Onkyo releases three new surround-sound kits
updated 04:10 pm EDT, Tue April 24, 2007
Onkyo surround speakers
Audio specialists Onkyo have launched three new all-in-one surround sound kits for the home. At the forefront is the HT-SR800, which is a 7.1 system compatible with standards such as DTS-ES and Dolby Pro Logic IIx. It is also the first system to use Audyssey 2EQ/HTiB, which automatically calibrates audio for the particular room it is playing in.
Each satellite is rated at 110W, and the subwoofer is listed at 230W, using a 10-inch cone to produce frequencies as low as 25Hz. HDTV owners will be glad to know that the 800 has not one but two HDMI passthroughs, if only one output. Numerous other inputs are available as well, including three component- and two optical-ins. The package costs $599.
More reasonable to most may be Onkyo's SR600 and SR700 kits. These are 5.1 setups, and are similarly scaled back in other areas, removing all HDMI ports and supporting "only" DTS-HD and Dolby Digital Plus. The lack of HDMI means that 1080i/720p is the maximum passthrough resolution. Actual audio performance is fairly similar to the 800, but they do have smaller tweeter cones, and the 600 does not have a separate subwoofer -- instead, a sixth channel is located in the receiver. The 600 and 700 are $349 and $499, respectively. [via I4U News]
