Onkyo Rolls Out HDMI 1.3a AV Receivers

Onkyo has begun shipping four high-end THX-certified AV receivers featuring HDMI 1.3a, Sirius and XM satellite radio compatibility, and HDMI system control integration.

Although you’d never know if from checking out their own Web site, Onkyo USA says it has begun shipping four new high-end AV receivers, all of which are THX-certified, feature HDMI 1.3a connectivity, are ready to roll with either Sirius or XM satellite radio, and offer RIHD (Remote Interactive over HDMI) system control integration. Onkyo is touting the new line as the most comprehensive set of THX-certified receivers offered by any manufacturer—while we will neither confirm nor refute that claim, the new systems have plenty of goodies to keep home theater junkies happy.

At the high end, the $2,099 TX-NR905 offers switching for up to four HDMI 1.3a video sources, AM/FM and HD Radio tuners (with 40 presets), a USB port, an Ethernet port, and Microsoft PlaysForSure certification. The NR905 features Silicon Optix HQV Reon-VX video processing and will upconvert video sources to 1080p over HDMI; the unit also sports a second HDMI output for flexibility,and features component outputs for non-HDMI displays. The sytem also offers seven amp modules pushing 140 watts into an 8-ohm load, and the rear amp channels can be reconfigured for bi-amping the front left and right channels up to 220 watts. The system also features MultEQ XT eight-point room acoustics correction and support for multiple zones.

For $1,699, the TX-SR875 offers a feature set similar to the NR905, minus the second HDMI output, HD Radio tuner, USB, and Ethernet.

For $1,099, the TX-SR805 manages switching between three HDMI 1.3a sources, offers 130 watts per audio channel and 40 AM/FM/Sirius/XM presets. The system transcodes all video sources for output over HDMI, and upscales all analog signals to 480p component video using Faroudja DCDi to simplify connection management, but won’t convert content up to 1080p. Finally, the $899 TX-SR705 drops to 100 watts per audio channel, but includes support for any older gear you might have hanging around by offering video S-Video inputs, five composite inputs, and three component inputs. The system will upscale S-Video and composite signals to HDMI and component video to ease connection to modern displays, but also offers de-interlacing to convert 480i to 480p. The SR705 is also compatible with Onkyo’s iPod docks.