Onkyo have revealed their 2012 entry-level AV receiver range, packed full of enough bells and networked whistles to rival other brands higher-end gear, such as Spotify streaming.

Kicking off with the cheapest model, you've got the £299.99 5.1 Onkyo TX-NR313. Though it doesn't have networked capabilities, it boasts 5 3D compatible HDMI ports, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding, and sARC (Audio Return Channel) to pump a compatible TV's audio back to the receiver. Power output is 5 x 100W, and there's also a USB port on the front for hooking up an iPod, iPhone or memory stick.

Next up is the £399.99 Onkyo TX-NR414. It's again a 5.1 reciever (with a slight power bump to 5 x 130W) but also comes with networked capabilities, such as internet radio, and Spotify access. You can also use it to stream music from a networked PC.

The receiver also features InstaPrevue technology, which lets you peek at a thumbnail preview of your HDMI sources before switching between them, and a Hybrid Standby feature, which lets the audio and video source bypass the receiver when it is in standby mode to save on the bills. The TX-NR414 also has a Zone 2 line-out, allowing it to pump a separate audio source to a different room in the house.

Moving up the ladder again is the Onkyo TX-NR515 at £499.99. It's a 7.2 channel networked receiver, with a 7 x 130W power output. It has MHL badging with its HDMI (letting it play back 1080p video with 7.1 audio from a smartphone or tablet). It has all the other features of the TX-NR414 and TX-NR313 receivers, but also adds 4K2K upscaling for compatible displays, Dolby Pro Logic IIz, and pushes the 3D HDMI port count up to 8.

Lastly, the £599.99 Onkyo TX-NR616. It has all the features of the TXNR515, but adds Audyssey DSX expansion for extra front wide channels, and Audyssey 2EQ room acoustic correction to ease the set-up process. It also comes with THX Select 2 Plus certification, and has a power output of 7 x 165W.

All models will be available in silver or black from March, with the exception of the TX-NR616 which touches down in April.

LG are already expected to wow home cinema fanatics at CES 2012 by revealing the world's biggest OLED display, and now they're ready to tout a speaker system to bring the audio/visual thrills onto an even footing.

LG's BH9420PW 9.1 surround sound system is the kit in question, equipped with LG's latest 3D sound technology.

It uses LG's 3D Sound Zooming Technology to synchronise audio output with the action on screen, with the aim being to ensure viewers always feel as thoguh they are at the heart of the scenes being displayed.

Designed to be paired with LG's Cinema 3D sets, it uses "a complex algorithm that analyses the varying depth of numerous on-screen objects displayed on the 3D TV".

As well as the unique 3D effect DSP algorithm, LG also make use of Sound Field Expansion technology in the BH9420PW, which should boost the horizontal sound field pumped out of the package's four upright 3D speakers, alongside the more traditional 5.1 set up.

"Whether it's TVs or audio systems, LG continues to offer the most immersive 3D home entertainment experience possible," said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Home Entertainment Company.

"Our CINEMA 3D Smart TVs will now be accompanied by a wider variety of CINEMA 3D SOUND HOME THEATER products that offer consumers a complete 3D experience and further strengthen LG's leadership in 3D."

The BH9420PW will be shown at next week's CES in Las Vegas, before hitting stores in March 2012. No word on pricing as of yet.

Name: T12v3 Soundbar (Orbitsound)

Type: Stereo soundbar with subwoofer

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £299 direct from Orbitsound

UK audio specialists Orbitsound return with their latest re-vamped T12 Soundbar, the T12 v3. Have they perfected the "spatial stereo" wizadry to kill off audio sweet-spots for good? Read on to find out.

We know what you're thinking; "V3? It seems like yesterday that the the v2 launched!" It's a little under a year since Orbitsound's last T12 soundbar launched, but the smaller, dynamic nature of the UK audio upstarts means that they can churn out updates to their gear far faster than rivals. But far from being a mere incremental update, the v3 is a marked improvement over its predecessor.

The T12 v3 set includes a gloss black soundbar (600 x 100 x 100mm) and similarly styled subwoofer (230mm x 460mm x 200mm) connected via cable as opposed to a wireless connection, which may limit its placement in more spacious AV set-ups. As well as an iPod connector on the top of the dock, connectivity on the rear of the soundbar includes optical, coaxial and analogue ports as well as a 3.5mm connection for those with mp3 players or phones from stables other than Apple's. Leads for all these connections are included inside the box, while a volume dial also sits on the back.

It's worth noting at this point that we've had our hands on a pre-production model rather than the final retail build. It's almost identical to what's headed to stores, barring a few quirks. Firstly, there's a rear switch for changing the intensity of the stereo effect that wont be present in retail models as it's more a feature to demonstrate Orbitsound's "spatial stereo" tech to reviewers and journalists, which we'll speak about in a second. Also, the volume steps on the remote control will be a little more refined, giving you more precise control over volume levels in the final product.

