Onkyo's new AV receiver streams Pandora, Rhapsody, Sirius, and Internet radio

It looks like a typical Onkyo AV receiver, but it's packed with streaming-audio functionality.

Last week, Onkyo released its new "HT" line of receivers, and the company has followed-up with two additional models in its traditional "TX" line. The Onkyo TX-NR807 ($1,100) and TX-SR707 ($900) are both available now and are step-ups to the popular TX-SR607 model that we reviewed in April.

The TX-NR807 is the most interesting of the two; on top of normal AV receiver functions, it adds streaming-audio functionality from Pandora, Rhapsody, Sirius and Internet radio (using vTuner's database of stations). It's also DLNA 1.5-compliant and capable of playing back MP3, WMA, FLAC, Lossless, Ogg Vorbis, and AAC files from network-attached PCs and hard drives. (It seems to be the "TX" analogous model to the HT-RC180 released last week.)

Onkyo TX-NR807 and TX-SR707 photos

Aside from audio streaming, the TX-NR807 has six HDMI inputs, analog video upconversion to 1080p, and onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The TX-NR807 is THX-Select2 Plus certified, which means THX gives it the stamp of approval for rooms where you'll sit 10 feet away from the speakers. Generally we don't put much stock in THX certification; it costs the manufacturers money without adding performance and there are great-sounding receivers that lack certification.

The TX-NR807 also has support for Dolby's Pro Logic IIz format, which adds "height" speakers to the standard 5.1 speaker arrangement. We weren't fans of the format when we tested it in the TX-SR607. There's also support for Audyssey DSX processing, which involves up to 9.1 speakers. Given that we feel like the difference between 5.1 and 7.1 is often minimal, we're skeptical as to how much benefit these new surround formats really provide.

The TX-NR707 is very similar to the TX-NR807, but it lacks the audio streaming and networking features and has less power.

[mmntech]

Too rich for my blood but at least it actually has a phono port on it.

[EvanSei]

now I may be wrong but for a good amount of the things this does couldn't you plug a laptop into a surround sound system over hdmi and do them, if you were on a wireless network you could stream pandora ect. ect. plus allot of laptops support dolby surround sound, and have high def sound drivers and what not. and if you don't have a computer that can do this for way under $1,100 you could get one that can, but man look at all those ports!