Onkyo launches mid-range AV receivers with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X

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Onkyo’s two latest AVRs have been made to celebrate the company's 70th anniversary and come with support for both DTS:X and Dolby Atmos 3D sound formats.

The TX-NR555 and TX-NR656 (pictured above) are both 7.2-channel AV receivers with 130W and 160W per channel respectively. Both have Dynamic Audio Amplification, DTS:X, Dolby Atmos and support for Google Cast, AirPlay and 6G video. They also have built-in wi-fi and can be used as part of a multi-room music streaming system.

The two mid-range models are the first to be fitted with Onkyo’s new AccuReflex room calibration software which takes into account height effects and works with the current AccuEQ software to produce “surround sound precisely balanced for supreme clarity”, the company claims.

MORE: Dolby Atmos - What is it? How can you get it?

FireConnect will be added to the receivers and legacy models via a firmware update in the summer. The update will mean they can stream audio from any source to any FireConnect compatible speaker in other rooms to create a multi-room system.

Both models are HDCP 2.2 compatible and so can handle 4K Ultra HD content, while Google Cast, AirPlay, wi-fi and Bluetooth cover most music streaming bases, with hi-res files up to 32-bit are supported.

The Onkyo TX-NR555 and TX-NR656 will available from late April in black or silver for £450 and £550 respectively.

Onkyo has also announced that an update to bring DTS:X to its 2015 AV receivers will be available in summer 2016.

MORE: DTS:X - What is it? How can you get it?

Max Langridge

Max is a staff writer for What Hi-Fi?'s sister site, TechRadar, in Australia. But being the wonderful English guy he is, he helps out with content across a number of Future sites, including What Hi-Fi?. It wouldn't be his first exposure to the world of all things hi-fi and home cinema, as his first role in technology journalism was with What Hi-Fi? in the UK. Clearly he pined to return after making the move to Australia and the team have welcomed him back with arms wide open.