New Onkyo Stereos Go for The Value

Onkyo has unveiled two new receivers and a countertop stereo system which aim to show the company can deliver high quality and strong features at an appealing price.

Electronics maker Onkyo has rolled out two new stereo receivers and a countertop stereo system which put the emphasis on packing needed, high-quality features into systems which don’t strain customers’ wallets.

Onkyo’s new TX-8222 receiver pushes 50 watts per channel into 8-ohn speaker loads, and features three standard audio inputs, a pre-amplified phono input (reversing that RIAA curve to get good sound out of your vinyl!), and two audio outs. The TX8222 also offers to RI pin jacks, banana plug-compatible speaker posts, and selective tone controls. The TX-8222 comes in black at a suggested price of $249.

Need a little more oomph…or video? The TX-8522 pushes 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms, offers an AM/FM tuner, and sports a rear-panel XM Connect-and-Play hookup for an XM Passport portable antenna, so you can put your XM stations through your home stereo. The receiver offers three audio inputs, two video inputs, a photo pre-amp input (vinyl, baby!), and two A/V outs—and a multi-source feature enables users to push two different audio sources to different rooms. Or, we suppose, the same room if you like chaos. The TX-8522 comes in black with a suggested price tag of $349.

Need to drop a stereo system into an office, dorm room, or other area? Onkyo’s CS-315 counter-top stereo offers 2-way bass reflex speakers which are magnetically shielded for use near televisions or computer monitors, and which are driven by discrete power amps. The CS-315 offers an AM/FM tuner (30 presets) and can play standard CDs, CD-R/RWs, and MP3 CDs using a single-bit D/A converter. As an option, users can integrate Onkyo’s DS-A1 or DS-A2 iPod docks. Also on board: headphone jack, remote control, built-in clock with sleep timer, three audio inputs, one audio output, and a subwoofer pre-output for expanding the system. The CS-315 carries a suggested retail price of $299.