CES is ramping up, and Onkyo is taking the opportunity to share more details on a product it has been slowly building hype around this year: a new hi-res digital audio player to stand with similar offerings from Astell&Kern, Sony, Pono, and others. In addition, Onkyo is introducing a new member of its well-loved family of stereo receivers.
The DP-X1 hi-res digital audio player has been making some waves in the audiophile community since the fall of 2015, and now Onkyo is finally showing it to the world at large. Like the Pioneer XDP-100R, the DP-X1 is one of the earliest digital audio players to support the MQA lossless playback format. This isn’t a coincidence: Pioneer sold its home audio division to Onkyo in 2014, and the sale was made final last year.
In another similarity to the Pioneer player, which is also being shown at CES 2016, the DP-X1 features storage that can be expanded to over 400GBs using dual MicroSD slots. Onkyo says this supplies up to 16 hours of playback. Where this digital audio player differs is that it uses even higher grade components, including dual ESS Technology Sabre ES9018K2M DACs along with two SABRE9601K amps.
It appears technology was shared between the Onkyo TX-8140 Network Stereo Receiver and Pioneer’s new SX-N30 as well. Both feature a similar chassis, 80 watts per channel of power, and a ton of connectivity options. The TX-8140 features built-in support for Spotify Connect, Pandora, and Internet radio and can also play MP3s from a flash drive. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity is supported, as well.
For those who prefer physical media, the receiver features six analog inputs including a dedicated phono input for use with a turntable. These join coaxial and optical inputs for digital connections. Onkyo says the receiver uses “custom high-spec audio parts” throughout, and given the company’s reputation, this is likely the case.
The DP-X1 goes on sale in April at a suggested retail price of $900, while the TX-8140 will be out in February for $400.