Denon does. Its new pennant-flying model, the AVR-A1H, clocks in at an impressive 71 pounds. And while I managed to hoist our sample onto my rack unaided-mostly because I was too abashed to ask for help-if I'd had a forklift I for damned sure would have used it.
To say that the AVR-A1H is fully featured is like saying that Shohei Ohtani is multitalented. If you can think of it, the new Denon flag probably does it. But the lead story has to be this: Fifteen. As in 15 channels of on-board, built-in amplifier power, ready to drive a 15-channel Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Auro3D, or IMAX system, or an 11-channel system with two stereo remote rooms, or any of the myriad other configurations you can dream up. And those 15 channels are all identically powered, rated at 150 watts full-band 0.05% distortion (two-channels driven).
All these channels require a truly massive main power transformer and, of course, a lot of output transistors and attendant heat sinks: hence those 71 pounds. Fifteen powered channels put the AVR-A1H at the top of the AV receiver-power heap, aside from a very few, very expensive (twice the Denon's cost and up) and fairly esoteric designs featuring 16 or more channels. Moreover, the AVR-A1H can command up to four discrete subwoofers, each independently addressable via Dirac Live Bass Control, which we'll get to.
Visually, the AVR-A1H departs not one iota from Denon's familiar, twoknob design language. There's a drophinged door to conceal the few direct-access buttons and the five-way rocker to navigate menus: obviously, all these functions will typically be performed on-screen in real life. It's conventional and unadventurous but perfectly handsome and eminently workable.
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Brothers in Atmos
How producer/keyboardist Guy Fletcher convinced Mark Knopfler to mix classic Dire Straits material and his new solo album One Deep River in Atmos.
Making a Big Purchase
I can remember sitting in the hospital room writing that month's edition of this column (called \"The Custom Installer\" at the time) after my daughter, Lauryn, was born in November 2006. Fast-forward 17 years, and now Lauryn is 17 years old, taking college classes, and driving.
Sony Pulse Elite Headphones
As much as I love playing video games on my main audio system, I recognize that, unlike music, a video game soundtrack filled with effects and voice chat is not one that a non-gamer will enjoy. So when I dive into a Grand Theft Auto Online session, unless I'm alone, I rely on headphones when using my PlayStation 5. And with its acquisition of Audeze, Sony's PlayStation-branded Pulse Elite headphones promise to do more than just look the part of a gaming headset; they offer planar-magnetic driver technology that for a high-fidelity listening experience.
RUNNIN' INTO THE
What Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers achieved over their rightfully acclaimed multi-decade career stands as a benchmark for how to match universally appealing songwriting with uncompromising sound quality.
Pixel Perfection
SAMSUNG'S 77-INCH QN77S95D TV is the third version of its OLED TVs, which combine quantum dots and blue OLED light. This technology is called \"Quantum-OLED\" by Samsung Electronics and \"QD-OLED\" by Samsung Display, the company that makes the screens. It uses quantum dots to change blue OLED light to red and green light for its RGB pixels.
Multichannel Mastery
REMEMBER WHEN cars ran on gasoline, cell phones flipped, and you needed a forklift to get a flagshipmodel AV receiver onto your equipment rack?
I Dream of XGIMI
A SELF-DESCRIBED purveyor of “smart projectors and laser TVs,” mentioned in answer to a man-on-thestreet projector query. Though Internet have done much to espouse Xgimi’s evolutionary stable of products, I am willing to wager that the name still escapes a majority of S&V readers.
Dedicated to Discs
THOUGH THE famous Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) quote, \"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated,\" has been twisted over time from the original quote, \"The report of my death was an exaggeration,\" both very much apply to the state of physical media today.
Sharper Image
THE QN75QN900D Neo QLED TV is the 75-inch model in Samsung's 2024 flagship 8K mini-LED LCD TV series, and it delivers a brilliantly bright, colorful, and detailed picture from most content.
Value-Priced Multi-Room Audio
MANY OF us use inexpensive smart speakers throughout our homes to play music and control everything from lights to microwaves and washing machines. Devices like the Amazon Echo are great at controlling smart devices along with other more capable smart speakers and amps, but they don't typically deliver a great listening experience on their own.