Audio & Video

It is 2010 and the latest big thing in video is 3D movies. All of the major manufacturers are starting to sell their 3D audio-video receivers and processors and prices for 3D capable gear are starting to settle down to reasonable levels. So let's take a look at mid-range receivers from  three major manufacturers - Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo and Yamaha.

Before we look at individual units - let's take a look at a few basic features that are mandatory in the new generation of receivers:

HDMI 1.4 - in reality there is nothing special about HDMI 1.4 vs the 1.3a. In fact, it is only a change in specifications for the ports and cables that do not introduce any hardware changes. In theory, all HDMI 1.3a devices would be 3D capable if they had powerful enough processors to crunch the massive amounts of data associated with 3D. So while the HDMI ports and cables are not really any different, the processors in the new machines are upgraded to ones with enough power to work on more data.

Room sound auto-calibration - this is one of the most essential features that eliminates the need to manually set speaker distances, individual sound levels and it will even tell you if you got your cabling wrong.

HDMI upconversion - this allows one to take video and audio from any type of connection and any  source and upconvert it to 1080p over HDMI. If you don't have this feature, you may have to connect more than one cable to your TV to enjoy the old sources.


On screen display (GUI, overlay) - the ability of the receiver to display all the settings and controls on your TV instead of small LED screen on the unit itself. Very handy and mandatory in this day and age.

Connections and ports - Last by not least - What and how many devices can be connected. Everyone has different needs, but a few types of connectors and ports are essential nowadays. HDMI, digital audio (RCA/coax  and Optical/SPDIF), component for older HI-Def sources, USB for iPod/iPhone and other sources.

As you can see, I'm not listing 7.1 or 7.2 for that mater as a required feature. Most of these receivers will have the ability to hook  up seven speakers and at least one subwoofer, but it is not as widely used as industry wants us to believe. Majority of people (around 78% according to AV magazines) use either stereo (2 speakers), 3.1 (left, right, center and subwoofer) or 5.1 (left, right, center rear left, rear right and subwoofer) setups. This is due to the fact that good speakers in general are quite expensive and many chose to have less but of better quality, others don't have enough space for 7 speakers, and many have already built their 5.1 theaters that they are happy with. Even most 7.1 receivers are 7.1 only in name and not in function as one would have to sacrifice second zone connections and even may need to get a separate two channel amplifier to power those two speakers.   

Now that we are done with the basics, let's take a look at our lineup in more detail (in no particular order):

Pioneer VSX-1020-K: This is a mid-upper range Pioneer receiver that is aimed towards people with good speakers, good understanding of cutting edge technology and a variety of old and new sources of video and audio.

The good:
Works with iPhone/iPod  - this receiver has front USB connection to let one use iPod or iPhone as the source for the music and video. It will display full album art and controls on the TV screen and will allow for almost all iPod functions

I've recently discovered the wonderful world of Vintage Audio. It started with my search of old Klipsch speakers which are known for their rather unusual speaker design - a horn loaded compression driver accompanying regular woofers and tweeters.

Some find the sound of the speakers with horn drivers to bee "harsh" or "bright". And they do sound different from the speakers with more conventional design. On the other hand, paired with the right material and the right amplifier - they can sound great. Not surprisingly, they do not sound very well with modern AV receivers and low/mid-level amplifiers. If you want to hear Klipsch do its best - you need to pair them up with either a good quality vintage stereo receiver/amp or a new high-end amp. It is hard to explain, but for some strange reason modern sound processors and amps sound very flat and un-engaging. At the same time old Marantz, Pioneer SX, Kenwood KR, McIntosh, Sansui, Fisher gear can sound very rich and full and full.

I'm always on the look out for the older (60s-80s) speakers made by Klipsch, as long as they are in good working condition. If the cabinets are somewhat beat-up, that's not a problem as I enjoy refinishing and fixing old gear. I find the whole retro-look and design very appealing and a lot more pleasing than the modern trends. The look of unfinished wood speaker cabinets (or even cherry veneered ones) brings a smile to the face and desire to turn off the TV and simply sit and enjoy some music. Because of this effect I've been listing to music that I haven't listened in years and have "rediscovered" several of the forgotten performers.

