AV Receivers

When Europe’s biggest AVR brand unveils a new flagship, it’s time to take your head out of the popcorn bucket and pay attention. Not only has it outsold pretty much every other brand in the UK (and Germany) since 2009, but the Japanese marque has also consistently been first to market new AV receiver technology.

Boasting an armoured build that would do Tony Stark proud, Onkyo’s new TX-NR5010 receiver is a mouth-watering proposition - a 25kg home cinema heavyweight boasting state-of-the art audio/visual processing and unbending muscle.

very year, Onkyo’s home cinema hubs top the bestseller lists, appealing to punters looking for an amp that delivers maximum bang for their buck.

Onkyo’s TX-NR709 ups the audiophile ante of the much-loved TX-NR609, and has a back panel busier than Oxford Street at Christmas. In come binding posts for all speaker terminals, bi-amping capability, 7.1 phono inputs and 7.2 pre-outs, which is strictly speaking 7.(1 x 2). You can hook up a grand total of 11 speakers, with the option to enjoy 7.1 sound at any one time through the usual 5.1 configuration, plus either surround back, front high or front wide expansion.

Onkyo's TX-NR929 is not one of the brand's heavyweight offerings, but this well-priced receiver – it now sells for around £1,000, after initially launching at nearer £1,500 – packs enough performance and feature tricks to comfortably drive and tune most people's setups. The value for money offered is superb, and it's therefore easily recommended.

Pioneer's SC-2022 AV receiver proudly ditches the VSX prefix of its predecessor (the VSX-2012) to join the more illustrious company of its SC-toting brethren, although it doesn’t quite make it into the elite LX club, falling short 
in its construction and lacking Air Studios calibration. It gains its SC credentials largely through the adoption of an all-digital Direct Energy HD amplifier, which uses shorter signal paths and has more efficient cooling, leading Pioneer to claim a better performance and lower power consumption.