The Onkyo TX-NR5008 and TX-NR3008 home theatre receivers are THX Ultra2 Plus certified which support: network audio streaming; various multi-room set-ups; iPhone/iPod playback over USB; and are 3DTV ready.
Thanks to 9.2 audio channels, home theatre owners can take advantage of the expanded surround dimensions of Audyssey DSX or Dolby Pro Logic IIz. The former adds extra height or width channels for greater spatial ambience, while the latter provides the option of extra height channels.
Support is also provided for popular lossless codecs found on Blu-ray disc, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. To optimize audio performance in any room, both receivers include a Audyssey room-correction and equalization technologies. Audyssey MultEQ XT, for example, uses information from up to 8 positions throughout the room to calibrate speakers for optimal audio balance.
For music distribution ot multiple rooms, the TX-NR5008 and TX-NR3008 let users play a 5.1-channel source in the main room, along with fully powered stereo audio of two different sources in Zone 2 and Zone 3. In addition, users also have the option of Zone 2/3 pre outs and Zone 2 video output.
Each unit has eight HDMI 1.4a inputs and dual HDMI outputs so users can connect two high-definition displays simultaneously. In conjunction with HDMI, HQV-Reon VX enables 1080p upscaling of all video inputs, regardless of source resolution. Both also feature advanced ISF video calibration, which allows users to make fine-grained, independent adjustments for each video source.
Audio networking and internet radio are also common to both models. A rear-side Ethernet port enables firmware upgrades and links the receiver directly to the internet or to a home PC. Users can access streaming internet radio through Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster, Slacker, Mediafly, Sirius Internet Radio, and vTuner, or play back a wide variety of PC-based audio files, including FLAC, MP3, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, WMA, WMA Lossless, AAC, and LPCM. The receivers are also Windows 7 compatible and DLNA 1.5 certified.
The TX-NR3008 features a front-side USB port, while the TX-NR5008 has USB ports front and rear. As well as handling audio content from flash memory devices, the USB ports let users play music—and display album art—from a connected iPhone/iPod.
Build quality is highlighted by gold-plated audio inputs and PLL jitter-cleaning circuit technology on all models. These A/V receivers feature separate transformers for audio and video processing, with the TX-NR5008 also adding a toroidal transformer and 22,000 uF capacitors.
Other convenient features shared by both models include an analog RGB input for video content from a connected PC; a backlit and customizable remote controller; HDMI Thru allows children to still watch programs when the receiver is not turned on; and Onkyo’s new overlaid graphical OSD for adjustment of settings during a viewing session.
The Onkyo TX-NR3008 and TX-NR5008 will be available in August with suggested retail prices of U.S. $2,099 and U.S. $2,699 respectively.
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