Sony's BDV-E880, costs merely £400 and comprises a 5.1 Blu-ray home theatre system with 3D support and Sony's Bravia Internet Video Smart TV platform.

Inside the box you find a pair of 25cm-tall surround speakers, a long skinny centre-channel cabinet and two alarmingly large tower speakers for the front left and right. They dominated my cabinet-mounted 40-inch TV, so owners of smaller screens take note.

A downward-firing subwoofer, a connectable iPod dock and the main unit complete the lineup. The latter is a real design hit, with a sloping top panel and illuminated transport controls. It doesn't weigh much, but build quality seems solid.

The back of the player/amp features two HDMI inputs, ARC-capable output, LAN port, digital and analogue audio inputs and jacks for the FM antenna and dinky mic that Sony provides to assist speaker setup. Wireless 'net connection is possible via the front-mounted USB port, but requires the purchase of an adaptor. My tests were done wired.

Clunky start

I ran into a few problems with the BDV-E880 when running a set-top box through it, as none of the audio options are viewable on screen when you're using the HDMI inputs. You have to use the main unit's front display and the unintuitive handset. But once I managed to get the system to output TV material in pure stereo sound, the audio from the gangly towers and the subwoofer proved adequate for telly addicts.

The performance boost over a contemporary flatscreen is immediately obvious, with the sub adding a decent low-end to the clean dialogue presentation. However, the sound lacks the warmth and body you get from separate home cinema speakers, and quality begins to suffer as you ramp up the volume.

Moving from TV material to a BD makes operation far easier, as tweaks can then be done on the BDV-E880's screen. You can experiment with a variety of modes such as Hall, Night, Omni-Dir, and Sports. There's also a 3D Surround option for when you're watching 3D Blu-rays.

With the DTS-HD Master Audio mix of Sucker Punch, the surround speakers show their strengths, filling out the soundfield with high-frequency effects and matching the tonality of the tallboy fronts. But it is still very treble-heavy, and watching the movie's bombastic fight scenes became quite tiring on the ears.

The sub, meanwhile, could do with tightening up and going louder, too. All these niggles result in a very average audio performance at best.

The BDV-E880's video performance is worthy of more praise, with BDs (both 2D and 3D) coming across with typical sharpness and colour vibrancy.

Nor can I find fault with the system's net functions. Bravia Internet Video is paradise for VOD lovers, with worthy services such as Moshcam (live music concerts) and Qriocity alongside the stalwarts of LOVEFiLM, BBC iPlayer and YouTube.

Underwhelming

Overall, the BDV-E880 is somewhat unsatisfying. Stylistically, it's certainly one of the best home cinema options around, and the range of features on offer (bar the lack of built-in Wi-Fi ) will turn any living room into a Smart environment.

However, you could as easily get all those goodies from one of Sony's affordable standalone Blu-ray players, and pair it with a superior amp/speaker combo.

Reviewed here are the MilleniaOne 5.0 speakers and MilleniaSub products from Canadian brand Paradigm, sold as a money-no-object design, yet promoted as still costing way less than equivalent products for the level of technology.

That said, the two and a half grand asking price is not peanuts. The MilleniaSub is priced so highly due to the sheer amount of cunning design that has gone into what is one of the most compact subwoofers around. It aims to offer a proper slice of lows from a truly unobtrusive unit.

Cute quintet

First, though, let's look at the five speakers and their stands. The ovoid cabinets are rear-ported and can be fitted to a cast bracket so the speaker stands either upright (for the front and rear surrounds) or on its side as a centre enclosure.

You can use a decent size conductor speaker cable, as the squeeze posts open up a few millimetres, but the cable has to be of skinny insulation and without any plugs on the end, to enable threading your cables up through the stands.

The subwoofer has just three sockets underneath it. One is the mains, one the single phono input and one is a small USB. This can be used to take instructions from Paradigm's DSP system, called the PBK or Perfect Bass Kit.

It's shrouded in a 5mm thick aluminium extrusion and weighs a good bit. The foot system can go underneath it or on its flank, so you can mount this overgrown iPod-looking thing all sorts of ways, like under a sofa.

There are three knobs above the snazzy illuminated logo for gain adjustment, variable phase and crossover. I played some music with a nugget of prejudice in my heart that I was about to be underwhelmed by some titchy enclosures and a poncy designer product with no heart.

But my preconceptions came crashing down about my ears, for the Paradigm chaps have cleverly squeezed a quart into a pint pot.

Mini marvel

First off, the tweeters in the small MilleniaOne boxes are no compromise. They're as sexy as if they had been in a full-size enclosure – the same 1-inch satin-anodised Aluminium dome S-PAL used elsewhere in this Reference line.

The Ferrite on the back of the piston below this tweeter is as big as the cone assembly itself, and the box has an internal port tube that is gas flowed-flared at the end inside. Acoustic miniaturisation at work!

Meanwhile, the drivers in the squashed-flat subwoofer are like sawn-off shotguns, truncated in design and with motor structures reconfigured to work in the space and a diaphragm to cope with it all on the front of each bipolar driver.

Blade Runner on Blu-ray, with its delicious new mastering, was delivered without compromise by the Paradigms, although the system was limited in sheer scale compared to my resident B&W 800 series. The sound was rich and detailed, with that synergy you get when all the surrounding channels are served by an identical enclosure.

