$270 · ONKYO THX Amplifier (TX-NR808)

Mid-level fire-breather from Onkyo, is a behemoth by any standard. Certified   THX Select 2 Plus level. - iPod/iPhone- and HD Radio ready, - Stream music from a PC running Windows, a USB flash drive, or from a number of Internet sites - Dolby sound decoders include TrueHD, DD Plus, and PLIIz, and the DTS decoder is DTS-HD Master Audio. - “NR” means “network receiver,” - The TX-NR808 pumps a rated 135Wpc RMS into each of seven channels. - Flip down an unobtrusive panel and you find a headphone jack, tone and zone controls, extra sets of analog and digital inputs, a USB port, an HDMI input, and the setup array, including a jack for an Audyssey microphone (included). - Rear panel has 6 HDMI 1.4a inputs and an HDMI output, - & qual number of analog inputs and outputs…and an equal number of separate digital inputs and outputs, including multiple S-video, composite video, and component video. - In addition to five-way binding posts for each set of speakers, including those for a second zone, each speaker is also represented by a preamp out. - On the video end, the TX-NR808 supports 1080p upsampling courtesy the Faroudja DCDi Cinema decoder. - 3D-ready.   Suffice it to say that whatever source and display equipment you have, the TX-NR808 can deal with it -- and deal with it well.   40.3 pounds.