Onkyo, one of the world’s premier hi-fi and home cinema brands, has some excellent news for high-end home cinema and music enthusiasts – the launch of three truly awe-inspiring THX Ultra2 Plus-certified 9.2-channel Network AV Receivers.
It’s Onkyo’s belief that the TX-SR5007 – our 2009 flagship model – and its companion TX-NR3007 and TX-NR1007 models offer a level of performance, combined with an outstanding array of cutting-edge features and functionality, that will reinforce Onkyo’s reputation as the brand to have when it comes to home cinema.
KEY FEATURES – TX-NR5007
• THX Ultra2 Plus-certified performance… the ultimate home cinema benchmark
• Eight HDMI inputs (including one front-mounted)/Two outputs
• DLNA 1.5 and Windows 7-compatible Networking Capability for Streaming Audio and Internet Radio Connectivity for LastFM/vRadio
• Audyssey DSX and Dolby Pro Logic IIz decoding
• 1080p video upscaling via HQV Reon VX video processor
• 220w per channel
• Bi-amping and BTL (Bridged Transless) capability
• ISF Video calibration
• Jitter Control Technology for cleaner sounding audio
• 4 x dedicated DSP modes for Gamers
• Triple transformer layout for main power (toroidal), audio and video
• 3-Stage Inverted Darlington circuitry for high efficiency and low distortion
• 6 x Ultra-low jitter Burr-Brown 192kHz/32-bit DACs (PCM1795)
• 32-bit Texas Instruments ‘Aureus’ DSP chips (1 x DA830, 2 x DA788)
• 4 optical/3 coaxial inputs
• U.Port for one-cable connection to optional iPod dock/DAB+ modules
• Front/rear USB ports (usable for Firmware Updates)
• Pre-programmed bi-directional backlit remote with macro capability
• Firmware updatable over the internet
As befits a flagship model the TX-NR5007 is equipped with, well, just about every facility that one could wish for from a serious home entertainment hub. Being THX Ultra2 Plus-certified means more than mere bragging rights. It signifies that this receiver is designed to deliver reference-grade home cinema performance in rooms where the viewer sits more than 4 metres away from the screen and the room volume is 85 cubic metres or greater. Cinematic excellence in really big rooms in other words….
With eight HDMI inputs (there are two outputs) consumers will never be short of connectivity (there’s a small forest of analogue/digital audio inputs present too as well as component video/s-video inputs outputs for previous generation ‘legacy’ equipment). Whatever your entertainment source – DVD, HD STB, Freeview, PC/Mac – the TX-SR5007 will handle it…
Audio networking is a key feature of the TX-NR5007 in the form of a DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) 1.5/Windows 7-compatible Network Capability that allows it to both replay streaming audio files and access popular Internet Radio services such as LastFM/vTuner (subject to availability). MP3, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, LPCM, WAV, WMA and WMA Lossless files are all handled with ease. The other big bonus networking gives is that the TX-SR5007’s firmware can be conveniently updated (if and when necessary) over the Internet, saving both time, expense and effort.
When it comes to dealing with High Definition Audio the TX-NR5007’s talents can be summed up thus… it is equipped to deal with absolutely every format that currently exists: DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus. Audiophiles who favour SACD should also be pleased to hear that this receiver has a DSD Direct facility, designed to extract the very best from the format, a feature rarely found on home cinema receivers.
Under the skin Onkyo has pulled out all the stops to cram in the latest state-of-the-art technologies including specially selected Burr-Brown PCM1795 192kHz/32-bit DACs (digital to analogue converters) for all channels. When it comes to DACs these are among the best that money can buy, offering a tremendously dynamic performance and a high inherent resistance to clock jitter. If that wasn’t enough Onkyo’s engineers have implemented ultra-low jitter PLL (Phase Locked Loop) circuitry to reduce overall jitter levels even further.
As well as those top-flight DACs Onkyo has fitted three highly-specced TI ‘Aureus’ DSP chips (1 x DA830, 2 x DA788) to ensure that the receiver has the processing power to handle the multiple demands of high definition audio decoding, not to mention audio networking.
On a more physical level the TX-NR5007 is equipped with no fewer than three transformers – a massive toroidal for main power plus smaller separate ones for audio and video – plus newly developed, custom-designed high power transistors along with two substantial 22,000uf Audiophile-grade capacitors. When the above elemts are combined it adds up to an amplifier stage that’s able to respond with ample and instantaneous power, whatever the demands that a movie or music soundtrack make on it.
Individually, each element of the receiver is engineered to the highest standard but a great deal of thought has also gone into how those elements interact with each other. The results can be seen wherever you look…circuit boards fixed so that vibration doesn’t come through to them, a brass bus plate for perfect grounding, customised gold-plated speaker posts, wholly isolated pre-amp and power amp sections and gold-plated, solid brass inputs (19mm pitch so bulky high-end interconnects can be used) for the phono and CD inputs… truly holistic thinking.
Having a wealth of options at one’s fingertips, however, doesn’t mean that the receiver is complex to use or set up. In-depth facilities and adjustments are there if you want to access them but this receiver is simplicity itself to set up and operate on a day to day basis. It can be as simple or as complex as you need.
For instance, while setting up one’s speakers can be done manually, for ease of installation many will opt to use the well-established Audyssey MultEQ XT microphone-based automatic speaker calibration system. Other convenience aids from Audyssey include Dynamic Volume (designed to solve the problem of variations in level when switching from channel to channel) and Dynamic EQ (an integral part of Dynamic Volume which ensures a consistent bass response, tonal balance and surround impression, regardless of volume level).
