Very nice 2 zone 7.1 receiver
Pros:
Large number and type of conections.
Powered or line level Zone 2.
High quality sound.
Cons:
Poor video upconversion.
The Bottom Line:
Great receiver for basic multi-room and/or 7.1 audio, but not for the videophile needing digital upconversion!
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
This receiver does a nice job of handling all my A/V inputs and outputs with lots of complicated wiring schemes. The huge number of connections allows for lots of flexibility and options.
I was surprised to see an on-screen menu pop up automatically on my HDTV (HDMI connected) as soon as I accessed the input control menu. Previously, it did not do this when I was using an SDTV (component output). Once you get the hang of the menu's, it's easy to assign inputs and speaker options, etc. - not exactly intuative, but not overly complicated, either.
The sound is really nice - no complaints at all. The option of using the Zone 2 with either a powered output or line-level output is nice. Be advised that if you use the Zone 2 output, then your main zone capabilities are reduced from 7.1 to 5.1 audio. No big deal for me. It's a little strange, I think, that the Zone 2 can remained powered on while the receiver is off. That's kind of cool - I can pipe my iPod through an Onkyo dock to my Zone 2 (kitchen) without turning on the receiver as long as I leave the Zone 2 on (little red light indicates this on the front of the receiver). I'm not sure if it's a good idea to do this 24/7, though, in terms of heat generation and energy usage. Still, it's nice.
The main drawback is the poor video upconversion (from analog to either 720p or 1020p). For sending standard definition DVD signals to my HDTV, I use the "through" mode, which by-passes the upconversion. Of course, when I upgrade to Blu-Ray, this will no longer matter.
