Onkyo TX-NR809 Receiver
Looking on the net over the last few months if there has been one bit of kit I’ve been lusting after its most definitely the Onkyo TX-NR809 (or to give it its somewhat unwieldy full title the Onkyo TX-NR809 7.2 Channel THX Certified Network Receiver). Now I’m glad to say that due to much begging and a well connected friend of mine (Cheers Steevo) I’ve had this thing sitting in the lab (IE: My front living room) for the last month or so. Ive put it through its paces and I really don’t want to give it back 
Now while Onkyo seem to be marketing this unit on its THX Select2 certification this by no means that this is all the Onkyo TX-NR809 receiver has going for it. If anything the TX-NR809 is one of the best specified receivers I’ve had in my grubby little clutches for quite some time now, and that is pretty obvious to anyone who sees it in the flesh at a moments glance. The Onkyo TX-NR809 is solidly built in fact to be honest is a bit of a tank weighing in at a whopping 48 pounds, the array of I/O on the front and back panels of the unit is both wide ranging and solidly built. The knobs and dials universaly ahve a very pleasing feel and wont leave on wondering when they’re going to go kaput. I wont go into details of all the ports available (I’ll list them in the manufacturers specs at the bottom of this review instead) but needless to say the X-NR809 handled the I/O needs of an old AV fiend like me with ease and that is no mean feat.
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Room setup is as one would expect automated and quite simple, plug in the the included calibration mic and the system starts the appropriate gui for you. Th Audissey MultiEQ configuration tool gave excelent results with not much in the way of blood sweat or tears. The new Onkyo receiver range have in general been excellent over the last year or so both in tems of overall sound and ease of use I’m glad to report the Onkyo TX-NR809 is no exception to this rule. Sonically the Onkyo TX-NR809 is incredible value for money match this unit up with a decent set of speakers that can handle the 135 Watts/Channel (8 ohms) that it is capable of pumping out and you will be blown away. We tested the Onkyo TX-NR809 with a set of Onkyo SKS-HT870 7.1 speakers and found the bass end is rock solid even at high volumes, soundstage and individual instrument or FX channel positioning is clear, precise and natural sounding. The Onkyo TX-NR809 managed to feel powerful and rich while at the same time avoiding getting “unrealistic” or sounding digitally effected. The Onkyo TX-NR809 manages to get you to settle into the soundscape with ease and keep you there without being distracting or over the top. Playback of stereo sources was also well handled and the unit had a nice subtlety on quiet and acoustic passages. Audio finesse to this standard at this price is an amazing feat.
I could wax lyrical about the sound quality of the Onkyo TX-NR809 for quite some time, similarly the units visual impact is extremely capable the picture from the HD sources I tested is impeccable, giving solid well rendered blacks and smooth flowing and impressive color images. The upscaling on the TX-NR809 is similarly impressive both Mavell Qdeo and IDT’s HQV Vida upscaling technologies are available and gave me more than acceptable results with my DVD collection. The TX-NR809 is fully 3d ready, though we did not test this. Finally the TX-NR809s on screen GUI is both easy to use and visually excellent.
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Streaming services on the TX-NR809 include all the usual internet radio suspects we have come to know and love on Onkyo receivers (Pandora, Last.fm, SIRIUS, etc) the unit can also stream a multitude of audio formats (MP3, WMA, WMA Lossless, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, and LPCM) via the built in Ethernet port or via usb. If you so wish there is also the option to go wireless with the optional Onkyo UWF-1 Wireless LAN Adapter.
So after playing with the TX-NR809 for about a week or so I’ve been forced to conclude that its a great bit of kit, Onkyo have to my mind hit a home run for the mid range consumer market with the TX-NR809. If you are looking for a up to the minute high quality receiver with a serious specification, excellent future proofing and sound quality to die for I’d highly recommend you check out the TX-NR809 asap.
Manufacturers Specification & Features List
Amplifier
135 Watts/Channel @ 8 ohms (FTC)
180 Watts/Channel @ 6 ohms (IEC)
230 Watts/Channel @ 6 ohms (JEITA)
WRAT-Wide Range Amplifier Technology (5 Hz to 100 kHz bandwidth)
Linear Optimum Gain Volume Circuitry
3-Step Inverted Darlington Circuitry
Processing
THX Select2 Plus*1 Certified
Incorporates Qdeo(tm)*2 technology for HDMI Video
Upscaling (to 4K Compatible)
HQV®*3-Vida Video Processing with 1080p Video
upscaling of All Video Sources via HDMI
HDMI (Audio Return Channel, 3D, DeepColor,
x.v.Color*4, Lip Sync, DTS-HD Master Audio*5,
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, Dolby TrueHD*6,
Dolby Digital Plus, DSD and Multi-CH PCM)
Dolby TrueHD*6 and DTS-HD Master Audio*5
Dolby Pro Logic IIz*6 and Audyssey DSX(tm)*7
Non-Scaling Configuration
A-Form Listening Mode Memory
Direct Mode
Pure Audio Mode
Music Optimizer*8 for Compressed Digital Music files
192 kHz/24-bit D/A Converters
Powerful and Highly Accurate 32-bit Processing DSP
Connections
8 HDMI Inputs (1 on front panel) and 2 Outputs
6 Digital Inputs (3 Optical/3 Coaxial)
Component Video Switching (2 Inputs/1 Output)
Universal Port for the Dock for iPod®/iPhone®*10/
HD Radio(tm)*11 tuner module (North American models)
Banana Plug-Compatible Speaker Posts*12
Powered Zone 2
Bi-Amping Capability for FL/FR with SBL/SBR
Analog RGB Video Input (D-sub 15) for PC
Internet Radio Connectivity (SiriusXM Internet
Radio/vTuner/Last.fm/Pandora/Rhapsody/Slacker/
Mediafly/Napster)
Network Capability for Streaming Audio Files
2 USB Inputs for Memory Devices and iPod®/ iPhone®*10 models (Front: 1 (Enables Display of Album Artwork)/Rear: 1)
Miscellaneous
40 AM/FM Presets
Dolby Volume
Audyssey MultEQ® XT*7 to correct room acoustic problems
Audyssey Dynamic EQ®*7 for loudness correction
Audyssey Dynamic Volume®*7 to maintain optimal listening level and dynamic range
A/V Sync Control Function (up to 800 ms)
Auto Standby Function
On-Screen Display via HDMI
Bi-Directional Preprogrammed (with onscreen display setup) RI-Compatible Learning Remote with 4 Activities and Mode-Key LEDs
ISF (Imaging Science Foundation) Video Calibration
TSS-SAT1200
Frequency Range: 120Hz – 30,000Hz (±3dB) Recommended
Amplifier Power Range: 10 – 125 Watts
Sensitivity: 89dB (2.83V @ 1 meter)
Nominal Impedance: 8½
Crossover Frequency: 3.5kHz; 24dB/octave
Midrange Driver(s): Dual 3-1/2″ (64mm) MMD® magnetically shielded
High-Frequency Driver: 3/4″ (19mm) MMD magnetically shielded
Dimensions (H x W x D): 12-15/16″ x 3-15/16″ x 3″ (329mm x 100mm x 76mm)
Weight: 3.9 lb (1.8kg)
RRP: $1,099.00 (Check Amazon For Current Pricing)
August 10, 2011
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Tags: 7.2 Channel, Network reciever, Onkyo TX-NR809, Onkyo TX-NR809 Receiver, THX Certified, TX-NR809 · Posted in: Receivers
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