What makes the Orbitsound soundbar unique from its rivals is how it uses a proprietary "spatial stereo" system. Designed by Orbitsound founder Ted Fletcher (whose CV includes working alongside musical luminaries The Eagles, Elton John and mad-cap producer and sonic-scientist Joe Meek), it is able to deliver stereo sound from a single central unit. In other words, it does away with the concept of a "sweet-spot", giving anyone standing at any position in a room with a T12 v3 soundbar the same left and right stereo fields as if they were standing between two separate left and right speaker channels.

In practice, it's not quite as clearly defined as that, but there's certainly a separation in the audio delivery no matter where you're standing in relation to the T12 v3, making it the perfect choice for those who indulge in busy movie nights with a gang of pals. What's arguably more important is the overall sound quality of the unit, and that thankfully is very good indeed, thanks to improved drivers and a new metal grille across the soundbar that allows for a greater spread for the audio image.

Though a little muddy at first (which again may be tweaked slightly in the final product) dialling back the bass a tad and pushing the treble settings up a little via the lightweight remote offered a full, warm stereo sound that's incredibly detailed. The T12 v3 soundbar is billed as primarily a partner for your flatscreen TV, and it certainly does a great job of bringing dialogue to the fore in movies, without scrimping on explosive booms and tinkling details. We spent quite a few hours playing games through the soundbar, and was incredibly impressed with the incidental detail it managed to pick up whilst we played through the classic Half Life 2. The crackling flames of a ruined city, being bombarded by sci-fi shells have rarely sounded so crisp.

Our main bug bear was the way that the T12 v3 soundbar doesn't retain your audio tweaks if you switch it off from the mains, a problem considering it's initially a little flabby sounding. It has a standby mode in which it does remember your changes, but if like me your green-conscious worries mean you have to switch everything off from the wall at night, you're going to have to keep re-configuring the soundbar. This wouldn't be so bad if HDMI support was included to allow for an onscreen menu, but as it isn't you're going to have to keep your ears finally tuned to re-balance the sound each time.

Keep in mind too that you're not getting support for 5.1 or 7.1 surround channels here, with everything being scaled back to stereo instead. It's not a fault for a soundbar clearly billed as doing some pretty special stuff with its stereo tech, but with similarly priced bars offering the feature, it's worth considering.

Verdict:

Orbitsound's T12 v3 is a worthy update to the brand's popular soundbar range. There remain a few niggles (namely HDMI support and surround features) for this price point, but it's hard to argue with the overall aural quality of the product. If you're looking for a no-fuss system with which to boost your flat screen's sound capabilities, you can't ask for much more than the T12 v3.

From sub-woofers and surround speakers to 3D sound, the latest home system can add another dimension to your viewing experience, creating the ultimate night-in.

But it's not just about having the correct equipment; it's just as important to know how to set it up properly in your living space too, particularly if you've got a system with several speakers. Chris Moseley, AV Product Manager from Samsung Electronics, gives Tech Digest his top tips for making the most of your home entertainment.

1 - When watching a film or listening to music, the centre speaker is a very important part of a surround sound system. This is where all the dialogue will come from and can be a significant proportion of a films soundtrack. Ideally this should be at ear height, directly in front of the viewer / listener. However, this is also where the TV should be. So unless you're using a projector screen, placing the centre speaker just above or just below the TV is best

2 - Speakers should also be mounted on solid surfaces. Any flexible surfaces such as plastic or glass will absorb sound energy from the speakers and thus reduce the sound quality. If you do have to mount a speaker on a surface like this, insulate it with a small piece of rubber or even blue tack

3 - When listening to music, the front left and front right speakers should ideally be positioned so the sound comes from the centre (i.e. from the middle of the TV). To position them, try listening to a song with a single voice singing it. If the voice sounds like it's not central, move the speaker it's coming from most slightly backward (or the other speaker forward) until the desired effect is achieved. Please note that this may mean the speakers are not positioned symmetrically (and it is also unlikely that the furniture in your room isn't either), meaning the speakers are not likely to behave the same on different sides of the room

4 - Ideally, speakers should not be placed against walls. In practice this isn't always possible, but if you can place the speakers away from the outer wall you will get less reflected sounds and a clearer bass

5 - Subwoofers can also be hidden out of sight. Low frequency sound carries a lot of energy so can be heard through objects like sofas and other furniture

6 - Rear surround speakers should also be placed at ear height, directly opposite the front pair (or 15 - 20 degrees outside of them if possible). Sound will come from these to enhance effects such as moving vehicles, fast action or explosions

7 - Samsung 3D sound can further improve your surround sound experience. This is a Samsung technology that enhances the surround effects based upon the 3D effect being shown on the TV. The result is total immersion in the films picture and sound

Did you know?

So you've got it all in place, it looks good and you're ready to watch and listen. But is there anything you can do to enhance the experience? Well, soft furnishings, such as cushions, sofas, rugs etc can actually help to improve the sound quality, especially if your room has hard floors, plain walls and lots of windows.

Soft surfaces won't reflect the sound, reducing any potential echoing, giving the listener better clarity and able to hear more details.