The satellites' Mica-loaded 4-inch cones cope easily with amazing amounts of travel and sound creation. I used the same satellites to test the Velodyne 1,200W sub and while the latter was much harder to hide than the MilleniaSub, it did reveal that the MilleniaOnes can really cut the mustard, melding with a massive increase in the bass and making the whole system sound really large. So two or more MilleniaSubs would work well.

Easy with music and hard-hitting on explosions from the sub, this is a real option for space-strapped fans of cinema sound.

The price tag, of course, will fend off all but the most well-heeled customers, but your ears will know the difference between the Millenia package and the cheaper competition.

Panasonic's SC-BTT775 is a multi-talented home cinema beast, offering 3D Blu-ray playback, HDMI switching, a smattering of Smart TV services and a complete 5.1 surround sound system with the option to add extra wireless surround back speakers.

Like the subwoofer, the cylindrical tallboy speakers feel solid enough, but attaching them to their stands is a bit of a faff. Nor is the end result that appealing - they have a tendency to wobble.

While the system is no catwalk queen, at least the menu has a contemporary look with icons that pulse when selected.

Colour-coded speaker plugs make set up simple. CGI movies often have the most inventive soundtracks and provide ideal workouts for surround sound systems, and the Monsters Vs Aliens 3D Blu-ray has several scenes that prove how adept the SC-BTT775 is in the audio department.

At the start of the scene where Susan is chased through downtown San Francisco, a piece of paper blows across the screen from front right to rear left, breaking the silence. It's a visual 3D trick, but its movement is enhanced by the journey of the fluttering sounds across the soundscape.

Then, as you hear the thumping strides of a giant robot, the room starts to vibrate as the sub/sat combo gradually wells up. But everything is nicely controlled, as Susan's breath can still be clearly heard through the centre channel.

Furthermore, the clunk of a lamp post hitting the ground is bombastic enough to startle you, and the cooing of pigeons can clearly be heard from the rears. However, as Susan approaches Golden Gate Bridge and the orchestration of the music starts to dominate, it becomes less clear where sounds are coming from and the system feels a little overwhelmed. I opted to turn it down.

Fantastic Four's DTS-HD Master soundtrack lacks the sonic craft of Monsters Vs Aliens, but still comes through with gusto. Dialogue such as Ben's self-pitying muttering on the Brooklyn Bridge is pin-sharp, but at higher volume the centre channel starts to sound a tad harsh. And as the crash scene unfolds, you realise how the system's beanpole speakers don't quite have the welly to cope with cacophonous sounds.

The sub fares better – with Avatar's DTS-HD Master soundtrack the opening shot of the space ship is given tremendous impact by the thunderous rumble of its engines.

One of the BTT775's many claimed talents is Cinema Surround Plus, which aims to deliver a 22-channel effect via a lot of virtual height and width tomfoolery. The results are noticeable, with certain material, but whether it really adds to the audio experience is debatable. AV purists will choose to avoid it.

Tech Labs

Power consumption: Watts
Idle: 32 Watts
Playing: 95 Watts

Loading: Boot/Java
Boot speed & tray eject: 11 seconds
Disc loading and Java: 50 seconds

Classy visuals

All of these discs are complemented by superb visuals. The BTT775's player matches standalone decks in serving up some first-class images, with outstanding clarity, colour fidelity and contrast. Even the built-in upscaler makes a decent fist of turning standard-def DVDs into highly watchable pseudo-HD ones, although what classics such as The Long Good Friday gain in resolution they lose in some softness.

In general, 3D playback is excellent but 2D to 3D conversion is only partially successful. Early on in Avatar when Sully emerges from his long sleep, the hangar stretches far into the distance and can look amazing on a good 3D deck. Here, when converted from 2D it does look convincing, but can't match the real deal for impact. Similarly, the floating insects in the Na'vi jungle don't ping out like they should.

That said, it's a better 3D experience than Sky's 3D broadcast. When watching 3D you can play with the depth setting and impose a vignette of varying thickness and colour. This softens the edges and reduces eye strain, but can distract from the picture itself, particularly if you select red, blue or grey for the border. Moreover, it doesn't work with letterbox movies.

The BTT775's multimedia potential is a bit underwhelming. Unlike Panasonic's new TVs which feature the improved VieraConnect service, this all-in-one system carries the first-gen VieraCast service. This includes YouTube, Twitter, Skype and Acetrax, but sorely lacks iPlayer. And, despite DLNA capability, I was unable to get the BTT775 to talk with my Windows 7 laptop, nor would its iPod player recognise my iPod Touch, which is listed as being compatible.

Overall, the SC-BTT775 is a decent starter system for the fledgling home cinema fan. It does well visually and is no slouch sonically – but the build quality and vintage online portal disappoint.

In previous reviews, I have extolled the virtues of the impressive Kaleidescape networked AV system.

Although highly expensive and intended for professional installation (bar the one-box Mini, since renamed the Cinema One), there's nothing to beat its smoothly presented and intuitive method of selecting DVDs and CDs for playback. And now Kaleidescape has added Blu-ray to the mix...