Make no mistake, though, there’s a great deal to play with on the processing front – every surround sound format you’ve likely to have heard of is catered for plus some that you may not have yet encountered. Audyssey DSX, for instance, allows owners the choice of incorporating a pair of ’front wide’ instead of the usual surround back speakers, placed at around 60 degrees off-centre.
When Audyssey DSX is engaged it enhances the surround-sound experience by adding extra presence and depth to the soundstage. Alternatively, it can also allow additional front speakers to deliver non-directional ‘front height’ information (effects such as rain etc), in a similar way to DPL IIz (introduced on consumer receivers first, by Onkyo, earlier in 2009).
In Onkyo’s view it’s absolutely vital, if you’re serious about home cinema, to optimise your final video quality output… high quality pictures and sound always go hand in hand. That’s why the TX-NR5007 sports ISF (Image Science Foundation) video calibration, to help you get the best out of your various sources, with image quality being capable of being calibrated on an individual source by source basis (ideally by an ISF-trained technician) before being sent to a connected display.
Let’s talk about audio. Portable audio/video players are already a primary source of entertainment for many people and the TX-NR5007 takes full account of that reality. Owners of iPods/iPhones will appreciate the receiver’s inclusion of Onkyo’s proprietary U.Port (Universal Port). This new standard permits a convenient one-cable connection (no separate power connection required) to add-on modules such as the recently introduced optional UP-A1 dock.
As well as transmitting high quality audio from your iPod/iPhone to your speakers the UP-A1 also permits the streaming of HD video from the device to your screen, all routed via the TX-NR5007 and delivered via HDMI at 1080p video resolution. And there’s no need to squint at the iPod/iPhone’s screen when selecting content either… the UP-A1 has a built-in OSD facility that allows you to stay seated and navigate/select content on your device via your TV screen.
Owners of older Onkyo docks that use the company’s RI (Remote Interactive) protocol will still be able to use them (as well as more recent models such as the DS-A3) with these TX-NR5007 fully supports the RI system. For those who own other media devices Onkyo has provided two USB ports (one at the front, one at the rear)… all the bases are covered (Firmware Upgrades can also be carried out via USB if internet access is not available).
Radio fans are treated to a fine quality onboard AM/FM tuner but for even more choice UK owners will also be able to purchase a U.Port-compatible UP-DT1 DAB+ digital radio tuner. This is a small module that can be used on its own or, alternatively, ‘daisy-chained’ alongside the UP-A1 if owners want access to iPod/iphone and digital radio sources at the same time.
In acknowledgement of the huge importance of gaming in the modern age this receiver features four new Games DSP Modes, allowing audio reproduction to be specifically tailored when you’re playing Sports, Action, RPG (Role Playing Game) or Rock-type games (that’s ‘Rock’ as in Guitar Hero!). Gamers are constantly looking for an edge and accurate sound effects can prove a real advantage.
Going beyond the main listening area TX-SR5007 owners can take advantage of a Powered Zone 2/Zone3 capability to playback different sources in different rooms. Factor in IR (infrared input/output), 12v trigger (for Zone2/3) capability and RS-232 control and it’s obvious this receiver can form the basis for a versatile multi-room audio system.
As unlikely as it might seem right now some owners will undoubtedly wish to expand their home cinema system further at some stage in future. To cater for such an eventuality Onkyo has provided nine multichannel pre-outs on the TX-SR5007, allowing any the addition of number of external power amplifiers.
There’s much more to tell about the TX-NR5007 but we hope we’ve given you a flavour of what to expect. Onkyo believes that its outstandingly realistic HD Audio surround sound performance married with class-leading features and bullet-proof build make this 25kg powerhouse truly worthy of its Flagship status… book an audition as soon as you can.
KEY FEATURES – TX-NR3007
As per TX-NR5007 but…
• Seven HDMI inputs (including one front-mounted input)/Two outputs
• 200w per channel
• Triple transformer layout for main power (non-toroidal), audio and video
• Three audio inputs (four on the TX-SR5007)
If you don’t need quite as much power as the TX-SR5007 wields then the TX-NR-3007 offers an excellent alternative. You get 7 HDMIs instead of 8 plus a single USB versus two (and one less AV input – but its feature set is otherwise very similar.
KEY FEATURES – TX-NR1007
As per TX-NR3007 but…
• Six HDMI inputs (including one front-mounted input)/Two outputs
• 180w per channel
• 1080p video upscaling via Faroudja DCDi video processor
• No USB ports
• Two audio inputs (three on TX-NR3007)
• Single transformer
The ‘baby’ of this trio (still quite a big kid at 23.5kg!) the TX-NR1007 offers much of the magic of its two higher end companions but makes do with one less HDMI input, a few watts less power (there’s a single main transformer instead of three) and no USB ports. Video processing is assigned to a Faroudja DCDi Cinema chipset instead of the HQV Reon-VX found in the higher-level models.
To sum up then, what we have here are three flagship home cinema receivers, each representing a variation on a distinctly high-end theme, each hugely capable and certain to provide years of excitement and pleasure, with both music and movies. All you need do is to decide which one best suits your needs…
- all power outputs are measured at 1 channel driven@6ohms (IEC)
Prices (all products available in September 09)
TX-NR5007 – £2400
TX-NR3007 – £1700
TX-NR1007 – £1300
Optional iPhone/iPod dock
UP-A1 – £80