If you have any of the following for sale - please let me know as I'm always interested in buying and adding to my collection:

Klipsch Belle

Klipsch Cornwall

Klipsch LaScalla

Klipsch Khorn (klipsch horn, corner horn)

Klipsch Forte

Klipsch Heresy I, II

Klipsch Legend (KLF)

I've resisted harmony for a while. I was determined to make one of my multi-function universal remotes work with all devices, but everyone of them could not duplicate functions of at least one of my devices. So I caved in to the other side and spent the $98 at Costco for a Harmony 880 advanced universal remote control. Let me tell you - I have achieved harmony and home entertainment system control nirvana!

To all of those still on the fence, let me explain why all the rage about Harmony remote controls:

Even though the holidays have passed along with all those sales at big electronics stores - there are still some great deals out there. While searching for a good and inexpensive Bluray player for my home entertainment system, I've discovered an excellent deal at the local Costco.

Right now, most Costco stores have Sony BFP-BX2 bluray player for only $109!
Let me tell you why this is a good deal:

Many people have high definition flat screen televisions at home, hi-def cable or satellite service or a home theater that requires HDMI cables. The first thing we do is go to the store in hopes of finding a good quality cable at reasonable price. Then we come back angry and frustrated since the cheapest HDMI cable you can get from a national chain is a set of 2 cables for $30 at Costco. And that's not a bad deal on a quality cable since they are backed up by Costco's outstanding warranty and return policy.

But for those of us looking for very low prices and still same great quality - don't panic, there are a few options out there.

The first one is Overstock.com - you can find reasonable quality cables for as low as $3.50 - look at LinkDepot and Eforcity for slightly better cables than the rest. What you may get though, are the cables that work most of the time, but not 100% of the time. In fact, some of these cables exhibit a very strange behavior where you have to switch the ends in order to make them work. What is frustrating is that people are reporting some of these cable to stop working after a few months, or not carrying full 1080p stream with audio.

Second option is a "secret" of the audio-video community -MonoPrice.com. These guys specialize in cables, adapters, plugs and mounts. They don't just sell them at very low prices, but have them made to spec and often brand them as MonoPrice product. The quality of their cables is outstanding and the prices are very reasonable.By the way - if you need any other kind of cable - fiber optic, copper speaker wire, network cable - they got it. The problem with HDMI cables from monoprice.com is that they either have a ferrite cores or are very thick. The ferrite cores are not a bad thing at all as they help to minimize interference, but they are located really close to the end of the cable where it may become an issue when trying manage those cables behind your equipment. Same problem with the thick cables - if you are trying to locate your equipment in tight space or mount your TV on a wall - they will be really hard to route and hide.

The last and the best option - are the AmazonBasics cables from Amazon.com. The cables sold under the house brand are of suprisingly good quality, are thin enough to be managable, but not unwieldy. They also cost slighly more ($5 instead of $3.50)  than those from MonoPrice.com, but still so worth it. And, if you buy $25 or more from Amazon, the shipping is free and you don't get charged tax!

One point of concern is the specification of the cable. Anyone buying and HDMI cable today should be looking for 1.3a or 1.3b cables which are Category 2 certified. What these specs mean is that the cable was tested to reliably handle 1080p and higher resolution video as well as high-definition audio. Devices such as Bluray players, HDTVs, PS3 console, etc require such cables for the best picture and audio.

The first step was to get the F500BT and test it out. After having the unit for a few weeks I can highly recommend it to everyone - the system works great. I did do some modifications to it  by applying Maverick's customization pack posted at avic411.com.

I was searching for feature rich navigation system for quite some time. I had a few specific functions I was looking for and it just happens that most of the common systems avaliable for sale are lacking one or more of these features. Here is the list of what I want:

1) Good navigation - sounds trivial but a lot of the lower end units have very small databases of points of interest, outdated maps, poorly designed interface.

2) Factory radio integration - FM transmitters re finiky, unreliable and do not mute the sounds of your stereo system when navigation prompts sound.

3) BlueTooth - very important feature, esecially here in California where a first time ticket for cell phone use while operating a vehicle is $130. But the system also must be able to sync the contacts from the phone, so the driver doesn't have to fiddle with the phone in order to call someone.

4) Rear view camera - I drive a mid-size SUV with rather limited rear view. It would really help during parking on manuvering in tight situations to see how close you can backup and if there is anything behind the car.

5) Expandibility - features such as iPod integration, ability to read USB flash memory, SD memory cards, play audio, video, accept XM radio, MSN Direct, traffic updates, etc.