Monday, 27 April 2015 20:08

TX-SR343 and TX-NR545. New budget receivers from Onkyo push the boundaries of Dolby Atmos.

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Spring Release of AV receivers have come to Onkyo. It is initially the two smallest models TX-SR343 and TX-NR545 being unveiled. And according to Onkyo the collaboration with Pioneer has yielded results in the form of two very competitive AV receivers in the budget class.

 

 

 

TX-SR343

The most visible difference is found in the smallest model. Onkyo TX-SR343 has got a simple and harmonious front plate, and has lines  that can give associations to Onkyo's new half-sister - Pioneer.

Onkyo has also emphasized that the TX-SR343 should be simple to operate - an inteklligent choice given that this is a model that not primarily appeals to the advanced hardcore AV enthusiast. They have redesigned the backboard with a focus on simplicity

 

TX-SR343 is characterized by being the smallest kid in the family, and lacks the large amount of network and WiFi related equipment that the larger models have in buckets. But it has Bluetooth. It is also possible to extend to WiFI using a USB dongle.

 

 

TX-NR545

If we hand over to the larger model Onkyo TX-NR545 , it is a literally groundbreaking equipment list in relation to price.

 

A lot has happened with the TX-NR545 over its predecessor TX NR535. The most important foundation is that it has grown from being a 5.1 to a 7.1 receiver. And this has given the possibility of Dolby Atmos in minimum configuration 5.1.2, which Onkyo has taken the opportunity to implement. Thus surpasses Onkyo their own world record in the budget Atmos. And then it remains to be seen if it will turn the upcoming half-sister VSX-930, which we wrote about a few weeks ago and that also becomes an Atmos price bomb.

But it is not only 7-channel amps and Dolby Atmos that is new on the TX-NR545. A pre rich equipment list in networking and WiFI is now complemented with AirPlay, a novelty for Onkyo whatever place in the hierarchy.

 

 

Specifications from Onkyo:


Features TX-SR343

 

HIGHLIGHTS

100 W per Channel
HDMI 4 In / 1 Out (4K UltraHD / HDMI 2.0a / HDCP 2.2)
True Driving Power from Discrete Amp Circuits
Bluetooth Wireless Audio Streaming
Easy Configuration Rear Panel
HDMI Video Up-Conversion
Streaming Media Player Ready

 

ADVANCED FEATURES

4K/60 Hz-Capable HDMI® 2.0a Terminals for UltraHD Entertainment
Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR Capability (Compatible Profile: A2DP v1.2, AVRCP v1.3)
Analog Video Upconversion to HDMI
Advanced Music Optimizer to Improve Compressed Digital Audio Quality (Bluetooth Audio Included)
Phase-Matching Bass Boost for Deep Bass and Clear Mid-Range

 

AMPLIFIER FEATURES

100 W/Ch (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 1% THD, 1 Channel Driven, IEC); 120 W/Ch (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 1% THD, 1 Channel Driven, JEITA)
WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology)
H.C.P.S. (High Current Power Supply) Massive High Power Transformer
Discrete Output Stage Circuitry
PLL (Phase Locked Loop) Jitter-Cleaning Circuit Technology for S/PDIF Audio

 

PROCESSING FEATURES

HDMI 2.0a Support for 4K/60 Hz, 3D, Audio Return Channel, DeepColor™, x.v.Color™, LipSync, Dolby® TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio™, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD, Multichannel PCM, and CEC
Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™ Decoding
TI Burr-Brown 192 kHz/24-bit DAC for All Channels
Advanced 32-bit DSP Chip
4 DSP Modes for Gaming: Rock, Sports, Action, and RPG
Theater-Dimensional Virtual Surround Function
CinemaFILTER™
Direct Mode
Double Bass Function
Non-Scaling Configuration
A-Form Listening Mode Memory

 

CONNECTION FEATURES

4 HDMI Inputs and 1 Output
USB Port (Rear) for Powering Media Streaming Sticks (5 V, 1 A)
2 Component Video Inputs (Rear)
3 Composite Video Inputs (1 Front/2 Rear)
3 Digital Audio Inputs (2 Optical and 1 Coaxial)
7 Analog Audio Inputs (1 Front/6 Rear)
Subwoofer Pre-Out
Headphone Jack

 

OTHER FEATURES

Crossover Adjustment for Each Channel (40/50/60/70/80/90/100/120/150/200 Hz)
A/V Sync Control (Up to 500 ms in 10 ms Steps at 48 kHz)
Overlaid On-Screen Display (OSD) via HDMI with Quick Set-Up
HDMI Passthrough Function
Tone Control (Bass/Treble) for Front L/R Channels
3-Mode Display Dimmer (Normal/Dim/Dimmer)
40 FM/AM Random Presets
RIHD (Remote Interactive Over HDMI) for System Control
Full-Function RI (Remote Interactive) Remote Control