With the exception of the Mini/Cinema One, a Kaleidescape system consists of two types of component. The first is a powerful media server, located in an equipment room or basement, that contains a number of high-capacity hard drives.

Your movies and music are copied bit-by-bit and stored on these during the importation process, and RAID-K technology minimises the chance of losing anything in the event of a drive fault. One or more players are connected via the network, located in the rooms where playback is required.

Everything is built from high-end hardware, and has the same levels of performance that can be expected from top-flight AV gear.

Kaleidescape has two new players that offer Blu-ray compatibility, the compact M300 and the M500 tested here. The latter includes an in-built Blu-ray/CD/DVD drive for direct playback and importation. Although the importation service offered by Kaleidescape dealers now caters for Blu-rays as well as CDs and DVDs, it is advised to have at least one M500 so that you can easily import new discs into your system as and when they are acquired.

And servers? All existing and current models will work, but the newer ones boast the capacities needed to accommodate a decent collection of Blu-ray content.

There are two types of server. One, which is 1 rack-mount unit ('1U') high, contains four cartridge-loaded 2TB drives and can accommodate up to 900 DVDs, 150 Blu-rays, approximately 10,000 CDs or a mix of the three. The higher-spec model is 3U high and its 14 cartridges basically quadruple the storage capacity of the 1U server.

The 3U model's fourteenth cartridge is a 'hot spare', provided for extra protection. If even greater capacity is required, multiple servers can be used.

For Blu-ray playback, a third component becomes necessary. This 100-disc Blu-ray carousel, referred to by Kaleidescape as a Modular Disc Vault, is the key to how the company has managed to placate the studios.

Any Blu-ray disc that has been imported onto the server has to subsequently be loaded into this vault, which is connected to one of the players via a USB. You cannot play a previously imported Blu-ray if the physical disc is not present – its entry in the various movie lists is greyed out. Mercifully, there's no clunking from the vault when a Blu-ray is selected for playback; indeed, the only time there's any vault activity is when the disc is loaded (or being imported). And it's perhaps just as well that it's so quiet.

As the vault is connected to one of the players – rather than the server – it will, by definition, be located in one of the rooms where movies and CDs are required. Unfortunately, the vault is rather ugly sporting a black trunk with a blue LED display.

Stylewise, the vault couldn't be more at odds with the sleek-looking Kaleidescape player if it tried. It needs to be tucked away out of sight, for it is almost guaranteed to clash with the plush furnishings of the room in which this sort of system will be installed. Kaleidescape acknowledges this, explaining that the vault was essentially a bought-in solution intended to speed up the readying of its systems for Blu-ray.

Work is also underway on a combined M300-class player and 320-disc carousel, which could be on sale later this year. This 'Integrated Disc Vault' will be a whopping 5U high. That may cause problems for those upgrading older systems based around the KPLAYER-6000, especially if custom cabinets are involved.

Kaleidescape suggests installing one Integrated Disc Vault in the equipment room alongside the servers. Fair enough, but this does mean that you're wasting a player! As far as I'm concerned, it's a pity that Kaleidescape didn't consider a rack-mounted vault that interfaces with the rest of the system via Ethernet. Under normal circumstances, after all, little data traffic is involved.

Having said that, the current vault can also be used to import Blu-rays en masse. The forthcoming Integrated Disc Vault will import DVDs and CDs too.

Performance

With my demo system plumbed in, importing a recent Blu-ray (Toy Story 3) took just under an hour. DVDs are, however, much quicker and you can watch previously imported media while the task proceeds.

Your system must have a valid internet connection, otherwise the unique Kaleidescape metadata cannot be obtained. In addition to cover art, this includes information about the movie or CD. For some concert Blu-rays, the tracklists even include material that was included in one of the special features rather than the movie itself.

On the subject of music, I discovered a useful feature when configuring the system for 1080p24 via its web interface. A program stored on the server, known as 'Conductor', will export your Kaleidescape music collection into iTunes so that it can be experienced on an iPod.

Not got an iPod? The albums are placed on your computer's hard disk in a series of folders. Three quality levels are available, but none of them is an uncompressed (PCM) option. A pity, considering that CDs are held on the servers in this raw form.

But the main reason for taking the Kaleidescape route is the sheer ease with which it will allow you to enjoy your movie and music collections.

Shown onscreen is a carousel of covers, which you can whizz around via the backlit handset. An alternative is the category list (one is dedicated to Blu-ray). The system will even shuffle covers, so that titles similar to what you've just played are more visible. And although Kaleidescape will jump to a feature film – thereby skipping trailers and so on, you can still access the disc menu and explore special features.

Performance is of the same standard as a high-end Blu-ray player. That means sheer visual involvement, especially from BD discs. An expansive depth, razor-sharp detail, complete freedom from streaming 'glitches' and unquestionable colour fidelity characterise what you'll see on a display of appropriate pedigree.

They're accompanied by faithfully excavated soundtracks; naturally, HD audio is supported via HDMI. Upscaled DVDs are also deftly handled, but those with the highest-quality displays or top-notch scalers might want to experiment with the native (480i/576i) options that the Kaleidescape's web-driven configurator gives you for standard-definition content.

Independent output modes for HD and SD content? An excellent idea, and one that should be adopted by other manufacturers.