If you ask people the one issue, other than finances, that hold most folks back from purchasing a 5.1 home cinema set, the answer you'll usually hear back is that the lengthy wiring needed for the rear speakers is unsightly and troublesome to feed around a living room. 5.1 speaker sales may be set to sky-rocket then thanks to RocketFish, whose new RocketBoost Wireless Audio tech offers a solution to the 5.1 trip-wire-cabling-conundrum.

Kicking off with a RF-RBKIT HD Audio starter kit (consisting of a wireless sender and an amplified receiver), the sender will hook up to your home cinema receiver using the speaker outputs, while the receiver is placed at the back of your listening space, connecting to your rear speakers. The audio is then sent from the wireless sender to the rear receiver without needing to have the rear speakers hooked up directly to your home cinema reciever.

While it's not truly wireless (as both the sender and reciever require your speaker cables to be fed into them) it does mean that you don't have to run the wiring around the walls, instead hiding it all beside the rear audio outputs, or down the back of the sofa in the case of many home cinema set ups. As the wireless units work on their own private network and intelligently pick a frequency free of interference in the surrounding space, playback is stutter-free. Also, as the unit is completely universal, it should work alongside any 5.1 system you own, regardless of brand.

If you want to later on expand to a 7.1 system, it's then simply a matter of adding another RF-RBAUX sender/reciever unit, or the same unit to hook up an auido source such as a PC speaker set wirelessly. Should your regular stereo speakers require an amp too there's the RF-RBREC amplified reciever variant, while RocketFish have also put together their own speaker set, the RF-RBWS02 Wireless Speaker kit, which is suitable for outdoor use.

As you can see, scalability is a key advantage with the gear, allowing you to expand the wireless sources and control them independently as your audio set-up around the house grows too. All in, you can send up to five sources of audio to nine different Rocketboost receivers without any drop in audio quality, including HD Blu-ray tracks in Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and DTS-HD Master Audio.

Exclusive to Best Buy, you can check out the RocketBoost gear by clicking here.

Teufel have revealed a new budget-friendly 5.1 speaker package today in the shape of the Columa 200 set.

Featuring four column speakers and a central bar speaker that's built to replicate the towering surround units, each houses two 70mm mid range drivers and a 19mm fabric dome tweeter. The included active subwoofer is of the 140W variety, packing in a 250mm Klippel optimised bass driver.

Designed for rooms up to 30 square metres, the speakers will be fully compatible with any brand of AV reciever that supports 5.1 channel output.

Available now, you can bag the Teufel speakers for £479 direct from the manufacturers at http://www.teufelaudio.co.uk/.

Name: BDS 700 (Harman Kardon)

Type: Blu-ray deck and 5.1 home cinema combo

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £1099.99 direct from Harman Kardon

The convenience of one-box home cinema set-ups often make them the first port of call for budding home theatre enthusiasts. Combining a Blu-ray deck with 5.1 surround speakers, Harman Kardon's BDS 700 set is a stylishly designed premium AV solution. But can the sparse feature list do enough to justify its hefty price tag?

As the introduction suggests, in the box you're getting a Blu-ray player which also acts as a simple receiver for an included set of 5.1 home cinema speakers with the BDS 700. For the sake of simplicity, we're going to focus on both aspects individually, starting with the Blu-ray player.

The deck in question is the BDS 5SO. It's chunkier than your average player (as it needs to house all of the 5.1 audio connections) but is in no way lacking in the looks department. A mixture of gloss black with brushed aluminium accents, the large volume knob with its backlight adds a Tron-like air to proceedings, married with a clear blue dot matrix display. The slot-in rather than pop-out disc drive also allows the kit's smooth lines and curved front edges to be maintained, though we're always a bit fearful of what would happen if a disc ever got stuck inside.

In terms of connectivity, the deck has a single HDMI output, a USB port for media playback, an Ethernet port for BD Live functions and an array of speaker terminals backed by two optical digital inputs, two analog RCA stereo audio inputs and a coaxial digital input. You'll also be able to play files directly from an iPod or iPhone via an optional Harman Kardon Bridge IIIP dock (not included).

Despite being a premium bit of kit, we were disappointed to see how underused the Ethernet port is here. Solely for BD Live content, you can't access files stored on your home network, nor any media portals or web video services familiar to owners of Samsung or Sony decks. USB playback fares a little better (compatible with MPEG, DiVX-AVI files, MP4 in HD and even temperamental MKV files with the H.264 codec, as well as MP3, WMA , AAC and FLAC audio files) but shoots its usability in the foot by being limited to drives formatted in FAT32, leaving you with only 4GB of storage to play around with.

Thankfully, Blu-ray playback image quality is very good. We popped in the stalwart Casino Royale disc and were welcomed by sharp images and smooth-moving action scenes, crisp textures and vibrant colour reproduction. Even murkier scenes, such as when Bond is captured and tied up, retained visual clarity, highlighting minute details in the darkened dungeon room and making the purple-y bruises on Bond's face look all the more painful. Boot-times were fast too, taking just 14 seconds to get Bond going. Remember however, that you wont be able to play 3D discs here; another feature now quite regularly found in more reasonably priced sets.

