What you need to know before building a HiFi system

The process of building a stereo can be overwhelming. Should you buy new gear or trawl the local stereo shop for vintage equipment? Do you need a subwoofer for music? Are high-end speaker cables really going to make a difference in sound? It's no won...

Pioneer’s SC-79 uses HDBaseT to feed HDMI video throughout the home (hands-on video)

dnp  Pioneer's SC79 is the first to use HDBaseT for highquality video across rooms eyeson

In addition to showcasing its new speaker bar, Pioneer is talking up three audio-video receivers here at CE Week, including one that offers a pretty nifty industry first feature. Though the trio of home theater components are fairly similar, the SC-79 is the most notable, as it's the first such device to feature embedded HDBaseT support. That means it can deliver uncompressed HD video -- even 4K -- at distances of up to 300 feet using an Ethernet cable rather than HDMI. It's not yet a widely adopted spec, but it's especially useful for a multi-room setup, since it requires only one wired connection. That leads us to the other standout feature: the SC-79 can output audio and video to four zones simultaneously, and you can control media across multiple rooms via an Android or iOS app. All that functionality will cost you a pretty penny when the receiver launches in July: the MSRP is $3,000. See it in action right after the break.

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CoolStream Bluetooth Receiver

CoolStream Bluetooth Receiver

Amazon has started selling the CoolStream Bluetooth receiver. The device will turn your iPhone/iPod docking station into a Bluetooth docking station. The CoolStream Bluetooth receiver enables you to keep your iPhone or iPod touch in your hand while streaming your favorite music, podcast or internet radio station directly to your iPhone/iPod dock. The CoolStream Bluetooth receiver is also compatible with Android devices and any other Bluetooth-enabled gadget. It supports Bluetooth version 2.0 with A2DP, offering wireless connection up to 30 feet. The CoolStream Bluetooth receiver is priced at $39.99 each. [Amazon]

Sony unveils in-car receivers with App Remote, taps into your smartphone music from October

Sony unveils incar receivers with App Remote, taps into your smartphone music from October

Sony has been big on smartphone integration for car audio lately, having already launched its MirrorLink receivers earlier in the year for the more well-heeled drivers among us. The company is bringing that mobile tie-in down to Earth through a new quartet of in-car CD receivers. The MEX-GS600BT, MEX-BT4100P, MEX-BT3100P and CDX-GS500R all bring in App Remote, which lets the faceplate buttons steer local music or Pandora streaming radio coming from Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Walkman devices paired through a Bluetooth wireless link. The old-fashioned USB connection is still on offer for these and the HD Radio-toting CDX-GT710HD, while the whole collection can graft on the optional SXV200V1 tuner to carry the full Sirius XM satellite radio lineup. Differences across the line aren't completely clear from Sony's wording, although both the MEX-GS600BT and CDX-GS500R carry two USB ports as well as 5-volt RCA preamp outputs. You'll be waiting awhile to slip any of these receivers into a DIN slot, regardless of which one you pick: the GS500R ships in October for $199, and the rest hit the shops in November for between $149 to $249.

Continue reading Sony unveils in-car receivers with App Remote, taps into your smartphone music from October

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Sony unveils in-car receivers with App Remote, taps into your smartphone music from October originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 22:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onkyo CR-N755 Network CD Receiver

Onkyo CR-N755 Network CD Receiver

The Onkyo CR-N755 is a HiFi receiver mini system that supports DLNA, FLAC and Apple Lossless (ALAC). The player has a USB port, allowing you to play MP3 and WMA files stored on a USB flash drive. Measuring 215mm x 331mm x 119mm, the Onkyo CR-N755 network CD receiver will be launched in September 2012 for 59,850 Yen ($764). [Akihabara]

Onkyo upgrades remote apps for latest-gen receivers, intros music streaming Bluetooth adapter

Onkyo upgrades remote apps for latest-gen receivers, intros music streaming Bluetooth adapter

It's been a little less than a year since Onkyo first entered the software-based remote space, and now the company's ready to give those controls a major boost with the help of a much needed refresh to its iOS, Android applications. To kick things off, Onkyo's Remote 2 app is finally making music streaming capabilities friendly with this year's TX-NR receivers, while other under-the-hood enhancements were made to the various remote zone functions. In addition to these improvements, Onkyo also introduced its $60 UBT-1 Bluetooth adapter, essentially offering the same tune streaming features but "through a hardware gateway" and, best of all, at a much higher quality. Unlike the USB dongle (which is available now), however, the free apps won't be available until sometime "at the end of the month" from Cupertino's App Store, Google Play and Amazon's custom shop. In the meantime, you can keep yourself occupied by checking out the official pressers and UBT-1 picture right after the break.