Successful step

To sum up, Kaleidescape has successfully brought its superb system into the Blu-ray era. I do have reservations, though. Not only about where the vault is located, but its 100-disc limit (dedicated movie fans could easily have more than 100 BDs) and the lack of 3D Blu-ray support.

The forthcoming Integrated Disc Vault will remedy the former, but will it also take Kaleidescape owners into the next dimension?

Samsung's top-of-the-line home cinema system is frothy, feature-rich and just a bit mad. Opening the box reveals a veritable forest of shiny black plastic.

The HT-D6750W package comprises two slim tallboy (1.3m) stereo front speakers which bolt together in the middle, and a pair of similar tallboy rears. They're joined by a small horizontal centre and a large (but light) subwoofer, which uses a 6.5-inch woofer and 10-inch passive radiator.

Samsung bills this as a 7.1 channel system, but there are no extra enclosures. Instead the main stereo loudspeakers each sport a separately driven, swivelling frog eye, which aims at the ceiling (or thereabouts). That counts, apparently.

Core components

At the heart of the shebang is a digital amp with integrated 3D Blu-ray player, two-in, one-out HDMI functionality and Smart Hub connectivity. For those who don't have a wired network connection handy, Wi-Fi is built-in.

One extra nicety is that the rears are wireless. That's to say you don't need to run speaker cable from the main amp. Instead there's a module, the SWA-5000, which receives a wireless feed (dual band 2.4/5.8GHz) from a transmitter plugged into the back of the main unit.

The 3D Blu-ray component of this system is clearly a derivation of the brand's standalone models. Video quality is high and functions broad.

Samsung proudly declares the power output of its digital amplifier to be 1300W. Given that it only draws 70W at the mains, this is obvious bunkum. I suspect it's more likely to be around 25-30W per channel. This is plenty for a smaller room; during my audition I never felt the system lacked volume, only dynamics.

So what of the HT670's 7.1 billing? Well, this is not a 7.1 system in the traditional AV sense, but Samsung's engineers maintain the HT-D6750W takes advantage of DTS' speaker remapping function, which uses 'sophisticated algorithms to electronically reposition speakers in the living room' if they don't match the placement used during recording.

But, if you think you can take a panned rear sound effect, throw it from a front height driver and get the same listening experience, you're simply delusional. Playing Rush Hour 3, a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix, there was simply no correlation between what came out of the back of a conventional 7.1 system and this front-weighted simulacrum.

However, rear back/front height speakers aside, the system does a spirited job panning 5.1 multichannel audio to and fro. The audiovisual excitement of TRON: Legacy (3D Blu-ray) is not lost here.

Without a doubt, the star of this particular show is the 50Hz Super Tweeter, which delivers a crispness and clarity that lifts this entire system above the purely mundane.

There are caveats of course. Voice matching is a little rough, while timbre across the L/C/R is compromised because the centre speaker doesn't sound the same as the tallboys. It lacks that splendid tweeter, and consequently sounds comparatively dull.

Power consumption (Watts):

Idle: 20W
Playing: 70W

Disc loading (Boot/Java):

Boot speed: 10 seconds
Tray in to main BD menu: 46 seconds

Good value

While I contest the value of this system's bonus height drivers, I do think that overall Samsung's HT-D6750W is rather good fun.

The functionality it offers is exceptional, ticking every must-have feature box, and overall can be considered a good value option if you're not interested in a larger separates-based home cinema system. Just don't tell me it's 7.1.

The Harman group cuts quite a dash. With such brands as Infinity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson on the books, it knows its way around the higher end of the home entertainment market. But equally, it's not a brand that's synonymous with innovation.

Solid, well-engineered products are the name of its game. In fact, if Harman/Kardon was a meal, it would be a plump Porterhouse steak, to which peppercorn sauce would be added as an optional extra.

Appropriate then that the BDS800 all-in-one system is nothing if not tasty looking, and comprises a combi Blu-ray player/receiver (the BDS550) coupled with a stylish sub/ sat 5.1 speaker system.

The package sits atop a range of new BDS all-in-one HTIBs sold by the brand. H/K rates the BDS5's digital amp at 65W per channel with all channels driven into 6Ω, which matches the stereo measurement recorded by our Tech Labs.

The player/receiver is a sizable, weighty beast. With a metal top plate and rounded corners it's clearly a statement product. Instead of a tray, there's a slot-loading Blu-ray drive, while on the lower lip of the fascia is a USB input. The volume knob increments in satisfying clicks and is framed by a circular backlight. This becomes a little intrusive when watching a movie, but can be switched off in the menu settings if you opt to turn down the brightness of the display.

Similarly, the bundled HKTS 60 speaker package doesn't skimp on cosmetics. The satellite speakers are reassuringly heavy at 1.5kg, with a piano-black finish and glinting branding. The grilles are not user removable, but you can clearly see the dual 75mm flat-panel drivers and 19mm tweeter beneath.

Providing mid-bass is a sealed enclosure subwoofer with 200W power plant. This neat, nicely finished sub stands tall on blunted feet and has a downward firing 8-inch driver. On its rear are the usual controls, including volume, phase and bass-boost.

