Onkyo HT-RC370 7.2-Channel THX Select2 Receiver Preview

It must be stressful to work at Onkyo. For years now they've had the reputation for adding features at price points that blow consumer's minds. Features that only a year ago we wouldn't have seen in products 2x's the price. Surely there is a room full of engineers somewhere in the bowels of Onkyo HQ, pasty and drained, looking more dead than alive. Their boss gave them an edict just 8 months ago, "Give me features or I'll give you your walking papers." They've done it. They've delivered, once again, what no one thought was possible. Now Denon and Yamaha will have to scramble to catch up. Their boss walks back in the room with his arms wide, "Good work boys! We're all proud of you. Now, let's start working on next year's models!"

Okay, sorry about that, I've been working a little too hard on the sequel to my Bob Moore: No Hero book and prose is starting to creep into everything I do. You should have heard the lecture I gave my son yesterday about the difference between there, they're, and their.

Onkyo has released the successors to the popular RC270 and RC260. We'll be focusing mostly on the HT-RC370 but note that the RC360 does have a lot of interesting features as well. Both receivers have the new Marvell Qdeo 4K video upscaling processor which can upscale video to 1080p and beyond to as much as 4K of horizontal resolution, regardless of the source resolution, a technology in displays that has yet to hit the market. But you'll be ready when it is. Both sport a front-panel USB port that allows a direct digital connection for an iPod/iPhone/MP3 player/USB mass storage device. If you are using an iPhone or iPod, the USB port will support album art as well. A nice out-of-the-box feature.

Both receivers are network capable and support streaming PC audio and Internet radio including support for Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster, SiriusXM Internet Radio, Slacker, Mediafly, and vTuner. They are Windows 7 and DLNA compatible making networking to your PC a snap. They can update their firmwares over the Internet (a bonus for anyone that has had to do a firmware update manually) plus they can use their network connection to take advantage of Onkyo's free Remote App (available on i-devices).

Focusing on the HT-RC370, the receiver has seven HDMI inputs (one on the front) and one output. All are HDMI version 1.4 with support for 3D and Audio Return Channel. There are two component video inputs and one output and a number analogue inputs including both composite and s-video connections (s-video we thought had gone the way of the dodo). Three optical and two coaxial digital inputs for multichannel audio. There are pre-outs for adding a separate amplifier (and two subs) but no pre-ins for integrating legacy gear. While there are seven channels of amplification (rated at 100 W + 100 W (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.08%, 2 channels driven, FTC)), there are 11 pairs of 5-way binding posts on the back making switching between configurations a snap. We also like how they have put the speaker terminals in a row rather than stacked. This should make connecting speakers a lot easier and it is a trend we have been seeing in recent receiver releases.

The HT-RC370 obtained THX's Select2 Plus certification and sports 7.2 channel surround sound. Audyssey DSX and Dolby ProLogic IIz processing is on board for height or width channels. Audyssey has also provided their near top-of-the-line MultEQ XT room correction and Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ. If you would rather the Dolby Volume solution for keeping the commercials from blowing you out of your seat, it is on board as well. Onkyo has included their proprietary WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology) amplifiers, and the HT-RC370 also employs Onkyo's three-stage inverted Darlington circuitry for even higher dynamics and lower distortion. Burr-Brown 192kHz/24-bit DACs are provided for all channels. Like all current Onkyo receivers, the HT-RC370 features an Overlaid Graphic On-Screen Display so users can still watch a program while operating the menus. Onkyo's latest Graphical User Interface (GUI) lets users navigate internet radio, iPod/iPhone sources, or any other connected sources.

The Onkyo HT-RC370 and HT-RC360 will both be available in April with suggested retail prices of $849 and $549 respectively.

Conclusion

The real feather in the cap of these new receiver offerings from Onkyo is the Marvell Qdeo 4K video scaling - especially at the $549 price point of the HT-RC360. That said, there is a lot to like in the HT-RC370. For well under a grand you get top of the line scaling, all the latest surround DSPs, Audyssey MultEQ XT, iPod integration, networking, 3D, ARC, THX, and a lot more. It's pretty incredible. There are very few things you can complain aren't included and almost none that are included in other products as similar price points.

For more information, please visit www.us.onkyo.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.