Onkyo Adds 2 Networked AVRs

By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 6/29/2010

Upper Saddle River, N.J. - Onkyo announced two new high-end networked A/V receivers (AVR) for August availability at a suggested $2,099 and $2,699, joining six previously announced AVRs priced from $299 to $1,399.

Compared with their predecessors, the $2,099 TX-NR3008 and $2,699 TX-NR5008 add such features as 3D-ready HDMI 1.4a inputs and outputs, HDMI Audio Return Channel, HDMI Thru, iPhone/iPod-compatible USB connection, analog RGB input for connection to a PC, and overlaid graphical OSD.

The 9.2-channel models feature eight 3D-ready HDMI 1.4a inputs, dual HDMI 1.4a outputs with Audio Return Channel function, THX Ultra2 Plus certification, Audyssey DSX and Dolby Pro Logic IIz post processing, HQV-Reon VX 1080p up-scaling of all video inputs and ISF video calibration.

HDMI Thru simplifies home-theater connections by letting video content pass through to a connected TV while the receivers are in standby mode. The overlaid graphical OSD lets users control settings via a connected TV even while a video program is playing.

 Networking features in the two new models include Windows 7 compatibility and DLNA 1.5 certification to stream music from a networked PC in such formats as FLAC, MP3, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, WMA, WMA Lossless, AAC and LPCM. Through a networked broadband modem, the AVRs stream Internet radio stations through the vTuner service as well as Internet music services from MediaFly, Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster, Slacker and Sirius Internet Radio.

Other features include DSD decoding for SACD playback and Audyssey MultEQ XT room-response correction.

A month ago, Onkyo announced three models at suggested retails of $899 to $1,399, all due to ship in July. They and three new models shipping earlier this year at $299 to $599 were the brand's first AVRs with HDMI 1.4a inputs and outputs, HDMI Thru and HDMI Audio Return channel function.

  The July models, also certified as Windows 7- and DLNA 1.5-compatible, bring the opening price of a networked Onkyo AVR with Internet radio capability to $899 from the previous line's $1,099. They access vTuner-supplied Internet radio stations as well as the Internet music services accessed by the two new models due in August.

The three July models were also the brand's first to be announced with RGB inputs and iPhone/iPod-compatible USB port. The July models also features THX Select2 Plus certification, 1080p video up-scaling of all video inputs via Faroudja DCDi Cinema technology, and the Dolby Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX post-processing technologies.