DVD upscaling was equally impressive, pushing our Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back DVD to 1080p. Colours were natural and overall images were sharpened up nicely without any smeary artifacting. The only real weak spot was during the opening yellow-scrolling introductory text, looking a little shakey with slight colour bleeding over the black space backdrop.

On then to the BDS-700's sound capabilities, which are overall very good. In the box you'll find a 200W 353mm x 267mm x 267mm down-firing subwoofer, four 167mm x 100mm x 92mm 80W satellites, and a 120W 102mm x 241mm x 92mm dual-driver central channel. Compatible with Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital and DTS-HD / DTS-HD Master Audio formats, it delivered crisp audio, consistently well spaced across the soundscape.

A quick jump to Avatar's massive tree-felling battle sequence really saw the subwoofer working a treat, booming with a ground-shakingly resonate sound every time an explosion went off, easily tweaked with the rear volume knob if it's a little overpowering. The central channel too did very well to keep dialogue clear over noisy action scenes, while the rear speakers blended in with subtle ambient sounds remarkably naturally. Our one complaint with the satellites is they at times felt a little bright, but tended to settle down once they'd warmed up a little.

Verdict:

If you've neither a Blu-ray player nor 5.1 system to accompany your HD TV, the BDS 700 kit isn't a bad shout at all, providing you've got the dough. It looks and sounds great, with sharp HD images from Blu-ray discs too. However, buying a separate Blu-ray deck and 5.1 set up from other brands for the same combined value as the BDS-700 would open you up to far more fully-featured products. Convenient, but not necessarily good vale for money then.

Name: TX-NR609 (Onkyo)

Type: 7.2 channel AV Receiver

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £499

Onkyo have built a solid reputation for themselves by offering affordable AV kits that consistently perform as well as their more expensive rivals. Their latest effort, the TX-NR609, may be their best mid-range AV receiver yet, packing in a a range of web-connected audio features, including Spotify.

More-or-less maintaining the chunky black look of last year's range (though silver models are available too) the Onkyo TX-NR609 is a satisfyingly sturdy affair. Source and Mode controls are placed along a thin groove within the flat face of the receiver, with a chunky master volume dial to the right and an easy-to-read screen sitting near the top edge.

Six HDMI v1.4 input ports can be found on the receiver (including one sensibly on the front), suitable for full HD 3D signals, 1 output HDMI, as well as twin optical and twin coaxial digital inputs, a USB port for media playback and iPods, Zone 2 output, PC IN, component, composite, a Universal Port for Onkyo peripherals and of course the myriad connections for hooking up your surround speakers. An Ethernet port is included for accessing the many web features included here, and though Onkyo have an adapter planned in the pipeline, it's a shame the TX-NR609 doesn't ship with a wireless internet solution.

Set up is an incredibly simple affair thanks to the Audyssey 2EQ wizard. Plugging a supplied mic into the front of the unit that monitors a series of test tones, it intelligently weighs the volume and width of the sound image sent out from each speaker. You can of course tweak all manner of speaker distance, volume and panorama settings manually should you so desire, and a clean onscreen interface makes it a breeze to do so.

The connected capabilities here are incredible given the price tag. Chief among these is Spotify playback; those with a Premium account for the music streaming service will be able to check out all their playlists in a nicely presented user interface that includes artwork alongside "What's New" and "Starred track" tabs. If you've yet to sign up to the 10 million-strong song streaming catalogue, it should be your top priority if you purchase this receiver. Equally well presented are vTuner internet radio, Napster, Last.fm and DLNA-certified music streaming across your network, all accessible from a dedicated "Net" remote button.

If the range of web connected features wasn't enough to tickle your fancy, then audio quality certainly should. The TX-NR609 again performs marvellously here. THX Select2 Plus-certified, it has no problem decoding all manner of HD audio formats, also offering Dolby Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX processing. Twin subwoofer outputs (hence the 7.2 categorisation) allow for a surprisingly sharp bass response, backed by a healthy 120 watts available to each speaker. In practice, it lead to truly dynamic sound reproduction from our Star Trek test Blu-ray; thunderous explosions resonated ground shakingly in the opening battle scene, while the sounds of sparking circuitry and tinkering glass scattered around the room with great fidelity at all but the highest of volumes. That then would be our one concern; that signal/noise ratings don't quite seem to match those quoted in the specs by Onkyo, distorting noticeably along higher volume levels.

Though it doesn't have much of a practical application at this point, the receiver also supports Marvell Qdeo 4K video upscaling, four times the pixel pushing power of 1080p upscaling to a whopping 3840 x 2160. 4K displays currently cost a bomb and are specialist items, but it's nice to know this receiver is future-proofed, particularly considering that the likes of Toshiba have glasses-free 3D sets supporting the feature waiting in the wings.

Verdict:

The features-to-pricing ratio on the TX-NR609 could easily lead you to believe that Onkyo would had to have had cut corners somewhere on this receiver, but that's plainly not the case. From the rich, detailed sound of the 7 channel amp to the painless mic set-up and slick Spotify interface, it's a real winner. You'll be hard pressed to find a better receiver in the sub-£500 price bracket than this one.

