full suite of audio processing.  Did they give anything up?  Our Brian Florian investigates.

It has been some time since Yamaha manufactured a hi-def disc player, either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray.  Instead Yamaha has been offering upscaling DVD players such as the S1700 and the S2700.  Now that the format war is over and Blu-ray is the declared winner, this is no longer true.  Yamaha has created the BD-S2900, their first Blu-ray player.

Many audio designers report that they design their components by listening, making a change, perhaps as small as a resistor, and then listening again. These are the guys you want making your stereo equipment. Even mass market audio equipment can be made to compete with uber-expensive models given the same treatment.

High sensitivity speakers have had a following amongst the proponents of low power single ended tube amplifiers for a long time.  Many of these speakers work well with these low power amps, but not necessarily with more typical amplification. Not so with these Zu audio Druids. While I am sure they still are wonderful with low power tube amps, they also deliver with more typical solid-state amplification. The Druid, made by cable and speaker manufacturer Zu Audio in Ogden, Utah, has had a cult following among many audiophiles. I was able to test the latest Mk. 4/08 version, released earlier this year.

Torus Power makes as wide an array of isolation transformers as I have ever encountered. The 100 amp version (RM-100) would be a great addition for supplying isolated AC to an entire home theater in custom install situations, but a small one like the RM-10 is useful especially for digital sources and projectors, the total power of which does not exceed 10 amperes.

Rotel made some interesting choices with their RSP-1069 7.1 SSP. There is an obvious attention to build quality, the processor is heavy, solid and uses quality components throughout. However it is missing some key features found on many processors today, most obvious is the lack of room correction.

Every now and then you run into a product you are so impressed with you just have to share.  The ISTAR Mini Network Media Tank is one of those products.  By all accounts the product is another media extender set top box that you plug into your TV that plays video, music and photos from an attached hard drive or home network.  There are lots of these products on the market.

Front projectors have been the gold standard in home theater for many years. But until recently, front projection meant a CRT-unit the size of a coffee table mounted to the ceiling. It only looked good if you turned your room into a bat-cave, was very finicky about set-up, needed regular calibration, and probably cost more than the family sedan. Well, now front projectors are very affordable and are small and easy to set up. Perfect for that family room that has other uses than just home theater. Secrets takes a look at the Sanyo PLV-Z2000 as the first in our series on affordable projectors that you can use in just about any room of your home.

 The DVD-2500BTCI is one of several Blu-ray players that Denon is offering in their current lineup.  Unlike the  DVD -3800BDCI which features a Realta HQV video processing solution and internal decoding of Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio, the DVD-2500BTCI is billed as a digital-only transport that offers playback of BD discs as well as output of  the audio signals on the disc in raw bitstream format using its HDMI 1.3a compliant connection.

Harmony has been building universal remotes for a number of years now.  Honestly a couple of years ago, with the release of the 880, Harmony converted me from years of using Phillips Pronto remotes.  The Harmony remotes were simply easier to program and faster to change when a new component was introduced or swapped.

The Sony PMW-EX1 is a Prosumer HD video camera that is quite affordable ($7,499) when you take into account that it will record 1080p30. That's right. Remember how we have all been talking about the day when HDTV programs might begin broadcasting in 1080p instead of 1080i? Well, if it isn't actually part of program broadcasting yet, you can have it for all your home videos. Those birthday parties, daughter's wedding, trip to Europe . . . . you can record them in 1080p30 with a camera that is reasonably portable (it comes with its own small suitcase).

No, it's not one of the pocket sized HD cameras, but you can carry it around without too much difficulty. And, as you will see, the image quality is vastly superior to any consumer HD camera of the past. It's studio quality, affordable to the aficionado.

Class D switching amplifiers are here to stay. The RMB-1085 is a five channel home theater amplifier that uses ICE power modules which stay cool and deliver very efficient high power, all from a small chassis.

The new Klipsch Palladium P-39F floor-standing speakers are big, bold, beautiful, and best of all, they sound fantastic. They are very sensitive, so can be powered by small amplifiers, and as my wife told me, "These things make you want to pay attention and listen to the music rather than read the newspaper." They have an amazing ability to localize instruments and voices. Read Secrets' exclusive review of these find speakers.

