December's high resolution albums include jazz and classical, at 24/88 and 24/96 sampling. I burned them all to DVD+R media and listened to them with an OPPO BDP-83/NuForce universal player, Lamm LL1 preamplifier, McIntosh MC1201 power amplifiers, and Carver Mark IV ribbon speakers.
It amazes me that what passed for a premium feature in A/V receivers two or three years ago can now be found on entry level models. That is the beauty of progress! Nowhere is this better exemplified than in the Denon AVR-689. At an MSRP of $399 it is hard to believe that this unit is so jam packed with bells and whistles. Now this is what I call an affordable - and good - receiver. Read our review to see more.
The Canton Chrono speaker system proves that you cannot judge a book solely by its cover (although I thought the front baffle lacquer finish was pretty slick looking anyway). It provides a realistic soundstage, with imaging that is particularly well-suited for film reproduction. If you're looking for a 5.1 system in this price, you'll definitely want to put the Canton Chrono series on your audition list.