NuForce AVP-18Price: $1095

Website: www.nuforce.com

Vince said: If you think of the AVP-18 as a DAC that just happens to decode the hi-rez audio formats found on Blu-rays, then you understand what it is and what it does. For $1095, the NuForce AVP-18 is a bargain for what it offers: excellent home-theater performance that would be perfectly at home in a high-performance system.

Read the SoundStage! Xperience review.

The gist: Surprisingly inexpensive -- and good -- audiophile surround processor.