What Hi-Fi? Verdict
A powerful amp that takes no prisoners in the sound department. A good amp, that with greater subtlety could be a great amp
Pros
- +
Stamps immense weight and authority on movie soundtracks
- +
very good steering of surround effects
Cons
- -
Can be unruly and uncompromising
- -
lacks the subtlety and low-level dynamics of class-leaders
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
The Onkyo is competitively priced as AV amps go in this sector of the market, and it has an exhaustive list of features. There are six HDMI inputs at your disposal. It's also THX Select2 Plus and DLNA-certified.
On paper, the 'NR807 is a seven-channel amp, but these can be used in different configurations, thanks to the inclusion of technologies such as Audyssey DSX (Dynamic Sound Expansion) and Dolby Pro Logic IIz.
The former allows you to use front wide speakers, the latter allows front height speakers – both in place of surround backs. This helps promote a greater spread of sound and if you have the space and extra speakers, it's worth experimenting with.
Set-up is simple enough and the Onkyo's menus are clear, crisp and easy to follow.
The Audyssey MultEQ system is accurate enough, although it did get the size of out centre speaker wrong. We found that turning off the Audyssey EQ settings and Dynamic Volume helped give a clearer sound.
A big beast of an amplifier
This machine enjoys nothing more than flexing its muscles, impressing you with almost scant disregard for your neighbours.
During the Incredible Hulk, this amplifer brings the action right into the heart of your living room.
Explosions sound ridiculously powerful and violent – this amp packs an impressive display of bass weight. Even during the opening credits of the film, you are hit with an incredible sense of drama that brings you to the edge of your seat.
The only drawback is that this relentless approach prevents the Onkyo from relaxing during slower-paced scenes.
Instead of ebbing and flowing, as the soundtrack requires, this amp seems to force itself on you without much room for negotiation.
The Onkyo provides one of the biggest bangs possible for this kind of money. All we ask for is a touch more subtlety to bring some balance to what is already a very capable machine.
See all our home cinema amp Best Buys
Follow whathifi.com on Twitter
