Onkyo – Not so Atmos AVR
I’ll be trustworthy, I obtained loads of warmth for my final Onkyo AV receiver article, the TX-SR383. The SR383 was a discrete excessive present 7.2 channel receiver for $400 that supplied a selection of native 7.2-channel soundtrack replica or a 5.2-channel surround-sound format with powered audio distribution to a pair of stereo audio system in Zone 2. It had some superb audio and video options and actually good room correction software program for a mere $400. The issue was that Onkyo marketed the receiver as delivering 155 W/ch and insinuated that the receiver had the codecs for peak channels. Neither was appropriate and in true Audioholics trend, we known as them out on it.
Now, Onkyo has launched the all-new TX-SR3100 5.2 channel AVR for $400. The receiver is marketed at 80 W/ch (into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.08% THD, with 2 channels pushed) which IS the right nomenclature for energy rankings. It additionally comes with the codec for each DTS:X and Dolby Atmos for a 3.1.2 system. It’s a bit deceptive to name it an Atmos receiver when it may’t assist not less than a 5.1.2 speaker format although. In most cases, we might advocate an ordinary 5.1 speaker configuration for this AV receiver and NOT bypass the surrounds for peak channels.But when you do not have the power to run rear surrounds and desire a extra immersive setup with Atmos or DTS:X decoding than this might be a strategy to do it on a finances.
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X codecs give engineers the power to map sound in three-dimensional area, newly up to date sound high quality delivers ONKYO’s dynamic sound and content material data in high quality element.
— Akihisa Watanabe, Undertaking Chief at Onkyo
20 years in the past (concerning the time I began with Audioholics) I might have by no means guessed how entwined receivers would grow to be between audio and video. They aren’t known as AVRs for nothing, and the brand new receiver from Onkyo comes with the most recent video applied sciences like HDMI 2.1a with 8K.
With HDMI 2.1a assist, the Onkyo TX-SR3100 offers a variety of video resolutions and refresh charges, together with 8K60 and 4K120, together with assist for Dynamic HDR codecs, ALLM, VRR, QFT and SBTM(Supply-Primarily based Tone Mapping).
The mixture of a 60Hz refresh fee ensures easy and sharp viewing of high-speed motion, whereas HDMI 2.1a with 8K readiness ensures that your system is supplied for the clearest and most pristine image high quality accessible, each now and sooner or later.
–Onkyo
The SR3100 additionally comes with video options resembling Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10+ which boosts the standard of your video content material, serving to to ship crisp, clear visuals and extra dynamic colours.
As for room calibration, the Onkyo SR1300 comes with AccuEQ Room Calibration. It does job of calibrating your setup, it’s no DIRAC and even Audysseyhowever the revolutionary expertise helps be certain that your receiver and audio system are calibrated to the room they’re in by compensating for variations in speaker measurement and distance.
I personally haven’t heard Onkyo’s new Vocal Enhancer expertise but, however I’m intrigued to see what it may do. There’s nothing worse than having a killer new system and then you definitely play your first film and might’t perceive the dialogue. The brand new function from Onkyo emphasizes dialogue and vocals by including the middle component to your entrance left and entrance proper audio system. In response to Onkyo, this function ensures that you just “catch each phrase, even throughout action-packed scenes with explosions or quiet moments in intense dramas, whatever the quantity setting.”
Though the SR3100 comes with Dolby Atmos, it additionally comes with Dolby Atmos Peak Virtualizer. This expertise is designed to create a digital {surround} and peak impact from conventional speaker layouts which theoretically eliminates the necessity for extra {surround} or peak audio system.
What we expect…
You’ll find some respectable receivers like Denon’s AVR-S570BT for underneath $400, however to seek out one with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and all the most recent video applied sciences that the SR3100 packs in will likely be fairly powerful.
Onkyo says that the TX-SR3100 is “the last word residence leisure companion, providing a premium, immersive expertise that may redefine your enjoyment of films, music, and video games.”
In case you’re trying to begin your Audioholics journey into immersive audio in a small to mid-sized room I might be hard-pressed to discover a higher receiver for the cash. The Onkyo TX-SR3100 can be finest fitted to a small household room or master suite system the place the aim is so as to add 5.1 {surround} to tremendously enhance the sound high quality over the inner TV audio system or low-cost mediocre soundbar. We advocate pairing this AVR with 8-ohm nominal loudspeakers as it’s NOT finest fitted to 4-ohm rated tower audio system.
The TX-SR3100 is obtainable to order now for $399 at licensed retailers and www.onkyo.com.
Until in any other case indicated, this can be a preview article for the featured product. A proper evaluate could or could not observe sooner or later.
