2024 A busy year for sound lovers at Sonxplus!
It's well known that autumn and winter are the seasons for cocooning, when most people hibernate at home. There are outdoor enthusiasts, of course, but climate change sometimes forces us to stay cozy and warm at home.
Why get bored?
For great evenings out, opt for a good meal, a little glass of whatever you like best, and finish it all off with a film or careful listening to what modern audio equipment has to offer.
The watchwords: relaxation, respite from busy days, and escape!
We offer you a short list of audio products available at your Sonxplus. These products will be useful for making your home sound like never before.
Before you start.
We'd like to share two top-performing online music services with you. All service providers claim to offer high fidelity, let's just say it's relative!
As we explained in a previous blog, the secret lies in the transmission of music data called "lossless", i.e. without compression. The methods actually offering this are called "FLAC" and "DSD".
The two services currently offering lossless music via Flac are Deezer and Qobuz. The others are far from guaranteed...
Deezer offers the minimum in terms of lossless quality, and is offered as an integral part of most network players and receivers on the market.
As far as Qobuz is concerned, we're in a different league here, as the service offers a majority of musical material in "Hirez" for a quality similar to master tapes in studios!
Stop by and listen to the comparison in-store, and you won't want anything else, especially for less than $15 a month, the same price as the less efficient services. The only hitch is that Qobuz is available in fewer North American devices, because it's too new to our market. Of course, you can cast or stream via Chromecast, but there's a loss compared to an integrated service. Two manufacturers are offering Qobuz in their products at Sonxplus: Cambridge Audio and Sonos, with others to follow.
Our cinema receivers
Yamaha RXV4: Basic model.
The RXV4 offers 5.2 sound for complete cinema listening.
This model, introduced in 2020, remains a safe bet, although the absence of a physical button on the front makes it less user-friendly.
With 80 watts over 5 amplified channels aided by 1 or 2 subwoofers, it'll get the job done. Its 4 HDMI inputs and the possibility of installing Yamaha Musicast wireless speakers make it easy and practical to use.
Denon AVR-X1800: A home run from Denon!
This is excellent value for money, as this model is packed with features for only $999.
The AVR-X1800 offers 7.2 channels with the option of Dolby Atmos sound reinforcement. You can assign a stereo output to a second amplified zone for sound from another room or ceiling speakers. The Audyssey system allows perfect calibration of your home theater with the help of an easy-to-follow, self-explanatory TV interface.
- 7 times 80 watts
Yamaha RXA4: A little further, a little higher!
The RXA4 offers an increased power output of 7 times 110 Watts RMS. Versatile, it offers 7 HDMI™ inputs/3 outputs in 8 K/60 Hz, 4K/120Hz and HDR10+ for transferring maximum visual performance to your TV.
For Dolby Atmos, a pitch virtualizer simulates sound at height, while for online music listening, Yamaha's Musicast system lets you listen to radio from all over the world!
The RXA4 is a massive unit with a five-point suspension system for enhanced stability. The "H Cross" chassis makes it even more rigid, so that room vibrations don't interfere with rendering.
The software components are first-rate, including a Sabre ES9007S chip for cinema audio decoding and management via Qualcomm QCS407. 4-year warranty.
Anthem MRX 740 8K: Nec's finest made in Canada!
11.2-channel preamplified output, 7-channel amplified A/V receiver with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and IMAX "Enhanced". Continuous power of 140 watts per channel at 8 ohms. Includes ARC (computer-assisted room correction). HDMI 2.1, HDCP 2.3 supporting 8K/60 Hz or 4 K/120 H.
Everything is superior in terms of presentation, from the stainless steel calibration microphone to the exclusive red circuit boards! A fine, fine Canadian product.
You can configure your amplified outputs as you wish, such as assigning a second zone or requesting biamplification for listening via very high-end speakers, because although Anthem's MRX series is dedicated to home theater, the components are of a nature to support true HIGH FIDELITY, which few manufacturers offer.
A word about the ARC Genesis integrated software.
ARC Genesis is the latest software that works with many ARC-compatible Anthem and Paradigm products. New features include Mac and Windows support; new target curve adjustment options, including deep bass and high frequencies; an improved algorithm and much more.
ARC Genesis is backwards compatible with many Anthem and Paradigm products that are ARC or PBK (Paradigm subwoofer calibration) compatible. This third generation of Anthem Room Correction software represents a significant leap forward in room correction, with the most comprehensive feature set to date. ARC Genesis transforms the audio performance of compatible loudspeakers or electronic devices while preserving the unique character of any room. This software completely neutralizes counter-effects in your listening room. We'll be happy to demonstrate it in store for you!
Our stereo receivers
Denon PMA-600NE: Small but versatile
The PMA-600 offers quality and power at a very good price.
- 90 watts RMS.
- Phono input for record player.
- Bluetooth reception.
- Digital decoder supporting 192 Kz at 24 bit depth. (Hires)
- Power transformer with two outputs, power supply and control.
Yamaha RN1000: An audiophile network receiver/player combo.
Yamaha embraces modernity with this amplifier for a musical space of pure bliss! The R-N1000A uses a SABRE ES9080Q 384 kHz/32-bit DAC chip (from ESS) to deliver superior performance in terms of signal-to-noise ratio. The higher the cadence (384Khz), the more easily and smoothly the dynamic rendering is expressed.
Yes! The RN1000 integrates Qobuz, which we mentioned at the outset, even though Yamaha doesn't offer Qobuz with all its products. Qobuz integration is a guarantee of serious "audiophilia", hence our recommendation of this model in particular.
- Wifi
- Bluetooth
- 200 Watts RMS with peaks of 580 Watts Peak.
- Low distortion 0.07
- HDMI ARC
- Absolute frequency response 10 Hz-100 kHz 0 ±1.0 dB
- Phono and sub out.
Our Paradigm loudspeakers
Paradigm is a Canadian company founded by Scott Bagby 41 years ago. The brand's reputation is worldwide.
3 series are available:
Founder series
The Founder series is the brand's latest offering. The hand-assembled components are beyond reproach, the angular shape of the boxes is fascinating, and the sound is unapologetically close to perfection.
There's even a hybrid model incorporating 1000 Watts of amplification, which you can calibrate at home using ARC software. We can write a volume on these soundboxes, simply drop in and listen to them.
Monitor series
Affordable, this series is for the serious enthusiast looking for fair, artifact-free sound with solid bass and crisp, accurate highs.
Premier series
The Premier series has been designed through extensive scientific research. This scientific approach is Paradigm's pride and joy, as we are not guided by the sound preferences of craftsmen, but by the results obtained in test chambers and computerized comparisons. A future article will explain the ins and outs of this approach...
SONOS: Wireless multi-room solution
Come and see us at Sonxplus, where a large part of the store is dedicated to Sonos products offering wireless connectivity for your soundbars, surround-sound and stereo speakers. A stand-alone amplifier can be used as a source for a speaker system in your ceiling or outdoors.
So here's our first blog of 2024, a year we hope will be a pleasant one. For sure, if we put some music in comfort at home, we'll have the best of luck having a good one!
So, happy new year and...
Stay tuned!
Sonxplus offers you a choice of all the top brands.
Need more information? Our advisors are equipped to answer your questions and guide you, according to your needs.