Onkyo TX-SR706 7.1-channel home cinema receiver Announced.

[Phil Hinton]

Press release

ONKYO INTRODUCES FIRST THX Select2 Plus™ CERTIFIED HOME CINEMA RECEIVER… the TX-SR706

New 1080p upscaling receiver includes THX Loudness Plus™ volume control technology to deliver better intelligibility at low volumes

Onkyo has launched its first AV receiver to carry the new THX Select2 Plus Certification. The 7x160 watt TX-SR706 features HDMI v. 1.3a repeaters, 1080p Faroudja DCDi upscaling, onboard decoding for lossless and HD audio formats, Audyssey MultEQ and Audyssey DynamicEQ processing.

OVERVIEW
• 7 x 160w power output
• Four HDMI v.1.3a inputs/one output
• Built-in 1080p video upscaling and upconversion with Faroudja DCDi Cinema
• THX Select2Plus certified performance
• Onboard decoder for Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD
• Bi-amping capability
• Powered Zone 2 plus Zone 2 pre-outs
• Music Optimiser for MP3/AAC tracks
• Audyssey Dynamic EQ
• Pre-programmed remote control with mode-key LEDs
• RS-232 port plus IR input and 12v trigger
• Phono input (moving magnet)
• RIHD (Remote Interactive over HDMI) control system

The TX-SR706 is Onkyo's first receiver to carry THX's new Select2Plus™ Certification, which includes the new THX Loudness Plus™ volume control technology. This new processing algorithm compensates for the tonal and spatial shifts that occur when the volume level is reduced below the reference levels that the original soundtrack was mastered for. For instance, by slightly increasing the relative volume of the ambient sound at lower volumes, the impact of movies, music and games is much closer to what the sound engineer originally intended.

The TX-SR706 features four HDMI inputs, and is fully compatible with HDMI v. 1.3a, including 1080p and Deep Color™ 36-bit video signals. It features onboard decoding for Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS-HD Master Audio, and DTS-HD High Resolution making it fully capable of exploiting the high definition audio as well as video potential of the Blu-Ray disc formats, and all using a single HDMI cable connection. All HDMI inputs are upscaled to 1080p resolution using Faroudja's DCDi Cinema technology.

To simplify set-up and improve audio performance, Onkyo has included Audyssey's acclaimed MultEQ room acoustics correction, as well as the Audyssey's Dynamic EQ algorithm, which refines the receiver's frequency response and surround levels moment-by-moment to compensate for deteriorations in the listening experience at different volume levels. These functions work together automatically to tailor the receiver's output to correct for room acoustics, listening position, and playback-level distortions, delivering an overall experience that is a much closer match to what the audio production engineers originally intended.

The TX-SR706 also includes the company's new Music Optimiser software, which improves the quality of MP3 and AAC encoded audio source material. While these compressed audio formats sound quite acceptable over small headphones or PC speaker systems, when reproduced on a full-scale home theatre system the loss of high-frequency information becomes much more apparent. The Music Optimiser employs sophisticated equalization and optimization algorithms to overcome these faults, and enhances the reproduction quality of digitally compressed music.

The TX-SR706 also features Onkyo's Powered Zone 2 capability, which can be used to power stereo speakers in a second room while listening to 5.1-channel sound in the main zone thanks to a dedicated set of zone 2 L/R speaker terminals. There is also a Zone 2 pre-out that can be used in conjunction with a dedicated zone amplifier or receiver. For those with main stereo LR loudspeakers that support bi-amplification, the back surround channels can also be reconfigured for this operating mode.

For integration with whole-house control systems, the TX-SR706 includes a bi-directional RS-232 port. Additionally, RIHD (Remote Interactive over HDMI) capability allows it to seamlessly integrate with other leading brand-name devices, including all Toshiba CE-Link equipment and selected Panasonic VIERA Link, Sharp, and Samsung products. The receiver is also compatible with Onkyo's RI (Remote Interactive) iPod dock/charger models.

The Onkyo TX-SR706 features a high quality AM/FM radio tuner. It includes a newly redesigned pre-programmed learning RI (Remote Interactive) remote control unit with macros and mode-key LEDs. Finally, systems set-up is even easier simpler thanks to the implementation of a newly designed GUI (Graphical User Interface).
PRICE
Onkyo TX-SR706 7.1-channel home cinema receiver - £600
(available from the beginning of September, in either black or silver finishes)