What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
01 JUL 2008
Onkyo TX-SR506
The latest incarnation of Onkyo’s budget AV receiver remains every bit as desirable thanks to superb cinema sound
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Onkyo has overhauled its Award-winning AV receiver range to much excitement. This is the brand new incarnation at the bottom end of the price spectrum, the TX-SR506.
Replacing the '505, this £250 machine makes some subtle changes to the Onkyo formula, but will it still produce an irresistible end product?
The most obvious change is visible on the rear panel, where a component video input has been sacrificed - leaving two in and one out - to the benefit of an extra HDMI input; a sensible swap if ever we heard one.
The '506 now delivers three HDMI inputs and one output. While the receiver isn't capable of dealing with the latest HD audio codecs - though there are 7.1-multichannel inputs - the connections are capable of passing through 1080p HD video content, giving you 3-to-1 video switching.
A glossy black remote, with a more curvaceous profile and an intuitive button layout, finishes things off
Still, it's how our movies sound that concerns us most, naturally. Pumping out a claimed 130 watts of power, the TX-SR506 shouldn't be found wanting when the action gets explosive. And, sure enough, we're impressed with what we hear with the BD of Full Metal Jacket.
Plenty of bang
As the young recruits land in enemy territory, the sound of the choppers is detailed and powerful, steered around the room accurately by the receiver. It's not long before the troops start unleashing rounds, and the Onkyo flexes its muscles, showing impressive speed, punch and power for such a competitively priced machine.
We switch to something a little more musical with Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and find the Onkyo does have the necessary dexterity and timing to hold a tune. That said, this receiver has the slightest hint of brashness with some treble frequencies.
"But it's only £250!" we hear you cry, so of course there are relative shortcomings. It lacks the all-out power and scale of more expensive receivers, which, alongside the lack of HD audio support, might threaten Onkyo's dominance with new receivers from Denon and Yamaha around the corner.
But that's then, and this is now - and for the money, this is a solid, still massively impressive, AV receiver.