Best Audio Component Receivers
Yamaha, the most trusted brand in home audio, adds Bluetooth compatibility in this Hi-Fi receiver for easy wireless access to streaming music services and music on your smartphone or other devices. Positioning the power transformer near the amp circuit reduces power loss while improving peak power supply capacity to enable high volume output.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Originally purchased the cheaper Insignia model with basically the same features. I put in on my deck to be a part of my outdoor entertainment center."
"Works to specifications and a good buy."
"I just needed a receiver to connect to via Bluetooth to play music on and this Yamaha did the trick."
"Very happy with this receiver works good with the pyle speakers I have out on the deck!"
"I bought this audio receiver mainly for the Bluetooth feature."
"I was surprised to see a Yamaha product at this price level."
"Great product for the price.Would recommend.This is our first time purchasing a Yamaha receiver and are very happy,next time we would like to try a surround sound receiver."
"I would have sworn that it said it had a phono hookup on it, but it does not."
FM/AM Tuner. Program your favorite local stations with 30. presets available for both FM and AM. stations. Connection for smartphone or. portable music players A stereo mini-plug supports all smartphones. and portable music players, enabling you. to connect and listen to all your portable. music and devices right in your living room. 2 Channel Stereo Receiver(100W+100W @8ohm, 1kHz, THD 1%).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"An expectation of a robust 135wpc at this price and weight class is unrealistic, and is something of an overstatement for this receiver. The more revealing power spec they provide claims 90wpc from 20hz to 20khz (which includes all audible frequencies, of course) into 8 ohms with .09% distortion. However, it would have been even more informative if Sony had also provided 4 ohm power specs, which would have given an even better idea of how much oomph the amp section is capable. That is actually very good for the price, especially for those who understand that power output is not a linear scale - there really isn't much difference between 90wpc and 135wpc. The sound quality is virtually identical using the Sony; I'm sure that if blindfolded I'd be unable to distinguish between them, and the ADS are very revealing three-way loudspeakers. If you do want a better receiver than this Sony, then I'd suggest you check out the Yamaha R-S500BL also available via amazon but at about three times the price. Plus, I already own some high end separate components anyway (my Adcom power amps are the big ones, originally priced at almost three grand for the pair). I didn't write this to brag; I simply wanted to show that even knowledgeable 'audiophiles' sometimes need a more budget-friendly solution to their audio needs, and that we make careful choices when compromise is necessary."
"After much surfing at all the logical sources, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that simple stereo receivers are still made and sold at current dollar prices below those I paid for either of my earlier purchases."
"Really the only things I wish it had were a USB input and an AC plug on the back for my Bluetooth receiver unit (or, for that matter, an internal Bluetooth receiver), but those are really just nitpicks when considering this is a sub-$100 unit."
"I don't really have any complaints, so if you are looking for something that will drive some small speakers at high volumes without distortion than this isn't a bad choice."
"Without that external component being plugged into a switched outlet on the receiver (there is none), or some type of control cable from the Sony, I can't figure out what is meant by this 'feature'."
"The blog at sony mentions this problem too and says it needs some kind of firmware update or something but is is something a Sony dealer has to do. FOLLOW UP COMMENT. See my follow up comment below. To the Sony rep who told me to follow the link: I had already called and I have been dealing with your awful customer service department for over a week and have gotten nowhere!!"
80 W/Ch (8 ohms, 20 Hz−20 kHz, 0.1% THD, 2 channels Driven, FTC) with Hi-Current amp design; Built-in Bluetooth & Wi-Fi, with built-in Pandora, Spotify, Sirius XM, tune in, Slacker; Faceplate preset buttons store four FM/AM and internet radio stations- just push one to power up the receiver and Start listening right away; 384 kHz/32-bit Hi-Grade DAC for realistic and clean Audio; Engineered for Hi-Res Audio playback; plays compressed, lossless, and Hi-Res Audio via local network (MP3, WMA, WMA lossless, FLAC, WAV, ogg Vorbis, AAC, Apple lossless, DSD 5.6 MHz, and LPCM).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Have done live audio recording and assembled numerous speakers and electronic components in my time. The TX-8020 also has a digital readout for volume level as opposed to a rotating knob with a painted indicator as on the old receiver. It might be useful to note that the bass compensation on the new TX-8020 seems to have a lower roll over point which works fine for my Klipsch speakers. fyi, one is starting to have problems with. the old style mechanical relays for the speakers (TX-8211), one I sold, one I gave away to a inlaw, this one is a keeper. It is intended, for the money, to provide clean. distortionless sound for those caring to listen closely to a musical performance. I have not tested that, but the Sony is an IC based amplifier rather than using discrete components and a large power supply as does this Onkyo."
