Onkyo’s HT-RC180
Hi its about new Onkyo’s HT-RC180 is THX Select2 Plus Certified and that’s always a good sign. A bevy of features including an Ethernet port that enables the HT-RC180 either to receive and output audio tracks playing on your PC, or to bypass your PC and directly stream Internet radio stations such as Rhapsody and Pandora. There’s five HDMI 1.3a inputs and the ability to upscale any video input to 1080p via Faroudja DCDi Cinema. You’ll soon get the complete scoop in the full HT-RC180 review I did with Matthew Moskovciak. To more fully exploit the HT-RC180’s potential I played some of my favorite SACD and DVD-Audio discs. Take the Talking Heads DVD-A for example: the seamless 5.1 channel surround mixes were phenomenal. So much so I never felt a need to use the HT-RC180’s seven channels. The band’s dynamic range was impressive, and Tina Weymouth’s funky basslines were especially easy to follow. You won’t hear me say this too often, but once I heard the Talking Heads in surround, the stereo mixes sounded claustrophobic. The HT-RC180 is the best-sounding receiver I’ve heard in its class. Highly recommended.
