Onkyo TX-SR309 5.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a nice receiver overall and a welcome replacement to my ageing Sony unit which was struggling with newer audio formats such as DTS.
The design is well laid out, very intuitive and quick to power on, snappy UI etc. It is of moderate build quality - the exterior surfaces are a bit sharp, with buttons and the volume dial feeling a bit thin / light / cheap :| Not a big concern however at this price point and remember it is the lowest model in the range.
I have mostly component gear (DVD and STB) plus a WD HD TV Live which uses HDMI. My expectations were that I could plug my old component gear into the receiver and use HDMI up to my TV via a DVI to HDMI converter (TV is pre-HDMI). This is not the case - it's like the receiver is actually 2 separate units internally - one analog (component) and one digital (HDMI): the component sources are only visible when using component out on the receiver and likewise, HDMI sources are only visible when using the HDMI out (to TV DVI in my case) - you can't combine all sources into one output so I have 2x sets of cables running up to my TV, no big deal really.
The OSD is also only visible over HDMI out - i.e. not on component out, you'll have to navigate via the single-line display on the receiver in that case (exact same menu).
I would recommend this unit to anyone after a decent receiver on a budget, just understand it might not do everything you expect .. and you likely won't know exactly what until you buy it / try for yourself.

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Continuing our mission to bring quality to every level of home entertainment, Onkyo presents the TX-SR309-an entry-level A/V receiver fine-tuned to power your system right out of the box. Set-up is simple and adjustments are easy, thanks to a new overlaid on-screen display. Also new at this level is PLL jitter-cleaning circuit technology to reduce distortion, and a front-panel USB port that provides a high-quality digital link to your iPod/iPhone. To get the best from your compressed audio files, the TX-SR309 employs Onkyo's proprietary Advanced Music Optimizer. Naturally, the receiver also handles high-def, lossless audio in the form of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. These are carried by three HDMI inputs that also support immersive 3D video content. And whether you're gaming in 3D or not, you can choose from four customized audio modes to match your gaming content. It all adds up to one high-value proposition.

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