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Panasonic gearing up for re-entry into the receiver market?
If the appearance of Panasonic's SA-BX500 AV receiver had you scratching your head, you're not alone -- we were doing pretty much the same here at EHD. Panny dropped the Technics name for CE gear seven years ago, and since that time we've seen Panasonic move its audio offerings to the HTIB and mini-system markets. But according to the linked article, Panasonic feels that a return to the receiver game is "long overdue," and we agree. A quick look at the specs on the SA-BX500 shows that a CE giant like Panasonic can combine support for the latest technologies with economies of scale that keep things affordable -- if picture and audio quality can keep up with the likes of Denon, Onkyo and Yamaha, we'd welcome Panasonic's return to the fold.
Panasonic introduces SA-BX500 AV receiver
Panasonic is using this week's CEDIA show to debut its new AV receiver, the SA-BX500, and even though we doubt the nameplate will get much attention from the audiophile crowd, this unit does have a bit of audio-geekery with its bi-amplification/bi-wiring feature. Other stuff that will appeal to a wider audience includes 7x130-Watt amplification, HDMI connectivity (3 inputs, 1 output) that's ready for your 1080p content, HDMI-CEC in VIERA Link form, support for Dobly TrueHD and DTS-HD MA, and the ability to simulate 7.1-channels of surround in 5.1-channel systems, so you can hear what you're not missing. Available in October for $799, but you can grab a peek at the front and back right now. %Gallery-31128%
