OTHER TECH

After carefully matching levels, I did a lot of A-B comparing between the Sharp and my regular rig - a THX Ultra-certified receiver that costs more than twice as much as the Sharp system and a pair of high-end three-way tower speakers. Although I listened to DVDs and other multichannel sources, for my critical audio evaluation I ran both systems in stereo, with the left/right front speakers set as "large" and my subwoofer off. PDF: Format Compatibility

Sound quality was very good, producing a silky, laid-back stereo image that was easy on the ears. The volume range is fairly narrow, so I found myself listening near the maximum setting most of the time. Ultimately, I preferred the sound using my regular receiver. It offered more presence and noticeably more guts in the low end. However, on bright recordings, the receiver tended to sound brash and sibilant, while the Sharp seemed butter smooth. Paired with a decent powered subwoofer, this amplifier should be able to drive just about any speaker system to loud - not ear-splitting - volumes in the kind of small spaces it's meant for.

Several music and surround modes are available, including Music1, Music 2, Standard, Movie1, Movie2, and the requisite, overly reverberant Hall and Stadium. Unfortunately, none of the DPL II-Music adjustments you get with some receivers (Panorama, Center Width, Dimension) are available with the Sharp.

Video quality was good overall, but the player's progressive-scan component-video output produced the best image. For example, some titles in DVD menus twittered noticeably when I used the component-video output in interlaced mode. But when I switched to progressive-scan, the image was more stable, and there weren't any jaggies. Since this system will likely be paired with a plasma or LCD TV, all of which can display at least 480p (progressive-scan), the sub-par interlaced performance shouldn't be a concern.

I have one minor complaint about the vertical disc-loading system - even though the front panel hinges out and the disc is raised slightly, it's difficult to remove it without touching the playing surface. Also, disc-load times and layer changes were unusually long, even for a universal player.

Sharp is no stranger to the flat-TV game. In fact, it's a worldwide leader in LCD technologies. The statement $15,000 1-bit stereo amplifier it introduced a few years ago was a bold leap into the audio world, and now the company is porting that technology into a sleek, stylish package that offers a lot of bang for the buck. If you've been looking for a clutter-free way to drive audio for your flat panel, Sharp's SD-HX500 definitely deserves consideration.

PDF: In the Lab