Tired of the tyranny of headphone wires when listening to “Headphone Silence” on your iPod 200 times in a row? Who isn’t! Lucky for you there’s Onkyo’s MHP-UW2, a pair of unfortunately named wireless headphones that operate on the 2.4GHz frequency. You have to plug a receiver into the bottom of your iPod in order for it to work, but once that’s out of the way you’re golden. Rather than trust the machine translation, we’ll merely mention that it’s due for release November 14 (in Japan at least; USA?) for around ¥20,000, which, right now, is about $197. → Read More
We’re getting closer to the point where I’ll actually be convinced not to use my laptop as a media center. This Onkyo system has about half of what I’m looking for – it’s got a nice big LCD for displaying info it nabs from online, an 80GB hard drive, and a USB slot for loading stuff directly. It looks classy, and although the speakers are a bit anemic at 26W each, Onkyo is a good brand and I trust them to be pretty high-quality. Problem is, with 80GB of music you need a way better interface than a D-pad – this thing needs a decent touchscreen, or the screen needs to be a detachable controller so you can control everything from across the room. And what’s up with the supported formats? MP3, PCM, and ATRAC? What about OGG and M4A, or any of the other formats to which the discerning listener might have ripped their collection? Until these problems are remedied, I can’t see myself paying ~$750 for a system like this. Good day, sir! → Read More
The company placed “cushions” under the HDD and cooling fan in the main unit. Onkyo claims this “floating technology” significantly reduces vibrations and noise . User can record music on the the hard disc drive in linear PCM/ATRAC/MP3 formats. The BR-NX10A is equipped with a USB port and Ethernet connection for CDDB. The two speakers feature an output power of 26W each. → Read More
Onkyo today dropped a trio of home theater in a box set-ups, and they’re fairly affordable, full-featured systems. The HT-S3100 is your basic 5.1 home theater system with capacity to hand HDTV via component inputs. Up to three hi-def devices can be displayed on your HDTV, switched automatically. It also has plenty of standard analog inputs for your legacy gear. The HT-S4100 is the same system, but adds a powered subwoofer to the package instead of the non-powered variety the S3100 has. The champ, though, is the HT-S5100, which is an entirely different package, and one of the best deals for the price I’ve seen anywhere. It’s a 7.1 surround sound system instead of 5.1, giving you two additional channels of surround audio. The S5100 also includes three HDMI inputs as well as two component and four digital audio inputs. This is for serious home theater fans. Other niceties include an integrated iPod dock and Sirius satellite radio connectivity, dual speaker zones, and several legacy inputs. This would perhaps be the last theater system you’d ever need, and at $579, it’s a very good price. The S3100 and S4100 are $379 and $479 respectively, and great for beginners, but if you’re a serious home theater guy (as I am), you’re already checking your current system to see how it could compare. → Read More
[photopress:onkyos.jpg,full,center] Onkyo makes good home theater gear, and today we get word of two new affordable receivers. They’re coming out in April, and they seem pretty sweet, as far as how they spec out. The TX-SR576 and 506 both come in black or silver, feature daul audio zones, 5.1 Dolby and DTS, and multiple HDTV inputs, including 3 HDMI inputs and two component video inputs. For audio, the receivers have two optical and two coaxial, so those of you with multiple game systems are well served. The main difference between the two is how they handle HDMI. The 506 basically acts as an HDMI switcher, where as the 576 has a decoder on the HDMI bus. If you’re planning on making HDMI your main interface, then the 576 is the one to look to at $479. If you have a healthy mix, you’re fine with the $379 506. Onkyo Debuts Entry-Level A/V Receivers With Powered Zone 2, Audyssey Dynamic EQ and More [Press Release] → Read More
[photopress:onkyo304frnt400.jpg,full,center] I’m nuts about home theater, it’s true. But that’s because I’m something of an audiophile as well as a videophile, natch. I think it’s great that we can have near-cinema-style experiences in our own homes without it costing nearly half as much as it did just a few short years ago. The centerpiece of any good home entertainment system isn’t the HDTV, it’s the receiver. This is the unit that routes the video from your sources to the HDTV and the 5.1 Surround Sound system. It’s truly the brain of the whole thing. What a lot of people don’t know is that they don’t have to cost a fortune. Rovert Silva over on About has a great review of Onkyo’s TX-SR304 unit. With three separate component inputs, it’s built for HD, and with 7 different digital audio profiles built-in, you can customize it to sound best in your home. And the things only around $200. If you’re getting started with HD, this is the type of unit you should be looking at. Onkyo TX-SR304 5.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver [About] → Read More
Okay you guys, listen up for a second. I’ve got some bad news. It’s been a long and winding road and we’ve all fought really hard, but it appears that HD DVD might actually be on its way out for real. We just got word that Onkyo has decided to stop making HD DVD players. I know you feel. I feel like I got punched in the gonads, too. → Read More
