Sony STR-DN1030
If you're giving the gift of great sound, you need to include an AV receiver. The Sony STR-DN1030 is the only AV receiver at this price to feature built-in Wi-Fi, AirPlay, and Bluetooth, making it easy to wirelessly stream music from most tablets and smartphones.
The good: The Sony STR-DN1030 is the only midrange receiver with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Its networking features also include built-in AirPlay, plus plus support for DLNA, Pandora, and Slacker. And the STR-DN1030's sound quality is excellent.
The bad: The STR-DN1030's five HDMI inputs are fewer than many competitors have. The user interface is particularly bad and makes it frustrating to use some of the streaming music services. And the STR-DN1030's multiroom functionality is very limited.
The bottom line: The Sony STR-DN1030 is the only midrange AV receiver with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, making it one of best receiver values this year.
October 31, 2012 9:12 PM PDT
Photo by: Sarah Tew/CNET
