,Thursday, August 03, 2000
Onkyo Introduces Affordable Digital A/V Receiver
Onkyo has introduced its most affordable digital home theater to date. The Onkyo TX-DS484 is a 5.1-channel, 5 x 55-watt receiver with digital decoders for Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby Pro Logic movie sound formats, connections for multiple analog video sources, music inputs for a CD, audio tape and a turntable, and an AM/FM tuner.
Despite its modest price, the Onkyo TX-DS484 has many premium sound quality features. For digital sources, the high-resolution 96 kHz/24-bit D/A converters ensure the listener will enjoy every subtle detail on their present CDs and DVDs, as well as upcoming formats like DVD-Audio.
The analog circuitry is equally remarkable with Onkyo�s WRAT Wide Range Amplifier Technology. WRAT uses an uncommonly low amount of negative feedback to achieve flat response out beyond 100 kHz. Each channel uses discrete output devices with extruded aluminum heat sinks, rater than the less-expensive IC amplifiers. The result is a high-current output stage that can drive the low-impedance loads common among home theater systems.
The DSP (Digital Signal Processing) capabilities of the TX-DS484 go well beyond decoding DTS, Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic. Onkyo�s HDDSP (High Definition DSP) utilizes advanced algorithms to enhance the ambience of the listener�s domain. It can be used to manipulate room size, equalization and ambience, with multiple settings for various types of music and the numbers of channels. There is also a late-night mode that tones down the explosions without making it hard to hear the dialog.
The TX-DS484 has three digital inputs, one fiber optic and two coaxial, that can be assigned to the video, DVD, tape, or CD source selectors. It also has a multi-channel input for the addition of an external 5.1-channel decoder for DVD-Audio or other future formats. There are analog inputs for three video sources including one VCR, one audio tape loop, plus CD, and, rare at any price, phono inputs. There is a separate line-level output for a subwoofer. All five channels have banana-plug compatible five-way binding posts, making it easy to use with heavy-duty audiophile speaker cables.
A speed-sensitive volume control, where the level changes faster or slower depending on how rapidly the knob is turned, allows precise fine-tuning of volume levels without making the control too slow.
The elegant brushed aluminum front panel is made from thick aircraft-grade stock. It features a large, bright fluorescent display that is easy to read both day and night. The display�s system status indicators give the operator a clear indication of all the current operating modes.
The Onkyo TX-DS484 is now available with a price of $329.95. For more information, contact Onkyo at 201-825-7950.