At this point Onkyo’s decision to remove Audyssey from its AV gear is old news; the initial shock has worn and the earth continues to spin. However, some enthusiasts and fans of the brand held hope that Onkyo had simply removed Audyssey from lower-end models, keeping the popular room correction suite secretly reserved for mid-summer high-end releases. Alas, this is not the case. The company recently released fine-print details for three new A/V heavy hitters, all devoid of Audyssey. It appears, for the time being, that Onkyo will push forward with its proprietary AccuEQ room calibration offering.
Of course, this may ultimately prove to be a moot point. Onkyo believes that AccuEQ produces a more natural sound through bypassing equalization of front and subwoofer channels. While there are certainly plenty of sub-EQ options available, it’s hard to ignore the popularity of Audyssey’s ability to offer sub-EQ out of the box (with MultEQ XT32). Nevertheless, this is what we have to work with and Onkyo’s AVR line-up for 2014 is incredibly competitive despite its Audyssey-less composition.
The new receivers (THX® Select2 Plus-certified 9.2-channel TX-NR1030 Network A/V Receiver and the 11.2-channel TX-NR3030 Network A/V Receiver) and preamplifier (THX® Ultra Plus-certified PR-SC5530 Network A/V Controller) arrive on the wave created by the announcement that Dolby Atmos is moving into the home environment. Not surprisingly, these new pieces of hardware are Atmos ready. Each features 32-bit DSP engines to decode, scale and calibrate signals for a full-on Atmos experience. They also support the latest HDMI specification and HDCP 2.2 copy protection, so you can be confident that they’ll be 4K/60Hz ready while being able to handle playback of future streamed and broadcast 4K material.
TX-NR3030 and TX-NR1030 Network A/V Receivers
The THX select2 certified TX-NR3030 sits at the top of Onkyo’s receiver offerings with 11.2 channels and 135 W of power output (8 Ohms, 2 channels driven). With the addition of Atmos capabilities, users will have the ability to augment 5.2, 7.2 and 9.2 configurations with the provided extra outputs for what will likely prove to be an audio cocooning experience. Wide Range Amplifier Technology (WRAT) comprised of a custom high-output transformer, caps, and low impendence copper bus-plates with separate processing and amplification blocks powers the heart of the NR3030. Audio processing is handled by seven two-channel 192 kHz/24-bit TI Burr-Brown DACs and two 32-bit DSP processors. It supports just about every hi-res and lossless audio format under the sun (from FLAC to WMA) while also supporting 5.6 MHz DSD and Dolby True HD formats, so the NR3030 has great sound covered. On the connectivity side, it features 8 HDMI inputs (one front panel with MHL), 3 HDMI outputs, a phono input, balanced 11.4 XLR pre-outs and 11.4 multichannel pre-outs, along with the other usual suspects, in addition to Wifi and Bluetooth support. On the output side, the NR3030 offers video upscaling (HD and UHD) on the back of Qdeo 4K upscaling technology.
The TX-NR3030 looks to be an extremely competitive high-end machine, worthy of its flagship badge, and is priced at $2399 (shipping in August 2014).
The NR1030 maybe slightly lower on the totem pole, but its spec sheet is delicious. It features 9.2 channels of output (135W, 8 Ohms, 2 channels driven) and otherwise reads very similar to the NR3030 (even possessing the same THX certification and excellent pre-out capabilities). The NR1030 carries a price tag of $1699.
PR-SC5530 Network A/V Controller
The THX Ultra2 Plus-certified PR-SC5530 Network A/V Controller replaces the PR-SC5509 as Onkyo’s preamplifier offering. Much like the above AVRs, it supports UHD material at 60 Hz with support for HDCP 2.2 and also offers Qdeo 4K video upscaling. It also features seven 32-bit TI Burr-Brown DACs, two 32-bit DSP processors, and a massive toroidal transformer with separate EI transformers. Users can opt for balanced or unbalanced 11.4 channel pre-outs. In many ways, the SC5530 mirrors the NR3030 and 1030 minus the inclusion of an onboard amplifier. Also shipping in August, the SC5530 has an MSRP of $2499.
Image Credits: Onkyo
