Onkyo TX-SR608

Onkyo TX-SR608 review

Enter the Onkyo TX-SR608. It's one of the world's first 3D-capable AV receivers, it's THX- Select2 Plus spec, and it offers Dolby Pro-Logic IIz height channel processing – super. But the biggest, sassiest feature of Onkyo's TX-SR608 is not the spec sheet eye-candy or its position at the cutting edge of home cinema, it's the price – just £450. See all the other Japanese manufacturers weeping over their budgets as Onkyo sets the price bar for entry-level 3D capable receivers very, very low – in fact, even its £250 TX-SR308 is 3D-capable. The SR608's key feature, the one it has genuinely launched (just) before anyone else, is HDMI v1.4a connectivity. This allows 3D passthrough from a suitable 3D source to a suitable 3D display device, meaning any receiver with v1.4a HDMI connectivity can simply 'switch' 3D signals. This feature has also been leveraged to pass-through HDMI audio and video from source to the TV when the receiver is in standby, very handy for late-night viewing. Likewise, the v1.4a spec offers an HDMI Audio Return Channel, meaning this receiver can amplify the sound from your off-air TV-viewing without any other hook up. All those quality HDMI features are topped with quantity, too – a class-leading six inputs, one usefully positioned on the front fascia for easy access.