Audiolab is a brand that may be unfamiliar to many consumers in the United States, but in the UK, it has a decades-long reputation for putting out great-sounding, high-value electronics. While the brand (and company) has gone through a few changes over the years, including a flirtation with the ultra high-end, Audiolab has recently brought its mainstream offerings to the US market, including CD players, amplifiers and analog two-channel preamplifiers. While those will all be interesting for the dedicated audiophile, for home theater, the most intriguing piece in the line-up is the audio-only preamplifier/processor, the 8000AP.

It started way back in 2001 when I reported to you on the exquisite AVM20, which to this day for various reasons still represents to me a watershed. Two years later came the "V2" upgrade for the AVM20 wherein we swapped out the processor board for a more powerful one, opening up the then much enthused about Pro Logic II, upgrading the THX suite to Ultra2, and adding more bass management options.

I have to admit, I'm a sucker when it comes to having the latest and greatest toys. As my wife can attest, I'm always looking for excuses that will allow me to spring for that next upgrade. In recent years, Onkyo has been at the forefront of new A/V receiver technology and features, releasing new models at an almost breakneck pace in order to stay one step ahead of the competition. The TX-SR607 continues that technological advance as the first product in the world to sport Dolby Pro Logic IIz.....The bottom line is this: you need to pay quite a bit more money to dramatically improve upon the performance of the TX-SR607.

The NAD T747 AV Surround Sound Receiver is a 7-channel two zone receiver that is capable of decoding bitstream inputs of all the latest high-resolution audio formats. I like its understated styling a la NAD. The minimalist front panel has a simple two-line VFD display in the center of the panel. The characters on this display are about 3/8" high. This is a major improvement over the super small logos that are commonly found in so many of today's receivers and processors.

In Part 1 of Flagship Home Theater, I covered the video side with Anthem's LTX-500 LCoS 1080p projector and the Black Diamond II screen from SI Screens.  Now let's look at the other half of the home theater equation: the sound.  To round out my Flagship Home Theater experience, I tested the Anthem Statement D2v A/V Processor and A5 five-channel power amplifier.

The Sherwood RD-7503 A/V Receiver is one of the newest offerings from Sherwood aimed at controlling all the latest devices in your home theater. The RD-7503 A/V receiver provides 7 channels of amplification at 100 watts per channel, 3 HDMI 1.3 inputs with repeater, on-board decoding of DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD high resolution audio formats, automatic room setup and support for a second zone. The RD-7503 also provides optional support for their DS-10 iPod dock, SIRIUS Satellite, and Bluetooth support which I will discuss later in the review.

Integra keeps putting out high-quality, value-priced products year after year. The company, which is the "high-end" of the Onkyo brand, sells primarily to custom installers and boutique A/V resellers rather than Internet and big-box stores. In this review, we examine the new DTR-8.9.

Part of what I enjoy most about this hobby is helping other people get into it. Given that, I'm a big fan of mid- to entry-level home theater equipment, since most people asking for advice about their first system are not looking to dole out beaucoup bucks, especially in this economy. Yamaha has a great history with their A/V receiver product line, with many excellent products in the mid- to entry-level range.

Onkyo has broken new ground by introducing two receivers to be the first in the world with isf video calibration. The TX-NR906 is the flagship of the Onkyo receiver line and the step up from the equally ISF-capable TX-SR876. Several features set the 906 apart from the 876. The 906 having more power supplies including a toroidal power transformer for the amplifier section.

Onkyo has recently added a new line of receivers to its already long list of stellar audio/video equipment. The new TX-SR606 is the latest upgrade to the well reviewed TX-SR605.In one-upmanship, it has the added features of 4 HDMI (1.3) inputs and Audyssey 2EQ. SIRIUS and IPod docking are available, too. This is my first foray in using Audyssey and I was anxious to take it for a test drive in my upstairs, dedicated media room. MSRP is $599, which puts this receiver in the entry to mid range in price (though I have seen a street price as low as $399), and for the money, the 606 comes very well equipped!

At $899, the Onkyo TX-SR706 is Onkyo's least expensive THX certified model and an interesting product within Onkyo's range of receivers. It is the lowest priced receiver in Onkyo's line-up that offers all the features I want in a receiver including HDMI 1.3 inputs, HD audio processing, Audyssey room equalization and pre-amp outputs. With its solid feature set and reasonable price, I was excited to see how the TX-SR706 would perform.

When Denon finally made good on their promise to deliver to market a separate processor/amplifier, (the AVP-A1HDCI and POA-A1HDCI) I wondered where the receivers at the top would fit in.  The last flagship receiver I'd reviewed was the AVR-5805 in May of 2005 and I wished it was in two components. But there are those that still want one box, saving space, wires and some money too.Now that the pre/pro/amp is out, the receivers can be downsized, thankfully. The new AVR-5308CI weighs 35 pounds less and stands 3 inches shorter than its predecessor 5805.  But feature-wise, the 5308 is substantially ahead of the 5805, which is why it's here for me to review.