Although I have always been interested in McIntosh products, I was really intrigued by the McIntosh MA6300 because I could finally afford one.  Modest power output and all solid state construction will let you into the world of McIntosh ownership for just $3,000.

My long romance with Lumagen processors started quite a few years ago when image processing was still considered something so uniquely bizarre, the only place you could actually read about it was on Internet forums. I was a frequent forum visitor, and after a lot of reading I ended up with the first generation of Lumagen processors. In this review, Secrets takes a look at their latest iteration, the Radiance. It's expensive, but what a picture!

A typical display will go quite easily into my house. When I call up the local importer, they are usually quite inclined to lend me their displays. The 65PY700 was no exception, but it did require quite a bit of work to verify that it would fit into my test lab area. The hallway and staircase leading up to the second floor are quite tight, and I’ve never actually tried a display larger than 55” in height . . .

I really don't know what else to say here. The F80 is a very simple, very elegant, and fantastic way to play incredible sounding music from your favorite FM stations as well as CDs and iPod, all from an enclosure not much larger than a shoebox.

I found both video and audio quality of the TViX M6500A to be exceptional, and over the last few months, some of the firmware updates have already made this unit significantly more stable and better than its previous versions. Given that DViCO has been quite adamant in providing support for existing products and continually improving them, I have no doubt they will succeed in turning this unit into an ever more powerful item over the upcoming months.

So there you have it – how I solved my yearly summer outdoors music problem with a terrific economical device from Audioengine, the AW1. I hate to sound like an advertisement, but order one, give it a try, and send it back if you don’t agree with me that it’s a flexible, high quality, and very useful product.

With no reservation, and by every standard, this is a world class subwoofer. It has massive output, low distortion, and all from a mid-sized enclosure. The price might put some consumers off, but I never heard anyone complain about investing money in a good subwoofer. Save your pennies, and do it.

If an HDTV like this had been available three years ago, it would have been spectacular. However, this is mid-2008, and there are lots of excellent 1080p units out there. In short, although the contrast ratio on the Toshiba 46RV53OU was exceptional, the overall performance was disappointing.

The Canton Chrono speaker system proves that you cannot judge a book solely by its cover (although I thought the front baffle lacquer finish was pretty slick looking anyway). It provides a realistic soundstage, with imaging that is particularly well-suited for film reproduction. If you’re looking for a 5.1 system in this price, you’ll definitely want to put the Canton Chrono series on your audition list.

I keep thinking that subwoofer technology improvements have flattened out, but I keep getting proven wrong. The Earthquake MiniMe P10 is a good example of that. It is small, lightweight, easy to set up, and best of all, it delivers.

The drivers in the HD 661 DX are where the expense lies. Costs are kept down by using plastic enclosures. Resonances are addressed with internal damping as well as the shape. I found that the overall effect is a success as long as the speakers are carefully placed – as it was in my home theater system where the left and right fronts are essentially contained on all sides except the front.

If the SDAI-2175 power amplifier has flaws, they were invisible in my system.  Every other amplifier I have had sounded like "something", while this one simply does not.  This product has no sound characteristics of its own, and this is a remarkable achievement.

Remember back a few years when projectors were 720p resolution, had modest brightness, not so great contrast, and you could spend $15,000 to get one? Well, you can still spend that kind of money and a lot more, but it gets you a lot more too. The buzzword now of course is 1080p and HDMI all the way. Marantz' latest donation to this category is called the VP-11S2. It has two HDMI inputs, will accept and project native 1080p, has Deep Color capability, and is built like a tank.

The Marantz TT-15S1 has me so excited about vinyl again that it has me scrambling to find old LPs.  A friend recommended that I check out a used CD store, and, "Oh yeah," he says, "they sell vinyl too!" Tunes in Hoboken, New Jersey has become a favorite destination when I can find parking and have a bit of time to kill searching through their ever growing collection. I never stop to look at the CDs by the way, but go straight to the 12” x 12” disc-size.