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AUDIO

ANTHEM Statement D2 A/V processor June 2008 Anthem's D2 A/V preamp/processor ($7,499), which the company modestly calls The Statement, is just that: a statement of where technology was at the time of its design. (The D2 has HDMI 1.1 connectors, which means you must depend on your Blu-ray Disc player's internal high-rez audio decoding.) The D2 is a perennial prizewinner, and I hate bandwagon-jumping, but if you want the most configurable, customizable, and capable A/V pre/pro available, this is it. The recent addition of Anthem Room Correction, a proprietary, automatic calibration/setup/EQ-correction scheme, only enhances the D2 that much more. The Anthem's video digital signal processing makes the D2 just about as state-of-the-art on the video side as it is on the audio side, while its very slick, high-def onscreen menu and interface deliver a user experience that's almost as uptown as its A/V performance. Sure, the Statement D2 is for people who don't really have to ask how much it costs, but I try not to hold that against it. 'Twas a sad day when Anthem made me send it back. - Daniel Kumin statement.anthemav.com

SVS MTS home theater speaker system October 2008 The speakers in this SVS system ($4,400) don't hang sleekly on the wall, they're not a quintet of palm-size cubes or a pair of shining aluminum obelisks, and their transducers don't rely on the latest post-Einsteinian physics from the Star Trek labs. (They do use a sophisticated new hex-magnet soft-dome tweeter from Denmark's Scanspeak, however.) But if you seek a system that has a highly accurate tonal balance, plays loud as hell with very little dynamic compromise, and goes all-the-way low with real authority - and you don't want to pay a fortune for it - these are your boys. Along with the MCS-01 center and MBS-01 surrounds, SVS's first higher-end full-range system relies on a massive subwoofer (the PB 13-Ultra is the best under-$2K sub I've tried in my system) and the big, somewhat bulky MTS-01 towers. But it's all nicely finished and quite handsome - and about half the price of many high-end comparables. A Corvette among the Ferraris. - D.K. svsound.com

THIEL AUDIO SCS4 speakers and SS1 subwoofer September 2008 Jim Thiel has knocked one out of the park with the SCS-4 speaker ($990 each), the fourth generation of his Small Coherent Source (SCS) design. This simple-looking two-way coaxial speaker is an object lesson in phase coherence, and has an uncanny ability to generate the most open and detailed soundstaging you're ever likely to hear. Equally at home with both movies and music, the SCS4 has perfectly satisfactory bass extension when used solo, but adding Thiel's SS1 subwoofer ($3,400 with PX05 passive crossover) turns it into a true full-range system. And because its drivers are coaxial, the SCS4 delivers identical sound whether it's set up vertically for the main or surround channels, or horizontally as a center speaker. If you're looking for speakers that can wake up the neighbors and break your lease, the SCS4 might not be for you. But it you value sound quality over quantity and seek something exquisite at a realistic price, this system is hard to beat. - M.T. thielaudio.com

INTEGRA DTR-8.8 A/V receiver July/August 2008 The Integra DTR-8.8 was simply the best A/V receiver I reviewed in 2008, especially in the bang-per-buck department. A few factors set this model above the herd. Power: It managed to produce more than 100 watts even with all 7 channels driven simultaneously, an ability that only a select few receivers have demonstrated. Video: Integra uses the Silicon Optix HQV/Reon chip, one of the most capable solutions available to process and scale incoming video to your preferred high-def format. Room correction: Top-tier Audyssey MultEQ XT/Pro auto calibration and room-EQ processing can bring real sonic improvements. Bonus: Ethernet and USB ports let the Integra both surf Net radio and serve up music from a PC or Mac using the DLNA protocol, giving you a primitive but usable music server for free. There's a good deal more, of course, all of which make the DTR-8.8 just about unbeatable at $2,400. - D.K. integrahometheater.com

ONKYO TX-SR706 A/V receiver November 2008 Ho hum, another new HDMI 1.3 A/V receiver. Hardly news, except that this latest example - Onkyo's TX-SR706 ($899) - turned out to be a stellar performer, combining near-ideal test-bench results, surprising power, and a gaggle of honestly useful features, beginning with a price about a third less than some comparable models. Better yet, in addition to the usual HDMI 1.3 perks (like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-Master Audio decoding), the TX-SR706 includes basic-level Audyssey auto-setup/room-correction processing, plus both of the new "smart" low-volume-compensation systems: Audyssey Dynamic EQ and THX Loudness Plus. The Onkyo's Faroudja DCDi video processing does very solid work upconverting standard-def video to the 1080p format over HDMI, and its impressive audio performance and real-world multichannel power keep pace. I don't think you'll find another receiver that offers more for less. - D.K. onkyousa.com