Equal Power, ""DVD Compatibility"" Mark New Technics Home Theatre Receivers
Technics has introduced new home theatre receiver models that are compatible with a 5.1-channel DolbyÆ Digital or DTSÆ Digital Surround system, and one has the requisite DD/DTS decoder built-in. ""Any of these home theattr receivers stand ready to reproduce movie soundtracks the way they were meant to be heard,"" says Alberto Reggiani, National Marketing Manager for Technics Home Audio. ""And not just movies benefit: thereís an ever growing variety of software, from special interest DVDs to satellite TV broadcasts to audio CDs, taking advantage of 5.1-channels."" Technics' newest models feature Class H+ amplifier circuitry Rather than a single power supply, or ""rail,"" providing high power all the time, Class H+ incorporates two rails that share responsibility. The higher-powered rail kicks in only when needed, such as for loud scenes, explosions or other spikes in the soundtrack. As in past years, all of the new receivers bring equal power to the five main surround channels, so thereís no drop-off in sound level from the front to the rear or between the main and center speakers. When theyíre not delivering digital surround, all the home theatre receivers can also disseminate Dolby ProLogic surround. Other listening options include Dolby 3 Stereo and a choice of three center channel modes: normal, wide and phantom. Center- and surround-channel levels can be adjusted independently using a surround sound test tone. All three models are, of course, capable tuners. A total of 30 stations - AM or FM - can be preset ane randomly accessed, or any station can be tuned directly using the remote control. The quartz synthesized tuners ensure stations remain locked in. Other features include separate bass, treble and balance controls, loudness and mute buttons, direct 10-key tuning via remote, and a headphone jack. SA-DX930 This receiver has a Dolby Digital/DTS decoder built-in for full 5.1-channel sound out of the box. It also has six-channel input for an external DD/DTS decoder, such as Technicsí SH-AC500D. The SA-DX930 delivers 100W to each of the five main channels (1kHz, 8 ohms, 0.9% THD) or 100W x 2 in stereo mode (20Hz-20kHz, 8 ohms, 0.05% THD). With Technicsí Sound Field Control, the receiver can simulate a variety of environments with non-surround sources. Users can select Hall, Club, Live, Theater and Simulated Surround (for mono sources). Other features include subwoofer outputs for direct connection of an active subwoofer; front A/V inputs, useful for temporary connections such as a camcorder; large speaker terminals in the rear; and a universal, DVD-capable remote control. The SA-DX930 can handle four audio and three video sources, including two digital sources. SA-AX730 This receiver is similar to the SA-DX930, but does not have a DD/DTS decoder built-in. With six-channel inputs, however, the SA-AX730 is ""DVD-ready,"" combining the immediate benefits of a Dolby ProLogic receiver with the flexibility to upgrade to Dolby Digital and/or DTS as budget permits. SA-AX530 The SA-AX530 is designed for smaller rooms or apartments, punching out 80W to each of the five channels (1 kHz, 8 ohms, 0.9% THD) or 80W x 2 in stereo mode (40Hz-20kHz, 8 ohms, 0.8% THD). This model also features Sound Field Control, a subwoofer output and rotary input selector. Up to four audio and three video sources can be accepted, and the unit comes with an audio-video remote capable of commanding other Technics audio components. Model Availability Suggested Retail SA-DX930 June, 1999 $399.95 SA-AX730 May, 1999 $299.95 SA-AX530 April, 1999 $249.95