For all its contemporary élan, the BDS800's feature specification is a tad conventional. Ethernet is provided purely to support BD Live functions (aka that Blu-ray disc feature that no-one uses). It does not enable the unit to go online for firmware updates, stream media files across a network or provide a gateway to internet radio services.

There's no DAB – instead we get FM radio – and 3D is not supported. Now if you were buying a Blu-ray system today, wouldn't you want 3D? Harman Kardon seems to think not.

While there are no networking functions, the unit's local file support is good. The front-mounted USB reader supports a wide range of video and audio files. My test suite of MP3, AAC, WMA and WAV samples all played fine, although FLAC and OGG were passed over.

Video support covers AVI, MOV and MKV (although I had only a partial success rate with Matroska, depending what was within the wrapper). SRT subtitles are also supported.

A refined performance

Blu-ray disc loading speeds are good, but not brilliant. Lou Reed's Berlin (Artificial Eye) went from disc loading to menu screen in 31 seconds; the remastered Goldfinger (Fox Home Entertainment) served up the 007 logo in 56 seconds. This compares to 30 and 46 seconds respectively on the sprightly Sony BDP-S570.

Harman Kardon BDS800 test dataPower consumption (Watts):

Idle: 26W

Drops to 1W when left in standby mode

Playing: 50W

This averaged figure shows how much juice the HK will draw when watching a movie

Loading (Boot/Java):

Boot speed and disc eject: 12 seconds
Disc in to main BD menu: 70 seconds

Not the quickest with our test Blu-ray

High definition image quality is perfectly acceptable, although the lack of a 1080p24 video option will, no doubt, rule the machine out of the running for serious AV enthusiasts.

As a hi-fi proposition (CD only, Super Audio CDs are not recognised) it has both strengths and weaknesses. The BDS550 is tuned for mid-range/vocal clarity. So while the pop punk of (early) My Chemical Romance sounds like a riot in a biscuit tin factory, the lilting MOR of Emi Fujita is more engaging and her breathy, closely mic'd vocals sound deliciously intimate.

Two-channel imaging is wide, suiting rounded, resonant piano and slow jazz beats. The sub is quite potent despite its size. For best results make sure that the Bass Boost is turned off. As the crossover between it and the satellites is set quite high, the Boost makes it far too easy to localise. A subwoofer should extend the reach of the satellite speakers without drawing undue attention to itself.

The CEN TS60 centre speaker carries dialogue with clarity and conviction, and is well-matched to the satellites. During multichannel playback, steered effects move around the soundstage with ease, thanks to voice-matched drivers.

Despite the heavyweight build quality of the player/receiver, I found the machine to be rather noisy during operation, even when it was not spinning a disc.

Overall, the BDS800 can be regarded as a stylish home entertainment all-rounder. Blu-ray performance is good, with effective surround sound. The SAT TS60 speakers have a sweet and articulate mid-range making them an ideal fit for vocal/MOR recordings.

If design and upmarket simplicity are important aspects of your purchasing decision, its high-end design and finish lift Harman Kardon's BDS800 system above its mainstream competition, and performance is relatively refined for this category of kit.

That said, I can't help but feel that the unadventurous feature specification, and particularly the lack of 3D support, makes it look like relatively poor value for money. But that probably won't put off the sort of customer who might otherwise plump for a comparable system from Bose, or even B&O.

It's clear when you unbox Arcam's new seven-channel AVR400 receiver that it shares DNA with the highly rated AVR600. A classic Class A-B design, it aesthetically follows the distinctive lines of its bigger brother.

That means no volume knob and a Shrek-green LED display window underscored by input and function buttons. There is no front-mounted video source input, although it does begrudgingly offer an analogue/digital 3.5mm audio input and allows headphones to be hooked up.

Our review sample came in a striking silver grey; it's also available in sombre black. Beneath the surface, you'll find other similarities with the AVR600.

It benefits from the same jitter reduction tech developed for its bigger brother, using identical D-to-A conversion chips, while the same attention has been paid to reducing digital noise within the chassis.

The AVR400 is not a super heavyweight. It tips the scales at 15.5kg and stands (a mere) 172mm tall. This leanness is reflected on the back panel, which (refreshingly) is not a wasteland of unwanted legacy connections. There's provision for the switching and control of seven analogue and six digital sources.

Given the price, I can't help feeling that the AVR400 could be a shade more accommodating. There's a solitary HDMI output. For some buyers this could be a deal breaker, should they need to feed both a flatscreen TV and a projector.

Once it is installed, a certain amount of setup is required. The OSD is an unfussy, text design which covers General Setup, Auto setup, Speaker Types/Distance/Levels, video inputs and outputs, Mode, Zone and Network. The AVR itself offers a considerable amount of picture processing control, as well as a range of display options.

For the best picture quality, the AVR400 should use Bypass and Follow Input output settings. This is because there appears to be a bug in the Faroudja Torino DSP used by the AVR400. Under lab conditions we identified a reoccurring frame skip on horizontal movement. By using the above settings, this cuts the Torino out of the loop.

Speaker calibration can be done manually via the onscreen menus, or automated using the supplied mic (if you're running anything other than a 5.1 or 7.1 system, the auto calibration won't work).