"My issue is that you really have to crank the volume in order to get a decent output. Next the USB drive must be smaller than 32 GB and preferably not a SanDisk as those can throw errors. It also helped me resolve a problem where tracks played a skipping noise in the beginning when streaming from Spotify."
"Also I was a bit disappointed that the remote App cannot control the A and B speaker switch."
"Onkyo does brag of a new DAC in the 8160 which can now play full hi-res audio files (24/192 as opposed to the 8050's 24/96 capability). Both receivers could connect wirelessly to your home network and internet radio stations, but the 8050 required you to buy and attach a dongle to the USB port to make the connection. The 8050 did have Spotify as one of it's loaded stations, but it was virtually worthless since there was no way to control it except through the clunky Onkyo remote or the Onkyo app. The 8160 allows you to use the Spotify app itself to connect to the receiver and is much more versatile. If you use Spotify a lot or play wirelessly through your home network, it may be worth it to you too."
"Love this receiver."
Best Audio/Video Receivers & Amplifiers
This 7.2-channel network AV receiver features Dolby Atmos and DTS:X object based surround sound and is paired with the latest in 4K Ultra HD video technologies. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Airplay and Spotify Connect, Pandora, Rhapsody, SiriusXM Internet radio and vTuner.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"While I'm not new to A/V I am new to dedicated home theater equipment, so I immediately called around to a few local professionals who design and install this stuff for people to find out what kind of equipment they work with and recommend and this receiver was at the very top of the list for really good equipment on a budget. I HIGHLY recommend this receiver for use in a home theater setup!"
"Once I got past the Japanese setup screens (the language is the icon with "ABC" on it), it was pretty simple. That's normally a good thing; but not if you want to continue to listen to a CD and only had the TV on to change a setting. But I do have an older TV that requires me to use audio out (RCA plugs) linked to Audio1 on the amp. The amp produces the upper frequencies beautifully and cleanly, and the timber of the violins and cellos is exquisite. I had an Onkyo which I thought handled those things really well until I heard this Yamaha."
"This unit is designed to link video equipment and output their associated audio. The unit offers a number of pre-configured sound-modifying selections, each adding fixed amounts of reverb along with slight fixed tonal adjustments to enhance your movie viewing or gaming experience. Yamaha devoted a lot of hardware and firmware to decoders, special spatial effects and multi-room networking but left out the most important audio adjustments."
Best Home Audio Receivers & Amplifiers
How to Use: 1.Power on/off Power on: Press the multifunction button about 3 seconds until the blue and red indicator lights start flashing alternately. 3.Pairing: (1)Before using the receiver first time, please be sure to have it fully charged. (2)Connect Mpow with your car stereo. (3)Press the multifunction button about 3 seconds until the blue and red indicator lights start flashing alternately. (4)Turn on the Bluetooth function of your phone. (5)Search for the Bluetooth devices and select “MPOW”. (6)If there is needs a code, please enter “0000”. (7)If pairing is successful, the blue indicator light would flash slowly. DUAL-LINK CONNECTION & WIDE COMPATIBILITY : Mpow could connect two Bluetooth devices at once and the Bluetooth range up to 30 feet in open space without obstacles.And it also could compatible with most Bluetooth enabled devices like smartphone, MP3, tablet, etc, ideal for home or vehicle audio systems.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Your music will be a little quieter and not as bassy as it is when you use an auxiliary cable to connect directly to your device. Even so, this device is an ideal solution for the target demographic - folks that just want to eliminate that auxiliary cord and stream audio to their radio via bluetooth without breaking the bank. Update 12/29/2014: I had previously rated this as a 4-star device - because of the loss of audio volume/fidelity...but after an 8 hour road trip and the device lasting the ENTIRE trip and then some...I'm bumping my rating up to 5-stars."
"You'll need to power it off or disconnect bluetooth when you leave vehicle or you'll miss calls or continue streaming media. I might add this, for I found audibility as an issue in a different review; The sound is LOUDER than using an auxiliary cord or just listening to the radio! Just make sure you long press (hold the + button) the volume all the way up until it beeps, then turn your device all the way up and adjust as needed with your radio controls."
"I am ALWAYS listening to music in my car (I have a 2008 chevy) and have always used an auxiliary cord to connect my phone (iPhone 6plus) to my stereo. Turned on the Bluetooth option on my iPhone 6plus held the multifunction button down for 3 seconds and selected MPOW under my Bluetooth settings in my phone and plugged the little guy in!"
"My audiophile friends told me it was a stupid idea to buy this to make my Audio-Technica m50x headphones wireless."
