With regards to utilizing Dolby Pro Logic II and DTS:Neo 6 on 2-channel music, your mileage will vary. I have found some older discs like Rush Chronicles that seem to be enhanced positively with these pseudo surround modes. Other discs just seem to lose their edge, or have their stereo imaging get flattened somewhere in the DSP. One disc I simply love to listen to Dolby Pro Logic II on is Toto - Past to Present 1977-1990. Listening to Hold the Line as the guitars hit in the rear surrounds during the chorus still amazes me. The dialogue is placed solidly in the center channel and the wide reverbs are partially transferred to the rear channels without losing their anchoring presence in the mains. How the algorithms decode music in this way without losing the elements that make it so effective in the first place will be a mystery I will happily live with!

So far the TX-SR601 has proven to be a workhorse in my home theater system. I expected the receiver's amplifier section to balk at the 4-ohm load of the Axiom M80ti(s), but Onkyo makes a decent amplifier section. I noticed no audible distortion in CD music played in excess of 100dB - far above the listening levels I use when watching movies or listening to my CD collection - and my Axioms were grateful to be able to exercise their bottom end throughout this test. During normal listening sessions, the amplifier drove my system with plenty of gusto. Highs were clear and precise, and lows were authoritative and controlled. Essentially, music sounded the way I expected it to, and at a level that I did not expect, having come from a receiver that priced out at twice the price, but only 20% more rated power. Onkyo credits its amplifiers performance on its High Current Power Supply (H.C.P.S.) transformer combined with high-capacity filter capacitors, pictured below.

Utilizing the Onkyo TX-SR601 for the last six weeks enabled me to experience a brand I had not been familiar with before. Overall, I was quite impressed with its amplifier section, especially at a $500 retail price point. We are often asked about sub-$500 receiver options at Audioholics and I would have no problems recommending the Onkyo as a contender within that price range. Its performance for both music and movies is exceptional and it can handle efficient 6-ohm and even 4-ohm speakers with no apparent difficulties at moderate to loud listening levels in reasonably medium sized rooms (under 2500 cubic feet).

One of the things I would like to see in future iterations of this receiver would be a greater amount of DSP flexibility. While many enjoy the standard effects modes, I have experienced some incredible DSP algorithms that leave me just a little bit hungry to hear them again when I eventually get to play some of the upcoming DVD releases like The Two Towers or The Matrix Reloaded . There's something to be said about DSP that creates an extra wide soundstage for a more cinema-like experience in the home.

Onkyo receivers purchased through authorized retailers or directly from Onkyo carry a two year warranty on parts and labor, pretty standard for this level of product. We don't expect you'll need it as Onkyo is one of the more reliable receiver brands available based on our member feedback and Consumer Reports ratings.

Company History
Onkyo, which means 'audio' or 'sound' in Japanese, has been producing precision audio components for over a half-century. The company's philosophy is to deliver products that are superbly designed and built to a consistently outstanding standard of excellence. Today, Onkyo is at the forefront of the home theater and digital revolutions. For more information about this and other fine Onkyo products, visit www.onkyousa.com or call 800-229-1687.