Use & Enjoy Your A/V Gear : receiver

Directory of articles and videos on home theater

Jim R — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:36:00 GMT

Getting ready to build or upgrade a home theater system? Here's a handy guide to dozens of articles and videos to help you choose, install, tweak, and enjoy: Plan Your Room The components you need for home theater Choosing your TV's screen size...(read more)

Tech Terms Demystified: Impedance

Ralph — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:37:00 GMT

Impedance is one of those tech terms whose meaning is just close enough to its general definition to cause some confusion. In everyday language, an impedance is a hindrance — an obstacle to be overcome. Electrically, impedance is a neutral term...(read more)

Top Down Sound, Part 4: Equalizing the audio system in a convertible

Charlie — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:23:00 GMT

Jeff and I meet at the Crutchfield Research Bay for the final system tuneup. In the last installment , we set the crossover points and adjusted the gain structure in the Sebring's system. Now, we've borrowed an AudioControl Real Time Analyzer...(read more)

Spring Cleaning Your Electronic Gear, Tip #2: Cleaning your components

Kristen S — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:43:00 GMT

Last week I talked about cleaning your TV . But chances are, you'll probably have more trouble keeping all of the various components on your TV stand or cabinet clean. So what's the best way to get the job done? Tip #2: Cleaning your components — Blu...(read more)

Denon firmware upgrades now available for select receivers

DaveB — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 19:18:00 GMT

Here's a news flash for many Denon home theater receiver owners. Denon has just announced a significant firmware upgrade package for their AVR-3808CI and AVR-4308CI receivers. This special upgrade adds some new performance-enhancing features and entertainment...(read more)

Three products that do more than just look good

Amanda — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:44:00 GMT

Getting hands-on time with cool new products is one of the perks of working here at Crutchfield. And being the home video producer, I've seen a lot of gear pass before our camera lens. So I thought I'd share three products that made me say "wow" as we...(read more)

Tech Terms Demystified: HDMI upconversion and HDMI conversion

Ralph — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:05:00 GMT

HDMI is a bit of a mystery for most people – especially HDMI video upconversion. Part of the problem is that the term “upconversion” is used interchangeably with “scaling” and “upscaling”. And it’s often confused with HDMI conversion – which is actually...(read more)

Tech Terms Demystified: HDMI Switching and HDMI Repeating

Ralph — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:23:00 GMT

HDMI Switching "HDMI Switching" is one of those terms that sounds terribly complicated and technical, but turn out to be relatively simple and straight forward. In a nutshell, a receiver with HDMI switching can select a single signal from any of the HDMI...(read more)

Going Bananas About Connectors

Dave H — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:30:00 GMT

In my last post , I talked about a tool that simplifies the process of stripping wire. Once the wire’s prepped for connection, the question becomes, “Now what?” There are many different connection options, each with advantages and disadvantages. Of course...(read more)

My Top 10 Car Audio Myths

Charlie — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:16:00 GMT

1) I don't need a subwoofer because I never listen to loud music, just classical and jazz. Subwoofers go great with heavy metal, rap, and other types of high-impact music, but they're not just for people who like to turn it up. In fact, a well-tuned subwoofer...(read more)

Are you sitting on a wealth of untapped power?

DaveB — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:02:00 GMT

In my last post , I discussed the concept of bi-wiring. Although bi-wiring doesn’t increase the amount of power going to a pair of speakers many folks I’ve spoken with felt there’s a noticeable improvement in sound quality. That brings us to the subject...(read more)

What's at the top of your wish list? (Here's what's on ours)

Chris E — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:48:00 GMT

Naturally, people around here are always talking about the latest, greatest electronic gear. I have a long list of things I hope to own soon, and I sometimes wonder what my friends at work would love to have. Thanks to a recent informal, open-ended poll...(read more)