Onkyo TX-NR7100 AVR Review

[dtomsen]

What room correction system does it use ?

Unfortunately none.

 

[CapMan]

Unfortunately none.

Oh dear - that's beyond a deal breaker

 

[dtomsen]

Oh dear - that's beyond a deal breaker

Adding a MiniDSP or something similar does seem possible (but also a bit excessive).

 

[antcollinet]

He switched to PC decoding with additional plug-ins,

Interesting. Are those hardware plugins? Or software plugins to Jriver? What surround formats could be decoded?

Either way - it seems a hell of a lot simpler just to use an AVR - and then you get Atmos also.

 

[antcollinet]

Adding a MiniDSP or something similar does seem possible (but also a bit excessive).

Not sure how, since the mini DSP would need to be between the (internal) decoder, and the (internal)amp.

 

[AlexanderM]

I think that's a bit dramatic. I think the average meathead user would buy this thing and be perfectly happy with it. I bought the 2015 7.2 model and used it with full Klipsch big box store speakers (dual 8" towers, X4 R15M surrounds, R250M center and 2 12SW subs) and was very pleased with it and anyone who watched a movie with me raved about it. 99% of people are completely dumb about sound. So the idea that a purchase like this could ruin someone is just ridiculous. Hell, I would say that ****** Onkyo from 2015 ignited my passion for audio and led me to the Cornwall IV, REL T9/x system I have today.

Yes! Lots of people are happy with these systems.

 

[popej]

- Distortion is low for the amp section of the TX-RZ70 measuring 85dB SINAD (.005% THD+N) up to at 50 watts/ch. That’s excellent!

Looking at the graph, it is about 76dB SINAD at 5W/8Ohm. Isn't it 7100 great too?

 

[WalterW]

So one bad apple out of plenty of good ones, and you call it quits? I guess I shouldn’t buy a Camry because the new Tacomas are blowing engines.

As far as I see the measurements here, there are many more bad apples than good ones of AVRs, and the good ones cost several grand.

 

[andrewskaterrr]

While 8K support doesn't matter for gaming, HDMI 2.1 is an absolute must for gaming because you want your AVR to be able to handle VRR signals.

But AVRs don't process images, they just pass it through and extract the audio stream.



VRR is probably much more important than 4K120. Without VRR pretty much all console games that do 4K120 will look like a stuttery mess because they can't provide a fixed 120 fps framerate. Hell, even 4K60 games look like a mess due to all the uneven frame pacing in almost every single game out there.

G-Sync, FreeSync, and VRR (unofficially) all work on 2.0 so it's not like it didn't exist before 2.1, but VRR was officially supported with 2.1. That's why I didn't include it.

 

[dtomsen]

Not sure how, since the mini DSP would need to be between the (internal) decoder, and the (internal)amp.

The Canton Smart Connect 5.1 is an AV preamplifier (decoding only) which needs external power amplification anyways.
The MiniDSP would be inserted between those.

 

[antcollinet]

The Canton Smart Connect 5.1 is an AV preamplifier (decoding only) which needs external power amplification anyways.
The MiniDSP would be inserted between those.

sorry - my mistake, thought we were on the amp.

 

[andrewskaterrr]

As far as I see the measurements here, there are many more bad apples than good ones of AVRs, and the good ones cost several grand.

Did you forget about the Denon X3600H and newer ones? In most cases we're talking about SINAD levels that are beyond the normal theater's noise floor, and beyond what most likely audible (below around -80dB). It's just a numbers game for the chart topping DACs in the 100dB+ range. I don't know if you'll get a decently priced AVR with all the different components and capabilities shoved in there to compete with a single purpose DAC. I really don't think it will make an audible difference over say a Denon X4800H unless you have some super sensitive speakers and top Class D amps that are cleaner than the AVR.

 

[Andreas007]

I can remember a dealer who told me this: "Some amplifiers don't shut down. They burn!"
Maybe the "limiting mode" is just there to prevent this from happening.

 

[anphex]

Thanks to the person sending it in! Since there are far less AVR than DAC, every AVR review helps to make the avr market more "readable".

 

[antcollinet]

I can remember a dealer who told me this: "Some amplifiers don't shut down. They burn!"
Maybe the "limiting mode" is just there to prevent this from happening.

Do you really want to buy an amp that has to limit power to 25% to stop it burning?

 

[amirm]

And as I pointed out, he is wrong

You theorized. You didn't show the power clipping with measurements and then indication in the web UI.

 

[laudio]

AVRs get a bad rap because of devices like this. Nothing worse than a nanny circuit. Good AVRs were built in the early 2000's - like a Pioneer VSX-47 I picked up for under $100 and cleaned up. How the DAC performs isn't too important, I run HDMI to optical 5 channel in - sounds good enough.

 

[dlaloum]

AVRs get a bad rap because of devices like this. Nothing worse than a nanny circuit. Good AVRs were built in the early 2000's - like a Pioneer VSX-47 I picked up for under $100 and cleaned up. How the DAC performs isn't too important, I run HDMI to optical 5 channel in - sounds good enough.

The AVR's and HDMI chipsets up to at least 2015 suffered from substantial jitter...

Best sound quality with those was achieved using the Toslink/SPDIF inputs...

Strangely in current generations that has been reversed. HDMI performance is now excellent, but Toslink/SPDIF is below par....

If you are looking at devices from 20 years ago, you can find bargains which at the time were TOTL flagship models (consider Lexicon!) - sound quality is excellent for these (as it is with current flagship models!) - but decoding options, interfaces, and RoomEQ is limited.

 

[ThatM1key]

I bet you a bit of the receiver cost went towards that stupid Klipsch Optimize Mode. The lack of LDAC is also a nice touch.

Onkyo is like Chrysler. They both made some many dumb decisions, that you wonder how there still alive. There both so dried of passion and life, I wouldn't care if they collapsed as there's nothing left to them to care about anymore.

But hey, if its from "Premium Audio Company", you know to run away.

 

[Koeitje]

G-Sync, FreeSync, and VRR (unofficially) all work on 2.0 so it's not like it didn't exist before 2.1, but VRR was officially supported with 2.1. That's why I didn't include it.

AVRs don't support G-Sync and FreeSync, neither do televisions. So that is pointless. Unofficial VRR also isn't reliable. I have several HDMI 2.0 splitters, cables and switches. None of them allow me to use VRR/Freesync on my Xbox together with my Freesync monitor.