Best Bluetooth Computer Network Adapters
Adds Bluetooth support to Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, or Linux PCs that don't already have it. Supports Bluetooth speakers, headphones, headsets, keyboards, mice, and more. Some audio devices, such as the Bose QuietComfort 35, require downloading specific drivers to function in Windows 7.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I have a great Bluetooth headphones (Satechi Aluminum Bluetooth Wireless Headphones) that I wanted to use at my work computer so I would not distract my other co-workers. The Plugable Technologies allows any non Bluetooth accessible computer or laptop to have Bluetooth capabilities to use with Bluetooth headphones, mice, speakers, keyboards, etc."
"To test it out, I took out my PS4 Bluetooth controller, held down the pairing buttons(briefing holding down the Playstation button while the Share button was held down), and in about 30 seconds total, Windows 10 had finished the process of pairing and connecting my controller via Bluetooth - simple, quick, and magnificent."
"After the initial pairing, connecting it after turning it off is quite quick, and it works with DS4 windows so you can change aspects like the controller light bar color, remap buttons (for emulating a xbox 360 controller in some pc games), or turn off rumble."
"After several hours spent installing, uninstalling drivers, chatting with Microsoft (zero help there...cookie cutter answers that said nothing + made me diagnostic tool that also found nothing) I was dead in the water with wireless bluetooth headphones that worked before the MS update and now only worked with a wire."
"I really like the products from Plugable."
"This works fairly well with my wireless headphones."
"Bought this for my work computer to connect my blue tooth head phones (Skull Candy Grind wireless: LOVE!)."
Best Audio Component Amplifiers
DUAL-LINK CONNECTION & WIDE COMPATIBILITY : Mpow could connect two Bluetooth devices at once and the Bluetooth range up to 30 feet in open space without obstacles.And it also could compatible with most Bluetooth enabled devices like smartphone, MP3, tablet, etc, ideal for home or vehicle audio systems.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Your music will be a little quieter and not as bassy as it is when you use an auxiliary cable to connect directly to your device. Even so, this device is an ideal solution for the target demographic - folks that just want to eliminate that auxiliary cord and stream audio to their radio via bluetooth without breaking the bank. Update 12/29/2014: I had previously rated this as a 4-star device - because of the loss of audio volume/fidelity...but after an 8 hour road trip and the device lasting the ENTIRE trip and then some...I'm bumping my rating up to 5-stars."
"You'll need to power it off or disconnect bluetooth when you leave vehicle or you'll miss calls or continue streaming media. I might add this, for I found audibility as an issue in a different review; The sound is LOUDER than using an auxiliary cord or just listening to the radio! Just make sure you long press (hold the + button) the volume all the way up until it beeps, then turn your device all the way up and adjust as needed with your radio controls."
"I am ALWAYS listening to music in my car (I have a 2008 chevy) and have always used an auxiliary cord to connect my phone (iPhone 6plus) to my stereo. Turned on the Bluetooth option on my iPhone 6plus held the multifunction button down for 3 seconds and selected MPOW under my Bluetooth settings in my phone and plugged the little guy in!"
"My audiophile friends told me it was a stupid idea to buy this to make my Audio-Technica m50x headphones wireless."
"When comparing a direct aux cable's sound quality to this bkue tooth device, there was only a difference of about 2-4 levels in volume. In otherwords, when the direct aux cable is at volume 39, this device will sound similar at maybe 42/43-ish."
Best Audio Component Preamplifiers
Pure, Unaltered auditory experience: aptX audio codec provides CD-like audio quality wirelessly.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Upon opening the box, the unit was much smaller than I thought it would be, but it packs a lot of goodness in a tiny shell. I highly recommend this product if you want to be able to watch tv, play games or listen to music without disturbing the family."
"Now all I have to do is pair the Bose QC35 the first time, turn off the BT switch while charging, then after they are completely recharged, I just turn them back on and they re-pair automatically."
"I have connected the device to a TV and I am transmitting to a Bose QC35."
"Too long, I have been hearing my wife telling me to turn the volume of the TV down. I have been needed an avenue so that I can still enjoy my show and not be a nuisance to her or disturb her beauty sleep. The other day, I was in our living room working and my son wanted to play his X-Box."
"I bought this to interface with my Samsung Non SmartTV only to find that the Civic has limited support for audio bluetooth to smartphones. Being able to transmit to two devices makes me want to get a second pair of bluetooth headphones so my girlfriend and I can listen at the same time."
"When you use them to receive or transmit audio from a movie, any perceived latency is a problem. Not a big factor but there is a rubberize bottom to it so when placing it on a surface (like my dash) it stays put."
"I bought this to feed the audio output from my computer sound to my GRDE bluetooth horseshoe headset at work."
"TaoTronics Bluetooth 4.1 Transmitter / Receiver and Wireless. We have a new Sirius XM home radio, which comes with no speakers. Turn on the TaoTronics transmitter."