Onkyo is launching the world’s first 9.2-channel AV receivers featuring Audyssey DSX and Dolby IIz processing. The models, which also sport THX Ultra2 Plus certification and dual subwoofer outputs, are priced from £1,300.
Top of the range is the formidably specified £2,400 TX-NR5007. Attractions include eight HDMI inputs (including one front-mounted), with two outputs; DLNA 1.5 networking with extensive audio file support (MP3, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, LPCM, WAV, WMA and WMA Lossless) and 1080p video upscaling via Silicon Optix HQV Reon VX video processor.
Naturally both DTS-HD MA and Dolby TrueHD decoding is provided, and there’s a DSD Direct facility, for SACD owners.
The step-down £1,700 TX-NR3007 retains most of the NR5007's feature spread, but drops an HDMI input and eases off the power. Also in the range is the £1,300 TX-NR1007, which sheds another HDMI and Dolby Volume and trades the HQV processor for a Faroudja DCDi Cinema chipset. 
Front is better than back?
However, it’s the Audyssey DSX modes which could prove the most interesting aspect of these AVRs. DSX processing allows for the installation of an additional pair of front height channels, and/or a pair of front wide channels (designed to sit alongside the main stereo pair). Audyssey advocates that the extra front channels are used instead of traditional rear back channels.
Chris Kyriakakis, the founder and Chief Technical Officer of Audyssey Laboratories, told HCC that the decision to expand the front soundstage comes from new studies into depth perception. ‘Human hearing has much higher special resolution in the front hemisphere than it does in the rear,’ he says. ‘If you only have a fixed number of channels, it is better to use them where they will have the most impact.’
Kyriakakis goes on the say that the home cinema market actually went in the wrong direction when it added additional back channels years ago.
For more on this, read our full interview with Chris in Home Cinema Choice #173 (on sale this week) and find out exactly what we thought of Audyssey’s radical DSX processing technology in our exclusive six-page test of the Denon AVR-4310.
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited
Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
In the latest Home Cinema Choice:
re: Onkyo
Hugh Sinnott (not verified) - 27 August 2009 - 11:55amWent wrong? only for Onkyo who'd prefer us all to buy their new receivers with front surround, then after a few years they'd introduce new receivers with front AND rear surround, then flog those to us as well...who do they think they are kidding? lol
Personally I'm waiting...
Alan Smithee (not verified) - 27 August 2009 - 1:29pmI'm going to hang on for Dolby Digital 100.20, I feel the need for 100 speakers in my front room with 20 sub-woofers you see.
Dear wifey, I'm afraid we need 3 more speakers...
Nick C (not verified) - 2 September 2009 - 3:47pmThe main problem I had when I went to a 7.1 amp back around 9 years ago was that hardly anything was mastered with 7.1, I think Austin Powers and Star Wars were the first couple of DVD releases, even now with Blu Ray the majority of releases are 5.1 and the 7.1 is matrixed by the amp, so I'm guessing these amps will matrix the extra channels..
So is this going to be worth it? Plus how do we convince the wife that another 3 speakers are required?
HDMI 1.4
Resume Design Service (not verified) - 6 September 2009 - 9:24amI have a few thoughts:
* HDMI 1.4 should have been included in this receiver for this price. The receivers from other manufacturers will have HDMI in early 2010, and maybe even late 2009.
* 9.2 surround sound is already beaten. Denon is offering 9.3, and Yamaha offers 11.2. I think it goes without saying that ultimately we will end up with 11.4 -- which would allow a subwoofer in all four corners of the room, along with the traditional seven speaker setup with an additional two "high" speakers in the front and two "high" speakers in the back for a total of 11 speakers.
* Considering that these receivers are not futureproof, they prices are way too high when you think about how close we are to the HDMI 1.4 format.
Modern Home Cenima set-up
Iluxman (not verified) - 29 September 2009 - 8:52amIt seems the final destination of modern Home Cenima set up is surrounded by the speakers, not by sound! Here is the challenge of the most sophisticate industrial manufaturers: give us less speaker(s), more REAL surround sound, not a kind of 100.20 speakers set-up.
So, I think there is a one
RACPOWER (not verified) - 8 October 2009 - 7:44amSo, I think there is a one benefit the 9.2.
We can bi-amp surround channels than front channels.
The 9.2 surround is not most important thing.
There is not so bad.
RACPOWER (not verified) - 8 October 2009 - 7:46amSo, I think there is a one benefit the 9.2.
We can bi-amp surround channels than front channels.
The 9.2 surround is not most important thing.