Spread the audio love

If you don't have a 7.1 speaker system you can bi-amp the front stereo pair, using the Surround Back speaker outputs. Alternatively, you could use them to top feed a stereo pair in another room.For this audition though, we ran the AVR400 in its 7.1 channel configuration.

There is network music streaming and internet radio, although getting to it is convoluted. With no dedicated remote button, you need to press Shift and then Net to call up the AVR's network interface. From here, you can listen to online radio sources, stream music across your network (the interface is pretty basic, so there's no album art support), or listen to music files from USB.

File support includes FLAC, MP3, WAV, AAC and WMA. In addition to DAB, there's an AM/FM receiver. The Ethernet LAN is the only way to get the receiver online. It doesn't have integrated Wi-Fi and won't work with a dongle.

You won't find any Audyssey post processing or THX modes onboard. The AVR400 plays it straight, with lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding for Blu-ray, plus DTS Neo 6 and Dolby Digital 5.1, Pro-Logic IIX and Surround EX processing for other sources.

Stereo processed via Pro-Logic's multichannel Music mode can be masticated via a variety of filters: Dimension can be used to bring the soundfield forward, while Centre Width broadens the front channel; Panorama extends the audio to the side speakers creating a wrap-around effect.

This is academic. With music, I found DTS Neo 6 trumped all Dolby PLIIx modes; offering better vocal delineation and a more convincing wrap-around spread – especially when applied on a digital input.

Choose your content carefully though. While exquisitely engineered MOR from Emi Fujita worked well, My Chemical Romance's Danger Days: The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys sent multichannel algorithms berserk.

The AVR400 was auditioned alongside Arcam's debut Blu-ray player, the BDP100.

To say that Arcam's move from DVD to Blu-ray has been traumatic is an understatement. Caught out by the sudden capitulation of HD DVD when it was developing a dual-format player, and then scuppered by chip suppliers, bringing a BD spinner to market has been an upward struggle.

But the wait is finally over. Somewhere along the way, the BDP100 has lost its multichannel analogue output, but given how good jitter reduction is on the AVR400, I don't think it's a significant loss. This player has clearly been designed to partner Arcam's AVRs from the outset. It's a perfect cosmetic match with similarly immaculate build quality.

Compared to BD decks loose in the mainstream it's a goliath. Some 400mm deep, and weighing 6.2kg, this is a very studious looking disc-spinner.

Connectivity is standard. As well as a single HDMI, the BDP100 offers component and stereo audio outputs, optical and coaxial digital audio, and Ethernet. It has a solitary USB slot, but throwing open the door to custom integrators, there's also a second zone stereo phono output, 12V trigger, remote IR sensor input and RS232 for system control.

Back to basics

Despite its girth, the BDP100 is a conventional player. It's not 3D compatible, and there's no online portal of IPTV content nor social media apps to explore. Neither will the player stream across a network.

It will however play a selection of sound and vision codecs from local USB. However, file support confounds. When fed our standard test folder of files, it choked on AVIs. One refused to play altogether, the other gave audio only – normally these files are bullet proof.

However, it was quite happy with HD MKV wrapped content and MP4. It could not play MOV or AVCHD. Music support covers MP3, WMA and AAC, but not FLAC, AIFF or OGG . While most BD players are plug and play, some care needs to be taken with the BDP100.

Once connected, I jumped straight to the menu and did what came naturally: selected 1080p as my output resolution, and when forced to select either NTSC or PAL I opted for the latter. This transpired to be a mistake. Blu-rays played with a horrible choppy motion. It seems that the player was forcing the 1080/60 signal to 1080/50, resulting in a really quite unwatchable lash-up.

This is one of the few BD player's I've come across which doesn't auto-detect PAL and NTSC. By telling the player that it was outputting to an NTSC screen, 60Hz playback returned to normal.

Another solution seemed to be to leave the player on PAL and tick the HDMI Auto Resolution output option.

With the BDP100 laced up to the AVR400, it quickly becomes apparent that the AVR400 has a full, rich character. My Reference buddy Emi Fujita sounded like she'd put on a few pounds since I last heard her, but it rather suited her.

Her lounge lizard reworking of All My Loving oozes one-for-the-road ambiance. There's believability to the AVR400's soundstage which is beguiling, and there's something distinctly analogue about the presentation. Fujita's backing band seems to step out from the shadows. Suddenly I was in a Tokyo Skyview bar, circa 1995.

It's also great fun with blockbusters, and there's no shortage of power in reserve. Our Tech Labs measured two-channel stereo output at 145W into 8Ω. This drops somewhat in 7.1, but not to a noticeable degree. We clocked 95W when driving seven channels at 8Ω.

This loss certainly wasn't an issue when listening to the DTS-HD MA mix of Prince of Persia or the jazzy DTS-HD MA melody of Chiele Minucci's Daybreak.

Arcam BDP100 testing data

Power consumption: 20W (playing); 15W (idling); <1W (standby)

Fair figures from what is a high-end player

Audio jitter (analogue output): 7407.3ps (NOT Ps)

Considering that what we have here is a product from a respected hi-fi manufacturer, this result (from track 7 of the test CD) is appalling! We tried the same test with the outermost jitter track of the test CD - the result was even worse (9849.6ps). Yet Arcam claim 'audiophile-grade CD music playback'. Hmmm. Still, What Hi-Fi love the sound quality...

