0605WHC35 Onkyo TX-SR602E

19/4/05

12:34 PM

Page 74

Group Test # Mid-Range Receivers

Onkyo TX-SR602E O

nkyos ever-increasing competitiveness is once again underlined by this impressive mid-range receiver. It is unusual in that it includes two features that are by no means common at this price. It is a full blown 7.1 channel receiver with a power rating of 85W per channel using a reasonably rigorous measure to quantify that power figure. The headline 165W output in the makers literature uses a completely meaningless Dynamic 4 rating, and should be ignored. More usefully, the TX-SR602E is also one of an increasing number of models at this price to include a fully automated system setup feature, for which a mic is supplied. The TX-SR602E is engineered in typical Onkyo style, with good physical construction mirrored internally by a well-endowed high current power supply, high definition (50MHz) component video switching and DVD-Audio/SACD friendly wide bandwidth (100kHz) amplifiers. It also boasts dual 32 bit processors to perform surround sound processing, generate the on-screen displays and for other housekeeping duties.

Thats magic!

Some of the magic dust has also rubbed off on the remote control, which looks way out of its price class, and has better spaced and more usable controls than many. The remote also boasts the ability to drive a complete system, whether Onkyo branded or not. At one point in the very recent past, the TX-SR602E was the only model in its class that could play a second source in another room, but progress in this area is rapid, and the Marantz SR5500 overleaf has the same capability, and other less costly models with similar features are just becoming available. But if it is no longer ground-breaking, the Onkyo remains an impressively equipped model, with full multisource/multi zone ability with output triggers and the ability to accept an external remote control sensor. And it all works well. OK, not quite as well as the Marantz SR5500 when the amplifier is being
driven hard by loud soundtracks. In some of The Two Towers more cataclysmic scenes the Onkyo lacked a little of the grace that can bring soundtracks requiring real finesse to life.

TEST SCENE

The Two Towers

Keep it clean

But at moderate replay levels, the Onkyo is impressively clean and detailed. Dialogue is articulate and easily followed even in complex soundtracks where it has to compete with music and special effects. That said, the Onkyo clearly does not compete with quality specialist stereo amplifiers when playing music from CD. The Onkyo also has impressive surround sound steering. A mark of a well designed amp is that it can demonstrate the inherent superiority of DTS over Dolby Digital in a soundstage which is more layered and firmly located, and here the Onkyo performs well. But for the ultimate in rock solid stability and authority, the Onkyo is best used in a system with a powered sub rather than (or in addition to) one with full range main speakers I
Although a powerful amplifier, the Onkyo sounds a little undernourished when driven hard by more aggressive blockbuster-type soundtracks

PRICE 450

www.onkyo.co.uk 0990 111999

RATINGS

Style Ease of use Features Sound Value Overall ###$$ ####$ ####$ ##### ##### ####$

AT A GLANCE

I FEATURES
Switchable low pass Cinema Filter 40 preset FM-RDS/MW tuner Theater Dimensional virtual surround mode Multi-source, multi-zone capability IntelliVolume (input level normalisation) Programmable volume control display, power on, maximum and headphone volume settings Dimensions: 435(w) x 175(h) x 430(d) mm S-video out x3 Optical in x3 Optical out Analogue in x8 Analogue out x3

WHC VERDICT

Well equipped beer budget receiver with good image steering and slightly lean but articulate voicing. Includes auto room setup and excellent remote

I CONNECTIONS

Component video in x3 Component video out x1 Coaxial in x2 S-video in x5

S-video

Speaker terminals

74 WHC June 2005

0705WHC31 Onkyo 502/602

16/5/05

4:49 pm

Page 80

DVD deck and receiver #
Onkyo DV-SP502E & TX-SR602E With their champagne T finish this
classy pairing are clearly aiming for the caviar set.
heres a new golden couple in town: Onkyos TX-SR602 and DV-SP502 DVD deck and receiver. With a champagne gold finish and matching styling these two items seem to have been made for each other, but they are also available separately. The DVD deck will set you back around 300, while the 7.1-channel receiver is priced at 450. Those are fairly substantial asking prices, so this combination will need to perform to beat off the gathering hordes of budget systems.
TX-SR602E, for instance?) to enjoy these multichannel sound formats.

T BESY

Muscle bound

U B#### #

Golden oldies
The design of these items is a bit old-fashioned, with the receiver in particular suffering slightly due to an outbreak of buttonry on the fascia. Although theres nothing especially unpleasant, we must stress, this is a different approach to the gleaming, inscrutable fascias that we are usually presented with these days. More important is the fact that the matching designs are reflected in the spec sheets these two can work well together and it might take something special to split them up. The DV-SP502E can deal with just about any disc out there, with the not-so-important omission of DVDRAM playback. It will play DVD-Audio and SACD discs, as well as handling WMA, MP3 and JPEG files. DiVX files are also on the menu, and the DV-SP502E is DiVX VOD compatible. There is a code on the onscreen menu that you can use to activate the deck for video-ondemand downloads from the internet, useful if you live miles from a video rental outlet or you have an aversion to leaving your house. There are six-channel audio outputs for connecting to an amplifier. These are needed to carry a DVD-Audio or SACD signal and you will need to pair this player with a suitable amp (the

