New high-end Onkyo receivers pack lots of goodies

The Onkyo TX-NR5007 has eight HDMI inputs, dual HDMI outputs, HQV processing, and Rhapsody/Pandora streaming.

Onkyo's been on a tear recently releasing new AV receivers, and the company is rolling out another trio of high-end units. The receivers are packed with functionality, from eight HDMI inputs to HQV video processing, so let's take a careful look at exactly what each of these units offers.

New high-end Onkyo receiver photos

Key features of the Onkyo TX-NR1007:

• 9.2 AV receiver, rated at 135 watts per channel
• Six HDMI inputs
• Dual HDMI outputs
• Onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
• Also supports Dolby Pro Logic IIz and Audyssey DSX surround processing modes
• Streaming audio from Pandora, Rhapsody, vTuner, and Sirius Internet Radio
• DLNA 1.5-compliant
• Analog video upconversion to 1080p, using Faroudja DCDi Cinema processing
• Includes THX Loudness Plus and a suite of Audyssey sound processing modes (MultEQ XT, Dynamic EQ, and Dynamic Volume)
• THX Ultra2 Plus certified
• Available in September | $1,600 list price

Key step-up features of the Onkyo TX-NR3007:

• 9.2 AV receiver, rated at 140 watts per channel
• Seven HDMI inputs, including one front panel HDMI input
• Analog video upconversion, using HQV Reon-VX processing
• Front panel USB port
• Dolby Volume processing
• Available in September | $2,100 list price

Key step-up features of the Onkyo TX-NR5007:

• 9.2 AV receiver, rated at 145 watts per channel
• Eight HDMI inputs, including one front panel HDMI input
• Two USB ports (one front panel, one back panel)
• Available in September | $2,700 list price

There are some also some minor connectivity differences between these AV receivers; it's worth checking out the back panel shots in the slideshow to see if there are enough ports to handle your home theater.

Overall, these receivers are clearly overkill for the average home theater, since the most important features are included in Onkyo's cheaper TX-SR607. On the other hand, many of the feature upgrades will please home theater enthusiasts; dual HDMI outputs are great for home theaters with a projector and an HDTV, and HQV processing makes a big difference for scaling analog sources. We're still not fully convinced that integrating streaming audio services in an AV receiver is a good idea--we'd prefer to add a more flexible, dedicated streaming solution, such as a Logitech Squeezebox or Sonos--but we'll be getting a review sample of the Onkyo HT-RC180 soon, so we'll be able to see how that functionality works.

[poconnell241]

Do any of these have HD tuners in them?

[MoskovciakM]

They don't have HD radio built-in, but they do have Onkyo's proprietary "Universal Port". That means you can add HD Radio functionality to the receiver with the Onkyo UP-HT1 accessory (http://onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=UP-HT1&class=Accessory&p=i).

[make_or_break]

Based on the "key step-up" verbage (your words, not mine), comparing the NR3007 to the NR5007 (since I don't have a clue what "HQV Reon-VX processing" is worth or even what it actually IS to compare down to the NR1007):

One extra HDMI port, one back panel USB port, 5 additional watts per channel...all that for the bargain price of a $600 upcharge. Or was there something else that should be considered "key" in this "step-up" that I'm missing?

[Saltiva]

Yes- The model number is higher; therefore, the price is going to be higher (much higher) :)... Or you could wait and buy refurb'd in a year for less than half... that is if you're not too GOOD for that.

[adlieb]

"HQV-Reon-VX processing" is referring to the high acclaimed REON video processor from HQV. The REON video processor provides all the power for all video scaling and processing, and in this unit it is what helps it take lower resolution signals, and scales them up to 1080p. The REON chip is known for being a very fast in terms of HDMI switching and standard definition up-conversion. This chipset will help take any DVDs or anything standard def. for that matter, and improve the picture dramatically.