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Onkyo TX-SR308 review

Onkyo TX-SR308
Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £219
inc VAT

Classy sound quality, comprehensive Blu-ray format support, a decent smattering of sockets and great value

The SR308 is remarkably cheap for an AV receiver, particularly for a model that can decode the full set of audio formats used by Blu-ray discs, including Dolby TrueHD.

There are a few areas where the SR308’s entry-level specifications may prove frustrating. With no automatic calibration function, it’s down to you to adjust the levels of speakers to match the room layout.

The three HDMI inputs are enough for a Blu-ray player, Sky or Virgin box and a games console, but add a digital camera or camcorder and you’ll have to scrabble around the back swapping cables. The scarcity of front-mounted sockets is another potential frustration. There’s a minijack input to connect an MP3 player’s headphone output, but no video inputs.

Onkyo TX-SR308

We didn’t expect to find zone 2 speaker outputs at this price, though. If you’re prepared to sort out the necessary cabling, this is a great way to pipe music into a second room. The main and zone 2 speakers can be used simultaneously, although they can’t have different sources. The front panel includes buttons to toggle each zone on and off, plus eight more for selecting the source, along with treble and bass tone controls. The on-screen display looks smart and is easy to follow, and while the remote control is less easy on the eye, it does the job.

With 100 Watts per channel, this is one of the lower-rated amplifiers, but it had no problem creating a sizeable racket in our tests. Best of all, the amplifier demonstrated a small but significant improvement in sound quality compared to competing budget models from other manufacturers. There was a heightened sense of smoothness and depth, particularly in music-listening tests.

As long as three HDMI inputs and 5.1 surround is enough, there seems little point in spending more when the SR308 is so capable. Its sublime audio quality is the icing on the cake.

Details

Price £219
Rating *****
Award Best Buy

Connections

HDMI inputs 3
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 4
Composite outputs 1
Stereo phono inputs 5
Stereo phono outputs 1
Coaxial S/PDIF inputs 1
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 5.1
Main unit end speaker connection type spring terminals and binding posts
Speaker end speaker connection type N/A
Other connections subwoofer line out, wired remote, Universal Port
Wired network ports none
Wireless networking support none

Playback

Surround sound formats Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD HRA, DTS-HD MA
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 5.1
RMS power output 700W
RMS power centre 100W
RMS power front 200W
RMS power surround 200W
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, FM antenna, AM antenna
Size 435x329x152mmmm
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 48W

Buying Information

Price £219
Warranty one-year RTB
Supplier http://www.amazon.co.uk
Details www.eu.onkyo.com