Onkyo's £600 TX-NR616 hits the shops in April
Onkyo has unveiled its first 'hit' of home cinema products for 2012, with four new AV receivers starting from £300 and networked models from £400 upwards. And the company also has three complete receiver/speakers packages, again at price starting from £300.
The receiver range kicks off with the £300 TX-SR313 (above), offering five channels of amplification each with a claimed output of 100W, five HDMI inputs – like all the new receivers, the '313 is 3D-ready – , ARC audio input and a USB input for memory devices or iPod/iPhone.
It has an interactive on-screen display for set-up and adjustment, and in common with all the new Onkyo models uses the company's Wide Range Amplifier Technology and discrete components in the output stage rather than amp-on-a-chip technology.
Move up a step and you're into network receiver territory with the TX-NR414, selling for £400 and claiming 5x130W.
Via its network connection it can access content stored on a local network, internet radio, subscription streaming services such as Spotify and Last.fm and 'cloud locker' service like MP3tunes.
It can be controlled using a free iOS or Android Onkyo Remote App, and can also stream music from Android handsets, and has six HDMI inputs, an HDMI output with ARC, and a front-panel USB input.
Also new for this model is InstaPrevue technology allowing live on-screen 'picture in picture' thumbnails of the content being received by all the HDMI ports, and a Q button on the remote to overlay a 'Quick Set-Up' menu over the picture being viewed.
Hybrid Standby is also provided, allowing pass-through of HDMI-connected sources to the TV even when the receiver is off, and remote switch-on from the Onkyo Remote App – handy when making use of the receiver's Zone 2 capability.
Sitting above the '414 are the £500 TX-NR515 and £600 TX-NR616 (pictured), both of which are 7.2-channel models, with video upscaling all the way to 4K2K (4096x2160 pixels) using Marvell's Qdeo processing. In addition, a front-panel MHL/HDMI input allowing the playback of 1080p video with 7.1-channel sound from smartphones and similar portable devices.
Both models also have Audyssey 2EQ room correction, eight HDMI inputs and two outputs, and as well as a front-panel USB input have a rear USB able to accept an optional USB Wi-Fi adapter.
And while the '515 has Dolby Pro-Logic IIz, the '616 also offers Audyssey DSX expansion for additional Front Wide channels. Twin subwoofer outputs are available on both, and the TX-NR515 claims 7x130W, with the THX Select2 Plus certified TX-NR616 upping the power to 7x165W.
The TX-NR515 also offers powered Zone 2 output, while the TX-NR616 has both powered Zone 2 and line-out Zone 3.
All four models will be available in black or silver, with all but the TX-NR616 available next month. The '616 follows in April.
More here on Onkyo's home cinema package line-up.
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