Secrets

Toshiba BDX6400 Blu-ray Player

Chris Heinonen

I've reviewed a lot of Blu-ray players now and don't often get surprised. So when I took the Toshiba BDX6400 out of its shipping box I was a bit taken aback. I knew it was coming, but I expected a standard size black box. Instead I found a tiny little player that's even smaller than a Nintendo Wii. The tiny size made me instantly attracted to the BDX6400. Blu-ray players can only output HD content over HDMI now, so there really is no reason every player is a large box. A smaller unit like the Toshiba BDX6400 still has every connection you likely need, but is easier to store away. So just how much does this little player manage to pack inside?

Blu-ray Players

REL

Secrets
REL Acoustics, Ltd. of Bridgend, Wales was founded in 1990 by Richard Edmund Lord. Dissatisfied by the commercially available subwoofers of the day...
AV Directory

RHA

Secrets
RHA is a specialist British headphone company. We stand for true-to-life audio reproduction and lasting quality. With these values at our core...
AV Directory

Pioneer SC-79 9.1 A/V Receiver

Chris Heinonen

The SC-79 marks the fourth revision of the Pioneer SC-line that I have reviewed. From the beginning I've been impressed with the amount of features they fit inside and the performance they offer. The SC-79 announcement is as excited for a new receiver as I have been. Far from a marginal upgrade, Pioneer went all-out and packed in new features galore. The biggest is a pair of ESS SABRE32 9016 DACs. A single-step below the 9018 used in top-flight two channel audio products, the 9016 is the highest end DAC in a receiver today.

Receivers

Sony STR-DN1040 7.1 A/V Receiver

Chris Heinonen

When I turn on the Sony STR-DN1040 and am greeted by a colorful, interactive full screen graphical interface, I am surprised. It is even in high definition! Someone has actually been listening to complaints from users and decided to do something about it. They are trying to make the home theater less complex than the PC of the 1980's. Is the Sony STR-DN1040 just a pretty face or does it have the brains and brawn to go along with its beauty?

Receivers