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AV Receiver Reviews
Denon DRA-800H Stereo Network Receiver Review
Rob Sabin  |  Dec 24, 2019

Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value
PRICE $499

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Audiophile-quality sonics
Easy access to networked and internet-streamed music
Extensive HDMI switching
Minus
Non-backlit remote

THE VERDICT
Denon’s modern take on the classic stereo receiver delivers excellent sound quality, video switching for 2-channel home theater, and all the amenities of an app-driven, internet-connected music system.

As I uncrated the Denon DRA-800H stereo receiver and set it on my rack for review, I was struck by a powerful wave of nostalgia. Back in my early days of audiophilia, stereo—no wait, stereo and vinyl—was pretty much the game. Buying a basic receiver was a typical rite of passage for a high school or college student back then, and it was staring at rows of them at the local TV/appliance store—with their shiny brushed chrome faceplates, dials and buttons, and backlit tuning displays—that got me hooked on audio in the first place.

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A/V Veteran
Christmas Movies: Ho, Ho, Ho!
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 23, 2019
For those pining for Part 2 of my latest tome on projectors and screens, it will come soon enough. But posting it on Christmas Eve seemed like an invitation for me to plunge into the reindeer-and-chestnuts memory hole. With the biggest holiday of the year fast approaching as I write this (not counting Super Sunday), you'll likely be looking for relief from Uncle Harry's annual Christmas dinner ramblings: "when I was your age..." So fire up the old home theater and settle in for a movie or two — a movie about the holiday, on the holiday.
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Stream On
Hands On: Does Amazon Music HD Make the Grade?
Mike Mettler  |  Dec 23, 2019
Amazon Music HD came out of the gate with hi-res guns a-blazing. Can the online retail giant deliver on the level of quality their customers have come to expect from its other services?
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Blu-ray Movie ReviewsUltra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews
Toy Story 4
Thomas J. Norton  |  Dec 20, 2019
Picture
Sound
Extras
On her first day at pre-school, Bonnie, the kid who received Andy's toys at the end of Toy Story 3, makes (literally) a new friend out of a discarded spork. She calls him Forky and he soon becomes her favorite toy. But that's just the first act. On a road-trip with Bonnie's family, cowboy-toy Woody reunites with his old flame Bo Peep. Bo, now a "lost toy," has acquired the skills of an action hero—a sort of RamBoPeep.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
Mixxim Brings Back the Cassette… As a Music Player
SV Staff  |  Dec 20, 2019
The audio cassette just won’t die. The latest attempt at reviving the ’70s relic comes in the form of a Bluetooth-enabled digital music player that doubles as a legitimate cassette — legit as in it will actually play in some cassette decks.
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Ask S&V
WTF! Why Don’t All Streams Have Gapless Playback?
Al Griffin  |  Dec 20, 2019
Got a tech question for Sound & Vision? Email us at AskSandV@gmail.com

Q I just finished listening to the new Giles Martin remaster of The Beatles’ Abbey Road via a 24-bit/96kHz stream from Qobuz. For the first few tracks I felt like I was listening to the original album, but on a much better stereo system. Then the bad news came when I got to the medley on “side two” starting with “You Never Give Me Your Money.” Instead of a seamless flow between songs, I heard distinct gaps between the tracks. It really ruined the experience. Why can’t streams of album tracks that are supposed to segue do so without annoying, and at times jarring, gaps in the sound? There are lots of iconic recordings with the same issue. —Thomas E. Moore, Fairfax, VA

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Audio Video News
Round 2 Holiday Deals from Denon & Def Tech
SV Staff  |  Dec 19, 2019
Denon and Definitive Technology have announced Round 2 of limited-time holiday discounts on AV receivers and soundbars.
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Audio Video News
Florida Audio Expo Returns to Tampa in February
SV Staff  |  Dec 19, 2019
The Florida Audio Expo, featuring more than 80 exhibitors of high-performance audio gear, will return to Tampa for a three-day event in early February.
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Audio Video NewsNew Products
T+A Announces 3rd Generation of All-in-One Audiophile Music System
SV Staff  |  Dec 19, 2019
The German audio company T+A (Theory + Application) has announced the third generation of its all-in-one Caruso Music System built for audiophiles.
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Audio Video News
Best AV Gifts of 2019
SV Staff  |  Dec 18, 2019
Still struggling to find that perfect gift for that special someone? In the holiday spirit of helping you wrap things up (figuratively and literally), we present 28 great gifts for your consideration — all Sound & Vision Top Picks and all less than $1,000. Prices start at $80 with a full third of our picks falling under $300. Don’t forget to check for holiday deals on Amazon and other discount sites.
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