No home cinema set-up is complete without an all-singing, all-dancing receiver, and a decent one can turn a flimsy soundtrack into one with more beef than a Desperate Dan cowpie. The three that impressed HCC the most in the last year were Onkyo's TX-SR674E, Denon's AVR-1906 and Sony's STR DA5200ES, but only one can win...

The Winner

£800 (approx)

www.sony.co.uk

08705 111999

Reviewed: HCC #141

A completely new design, the STR DA5200ES features 1080p upscaling, HDMI upconversion from every video input, a unique Digital Cinema auto calibration system, dual core processing, a Genesis Cortez video controller, a new GUI, and most significantly, a move back to analogue amplification. Offering the full complement of standard Dolby and DTS formats, a healthy 115W into seven channels, and bi-ampable main speakers, the receiver’s a massive return to form from Sony. Praising its huge bass response, effective EQ, prodigious volume and involving surrround, our reviewer called it ‘bigger, heftier and more enveloping than any Sony ES amp that has gone before’.

Sony's Eric Kingdon (middle) with Chris Barrie and HCC's Steve May

Also nominated

£500 (approx)

www.onkyo.co.uk 

08705 357357

Reviewed: HCC #135

Specially tweaked to please the UK ear, this competitively-priced receiver has a huge range of features, including 85W output on all channels, auto setup, room EQ, video upconversion to HDMI output, two HDMI inputs, three component inputs, front-mounted digital audio input, Zone 2 multiroom audio, programmable remote, optional iPod dock, IR inputs and 12V triggers. All this, and it sounds clean and revealing, with solid bass and plenty of immediacy with music. It might be a bit dull-looking, but it’s terrific value. 

£300 (approx)

www.denon.co.uk

01234 741200

Reviewed: HCC #135

An attractive mix of features and power, the AVR-1906 is a seven-channel design which can be run as a 5.1-channel by bi-amping the front speakers or running a second stereo zone. It boasts analogue video upconversion, DTS 96/24 processing, and one of the simplest setups we’ve ever encountered.

Fluid and responsive multichannel performance, firm and expansive image placement, and solid and lifelike surround sound performance are the hallmarks of this receiver, which is impressively powerful and flexible for the price. It puts other entry-level receivers to shame.