Onkyo TX-NR3007

Onkyo have introduced several new AV receivers and amongst them is the TX-NR3007. It has entered the market place towards the top of the midrange, so it isn’t cheap. The company has actually claimed this and its two other partners in crime are their high end elite units; however, comparably their pricing is no where near some of the high end units. Have we found a massive bargain of the century? Just what are you getting for your money? Does it pack the punch you would hope a unit of this price would pack, or is it a bit of a wimp that just would not be able to hurt a fly? We have been lucky enough to have the Onkyo TX-NR3007 here for review so we can share our findings with you, so you can decide.

Onkyo TX-NR3007 Receiver | More Details

Design

Onkyo like the retro look for their AV receivers and the Onkyo TX-NR3007 is no exception. They always remind us of the old style video tape player, but we like it. This is a heavy chunky unit, finished in black, and featuring a regimented row of buttons along the middle, above which sits the LED display screen. This is a good size and the display is easy to read with clear text in a white finish.

We thought the rectangular power button was an unusual choice for this unit with all the other controls being circular, and this just may be the biggest styling feature that gives this unit the retro classic look. The back panel isn’t as structured as some we have seen. There is very little structure and formation to the myriad of jack points. There is a range of color, which at first glance looks confusing, but on closer inspection they have tried hard to make sure everything is well marked for easy identification.

Actual user review:
“For me, this thing works like a champ. I chose this over the 1007 for 1)better video processing (Reon chip), 2) independent power supplies (video/audio/etc), and at the time, I found it for a great price, only a bit more than the 1007. It also has Dolby Dynamic volume, which the 1007 doesn’t have- but I use the Audyssey dynamic volume anyways. The backlit remote is nice too- although not a reason to buy this over the 1007. At first, I wasn’t sure if the Reon chip was worth it, my projector supposedly has the same chip, but I can tell a big difference upconverting my Dish 720p. The image looks much better when I let the Onkyo do the upconversion as opposed to my projector. Likewise, it does a better job with DVD material compared to my BR which also upconverts DVDs, just not as well as the Onkyo.” – Rprice (USA)

Features

Onkyo are fans of the 9.2 channel AV receiver and the Onkyo TX-NR3007 is another cracking example, offering 2 more channels that the classic 7.2 channel unit that is the industry standard in the mid range or above class. Each of the 9.2 channel packs a whopping 140 watts, which really is impressive and helps create fantastic sound combinations thanks to the two supporting technologies, Dolby Pro Logic and Audyssey. That certainly isn’t where the technology stops, as the unit also comes complete with contributions from DTS-HD Master Audio as well as Dolby TrueHD. The clever technical guys at Onkyo have neatly packed a vast array of top range technologies into this little black box, and we are impressed.

The Onkyo TX-NR3007 is another network ready unit that can be connected via an Ethernet cable. We are still waiting to see a wireless version from Onkyo as this does make it much easier to use internet radio or web content, as with wired technology the PC and AV receiver need to be close together which can be a pain for some home setups. That said we are happy to see the network technology, and Onkyo have also added a USB port on the front of the unit meaning that you can plug other devices in, such as an MP3 player for example. Connectivity has been well thought out here. The iPod technologies are present, and you can use the USB port to connect your iPod or iPhone or for full functionality you can purchase the iPod docking unit, again always disappointing when these aren’t given away as part of the pack.

Picture quality isn’t an issue, and all formats gave rise to stable images that were crisp and clean. We were more than happy with the color shown, and that included our upscaling tests, where older formats are played through the unit and cleaned up before the image is shown – clever technology that is coming in as standard of units at this level, so we did expect it to be there. However, not all companies have it perfect, but thankfully Onkyo seem to have it sorted.

Bottom Line

This is the middle unit of the three high end elite units offered by Onkyo, and whilst this is an excellent unit, we aren’t really sure why you would spend to step up to this one from the lower one, unless you are a real home entertainment enthusiast who has an ear for subtle changes and improvements. For those who are willing to fork out the extra money on the Onkyo TX-NR3007 you won’t be disappointed with the benefits and extra refinements in audio and video reproduction.

Average User Rating:

• “I just replaced a Pioneer Elite with this new Onkyo 9.2. This new Audyssey DSX technology is awesome. I have all 11 speakers (Def Tech) hooked up plus 2 subs and I can tell you that the front high and front wide speakers do make a huge difference. If you have ever been to a place like the Hayden planetarium or maybe Epcot at Disney and experienced the sound at a show in a theme room there it’s kind of like that. You cannot run both front high and front wide pairs at the same time unless you don’t use rear surrounds. I find that using the front highs are best with movies and games and the front wides are better with music. And 2 subs give me a break! You don’t have to have all speakers you can stick with 5.1 or 7.1 if you like. Then later on you have the option to add speakers. There are so many sound modes with speaker configurations to play with and they all sound good. The remote is better then I expected. It looks good and feels good is backlit and has macros. Macros allow you to shut off all you components with one button. This also hooks up to the internet and listening to Pandora through Ethernet sounds great. I read a foreign review that said compared to a Yamaha receiver he was disappointed at the sound. This is not a fair or accurate comparison because this receiver has many tweaking adjustments such as crossover cutoffs for each speaker. You can set it up to match your optimum speaker sound. I can tell you that if you buy this receiver matched with Def Tech Speakers you won’t be disappointed.” – J.L.Pongrac (Idaho,USA)

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