Name: HD Theater 500 (Klipsch)

Type: 5.1 speaker set

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £499.99 from Klipsch

No matter what the brand or size, buyers of a flatscreen TV have to be ready for pretty woeful audio quality from nearly every set. This isn't necessarily a problem however, as ever-more-affordable home cinema speaker packages hit the market, making 5.1 surround sound far more accessible than it ever was. Klipsch's HD Theater 500 package sits at the top end of mid-priced speaker packages. As veterans of the silver screen cinema speaker scene, can Klipsch bring the Hollywood magic into living rooms too?

Comprised of four satellite speakers, a centre speaker and an active subwoofer, you've got nearly all you need to get a home cinema system set up straight out of the box, barring an AV receiver of course. For the most part, build quality on Klipsch's HD Theater 500 is very good; aimed at smaller rooms, the speakers are sensibly discrete. The surround satellites measure up at 6" x 3.6" x 3.85". the centre channel 3.6" x 9" x 3.85" and the subwoofer 13.9" x 12.5" x 12.5", each finished with a gloss matte finish and with removable grilles on the satellites that reveal the woofers and tweeters. Each had a solid weight to them, with smooth, well-finished casing. However, we were disappointed to find spring-clip wiring connections on the speakers, usually the reserve of cheaper all-in-one box 5.1 systems. They're fiddily and not as reliable as binding posts.

Wall-mounting the speakers shouldn't pose much of a problem, helped along by a collection of brackets in the box. In a nice touch, the speakers can be angled within a 40-degree cone, allowing you to fine tune the arc of the sound image.

On the rear of the 100-watt subwoofer you'll find a range of dials to tweak volume and crossover settings. Crossover range can be put between 80 and 160Hz, with something around the top end of that range best suited to the included satellites. A 150Hz subwoofer-to-satellite crossover seemed to be optimal during our testing. Line inputs, and switches to control flipping the phase 180 degrees are also housed on the back of the subwoofer.

Moving onto the satellites, each house a horn-loaded 0.75-inch aluminium tweeter and a 2.5-inch woofer, with the larger centre speaker using two 2.5-inch woofers either side of the tweeter.

We popped on the Star Trek Blu-ray to try out the Klispch HD Theater 500's movie performance in the film's particularly-testing opening scene, and came away very impressed. As explosions and alarms fire off all over the show, the speakers managed natural separation, with little notable join between the audio sources. Shattering glass and booming explosions felt measured and appropriate, with particular praise going to the subwoofer. While the satellites distorted slightly with the highest frequencies at louder volumes, the subwoofer massaged bass tones to a warm and satisfying degree, giving full-bodied sound that remained clear rather than grumbling. Also worht noting is the centre channel, which admirably pushed dialogue to the fore.

Playing back a range of CDs of many musical styles, covering everything from Lady Gaga to Metallica through to classical works by Verdi, all showed the Klipsch kit performing well, though we often again found the satellites making higher frequencies sound a little harsh.

Verdict:

They're not the cheapest speaker option, but you could do a lot worse than the Klipsch HD Theater 500 set. They'll easily provide smaller rooms with a significant cinematic audio upgrade over flatscreen TVs, pushing blockbuster sounds to your sofa. The spring clips may seem a little cheap, and there's the odd minor niggle with the satellites, but that subwoofer is a joy to listen to, with literally earth-shaking performance without compromising clarity.

Name: Consono 25 (Teufel)

Type: 5.1 speakers

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £179 direct from Teufel

With prices of all-in-one 5.1 home cinema receiver and speaker packages falling all the time, it's easier than ever to turn your living room into a mini-Odeon cinema. However, while the receivers in these boxes are often reasonably good, the speakers are usually as cheap and weak as they come. Those looking to upgrade their entry-level speakers may want to take a look at German audio specialist Teufel's new Consono 25 5.1 speakers.

The Consono 25 is comprised of five satellite speakers (four surround CS 25 FCRs and a single centre CS 35 C) and the US 5108/1 active subwoofer.

The floor or wall-mountable CS 25 FCR speakers are of average size (12.5 x 9 x 9.8 cm), each with a removable front grille and equipped with a dual 80 mm mid-range-driver and 19 mm tweeter construction. The longer CS 35 C speaker measures up at 20 x 9 x 9.8 cm and contains a 19mm high-range dome driver alongside two 80 mm diameter mid-range drivers. The subwoofer's dimensions are 42 x 24 x 36.5 cm and it's a heavy old thing at 12.80 kg. Each has a glossy black finish that should sit nicely in most living rooms, with a blue LED glowing when the sub is on, red when inactive. This is purely a speaker set, so do make sure you have an appropriate receiver and cabling before purchasing the Consono 25.

After initially connecting the speakers to the receiver, we were unimpressed. Balancing was all over the place, with the rear speakers far too dominant. We had to tweak our receiver settings in some unexpected ways to level out the soundscape, but once we'd done so the Consono 25 speakers were actually reasonably good. The 100 watts RMS power, 200-mm active woofer boomed out Inception's ominous soundtrack, with the dampening feet doing well to counteract rattling. Crank the volume up anywhere beyond the medium volume levels however and the satellites suffered a little, with voices lost in the central speaker. Still, keep in mind that these speakers are aimed at beginner's flats and not a cavernous cinema setting and the lower volume levels, in which the speakers perform best, should be more than adequate.