AT A GLANCE

I FEATURES
PAL/NTSC prog scan DVD-Audio/SACD playback 7.1-channel receiver DD-EX/DTS ES/ Pro-Logic IIx DiVX playback Component video output 4 x S-video inputs 3 x S-video outputs 4 x composite video inputs 3 x composite video outputs 2 x optical digital audio inputs Optical digital audio output 2 x electrical digital audio inputs Subwoofer preout Six-channel analogue inputs 5 x stereo audio inputs 3 x stereo audio outputs Zone 2 line output Colour-coded binding post speaker terminals AM/FM aerial connections Remote control socket

I CONNECTIONS

DV-SP502E: Component video output RGB Scart output S-video output Composite video output 6-channel analogue output Optical digital audio out Electrical digital audio out Stereo analogue out Remote control socket TX-SR602E: Front: optical digital audio input S-video input Composite video input Stereo audio input Headphone jack Set up microphone socket Rear: 3 x component video inputs
On the video side of the equation there is PAL and NTSC progressive scan output via component video sockets, but there are no HDMI or DVI outputs. At this price we might have expected such connections. At least you get RGB Scart backup in case you cant use component signals. There is also a black level control and block noise reduction for image enhancement. On to the TX-SR602E receiver. This carries 7 x 120W of amplification (although our tests suggest an output of 90W per channel, which is still muscular enough for the vast majority of users). This means 7.1-channel soundtracks can be enjoyed, bringing Dolby Digital-EX and DTS ES to the table, but the Onkyo also has a nifty trick up its sleeve the speaker connections for the surround back speakers can also be used for a second stereo pair, sited in another room. Other decoding options include DTS 96/24, and Neo6, along with 32 DSP modes. Component video switching is a nice option, with three inputs and an output meaning that you can run other component signals into the TX-SR602E and use it as a videoswitching box. The AM/FM tuner might get lost amid this wealth of features, but even if its not the main reason why you want a home cinema receiver, youre not paying much for the added pleasure.
setup procedure. For someone who is used to hooking up and dismantling systems on a fairly regular basis it is easy to forget that the process can be a bit daunting for the uninitiated. The TX-SR602E has a neat auto setup feature that should make it as painless as possible. A small microphone (supplied) plugs into the receiver and works out some of the setup options for you, such as speaker size, distance and output levels. The setup process is further helped by the excellent onscreen menu of the DVD deck. Its beautifully laid out and really attractive to look at. The same could be said for the picture performance of the DVD deck. In fact, it will be said. The progressive scan picture (we used a Best Buy-calibre LCD monitor for this part of the test) is

Its a setup!

The TX-SR602E has another trick up its sleeve in its
The progressive scan picture is excellent, revealing huge amounts of fine detail and a wonderful depth

80 WHC July 2005

4:50 pm

Page 81

#DVD deck and receiver
OUR RESIDENT HOME CINEMA DOC GIVES THE LOWDOWN ON COMBIS Its tempting to build a home cinema with kit from different manufacturers. Theres a lot to be said, however, for sticking with one brand, like the Onkyo twosome featured on this page. Buying both your audio and video sources from the same company ensures that youll never have compatibility problems while, design wise, combi systems are usually a perfect match. So your home cinema will look as good as it sounds.

TEST SCENE

Finding Nemo
excellent, revealing huge amounts of fine detail and a wonderful depth to the image. Colours are very well presented and cartoon material (we looked at Finding Nemo) is rich almost beyond belief. We were concerned that this might translate into garish colours on live material, but switching test discs to The Thin Red Line revealed that the DV-SP502E has a delicate touch with colours. They are realistic and even muted where the disc demands it. The RGB signal is similarly excellent. There are elements of this signal (when fed to an excellent CRT model) that we actually prefer to the prog scan/LCD format. The zoom function (available at 2x and 4x) sweeps in grandly on the subject and can be scrolled to view the section of the screen you want. It introduces a level of picture distortion, which is inevitable, but it remains useful. Turning our attention to the TX-SR602E, a fine audio performance was achieved, with clarity of effects steerage at the head of the class. It is apparent that this is a powerful receiver, with bags of volume on offer. It is incumbent upon you to ensure
you use a speaker system that can play its part or the TX-SR602E could overwhelm it through no fault of its own. Audio material is handled nicely, with DVD-Audio discs revealing the extra dimension that separates the format from CD (again, you need decent speakers to make the most of this). In home cinema as much as anywhere else it is difficult to judge things in isolation because so many factors can influence

Component video

events. A DVD player relies on the monitor, a receiver on the speakers and vice versa. It seems clear, however, that Onkyo has a pair of powerful machines in its range in the shape of the DV-SP502E and TXSR602E. These units are well capable of standing on their own feet in a competitive mid-range market. As for putting them in harness together? That looks like a splendid idea to us I

Scart (RGB)

The gorgeous colours of this aquatic romp can test a DVD players colour rendition while there are enough subtle effects to give an amp a run for its money too

PRICE 750

www.onkyo.co.uk 999

RATINGS

Style Ease of use Features Picture Sound Value Overall ####$ ####$ ##### ##### ####$ ####$ #####

WHC VERDICT

A pity about the lack of HDMI or DVI. That aside, this is a high-quality combination that works well in tandem but could also excel individually

Audio inputs/outputs

Speaker terminals

WHC July 2005 81