Continue reading Onkyo upgrades remote apps for latest-gen receivers, intros music streaming Bluetooth adapter

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Onkyo upgrades remote apps for latest-gen receivers, intros music streaming Bluetooth adapter originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 16:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC Connect certifies AV gear for your One series phone, Pioneer lines up

HTC Connect certifies AV gear for your One series phone, Pioneer lines up

HTC is going on something of a certification tangent: it's following its PlayStation Suite approval with its own program, HTC Connect. Home AV equipment with the label promises to lift the standards for streaming media to or from one of HTC's devices. The rubber stamp will be limited at first to DLNA audio and video, but it should eventually include just about anything that doesn't involve a wire, such as Bluetooth, in-car media, NFC and wireless speakers. There isn't an immediate deluge of partners. HTC has scored a rather big ally, however: Pioneer's DLNA-ready receivers and wireless speakers this year, and beyond, will flaunt the HTC Connect badge. Don't brag about the media credentials of your One X just yet. Although the Connect seal of approval won't be needed for media streaming anytime soon, it will only be coming to the One series through an upgrade in the months ahead.

Continue reading HTC Connect certifies AV gear for your One series phone, Pioneer lines up

HTC Connect certifies AV gear for your One series phone, Pioneer lines up originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 12:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony STR-DN1030 7.2-channel home theater receiver with Airplay and Bluetooth hands-on

Sony STRDN1030 72channel network home theater receiver with Airplay and Bluetooth handson

Truth be told, we spend a lot of time listening to music, movies and hands-on video clips through our headphones and laptop speakers, but when it comes time to sink into the plush leather seats in a proper home theater, you better believe high-quality audio is a top priority. Sony's STR-DN1030 serves as an update to last year's STR-DN1020, and promises to deliver on that quality promise, with a bounty of connectivity options to boot. WiFi and built-in Ethernet enable the 7.2-channel digital receiver to stream from AirPlay, along with Sony Entertainment Network (SEN) music services including Music Unlimited, Pandora, Slacker and vTuner. The device is also DLNA compatible, IP controllable and it can power on (from standby mode) whenever you begin to stream a song over AirPlay or Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR connections.

We dropped by Sony's NYC headquarters for a quick peek at the DN1030, which we're told very quietly made the rounds at CES but has yet make its official debut. The receiver, which boasts 145 watts per channel (not including those dual powered-sub connections), was paired with seven high-end Bowers & Wilkins speakers and a powered Sony subwoofer. It's nearly impossible to pass complete judgement on any high-end audio product after a brief demo in a room that isn't optimized for sound, so audiophiles should certainly hear this thing for themselves before coming to any conclusions of their own. Still, we were quite pleased with performance from what we saw today -- Bluetooth and AirPlay connections appeared to be seamless, Slacker loaded quickly and audio quality was quite solid from all of the wireless sources, along with Avatar and a recorded Cream concert on Blu-ray. Best yet is the receiver's price -- the STR-DN1030 will set you back just $499 when it hits stores in mid-July.

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

Sony STR-DN1030 7.2-channel home theater receiver with Airplay and Bluetooth hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yamaha outs RX-V773WA, RX-V673 receivers: AirPlay and 4K / 3D passthrough on board

Yamaha outs RX-V773W, RX-V673 receivers: AirPlay and 4K / 3D passthrough on board

In case those RX receivers we saw last month weren't powerful enough for you, Yamaha's unleashing a couple of new beasts that may just meet all of your home entertainment demands. Similar to its V573 and V473 siblings, the RX-V773WA and RX-V673 are AirPlay-friendly and pack a 4K passthrough feature -- though, these also carry some PT action in 3D. Save for the YWA-10 WiFi adapter and an aluminum front panel on the V773WA, both newcomers are sporting identical traits. Among these are 7.2 channel audio, an enhanced YPAO calibration system, seven "intelligent" assignable amplifiers, six HDMI ports on each unit and an ECO mode to help reduce power usage. As far as pricing, you'll have to shell out $849.95 for the higher-end RX-V773WA and $649.95 for the RX-V673 when they hit shelves in June and later this month, respectively.

Continue reading Yamaha outs RX-V773WA, RX-V673 receivers: AirPlay and 4K / 3D passthrough on board

Yamaha outs RX-V773WA, RX-V673 receivers: AirPlay and 4K / 3D passthrough on board originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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