Onkyo HT-RC270

2010 saw the release of revolutionary technologies that change the way people watch their favorite movies and TV shows. The technology is actually familiar since 3D has been around for years but it is now fused with high definition technologies and users can finally enjoy the content at home. A 3D HDTV is enough for home use when the glasses are purchased but having a matching home receiver makes the most out of the new technologies The Onkyo HT-RC270 is one of the latest 7.2-channel network receivers that support 3D video along with other nifty features.

Onkyo HT-RC270 AV Receiver

Onkyo HT-RC270 AV Receiver

Design

Like many other home theater receivers, the Onkyo HT-RC270 has a nice brushed metal finish. All of the buttons and ports are already visible with no doors or latches that conceal things which some users that prefer accessibility may like. The Master Volume knob on the right side has a blue ring around it. All of the other main buttons and modes are laid out horizontally so those familiar with standard receivers should feel at home with the layout. There is an HDMI port on the lower left side while the USB and aux inputs are found on the lower right. One of the noticeable things about this receiver is that the display text is green rather than white.

Features

3D technologies rely on an upgraded version of the HDMI specification which is ver1.4a. The HT-RC270 provides 6 HDMI 1.4a inputs so they all support 3D video. The new standard also adds an Audio Return Channel so a separate S/PDIF audio connection is no longer necessary.

The Onkyo HT-RC270 provides some fresh surround-sound technologies that older models do not have. These technologies were made by Audyssey and Dolby which are very well known in the audio industry. Audyssey provides the Audyssey DSX technology which enables the use of “front wide” speakers instead of the ordinary back speakers. This technology improves the soundstage and overall listening experience. It works very similarly to Dolby’s approach which is the Dolby Pro Logic IIz so you have an option to use any of the next generation technologies for their 7.2-channel speaker system.

Audyssey provides even more offerings like the Audyssey MultEQ technology which is a special calibration system aimed at removing the distortion that is caused by room acoustics. The technology analyzes this data and sets the appropriate settings for every individual speaker for optimal performance. Other technologies happen in real-time like the Audyssey Dynamic Volume which eliminates stabilizes the volume for different sources so commercials do not turn out to be very loud for instance. The Audyssey Dynamic EQ keeps the bass response consistent no matter what the volume level is. All of these technologies result in THX Select2 Plus certification which symbolizes its high home theater quality for large rooms.

An Ethernet port is present in the HT-RC270 allowing limited Internet features and some decent local network features. On the Internet side, the HT-RC270 can access some popular Internet radio channels like SIRIUS Internet Radio, vTuner, and Pandora. Local network support is excellent as it supports some common and less common file types from MP3 to WMA and even the FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, and LPCM formats. It is also compatible with computers running Windows 7 so Windows 7 users can quickly send play back audio to the home receiver through the interface.

Actual user review:
“Over the last 15 years I have owned receivers by Yamaha, Onkyo and Technics not to mention all the receivers I have setup for family and friends. My main concern is great performance and value. This is my 3rd Onkyo receiver and I fell in love with it instantly. Onkyo consistently out performs others in the same price range and the upgraded features on this over my TX805 bring it up to modern times. Video upscaling is vastly improved, sound quality excellent, set-up UI better. But what I love is network firmware upgrades and a USB port on the front to plug in my iPhone. With the USB the audio from my iPhone is the best I have ever heard, my previous solution was bluetooth streaming or y-cable (Stereo RCA on one end 3.5 mm headphone on other). I love that with USB i can bypass the DAC in the iPhone and use the high-end one in the receiver.” – C.Stefanescu (CA,USA)

 

Performance

The audio quality is much better than other older models because of its Phase Locked Loop Jitter-Cleaning Circuit Technology. It basically reduces the jitter that is caused by digital to analog conversion processes. Digital signal processing is enhanced as a result and any devices connected via HDMI will receive its benefits.

Video performance is also good thanks to the Farouja DCDi Cinema technology. The processor effectively upscales any video signal to Full HD quality so the output looks better on modern 1080p displays. It even removes the jagged edges and other video artifacts so action scenes look good too.

Bottom Line

The Onkyo HT-RC270 is more than just a 3D-capable device so owners of older 1080p TVs may find this a great upgrade due to the improved performance in both audio and video ends. Plus the price is still around the $800 range that is still without possible discounts by online dealers.

Average User Rating:
More user reviews:

• “This AV Onkyo receiver does it all. Now as far as the sound goes, yes this system is meant to produce enjoyable sound, it is unlike any unit I have ever owned. I was BLOWN away by the richness and fullness of the sound in my dingy basement. Honestly it sounded better than a movie theater which tends to be mostly just very loud. Last night I hooked up my iPod via USB for the first time and it worked and sounded great.” – Carbonadam (USA)

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•“I was amazed at the quality of the sound after using the Audyssey plug-in to balance it automatically based on the position of the speaker and the listening position. The picture quality after auto conversion to my 1080i TV was also excellent. No more changing settings of the picture… now it happens automatically. Hooked it up to a Samsung 50″ 3D plasma and I was astounded by the 3D pass through signal… awesome. On screen menu worked great with an DVI/HDMI converted hookup to my old TV and the new plasma worked great with a HDMI with return channel. I was able to get the internet to work as well but that was the more difficult. Updated firmware was difficult but I finally got it to work. The trick was not to move away from the USB setting before turning it off and on. The error 3-51 finally was added to the help site diagnostics. Worked great with internet radio via a Sony Blu-ray Disc Player or my Roku device that hooks by HDMI into the receiver. I rate this a 5.” – Donald A.Heinrich (USA)

•“The Onkyo HT-RC270 is one very cool receiver. It lists for a reasonable $849 considering the slew of fine features. Better yet, it is widely discounted, to less than $600 at Amazon, making it a really great value. You need to pay a whole lot more to get a more capable receiver. This new receiver is an excellent bet if you are in the market for a first-rate home theater 3-D ready, 7.2 audio, 11 speaker output, satellite radio, streaming internet video, gaming, mp3 (probably left out something, but I’m out of breath) receiver at a great price.” – B.Brody (Alaska,USA)

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