Onkyo Introduces AccuEQ Advance with Its New TX-NR787 AV Receiver
(Onkyo and Pioneer Corporation)(May 4, 2018) Onkyo’s new TX-NR787 9.2-Channel Network AVR has officially launched, hitting the market with a tempting price point and THX Certified Select certification. The receiver marks Onkyo’s first model to carry AccuEQ Advance room correction software, rounding out an impressive package that’s designed for both media center and home theater duty.
While the TX-NR787 doesn’t support the HDMI 2.1 specification, it’s fully compliant with all current 4K video requirements across each of its six rear HDMI 2.0 inputs. That means full pass-through support for a variety of 4K/60p HDR formats (including HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision), in addition to BT.2020 color, 4:4:4 color sub-sampling, 24-bit video, and HDCP2.2 copy protection. A seventh front mounted HDMI input isn’t 4K compatible, but can serve as a temporary connection point for various HD devices and older gaming consoles.
The receiver’s amp section is rated at 100 Watts per channel (8 ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz), 0.08% THD, 2ch driven), natively capable of delivering power to a variety surround and immersive speaker arrangements ranging from 5.2- to 7.2.2-channels. Owners can also run wired stereo speakers in (up to) two separate zones. Additionally, multi-room audio can be further expanded using DTS Play-Fi, FlareConnect, and Chromecast built-in. Each of these technologies can wirelessly distribute a variety of sources to compatible speakers around a home.
Onboard decoding of Atmos and DTS:X covers two of the industry’s most popular immersive audio codecs, while both Dolby Surround and DTS Neural:X can upconvert legacy surround sound encodes for realistic 3D sound experiences.
The inclusion of AirPlay, Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz / 5 GHz), and Bluetooth allow for audio streaming from handheld and desktop computer sources, while onboard support for Spotify, TIDAL, TuneIn, Deezer, and Pandora gives access to popular streaming services. Multiple Hi-Res Audio formats (MP3, WMA, FLAC, WAV, AAC, Apple Lossless, DSD 5.6 MHz, LPCM, and Dolby TrueHD) are also covered for media sourced via a home network or USB port, and an Advanced Music Optimizer improves compressed digital audio quality.
Front left and right channel sound quality is honed by Onkyo’s proprietary VLSC or Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry, which acts to remove high-frequency digital processing noise for improved clarity, and non-phase shift amplification circuitry. And the entire system is tuned by Onkyo’s premium-grade AccuEQ Advance room correction software with AccuReflex. AccuEQ Advance employs a newly added three-point measurement system to remove standing waves, which negatively affect perceived audio quality, across a wide seating area. The inclusion of AccuReflex works to align phase issues commonly found with up-firing Dolby Atmos speaker modules and a system’s main speakers.
The TX-NR787 is priced at $799 ($1,099 CAD) and due to begin shipping on May 8, 2018.