Audio Video News

Yamaha Aventage RX-A2050 AV Receiver: $1,600

Sitting squarely in the AVR sweet spot, the RX-A2050 has a lot to offer for the price, including nine robust amplifier channels that can be configured for 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos or DTS:X surround-sound action. Further sweetening the deal is Yamaha’s app-based MusicCast system, which makes it easy to spread music around the house without having to worry about running wires. As Mark Fleischmann put it, “This receiver does nearly everything amazingly well.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
Aventage step-up build quality
Multiroom MusicCast
Minus
So-so room correction

Full Review Here

 

XTZ Cinema M6 Speaker System: $5,494

Scandinavia has been a recurring theme in the world of loudspeakers for decades and in the case of XTZ’s Cinema M6 ensemble we’re talking Sweden. The first thing you notice about these speakers, apart from the elegant black finish, is the unusual multiple-tweeter layout—designed to increase power handling while decreasing distortion—and the “tripole” surround speakers. The upshot is a “very impressive home theater setup” in the words of audio maven Daniel Kumin—one that’s particularly well suited for use with acoustically transparent projection screens.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Very dynamically capable, with high power handling, high output
Solidly integrated front stage
Impressive subwoofer output and extension
Flexible “tripole” surround speakers
Minus
Slightly forward tonal balance (but perfect for behind-screen placement)
Pricey

Full Review Here

 

DALI Rubicon 8 Speaker System: $13,080

Scandinavia, Denmark in particular, has a rich history of producing great sounding speakers. Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industries (a.k.a. DALI) carries on that tradition with the Rubicon 8, the foundation of the five-piece home theater speaker system veteran reviewer Tom Norton tested. Setup requires some patience but the payoff is clean, tight bass and open, airy highs. “As impressed as I was by the Rubicons on music, I was even more drawn to them with movies,” he wrote. “The explosive music cues in Oblivion…will pin you to the wall on the DALIs.”

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Open, airy highs
Clean, tight bass
Big, generous soundstage
Minus
Setup takes patience for best results
Treble can be unforgiving

Full Review Here