Movement between the surround speakers was also nicely spread out, once we'd given the set a fair bit of tweaking of course. We ran through a handful of matches of Modern Warfare 2 on the Xbox 360 online, and were pleased to be able to pinpoint enemy fire with great accuracy, just from the speaker placement.

While it's more than capable of providing a solid step up from most speakers found with all-in-one home cinema packages, the inconsistencies at higher volumes will leave a lot to be desired for more demanding audiophiles. However, providing you've already got a decent AV receiver, the Consono 25 set will ramp up a beginner's home-cinema set-up nicely, without breaking the bank.

3/5

If you've got a spare £1,700 lying around and are looking to beef up your flatscreen TV's wimpy audio capabilities, take a look at this latest home cinema set up from Jamo, the D500 THX Select 2.

Going up to £2299.99 for the pricier packages, Jamo offer a few different options for those looking to get that true silver-screen soundscape in their living rooms.

In terms of satellite speakers, you've two sets to choose from with Jamo. The 3-way D500 LCRs are best suited to left, centre and right channel set-ups if you're not fussy about having noises creep up on you from behind, while the D500 SUR with closed dipole design are optimised for the full surround set up.

Both are fully compatible with a whole host of audio formats, including Dolby True HD and DTS-HD for Blu-rays, as well as FLAC music playback. As the THX Select 2 moniker suggests, both are also fully THX certified, with a frequency response range of 80Hz - 20,000kHz.

Once you've sorted the surround channels, you then have a few subwoofer options too, with either the D600 SUB with 380mm woofer and 600w amp or closed-box SUB 650 with a 305mm woofer.

Available in black or white, the Jamo kit is up for grabs now.

If you're looking to give your tinny flatscreen TV speakers a boost, but can't afford to break the bank in the process, it might be worth having a look at the Logitech Z506 5.1 surround system.

Designed to connect with as many devices as possible, the Z506 will play nicely with a PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, iPod or a DVD player. Capable of creating a 3D stereo surround sound experience from a two channel audio source, the surround system blasts out 75 watts (RMS) of cinema-style audio, and includes a down-firing subwoofer.

"We designed the Logitech Surround Sound Speakers Z506 so you can set them up the way you want to in any room of your home," said Mark Schneider, vice president and general manager of Logitech's audio business unit. "The Logitech Z506 speakers can support nearly any home-entertainment configuration, letting you quickly connect to a game console using an RCA connection, a PC through its sound card, or a digital music player using the 3.5mm input. Now, getting engrossed in whatever entertainment you love is a snap."

A headphone jack is also included for those preferring to keep their noise a little more private, while the kit also has the ability to connect up and play back from two different audio sources simultaneously.

Best of all though is the price. Rolling out in August, the Z506 speaker system should cost no more than £79.99 when it hits the shops.

Onkyo have today announced the release of two brand-new networked receivers. Featuring THX Ultra2 Plus certification, the TX-NR5008 and TX-NR3008 will also be fully compatible with the incoming wave of 3D capable gear.

Both receivers feature eight HDMI v1.4a inputs, 1080p upscaling and ISF video calibration, as well as networked playback of FLAC, MP3, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, WMA, WMA Lossless, AAC, and LPCM files thanks to a rear-sided Ethernet port.

Both also have dual HDMI outputs for connecting up two HD displays, as well as the ability to set up multi-room set ups for stereo sources around the house.

Lossless Blu-ray codecs Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio are supported, as well as having 9.2 audio channels boosted by Audyssey DSX or Dolby Pro Logic Iiz.

The TX-NR3008 features a front sided USB port, while the TX-NR5008 has them front and back as well as a torodial transformer and 22,000uF power capacitors.

Out in August, the TX-NR3008 and TX-NR5008 will cost £1,700 and £2,400 respectively.

Name: HT-S3305 (Onkyo)

Type: 5.1 Home cinema package including 5 satellite speakers, passive subwoofer and HT-R380 A/V receiver

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £299.95 (Richer Sounds)

Onkyo's range of one-box home cinema kits have always paired good value for money with solid audio performance, often featuring the kind of functionality you'd only expect to find with much pricier gear. The Onkyo HT-S3305 home cinema set is no exception. Bundling in an A/V receiver, 5 satellite speakers and a subwoofer, and priced at just shy of £300, it'd give packages twice the price a run for their money.

First up, the receiver. It's a HT-R380, measuring in at a fairly sizeable 435 x 150 x 330 mm, so make sure you've checked you've room for it in your TV cabinet set-up or similar before you grab it. It's cased in a no-nonsense metal chassis with a black finish and features a clearly defined display for tweaking and calibrating the speakers, with a chunky volume dial on the front as well as a range of buttons for switching between audio sources and listening modes.

