Onkyo TX SR606 - superb value home cinema sound

I have had home cinema kit for many many years now, even investing in the likes of Meridian processors which costs loads of money. Then I settled on a Pioneer VSX-D2011 which did everything I needed for almost three years. With all the new sound formats coming out, like TrueHD, I wanted to get a new receiver.

This one from Onkyo seemed just too cheap at under £400, but I decided to give it a go. First thing I noticed was the weight, it feels really light compared to my Pioneer. The only other slight negative is that you cannot rename inputs, so 'game/tv' cannot be changed to ready 'PS3' on the front display. A minor thing, but worth mentioning.

Everything else on this unit is a positive. It supports all the new sound formats, is very well made, and looks really nice (in black). It even has three HDMI inputs, which is amazing, when I bought my HDMI switch box last year it cost almost £150 alone. The SR606's HDMI inputs offer either a straight through signal at 1080P or you can upscale to 1080i from either the HDMI or component inputs.

The sound is very crisp and detailed. The lower frequencies are handled nicely, though not as refined as higher priced units. One thing it does do very well is steering, the surround sound this baby delivers is awesome. The remote is very basic, but does all that you need.

Oh and I almost forgot to mention... the set-up procedure is automatic, you plug in a little mic, position it as instructed on your screen and set the Onkyo going. Lots of funny noises and about 10 minutes later it is ready to go. I thought this was worth mentioning as not all people are technically minded, so having this auto feature is a great addition.