My Home Theater Wet Dream
I have been considering a complete revision to my home theater system for a year or so now. What I have served me well for a time, but now a combination of multiplying components and a new’ish 52″ plasma with the many hi-def possibilities that it offers has me in a quandary. 2 channel TIVO (satellite), 2 DVD players (serving different purposes) with blueray on the way, a mishmash of speakers (likely over-sized for the space), xbox360, Pioneer receiver (replacing my better but burned out Yamaha), iPods and a desire for some apple TV capabilities without apple TV limitations – gotta be able to view content found on various computers.
As I spec my new system I continue to research and compare options and solutions. I would love to end up with a tight, component light system, but I know that’s a tall order. I could go the multimedia system route but I don’t care to have a computer integrated into the works yet. Trading TIVO for Vista would be too masochistic…
Then my buddy Joe sends me a link to the Holy Grail: the Yamaha RX-Z11.
Wired blog come across with a review on this jaw dropper:
When it comes to top-shelf stereo receivers, Yamaha’s new RX-Z11 sets a high bar for feature-rich high definition amplifiers. Sure, it’s got your XM-HD, HD Radio, Dolby True HD, and neural surround. Yeah it’s Made for iPod, XM Ready, and it’s got network connectivity for getting your Windows Media Player on. But those are all just table stakes for modern HD-capable receivers, and the RX-Z11 is a high roller. It’s got support for HDMI 1.3a, and it can upscale video all the way to 1080p, or drop the res down to 480. It’s also the first receiver on the market to use THX Loudness Plus — a back-end audio feature designed to let you play movies at low volumes without sacrificing any surround sound details.
If 5500 of you would like me to test this bad boy out and write my own review, please send $1 now!
<sigh>
