Onkyo has been in the audio component market for over 70 years, so it’s a pretty good bet that its products are well designed and produce high-quality audio. The Onkyo TX-NR575 is a good example of this quality. It’s a 7.2-channel AV receiver with exceptional connectivity, good power output and a time-proven design.
This home theater receiver has a power output of 80 watts per channel when using 8-ohm speakers and 170 watts per channel when using 6-ohm speakers. The total power consumption is 560 watts. In other words, the amplifiers are more than capable of powering seven speakers. The two subwoofer pre-outs mean you can also add a lot of foundation-rumbling bass to the mix.
The TX-NR575 has a total harmonic distortion of .08 percent. This is one of the lowest ratings of the receivers we reviewed and means the sound you hear is clean and undistorted. It also has a signal-to-noise ratio of 106 dB, which is the best we saw in a receiver for this price. Not many manufacturers include these power-handling ratings on their specifications because they often don’t reflect well on the receiver. So, when you see them, it’s a good sign.
This receiver has some, but not all, of the audio decoders that are critical to getting the best surround sound possible. Like all receivers in this price range, it has the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD decoders, which are the most common high-definition soundtrack formats for Blu-ray movies and the formats that most movies are mixed to. It also includes the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoders. These have overhead channels that add more depth to the soundtrack – when Superman flies over the heads of onlookers, it’ll sound like he’s flying over your head as well. However, it doesn’t have the necessary decoders to upmix stereo signals to surround sound.
This Onkyo AV receiver has excellent connectivity options. For example, it has six HDMI inputs, which gives you room to expand your home entertainment system in the future. Like most receivers that cost around $500, the TX-NR575 has a bevy of wireless connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay and Chromecast. These all allow you to stream music and video directly from your mobile devices. You can also play music from any of your favorite internet radio stations. One of the receiver’s best features is that it automatically switches to the correct input when you connect to it via Bluetooth.
Onkyo offers support over the phone and has a responsive Twitter customer service team. In addition, the website has tutorials and a user forum, which is an excellent way to troubleshoot problems or just get to know all the receiver’s many features.
It has a two-year warranty, which is the industry standard. Also, the company routes much of its customer service through its authorized retailers, so make sure you purchase from a certified Onkyo dealer.
The Onkyo TX-NR575 has almost all the modern features you expect a premium AV receiver to have. Its power output is above average, and it is perfectly capable of powering your seven-speaker setup. The TX-NR575’s connectivity options and design also help make it one of the best AV stereo receivers on the market.
