Great review...very interesting conclusion. Almost a cliff hanger!

Enjoyed the read.

 

Thanks Todd. To be honest, sometimes even I'm not 100% sure of my conclusion until I'm mostly done drafting the review. I suspect the debates over AccuEQ and Atmos will continue for a good while. That puts the 737 in a tricky spot.

 

Wonder why they chose to have AccuEq only front aligned. I would not have thought it would be much more difficult if at all to add the option of Flat Eq

 

Peter, did your Onkyo contact explain the reasoning behind AccuEQ's design (no mains corrected)?

 

Todd - from Onlyo's website:

Onkyo developed AccuEQ to simplify the initial home theater setup process, and to make both surround-sound and two-channel audio sound clean and clear in your listening space.

To showcase the unique acoustical characteristics of your front loudspeakers, AccuEQ bypasses the front two channels so you can enjoy authentic hi-fi audio quality for stereo music, with no DSP correction applied.

Instead, the included microphone measures the distances, crossovers, and output levels of the surround and center speakers from one easy listening position, which speeds up and simplifies the calibration process. With room correction complete, you can enjoy perfect clarity and three-dimensional cohesion when playing multichannel movie soundtracks, and natural high-fidelity performance for stereo listening.

It seems like they're hoping to cater to both the 2-channel purists (anti-EQ) and the HT enthusiasts who see room correction as an absolute must-have. They are assuming you are completely content with the response of your carefully selected main/stereo speakers and do not want it tainted by a digital processor. But you're ok with AccuEQ handling basic calibration of the surround system. No official word from Onkyo PR regarding the decision, but it couldn't hurt to ask.