New hi-fi and home cinema components from Onkyo

Onkyo has updated its hi-fi and AV range with the announcement of two new home cinema receivers, two stereo amplifiers and a high-end loudspeaker. Here's a brief run-down of all these new models.

Onkyo TX-SR803E receiver

The TX-SR803E receiver features a pair of HDMI inputs and three wide bandwidth (100MHz) HDTV-compatible component video inputs plus one output. To simplify connections to plasma screens, projectors and the like there's full Composite/S-Video-to Component Video Up-conversion. The receiver also offers a full house of decoding capabilities, including DTS, DTS 96/24, DTS-ES Discrete/Matrix 6.1, DTS NEO:6, Dolby Digital EX and Dolby Pro Logic IIx. There's state of the art digital processing employed here too, with 192kHz/24-bit audio DACS used for all channels along with a pair of 32-bit processors. For those of you with multi-room set-up there's a pair of powered Zone 2 loudspeaker outputs provided, in addition to the 7.1 channel outputs for the main room. By switching the TX-SR702E's replay mode to 5.1 in the main zone it's possible to enjoy a Dolby Digital soundtrack in one room while playing, say, a CD in the kitchen or bedroom. And if you've got an iPod there's good news as with an Onkyo DS-A1 iPod dock added to your system you can listen to all of your iPod tunes in your second zone while playing a 5.1-channel movie in your living room. The TX-SR803E is out now priced £850.

Onkyo TX-SR703E receiver

If HDMI compatibility isn't important to you just yet and you don't need as much power there's the cheaper TX-SR703E. This 7.1-channel receiver offers essentially the same package as the TX-SR803E but with a shade less output (7 x 130w) and minus HDMI switching. Out now, the TX-SR703E is priced at £700.

Onkyo A-9755 amplifier

Capable of delivering 150w per channel the A-9755 amp uses Onkyo's VL Digital analogue-to-digital conversion technology to produce a more accurate output. Onkyo has opted for a Discrete CR-type Phono Equalizer in these new amps to help create a sweeter, more dynamic sound that still benefits from a fast transient response. The fact that thick copper bus bars are used for earthing is also said to help lower impedances at the output stage. The amp also offers six gold-plated audio inputs plus two tape/MD loops and a set of 'main in' jacks. Two sets of speakers can be accommodated via the chunky transparent speaker binding posts and there's a headphone jack for personal listening. It's also equipped with Onkyo's Remote Interactive (RI) system, for not only allowing other RI-equipped components to be controlled via the remote control, but also for compatiblity with the new Onkyo DS-A1 iPod dock. The A-9755 available in silver or black and costs £700.

Onkyo A-9555 amplifier

If you don't need the power of the A-9755 then there's the A-9555. Offering much the same in the way of features (minus the 'main in' jacks) it uses the same basic technologies of the A-9755. And because it generates 100W rather than 150W there's just one large-capacity transformer inside rather than two. It also comes in silver or black and is a fair bit cheaper at £450.

Onkyo D-312E loudspeaker

The D-312E loudspeaker features a 4cm diameter Ring Drive Tweeter to deliver sounds all the way up to 100kHz. The 16cm woofers employ Advanced Onkyo Micro Fibre (A-OMF) cones that feature a three-layer construction for helping to reproduce difficult transient sounds. Power handling is 200W (max), thanks to the use of a 65mm voice-coil in the bass-driver, along with a high-strength 140mm diameter magnet, all affixed to a 6mm die-cast aluminium frame. To counteract unwanted resonances and vibrations the D-312E incorporates a number of measures to counteract them, including a bass-driver diaphragm, sporting a V-shaped edge on its outer circumference. Furthermore, deliberately located at the bottom of the speaker the port is separated from the rest of the cabinet, in order to reduce any possibility of mutual interference between high and low frequency sounds. Last but not least, good quality gold-plated bi-wirable terminals reside at the rear of the speaker, to help produce an oxidisation-free connection. The D-312E is out now priced £1300. For more information about Onkyo, click here. AVR Glossary