Video jitter (analogue output): 4ns (NOT Ns)

A fair result, but we've measured better. But no visible instability, from either composite or component outputs

Boot speed (press eject from standby): 17sec (from standby to full extension of tray and GUI appearance)

Loading speed (sliding in disc to appearance of 'Speed Kings SE' disc menu): 65sec

Noticeably slower than some considerably-cheaper hardware (such as the Panasonic BDT300 - which, unlike the Arcam, can also do 3D. Intriguingly, Arcam are rumoured to be working on a 3D firmware upgrade for the BDP100.).

Arcam AVR400 testing dataPower consumption (Watts):

Idling: 100W

A beefy amplifier that uses a lot of power even when idling

Powered: 140W

Real world consumption with movie playback averaged 140W

Power ratings (Watts (8Ω , 0.5% THD)):

Untainted: 125 Watts

A figure of 125W with 0.01% THD (two channels into 8Ω) falls a little short of some of its (admittedly
more expensive) high-end rivals

Signal/noise (dB):

20Hz: 90dB
1kHz: 90dB
20kHz: 90db

Good results across the frequency range

No hurry

Blu-ray Disc loading speeds on the BDP100 can aptly be described as leisurely. Lou Reed's Berlin (a very simple authoring job from Artificial Eye) went from tray loading to menu screen in 40 seconds; the remastered Goldfinger (from Fox Home Entertainment) served up the 007 logo in one minute 14 seconds – this compares to just 46 seconds on the Sony BDP-S570.

Video performance is terrific. Detail is high and colour fidelity excellent. Interestingly, the player's DVD performance is also stunningly good. All DVD content is upscaled to 1080p and the quality of the deinterlacing is superb. The player not only aced all the standard HQV jaggies tests, it took that darn American flag and rewove it out of cherry blossom.

The deck is also an accomplished CD spinner. Andy Moore, Arcam's senior engineer, tells me that he feels it sounds closer to the brand's high-end CD37 CD player than the more affordable CD17, and he may be right.

My advice is to run an analogue stereo output to the CD input of the AVR, and then play using the Direct function. This turns your system into a high-performance stereo pre-amp/power amp combo with a CD player.

If the BDP100 isn't to your liking, and you intend to partner the AVR400 with another deck, I can confirm its compatibility with a 3D Blu-ray source.

Ultimately, both the AVR400 and its Blu-ray BDP100 stablemate impress. I suspect that longstanding lovers of Arcam's distinctive sound design are going to be very pleased with it indeed.

I have some reservations about the Blu-ray player though. Having to wrestle with output options to simply get smooth playback really is an unnecessary inconvenience. I've given this duo a Best Buy badge overall, but it's the AVR400 that does more to earn that plaudit.

This pairing will not, of course, be to everyone's taste, and the hardware offering may be considered conservative compared to the competition – but this isn't about digital doodads, it's about musical performance.

For those looking for a one-stop home cinema solution, affordable all-in-one systems such as the Sony BDV-E870 will always appeal.

And the new breed do much more than just squirt out Blu-ray pictures (including 3D) and 5.1 sound – this black plastic ensemble will stream your music, video and pictures from a networked PC, suck tunes from your iPod, and give you access to catch up TV content and movies-on-demand.

Unfortunately for Sony, so will many rival products, which is maybe why this system will also play Super Audio CDs...

The BDV-E870 uses Sony's XrossMediaBar interface, which should make navigating its extensive features a stress-free affair for most.

Buyers get all the benefits of Bravia Internet Video (including BBC iPlayer and LOVEFiLM) without splashing out on a Bravia TV. BD and DVD images are solid, and the 5.1 sound is far superior to anything you'll get from a flatscreen TV or low-end soundbar.

The speaker array struggles to deliver any real midrange. There's a gap between the deep-sounding and room-filling sub and the trebly-sounding surrounds. At least the diddly centre channel still manages to convey clean and clear dialogue.

It also suffers from decidedly 'budget' build quality. I found the tower speakers were prone to wobbling and the central control unit emitted an irritating hum.

While having colour-coded speaker cabling makes installation a breeze, the lack of HDMI inputs precludes hooking up additional components.

On paper the HT-C6930 is an impressive box of tricks, but is it over-specified?

It boasts Blu-ray (including 3D), 7.1 speakers, internet video, multimedia playback and home networking amongst its numerous credentials.

Of course, to use the 3D facility you need a 3DTV. And what do most 3D flat screens (and certainly all of Samsung's) already have? Internet video, multimedia playback and home networking...

Feature overkill or not, the system certainly has panache. The main unit is crafted from high-grade black, gloss plastic, sporting a backlit 3D logo and an illuminated disc tray.

With their sturdy cabinets and components, the speakers have a superior, almost dedicated audio brand-like quality to them. The front left and rights can be wall or stand-mounted, in tall-boy fashion, while the wireless kit lets you place the surround back speakers behind the listening position.

The two other surround speakers, however, are hard-wired so any thoughts of a cable-free paradise are short lived. Connections are light but effective, with built-in Wi-Fi and dual HDMI inputs, which is good news for routing kit such as a games console or digibox to a TV.

