Upper Saddle River,
N.J. – Onkyo plans September shipments of a trio of Onkyo-brand THX-certified
audio components that include the brand’s first multichannel preamp-processor,
first multichannel component amplifier and a next-generation THX-certified
Blu-ray player.
The nine-channel amp
and 9.2-channel pre-pro are the brand’s first multichannel component-audio
separates, a spokesman said. The brand has offered stereo separates before.
The pre-pro and
amp,
at January’s International CES, are the THX Ultra2
Plus-certified PR-SC5508 A/V preamp/processor at a suggested $2,199 and the
Ultra 2 Plus-certified A-MC5500 none-channel amp at $1,699. The new THX-certified
BD-SP808 Blu-ray player at suggested $599 will replace a THX-certified model
already available.
The 3D-ready
preamp/processor features 3D-capable HDMI 1.4a inputs and outputs, HQV Reon-VX
video processing, 1080p up-scaling, ISF Video Calibration, DLNA 1.5-certified
networking, Windows 7 compatibility, and Internet radio capabilities that
include VTuner-aggregated stations as well as streaming of Pandora, Rhapsody,
Mediafly, Slacker, Napster and Sirius Internet Radio. The component also features
Audyssey’s new MultEQ XT 32 room-correction technology and Audyssey’s Dynamic
Surround Expansion (DSX) post-processing technology, which adds front-height
speakers and a pair of image-widening left-right speakers to traditional
5.1-speaker setups.
Other features include eight HDMI inputs, dual
USBs, two balanced line-level XLR audio inputs, and nine XLR preamp outputs to
drive the matching PA-MC5500 nine-channel power amplifier.
The nine-channel
PA-MC5500 amp is 8-ohm rated at 150 watts per channel and up to 400 watts
dynamic power into 3 ohms. It features Onkyo’s Wide Range Amplifier Technology
(WRAT) design philosophy.
The Onkyo BD-SP808 Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player has
DLNA 1.5-certified networking, access to video-on-demand services, Marvel Qdeo
video scaler, and Profile 2.0 BD-Live features such as picture-in-picture and
web-sourced firmware updates. An SD card slot allows playback of downloaded web
content or stills and video from a digital camera. HDMI Source Direct mode
enables the player to output video in native resolution for optional external
processing. It’s not 3D-capable.
