is written in the AV bible that the industry "shalt invent a new doohickey every year that compels the buying public to back its wallets up to the till and empty the contents on new gear." Last year that doohickey was Dolby Atmos; this year it's DTS:X. While neither are terribly compelling yet due to a lack of software, if you're interested in better movie immersion, they're worth investigating.
The Onkyo TX-NR646 not only offers both formats but also some other useful inclusions, such as improved streaming features and greater connectivity. Onkyo has made some excellent-sounding home cinema receivers in its time, and that tradition continues with the TX-NR646. The receiver can also put forth decent music output too, and nice-to-haves like a turntable input sweeten the deal.
While it's not the best-looking receiver on the market and its user interface is ripped straight from a 1980s RadioShack catalog, it's got enough on the inside to compare well against a strong competitor like the Sony STR-DN1060 . If you don't care about proprietary multiroom audio in your AV receiver and instead want an exciting-sounding AV hub for your system, this Onkyo is a great choice.
Looks and usability are definitely the Onkyo's weak point, but neither is a deal-breaker. That's because AV receivers mostly sit quietly at the bottom of AV racks, requiring little little interaction beyond powering up, switching inputs and adjusting volume. If you want more from your receiver, look elsewhere.
The TX-NR646 has the looks and size of a British bulldog. It measures a standard 17-and-change inches wide, but stands almost 7 inches tall and over a foot deep. The front is generic-looking at best, all bathed in its green LED color scheme. One thing I've always appreciated about the design is the direct input buttons. No more random wheel-of-fortune spinning of a dial -- just press the input you want. That's about the only good point.
If we had a "worst remote control" award, then a receiver would no doubt scoop the pool, and it could easily be an Onkyo. The confusing clicker is bristling with more buttons than the bridge of a nuclear submarine, and the most-used buttons like Menu and Volume +/- are much smaller than those on competing devices. It's simply a poor usability experience in every way.
Brand: |
Onkyo |
Surround Sound Formats: | Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD |
Model: |
TX-NR646 |
Audio Outputs: | Banana Speaker Jacks, Stereo L/R RCA |
Audio Inputs: | Digital Coaxial RCA | Country/Region of Manufacture: | Malaysia |
Number of Channels: | 7.2 | Network Connectivity: | Wifi, Ethernet |
Number of Digital RCA Inputs: | 7 | Number of L/R RCA Inputs: | 8 |
Receiver Combo Features: | Internet/Media Streamer | UPC: |
751398012228 |
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