On paper, the Onkyo TX-RZ3400 home cinema receiver is a beast, delivering a claimed 260W (at 6ohms) into 11 channels, and offering Dolby Atmos or DTS:X surround sound in configurations up to 7.2.4.
It's a flagship amp clearly aimed at serious home cinema fans, with a spec sheet as long as your arm. Highlights include THX Certified Ultra certification (the only Onkyo amp to have it), IMAX Enhanced compliance, and support for HDCP 2.3 as well as the HDR10, HLG and Dolby Vision high dynamic range formats.
THX Certified Ultra guarantees the reference sound pressure, loudness and minimal distortion levels of a commercial cinema in homes where the screen-to-seat viewing distance is more than 3.5m.
Set-up should be simplified thanks to Onkyo's AccuEQ Advance Plus room acoustic calibration.
If your room can't accommodate extra Atmos height speakers in the ceiling, don't worry: the TX-RZ3400 is equipped with Dolby Atmos Height Virtualizer tech to enhance immersion with traditional surround speaker layouts. Dolby Surround and DTS Neural:X upmixers remap legacy soundtracks for 3D surround playback.
A premium AKM AK4490 768 kHz/32-bit stereo DAC handles high-res audio, including DSD Direct 256, DSD 64/128/256 (PCM conversion), and a wide range of PCM formats up to 192 kHz/24-bit.
Connection options are plentiful, as you'd expect, including seven HDMI inputs and three HDMI outputs. That should cover most systems and needs.
Naturally streaming from other devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones via wi-fi, Chromecast or Apple AirPlay 2 is all part of the package. Integrated services comprise Tidal, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, and Deezer. The unit is also compatible with the Roon music platform.
Voice control comes courtesy of Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri when the Onkyo is connected to a compatible speaker or device.
The Onkyo TX-RZ3400 will go on sale in November for £2499 and will be available in black or silver.
If all that sounds a bit much for you, and you haven't got the space for a full-on Atmos system, then how about the Onkyo TX-8390 stereo AV receiver at £799?
It's designed for those who want true hi-fi sound, with music streaming capability, but with the added flexibility of home cinema connectivity via HDMI (six inputs, two outputs). Like the TX-RZ3400, it supports HDCP 2.3, 4K/60p video and HDR (HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision).
Power output is a claimed 2 x 200W (into 6ohms) and it can handle high-res PCM files up to 384 kHz/32-bit, as well as DSD256/128/64 content. The receiver also includes MQA technology, which enables playback of MQA audio files and streams, delivering the sound of the original master recording.
Built-in streaming services include Amazon Music, Tidal, Spotify, Deezer and TuneIn, all accessible via Onkyo Controller. Alexa and Google Home voice control is supported via compatible devices. Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2 are also part of the package.
A second pair of speakers can be driven in a second zone, while set-up is handled by Onkyo's AccuEQ room-acoustic calibration.
The Onkyo TX-8390 also goes on sale in November, and will be available in silver or black.
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