 



 

Features TX-NR545

 

HIGHLIGHTS

Supports Dolby Atmos up to 5.1.2 Channels
120 W per Channel
HDMI 6 In / 1 Out (4K UltraHD / HDMI 2.0a / HDCP 2.2)
True Driving Power from Discrete Amp Circuits
Bluetooth Audio / Wi-Fi with Spotify and AirPlay
DSD 5.6 MHz, FLAC 192 kHz/24-bit Hi-Res Audio Capable
384 kHz/32-bit Hi-Grade DAC
AccuEQ Room Acoustic Calibration

 

ADVANCED FEATURES

4K/60 Hz-Capable HDMI® 2.0a Terminals for Ultra HD Entertainment
Built-in Wi-Fi® Certified Wireless LAN Capability
Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR Capability (Compatible Profile: A2DP v1.2, AVRCP v1.3) with Advanced Music Optimizer DSP Technology
Internet Radio and Music Streaming Subscription Services Included (TuneIn Radio, Spotify, and Deezer)*1
Playback Compressed, Lossless, and Hi-Res Audio via Local Network (MP3, WMA, WMA Lossless, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, Apple Lossless, DSD 5.6 MHz, LPCM*2)
Proprietary AccuEQ Room Calibration with Mic Included
Advanced Music Optimizer to Improve Compressed Digital Audio Quality (Bluetooth Audio Included)
Control and Stream with Free Onkyo Remote Streaming Apps for iPod touch/iPhone*3 and Android™ Devices*4
Phase-Matching Bass Boost for Deep Bass and Clear Mid-Range
Zone 2 Line-Out for Distributed Audio Playback in Another Room

*1 Availability of services depends on region. Some services may require a paid subscription and firmware update. Availability of third-party services advertised here is accurate at the time of publication, but may be subject to change without notice. *2 LPCM is supported via DLNA only. *3 Compatible with iPod touch (3rd generation or later) and iPhone 3GS or later. All models require iOS 4.2 or later. *4 Requires Android 2.1 or later.

 

AMPLIFIER FEATURES

120 W/Ch (6 Ω 1 kHz, 1% THD, 1 Channel Driven, IEC); 120 W/Ch (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 1% THD, 1 Channel Driven, JEITA)
WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology)
H.C.P.S. (High Current Power Supply) Massive High Power Transformer
Discrete Output Stage Circuitry
Optimum Gain Volume Circuitry
PLL (Phase Locked Loop) Jitter-Cleaning Circuit Technology for S/PDIF Audio

 

PROCESSING FEATURES

Dolby Atmos® Decoding
HDMI® 2.0a Support for 4K/60 Hz, 3D, Audio Return Channel, DeepColor™, x.v.Color™, LipSync, Dolby Atmos®, Dolby® TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio™, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD, Multichannel PCM, and CEC
Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™ Decoding
AK4458 384 kHz/32-bit DAC (8 Channels x 1)
Advanced 32-bit DSP Chip
4 DSP Modes for Gaming: Rock, Sports, Action, and RPG
Theater-Dimensional Virtual Surround Function
CinemaFILTER™
Direct Mode
Double Bass Function
Non-Scaling Configuration
A-Form Listening Mode Memory

 

CONNECTION FEATURES

6 HDMI Inputs and 1 Output
USB Port
Mass Storage Class USB Memory Playback Capability
2 Component Video Inputs (Rear)
4 Composite Video Inputs (1 Front/3 Rear)
3 Digital Audio Inputs (2 Optical and 1 Coaxial)
8 Analog Audio Inputs (1 Front/7 Rear)
2 Parallel Subwoofer Pre-Outs
Banana Plug-Compatible Speaker Posts
Headphone Jack

 

OTHER FEATURES

Crossover Adjustment for Each Channel (40/50/60/70/80/90/100/120/150/200 Hz)
A/V Sync Control (Up to 500 ms in 10 ms Steps at 48 kHz)
Overlaid On-Screen Display (OSD) via HDMI with Quick Set-Up
Hybrid Standby Function with HDMI Passthrough to Reduce Power Consumption
Smart Grid-Ready
Tone Control (Bass/Treble) for Front L/R Channels
3-Mode Display Dimmer (Normal/Dim/Dimmer)
40 FM/AM Random Presets
Certified with DLNA Version 1.5
Firmware Updates via Ethernet and USB
RIHD (Remote Interactive Over HDMI) for System Control
Compatible with RI Dock for iPod/iPhone and AirPlay (DS-A5)
Preprogrammed RI (Remote Interactive) Remote Control



 

Both models will be available in May 2015

 

Onkyo is distributed in Norway by Mono AS

Read more about TX-SR343 at Onkyo

Read more about TX-NR545 at Onkyo


Last modified on Tuesday, 28 April 2015 07:18
Karl Erik Sylthe

Redaktør i Audiophile.no

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