Connectivity options go beyond what you'd expect within this price bracket. Three HDMI inputs can be routed to one output, there are two optical-in ports and one coaxial-in, composite and analogue support as well as a headphone socket, Aux line-in, room for an FM antenna and Onkyo's Universal port for connecting a sold-separately iPod dock and daisy-chainable DAB+ module called the UP-DT1.

In terms of audio processing, the HT-R380 can handle bitstream formats that are once again usually the reserve of far more expensive receivers. There's support here for Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio, as well as multi-channel PCM sources and 2 channel expansion using Dolby Pro Logic II. Add to that a 32 bit-processing chip and Burr-Brown 192/24 DACs across all channels and you'll get some seriously impressive, jitter-free audio reproduction from this receiver.

It's also worth noting that the HT-S3305 is compatible with HDMI version 1.4a, the latest HDMI build that is fully compatible with 3D video and audio sources. Unfortunately I was unable to test the kit with a 3D source (3D TVs are just a little bit above my pay-bracket I'm afraid). While I can't speculate on the HT-S3305's performance here, at least Onkyo have made provisions for making it a long-term investment in what seems destined to become the future of home entertainment.

Next up are the 5 satellite speakers and passive subwoofer. The satellites are 8cm cone numbers with a max input power of 120 W, while the sub has a 16cm cone, bass reflex cabinet and a maximum input power of 130 W. They're well balanced (though the rear surround speakers needed a bit of a volume boost when the master volume was down low) and were able to draw out minute detail, especially from the high-definition lossless sources. Blu-ray playback of the Schwarzenegger classic "Total Recall" produced an explosive and resonant response from the subwoofer, while the iconic x-ray glass smashing scene had the sound of crisp tinkles of debris moving convincingly from the front to rear speakers.

The speakers have a black lacquered finish, but felt a little lightweight considering the clarity of sound that they produce. The subwoofer is a little boxy, with the black lacquer finish only on the front side, but has a solid wooden build overall. Keep in mind too that the HT-R380 receiver can be expanded to accommodate a 7.1 set-up too should you later want to boost your system.

Onkyo have also compiled a handful of DSP listening modes for getting the most out of music and game sources. Orchestra, unplugged and studio-mix settings highlight and isolate important frequencies for their respective musical situations, while there are settings optimised for console games in the RPG, action, sports and "Guitar Hero" rhythm genres. The game modes in particular were impressive, especially for picking out dialogue in intense action scenes, while the music game mode, which threw crowd cheers around the room, gave the impression that you were rocking out at Wembley.

Onkyo have done a good job of making the set-up process as painless as possible too. Each 5.1 speaker is discretely colour coded so that there are unlikely to be any mix-ups when connecting to the HT-R380 receiver, while each input is clearly labelled, with specially assigned HDMI slots for TV, Blu-ray/DVD and game console signals that correspond to dedicated buttons on the supplied remote control. It's pretty much fool-proof, and the inclusion of a clean on-screen menu overlay for HDMI sources makes fine-tuning the set-up as simple as it can be. The transparent on-screen menu has clear white fonts that are easy to read and navigate, and while it's a no-frills look, it gets the job done, fitting the myriad options into a simple system that doesn't require multiple levels of menu trawling.

For what you get at this price it's hard to find fault with the Onkyo HT-S3305 package. You could arguably complain that the subwoofer is a passive rather than active unit, but this wont be an issue for anyone other than those looking to upgrade from the bundled speakers in the future. Unless you live in a cavernous mansion the provided speakers and subwoofer will be more than capable of delivering a punchy and impressive sound anyway. I did also occasionally notice some garbled audio very low in the mix when the receiver was processing 5.1 from a 2.0 source, though never anything jarring enough to really dent my enjoyment of the system, and was likely a Dolby processing artefact beyond Onkyo's control..

The HT-R380 receiver bears a striking similarity to the TX-SR308 which is 300 quid on its own, which should give some indication towards the sort of bargain you're getting here. At under £300 the Onkyo HT-S3305 home cinema package is an absolute steal, massively improving on the audio capabilities of pretty much any flatscreen TV on the market without breaking the bank.

4/5

Onkyo have announced the launch of three new mid-range receivers. Compatible with new 3D TV technology, they don't scrimp on specs, nor do they do too much damage to your wallet either.

With full FLAC playback support, the TX-NR1008, TX-NR808, and TX-NR708 receivers are fully compatible with DolbyTrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio HD codecs, stamped with the THX seal of approval.

While each receiver has seven HDMI 1.4a ports and 1080p upscaling features, the TX-NR1008 offers a crazy 9.2 channels compared to the TX-NR808 and TX-NR708's still-impressive 7.2 channels.

There are plenty of extra function the receivers can carry out too. With an Ethernet port you can connect up to your home network through DLNA, and access services such as Napster, LastFM and vTuner. You'll also get to see any artwork that accompanies your iTunes collection too. The receivers support FLAC lossless, MP3, WMA, WMA lossless, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, and LPCM file types.

The TX-NR808 and TX-NR708 are both out in June, priced at £1000 and £800 respectively. The TX-NR1008 will follow in July, marked at £1300.