Aided by colour-coded speaker terminals and a granny-proof set-up wizard, installation is straightforward. Sound setup is easy, too: using the supplied microphone and a hideous orchestral cacophony emitted by the speakers, the system's auto calibrator detects cabinet distances and sets its levels and frequencies accordingly.

As a network media device the HT-C6930 works nicely, and the methodical instructions manual does an excellent job of taking the pain out of configuring a network. As per the whole system, the interface is a pleasure to use.

The three Cs

This system serves up some fantastic images, especially with 2D sources such as Avatar on Blu-ray. The HT-C6930 is a master of the three Cs – clarity, colour and contrast. Detail levels are quite stunning; every fibre of Sully's T-shirt and bristle of his beard are clearly visible on a Samsung UE46C8000 3D screen.

With the HT-C6930 as the source, the screen of a same-brand 3D TV can automatically switch to its full HD 3D display mode. A message then prompts you to don the 3D goggles and switch them on. This is certainly no slouch as a 3D deck, retaining clarity and brightness with the Monsters Vs Aliens movie.

Crosstalk is an issue, but how much so depends largely on which screen you're using.

Sonically, this system delivers its most impressive surprise; the speakers mesh together exquisitely to deliver a finely controlled soundscape. Even at high volumes distortion remains a totally alien concept as vocals, effects and musical score blend perfectly. In its sector, this is without doubt a class-leading product

The art of designing AV kit to look contemporary and even attractive is a skill that seems to have passed Panasonic by – its designers refuse to match the exterior aesthetics or the menu systems of its products to the technological innovation that lies within their often dour exteriors.

The BTT350's main unit, for example, looks almost the same as one of the brand's early DVD players, or dare I say it, a late VCR.

Yet, this innocuous box is capable of serving up eye-popping full HD 3D images, to say nothing of its multimedia talents, including VieraCast internet video, DLNA networking, SD card playback and a built-in iPod/iPhone dock.

It's also a fully-fledged home cinema system, with 5.1 capability out of the box and the potential to deliver 7.1 surround sound by adding extra speakers and an optional wireless kit.

As per the main unit itself, the dinky sound boxes are remarkably unassuming to look at, if solidly built, although the side-firing sub looks as if it were made from MDF offcuts and warrants, like the main unit, being kept out of sight.

Be warned that when you place an iPod in the recessed dock on the top of the unit the overall height goes from 62mm to 150mm, which may be too much of a snug fit for some shelving systems.

Easy route

The connections are hardly generous, but they do tick most of the AV boxes. Naturally, there's an HDMI v1.4, and this has an audio return channel, through which you can route your TV's sound, while using the single digital optical input for a games console, perhaps.

The BTT350 is a DLNA fiend that's easy to integrate into a home network using wired or wireless LAN connections. The DY-WL10 wi-fi adapter is an invaluable optional extra that simplifies the process of setting up a network and accessing Panasonic's rather limited VieraCast internet video service.

It seems incongruous to find a composite video output on the rear of the unit, but this is the only video conduit that functions with the iPod dock. You can access an iPod's music folders using HDMI or digital optical, but if you really want a laugh try watching a video on a 50-inch plasma using composite video. It's similar to watching TV through a fish tank.

Setting up the system is straightforward, thanks to the colour-coded speaker wires and an easy setup wizard that guides you effortlessly through the various parameters, provided you don't lose interest when navigating the soporifically dull menus.

There's no auto setup microphone; instead you can adjust the level of each channel manually while listening to white noise. Call me Mr Sad, but I think this is actually kinda fun.

There are four 'easy listening' DSP modes: flat; heavy; clear and soft. Setup enables you to choose which input is used for your TV's sound and whether or not to convert all sources to multichannel output. You can also engage Quick Start or Low Power standby, which registers 0.2W on the consumption scale.

The remote control is compact yet nicely laid out using Panasonic's eclectic Start button as the route to all sources and functions. The main annoyance is the absence of an eject button on the handset.

By default, the centre channel has a few more dB up its sleeve than the other satellites, and this allows subtle dialogue to shine through, such as The Thing's mutterings on the Brooklyn Bridge scene in The Fantastic Four's DTS MA-HD soundtrack on Blu-ray.

Yet the subwoofer lacks subtlety and blooms slightly when the going gets tough. It also vibrates uncomfortably with bass-heavy music.

My THX test disc showed that rear effects can be nicely imaged, but as expected from such compact satellites, the upper part of the spectrum is clipped, producing a raspy metallic sound, especially at high volume when the cabinets also rattle.

So long as you don't drive it too hard, though, the BTT350 will reward you with decent, involving audio, infinitely superior to any flatscreen's built-in speakers.

2D demon

Picture wise, the system is no slouch either. On both 42-inch Panasonic and 50-inch Samsung 3D plasmas it conjured up a highly-polished and engrossing Monsters vs Aliens 3D experience.

But in fact it's with 2D that the player's prowess is best observed. With Avatar and The Fantastic Four detail levels don't quite match some of the elite decks out there, but overall images are, vibrant and capable of subtle gradations even in low light.

There's a lot about the BTT350 that won't make a home cinema enthusiast get overexcited. But it is a well built and solid performer that's very reasonably priced, so could be an ideal first step on the ladder for an AV novice.