Bestavreceiver.com

AV Receivers

Here are the following brands of AV receivers that are reviewed on this site.

Click on the links to see all the related posts for that manufacturer.

Denon:

The company was originally established by Frederick Whitney Horn in 1910 as part of “Nippon Chikuonki Shokai” (Japan Recorders Corporation), a manufacturer of single-sided disc records and gramophones. There followed a number of mergers and tie-ins over the next few decades as firstly the company merged with Japan-US Recorders Manufacturing in 1912 and then in 1928 the brand “Columbia” was introduced when the company became “Japan Columbia Recorders”. A further change of name occurred in 1946 when the company renamed itself “Nippon Columbia”.

The Denon brand was first established in 1947 when “Nippon Columbia” merged with “Japan Denki Onkyo”. “D&M Holdings Inc.” was created in May 2002 when Denon Ltd and Marantz Japan Inc. merged.

Today, the company is specializing in professional and consumer home cinema and audio equipment including A/V receivers, DVD players, tuners and wireless music systems. Denon is also known for high-end AV Receivers and Moving coil phono cartridges. Two M-series models, the Denon M31 and M30, have been the most successful radio hi-fi’s for the last 4 years. Since being released to the micro hifi DAB market, they have received several awards in Europe.

 

JVC

Victor Company of Japan, Limited (日本ビクター株式会社 Nippon Bikutā Kabushiki-gaisha?) (TYO: 6792), usually referred to as JVC, is an international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927. The company is best known for introducing Japan’s first televisions, and developing the VHS video recorder.

 

Onkyo

 Onkyo Corporation (オンキヨー株式会社 Onkyō Kabushiki-gaisha?) traditional Chinese: 安橋; pinyin: An Qiao; Cantonese: Ngon Kiu) (JASDAQ: 6729) is a Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer, specializing in home cinema and audio equipment including receivers, audio networking equipment and surround sound speakers.

The company started under the name of Osaka Denki Onkyo K.K in 1946. The current Onkyo Corporation umbrella includes the Integra and Integra Research divisions as well as the main Onkyo brand. At present, it is headed by Naoto Othsuki.

During the early phases of its history, Onkyo became a recognized brand in audio, loudspeakers and components. Through the 70’s, Onkyo receivers improved in reputation. By the 80’s the line included cassette tape decks, M-series amplification, turntables, and tuners like the 4040 and 8080. In 1993, Onkyo became one of the early major corporate entities in transforming its corporate management by following a “cash flow first” and “simple and speedy” philosophy. Concentrating on management reform allowed increased profitability for the entire Onkyo group.

 

Pioneer

Pioneer Corporation (パイオニア株式会社 Paio’nia Kabushiki-kaisha?) (TYO: 6773) is a multinational corporation that specializes in digital entertainment products, based in Tokyo, Japan. The company was founded in 1938 in Tokyo as a radio and speaker repair shop. Today, Pioneer is well-known for technology advancements in the consumer electronics industry.

Pioneer played a role in the development of interactive cable TV, the Laser Disc player, the first automotive Compact Disc player, the first detachable face car stereo, Supertuner technology, DVD and DVD recording, plasma display, and Organic LED display (OLED). The company works with optical disc and display technology and software products and is also a manufacturer. Sharp Corporation took a controlling stake in Pioneer in 2007.

On March 7, 2008, Pioneer Corp. announced that it will stop manufacturing its own plasma displays. The likely reason being that Pioneer has not been able to turn a profit from their current plasma displays, as well as struggled to compete with rivals, such as Matsushita Co., who have better output efficiency. Pioneer will, however, continue to make plasma televisions, and is in talks with Matsushita to buy their plasma display panels and add its own processing units and other Pioneer technology.

 

Sony

Sony Corporation (ソニー株式会社 Sonī Kabushiki kaisha?) is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world’s largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding US$88.7 billion (as of 2008).

Sony is one of the leading manufacturers of electronics, video, communications, video game consoles and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Its name is derived from Sonus, the Greek goddess of sound.

Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit and the parent company of the Sony Group, which is engaged in business through its five operating segments—electronics, games, entertainment (motion pictures and music), financial services and other.

These make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony’s principal business operations include Sony Corporation (Sony Electronics in the U.S.), Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Sony Ericsson and Sony Financial Holdings. As a semiconductor maker, Sony is among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders. The company’s slogan is Sony. Like no other.

 

Yamaha

Yamaha was established in 1887 as a piano and reed organ manufacturer by Torakusu Yamaha as Nippon Gakki Company, Limited (日本楽器製造株式会社 Nippon Gakki Seizō Kabushiki Gaisha?) in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka prefecture, and was incorporated on October 12, 1897. The company’s origins as a musical instrument manufacturer is still reflected today in the group’s logo — a trio of interlocking tuning forks.

After World War II, company president Genichi Kawakami repurposed the remains of the company’s war-time production machinery and the company’s expertise in metallurgical technologies to the manufacture of motorcycles. The YA-1 (aka Akatombo, the “Green Buzzard”), of which 125 were built in the first year of production (1958), was named in honor of the founder. It was a 125cc, single cylinder, two-stroke, streetbike patterned after the German DKW RT125 (which the British munitions firm, BSA, had also copied in the post-war era and manufactured as the Bantam and Harley-Davidson as the Hummer). In 1959, the success of the YA-1 resulted in the founding of the Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

Yamaha has grown to become the world’s largest manufacturer of musical instruments (including Pianos,”silent” pianos, drums, guitars, woodwinds, violins, violas, celli, and vibraphones), as well as a leading manufacturer of semiconductors, Audio/Visual, computer related products, sporting goods, home appliances and furniture, specialty metals, machine tools, and Industrial robots.