This format war will drag on until we’re long since bored with it, if we’re not already. Onkyo’s shiny new HD DVD player, the DV-HD805, takes full advantage of the format’s extra features, including those that require a network connection. Movie freaks will be thankful for its ability to play movies at 24 frames per second—a feature that sorta came out of nowhere this past year—and support for the new DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD audio formats. Don’t forget the HDMI 1.3. Onkyo’s player will hover around the $900 mark, quite a bit more than some of Toshiba’s offerings, Toshiba being the Swiss Guard of HD DVD. Press Release [Onkyo via Electronic House] → Read More
You wouldn’t believe how dreary it is in the greater New York region right now, so dreary, in fact, that I’ve lost the will to call out Onkyo for making yet another iPod speaker+dock. The CBX-Z1 is actually more of a plane jane tabletop radio+CD player than a “straight up” speaker+dock, just with an additional slot for your iPod. It is, however, part of Onkyo’s Aero Sound System, which, judging by the name, means that it should sound about as good as these little tabletop radios can be expected to. It’ll makes its mark in October, just in time for the new iPod. (Right Apple? New iPods soon? How many people bought iPhones vs. how many will buy an iPod?) Product Info [Onkyo Japan via Akihabara News] → Read More
Onkyo’s newest amplifier is dipped in gold so it must be the shizzle! The TX-SA505 looks to be a powerhouse with all the goods packed into the golden-hue casing. It claims to improve the sound quality of DVDs by making them more vivid. The 7.1 amp is fueled by 160 watts per channel. It even includes a fancy new patented technology called VLSC (Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry) that completely removes digital-equipment noise. The TX-SA505 also boasts 24bit/192kz and supports Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, DTS, DTS-ES, AAC and Dolby NR Professional Logic. May 18 is the slated launch date and it’s priced at $425. → Read More
Onkyo has just released its newest media recorder, the VR-1000J, and guess what? Everything you choose to record from TV or any other video source is fully compatible with Sony’s little wonder box, the PSP, and your mobile phone. With 3 different video modes you’re sure to be pleased with Super Fine (320×240 at 30fps), Fine(320×240 at 15fps) and Normal(176×144 at 15fps) modes. The VR-1000J supports MPEG4 for video, AAC/G.726/AMR for audio and has room for a memory card or SD card. Not too bad for $170. Media Recorder for your PSP [Akihabara News] → Read More
With all the talk about screen resolutions on HDTV sets, people tend to forget about the other important part of the high-def experience: 5.1-channel surround sound. So if you’ve got yourself a sweet plasma, LCD, projector, or rear-projection HDTV and you’re rocking the built-in speakers (though we know there are some good ones out there) you’re doing you and your loved ones a serious disservice by using them. To help you out, ‘cause that’s how we do, we put together this run down of eight of our favorite home-theater-in-a-box systems (HTIB, pronounced “HTIB”). Are they as good as buying individual components to handle your media needs? No, probably not. True audiophiles and film freaks will probably want to go with individual specialized components, especially if you’re trying to fill a large room with mind-blowing, bone-rattling sound. Will they pump out satisfying surround sound for the average music-and-movie enthusiast? Absolutely. → Read More
Onkyo has submitted information about a sneaky new set top box and matching wireless USB device (not Wireless USB, the forthcoming new standard) that streams audio to your stereo via your PC’s USB port. It works in the 2.4GHz frequency (like your cordless phone) to deliver the music to your auxiliary in, but it’s not known what standard (if any) it uses to do this. Being that it has its own transmitter and receiver, this might end up being a low-cost alternative to WiFi Jukeboxes that often cost upwards of $150. And since we’re gleaning these tidbits from an FCC filing, all the information we have is what Onkyo has in its descriptions, which are cryptic at best. Onkyo to ship wireless USB audio transmitter [TG Daily] → Read More
Onkyo announced today the DS-A2 iPod dock, an update to to the DS-A1. The new dock can display track listings and video on a TV. It includes a dedicated remote control and can be paired with any A/V receiver. If users connect the unit to an Onkyo receiver, it can be controlled via the receivers remote. And, of course, it charges docked iPods. Press Release → Read More
Onkyo makes some great stuff. If I weren’t always on the verge of financial ruin I’d probably get myself one of these. Anyway, the TX-SR674 and the TX-SR604 receivers feature a bevy of high end features and is aimed at mid-level home consumers. Both receivers have two HDMI inputs and 7.1 surround or multichannel sound. They each have Audyssey 2EQ for automatic acoustic calibration and are XM-ready. The TX-SR674 can push at 7×95 and it will retail for $799, while the TX-SR604 only works at a 7×90 threshold and it goes for $599. Onkyo Ships Mid-Line AV Receivers Loaded with High End Features for 1080p Sources and Displays → Read More
