With its thorough HD specification, this Sony is a solid performer – but it just misses out on a fifth star
This Pioneer's a capable receiver, with stylish good looks and a bespoke iPod dock too
Yamaha's RX-V765 is the model above the RX-V565. It's supremely talented but falls just short of getting the full five-star star rating
The Yamaha RX-V565 is a competent HD receiver capable of intimacy and detail, and good music playback, but bass lacks punch
Denon's mid-price AVR-2309 multichannel receiver is entering a cut-throat section of the market. Can it compete with established rivals?
A solidly competitive, capable multichannel receiver that will decode all available forms of surround audio from your disc collection
Good as it is, when compared with the best the Denon doesn’t display the same level of clarity with Blu-ray or DVD soundtracks and lacks the agility and outright dynamics of its rivals
Big, exciting sound, but lacking high-def audio decoding
The Pioneer SC-LX82 picks up a huge amount of detail, making it one of the most capable amplifiers on the market