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Onkyo TX-SR608 review

Onkyo TX-SR608
Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £434
inc VAT

Masses of inputs, HDMI upscaling and excellent sound quality make this receiver worth splashing out on

The entry-level Onkyo SR308 meets most people’s needs and costs just £219. At almost double the price, the SR608 needs to offer quite a lot more.

There are certainly a lot more sockets. Six HDMI inputs is the most we’ve seen on an AV receiver. Best of all, one is front-mounted, making it perfect for a stills or video camera. The front panel also has minijack audio and AV inputs for an MP3 player and analogue camcorder. There are more phono, S/P-DIF and analogue video inputs on the back than we can imagine ever needing, and even a VGA input to connect a computer that doesn’t have a DVI or HDMI output. All analogue video inputs are digitised, upscaled and sent to the HDMI output, so the SR608 can act as a hub for all your AV equipment.

The amplifier outputs are all on binding posts, which are much more secure than the spring terminals used on the SR308 and other budget AV receivers. There’s a total of nine speaker outputs, giving 7.1 surround plus a stereo zone 2 output. Different sources can be sent to the two zones, and while it’s not possible to send HDMI sources to zone 2, you could connect a Blu-ray player’s analogue output to use it as a CD player for zone 2. The zone 2 speaker output can also be configured to be used as front-high or front-wide speakers, which might be useful if you’re planning to install a 20-seat auditorium in your living room.

Onkyo TX-SR608

Automatic speaker calibration is included, and as usual, there’s a massive choice of listening modes from Direct 5.1 and stereo downmix to various DSP-powered surround effects. It’s even possible to pre-define which mode is used for different incoming signal types for each HDMI input. The remote can be a little bewildering at times but it handles everyday tasks well.

This is a extremely well-equipped receiver, and it shares the same superior sound quality as the SR308. If you need a receiver that will do everything and pump all inputs over an HDMI output, this is the one to buy.

Details

Price £434
Rating *****
Award Ultimate

Connections

HDMI inputs 6
HDMI outputs 1
Component inputs 2
Component outputs 1
Output resolutions PAL (576i), 720p, 1080i, 1080p
Total SCART sockets 0
SCART socket type N/A
S-Video input 0
S-video output 0
Composite inputs 5
Composite outputs 2
Stereo phono inputs 7
Stereo phono outputs 2
Coaxial S/PDIF inputs 2
Coaxial S/PDIF outputs 0
Optical S/PDIF inputs 2
Optical S/PDIF outputs 0
Multi-channel input no
Headphone output 1/4in
Speaker configuration 7.1
Main unit end speaker connection type binding posts
Speaker end speaker connection type N/A
Other connections 2 subwoofer line outs, calibration mic input, zone 2 line out, VGA in, minijack line input, wired remote, Universal Port
Wired network ports none
Wireless networking support none

Playback

Surround sound formats Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD HRA, DTS-HD MA
Optical drive no
Region free N/A
Supported playback disc formats N/A
Audio format support N/A
Video playback formats N/A
Image viewing formats N/A
Radio FM, AM

Speakers

Speaker configuration 7.1
RMS power output 1440W
RMS power centre 160W
RMS power front 320W
RMS power surround 640W
RMS power subwoofer 0W
Wall mountable no
Centre speaker cable length N/A
Front speaker cable length N/A
Surround speaker cable length N/A

General

Extras remote control, calibration mic, FM antenna, AM antenna
Size 435x329x176mmmm
Subwoofer dimensions N/A
Centre speaker dimensions N/A
Front speaker dimensions N/A
Surround speaker dimensions N/A
Power consumption standby 0W
Power consumption on 78W

Buying Information

Price £434
Warranty one-year RTB
Supplier http://www.scan.co.uk
Details www.eu.onkyo.com