LG have just announced the launch of a brand new Blu-ray home cinema package, the HB965TZ. Slim enough to be discretely wall mounted, this 5.1 set still has enough punch to output 1110 watts of audio oomph.

With two HDMI inputs, audio expert Mark Levinson has lent his skills to the product to ensure the home cinema set "retains every detail of even the richest soundscapes", according to the LG press release.

The built-in LG Sound Gallery presets offer fine-tuned audio options for various playback situations, including Natural Plus, Game Equalizer, Night Mode, Clear Voice, Bass Blast, MP3 Up-Scaling and VSM Plus to ensure that you can choose the best sound for what you're watching.

Wirelessly connected to the web, the HB965TZ Blu-ray player also allows its owners to stream content from YouTube and web photo albums, as well as connecting to DLNA devices for mp3, image and video playback of files stored on your home network. The online options also open up the BD-Live features of your Blu-ray collection.

With a port to connect up to an iPod or iPhone for charging and media playback, the home cinema set can also connect to external hard-drives via a USB port and play HD-quality DivX and MKV files.

"LG's HB965TZ home cinema looks are designed to blend in and its features are designed to stand out," said Stephen Gater, Head of Marketing, Home Entertainment, LG UK. "Its possibilities are limitless with the ability to wirelessly connect to content on the internet or on a home network. It also has an integrated iDock for playing and charging your iPod or iPhone for even easier access to your complete digital library."

The HB965TZ Blu-ray home cinema package is out now.

Panasonic has launched its latest range of Home Theatre kit with which to tempt the pounds from your pockets. The SC-BT735, BT330, BT230 and BT222 home cinema kits are touted as having the most "realistic" cinema surround experience outside of your local multiplex.

This "realistic" experience is achieved by using a mixture of both real and virtual speakers to throw audio at the viewer from all manner of angles. PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus is standard across the entire range too, making for more accurate colour reproduction on screen.

The BT375 features "Pure Direct Sound" speakers at the front and "Advanced Bamboo" cone units for the front and surround speakers. There is also a slim-type speaker box included which "reduces unwanted reflection from the baffle and brings out high quality pure direct sound."

The SC-BT330, BT230 and BT222 also feature the Advanced Bamboo cone speakers as central speakers.

All kits except the BT222 are wireless ready for the rear speaker units, and feature DLNA capability, BD-Live, VieraCast and wireless LAN functionality. YouTube videos and Picasa photos can all be accessed through VieraCast.

Panasonic also announced its Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Cinema System. It will also feature Pure Direct Sound Speakers and will include Full HD 3D playback with 1920x1080 frame-sequential method, VieraCast, and BD-Live. It is expected to launch in the Autumn.

Pick up the BT375 here for £698 once it become available in the UK shortly.

When it comes to high specs (and high prices) Onkyo always deliver with their home cinema kit. This new range of THX-certified gear looks should get cinephiles slaivating as much per usual.

First up is the BD-SP807 Blu-ray player. The player can render detailed, sharp high-def images thanks to 287Mhz/12-bit video DAC from Analog Devices and Noise Shaped Video processing. Your old DVDs will also polish up a treat thanks to 10-bit processing from the onboard Anchor Bay ABT1030 chip. Audio looks to be solid too, with all audio channels benefiting from 182kHz/24-bit DACs, with bit stream output of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio Essential Soundtracks.

Next up is the PA-MC5500 THX Ultra 2-certified 9-channel amplifier. Designed with a focus on minimising interference, the 26 kg flagship model will deliver a massive 220w (into 6 ohms) and an SACD-friendly frequency response that hits 100kHz.

Last in the set of devices (optimised to together) is the PR-SC5507 THX Ultra 2-certified 9.2-channel A/V Network Controller. With seven HDMI, three component and six S-Video/composite inputs, it's a thorough networking solution, delivering studio-quality upscaled video streams and decoding and processing all major home cinema audio formats.

The PR-SC5507 A/V Network Controller is available now, priced £1800. The BD-SP807 and PA-MC5500 will be available in February and March respectively, with no pricing details available yet. But you can bet they'll be a pretty penny.

PS3 in one room and your HD TV in another? Fear not, for the Rocketfish WirelessHD adapter is here to foil your madcap plans to run HDMI cables through walls and up banisters!

Providing your two devices are no more than 33 ft apart and are HDMI compatible, connecting a Rocketfish WirelessHD adapter to each will let you wirelessly throw 1080p HD content around the house without the need for lengthy cabling. It's also totally compatible with 7.1 audio sources and screens with 120hz refresh rates.

Currently only available to US readers, at $599.99 (circa £365) it's one of the cheapest Wireless HD options we've yet seen.

Via: Engadget

Denon has announced the launch of its DVD-A1UD universal player that will happily play all of your optical disc media including Blu-ray, SACD, DVD-Audio/Video and CD, in supreme quality thanks to its built-in HQV technology.

Neither video nor audio quality has been overlooked, so this should be a unit that pleases many.

On the video side, features include REALTA high picture quality circuitry, digital noise reduction, 1080/24p, pixel image correction, support for Cinema Scope aspect ratios, and direct source playback.