Denon 7.1 Receiver

Denon AVR-5308
And this receiver is truly loaded with every bell and whistle you could wish for—and more than a few you wouldn't have even thought of. It carries the latest THX Ultra2 certification. In addition to two new surround modes, THX Ultra2 Cinema and THX Music (both designed for 7.1-channel setups), all of the usual suspects are in there: Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II and IIx, DTS (ES matrix and discrete, Neo:6 Music and Movie, and DTS 96/24), and a bushel of those aptly-named DSP surround modes like Jazz Club, Stadium, and Church. HDCD decoding is also included.

There are also 10 discrete channels of amplification. These may be configured to operate in a number of ways. For example, you can set up a 5.1-channel system in the main room and use those additional amplifiers to drive another 5.1-channel system in a second room. Or you could set up a 7.1-channel system in the main room with side and back surrounds and the front speakers bi-amped.

Each of the 10 channels is rated at 170Wpc into 8 ohms, though the specification is not for all channels driven at once. In fact, if you read the spec carefully, it only applies to a maximum of any two channels driven simultaneously. (We were able to measure the amp with seven channels driven; our test load does not go up to 10 channels.