Onkyo TX-NR609 (USA version)

•   Overview
•   Pros and Cons
•   Audio Section
•   Video Section
•   Multi-zone Playback
•   Inputs and Outputs
•   Specifications
•   Successor

Onkyo TX-NR609 was introduced in 2011. It is equipped with 7 channel amplifier with 100 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven) power per channel and is capable of 7.1 maximum channel processing. It passes 1080/60p and upscales up to 4K/30p (Marvell Qdeo) video signal.

We evaluated the a/v receiver and gave 73 overall score out of 100. Our ranking system is based on the amplifier specifications, audio and video features, connectivity, multizone capabilities, radio and many other details.

In this section we present pros and cons of Onkyo TX-NR609.

7 channel Amplifier

Onkyo TX-NR609 features 7 channel power amplifier. It is rated at 100 W (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2 channel driven).

• WRAT (Wide Range Amp Technology): Onkyo TX-NR609 features Onkyo’s Wide Range Amp Technology (WRAT) circuit layout that prevents phase shifting by pushing the roll-off point higher than the listening-level frequency. Amplifying sound without phase shift creates an uncommonly well-focused and realistic audio image. If phase shift occurs and signal timing is not accurate, then neither is the resulting audio image.
• 3-Stage Inverted Darlington Circuitry: Onkyo TX-NR609 features 3-Stage Inverted Darlington Circuitry. Standard amplifiers employ a negative feedback (NFB) design that counters distortion by feeding back the opposite phase of the output signal into the input stage. Unfortunately, NFB is easily affected by inverse electromotive forces from the speakers, leading to an increase in circuit noise. Three-Stage Inverted Darlington Circuitry is a core Onkyo technology incorporating a low-NFB design that makes the sound more natural. Sensitive to oscillations, this circuitry requires very advanced control technology in order to be incorporated into the amplifier.

THX Select™2 Plus certified

Onkyo TX-NR609 is THX Select™2 Plus certified. This means that it is ideally suited for a room where the screen-to-seat viewing distance is approximately 3 to 4 meters, and the room size is approximately 56 cubic meters.

• THX™ Certification: THX™ Certification offers optimal performance, superior quality and seamless integration. THX works with partners from the ground up, so that certified products deliver professional quality audio-visual experiences right out of the box. They only certify the very best products with uncompromised quality, performance and consistency. They ensure that THX certified devices play well with lower performing devices and components. THX listening modes make the receiver to have one speaker set up for movies, music and games. They are tested for power output, bass management, signal-to-noise ratio and feature THX Loudness Plus, Boundary Gain Compensation, Timbre Matching and RE-EQ.
• Power Output: Power output is tested to ensure the receiver accurately plays source material at THX Reference Level in every input and mode and at every sampling rate for all possible playback combinations selected by the listener.
• Frequency Response: THX has strict requirements for frequency response to ensure that you hear all the details in high-resolution tracks, ensures dialog in movies, and vocals in music are clear while maintaining deep, impactful bass output that doesn’t overpower the listening experience.
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: THX tests the signal-to-noise ratio to ensure the unit is designed to have low noise performance with very little to no audible hiss from the speakers.
• Bass Management: THX requires an 80Hz crossover point in the setup menu to ensure proper bass management in every THX Certified AVR. This setting confirms that the subwoofer handles low frequencies, freeing up the loudspeakers to handle mids and highs.
• THX Loudness Plus™: THX Loudness Plus™ is a volume control technology featured in THX Certified Dominus, THX Certified Ultra and THX Certified Select AV Receivers, and preamplifiers that automatically adjusts the front-to-back speaker level relationship as you turn the volume down. With THX Loudness Plus, home theater audiences can now experience the rich details of surround sound at any volume level.
• Boundary Gain Compensation: Sitting near a wall may result in increased acoustic levels at the lower frequencies. BGC corrects the way low frequency sound is perceived when seated near a wall. This results in a more accurate bass response.
• Timbre Matching: Your ears hear different tonal qualities in sounds coming from different directions. Timbre Matching restores the frequency balance between your front and surround speakers ensuring seamless and smooth panning between the front to back of the room.
• RE-EQ: Many movie soundtracks are mixed in studios for playback in large cinema auditoriums with an array of speakers. When played on home systems, they may appear abrasive and edgy. Re-EQ establishes a more accurate tonal balance when enjoying movies in your home.

Speaker Configurations

Onkyo TX-NR609's 7 channel amplifier can be assigned for different speaker configurations.

• Configurations: Available configurations are:
5.2, 7.2 with internal amplifier.

Audyssey DSX

Audyssey DSX allows you to augment a standard five-channel home theater with either two Front Wide or two Front High speakers. The Wide channels create an expansive soundstage and bring out convincing directional effects. Alternatively, Height channels can add a vertical dimension to movie and game soundtracks.

Sound Processing

• Audyssey: Onkyo TX-NR609 comes with Audyssey Dynamic EQ and Dynamic Volume.
Dynamic EQ: selects the best possible frequency response and surround volume levels moment-by-moment. This ensures that the bass response, tonal balance and surround impression remain constant despite changes in volume. This is the first technology that carefully combines information from incoming source levels with actual output sound levels in the room, a pre-requisite for delivering a dynamic volume solution.
Dynamic Volume: Your Listening experience can be greatly diminished when there are significant shifts in volume between television programs, commercials and within the program material itself. When this happens you must constantly adjust the volume to maintain your desired listening level. Audyssey Dynamic Volume monitors the volume of program material moment-by-moment and automatically adjusts it, maintaining the desired listening level for all content while optimizing the dynamic range to preserve impact.
• Advanced Music Optimizer: Compressed music enhancement in Onkyo TX-NR609 is done by Onkyo’s Advanced Music Optimizer. While MP3 or AAC files may sound fine through the headphones of your portable digital player, the limitations of these files can be exposed when played back through a quality home entertainment system. This is because a significant amount of high-frequency bit information is lost during the file-compression process. To counter this, Onkyo has designed the Advanced Music Optimizer to compensate for lost bit information and improve the quality of compressed audio signals. This results in a clearer and more expansive sound. Also included in this technology is a loudness correction feature that further improves the audio character of compressed files.

Room Calibration

Onkyo TX-NR609 comes with Audyssey 2EQ room correction system and includes the calibration microphone.

• Audyssey Room Calibration: Audyssey is an acoustic measurement technology which automatically restores the acoustic distortion caused by the acoustic behaviour of a room with only a push on a button. Audyssey equalization provides an clear, accurate, natural sound with voices and dialog that become focused and intelligible, restoring the musical balance. Musical instruments and sound effects become precisely localized and the surround soundstage is made seamless and enveloping.

HDMI

Onkyo TX-NR609 features 6 HDMI inputs. It has 1 output.

• 1080/60p Passthrough: All inputs pass up to 1080p video signal.
• 4K Upscaling: Onkyo TX-NR609 can upscale up to 4K/30p (Marvell Qdeo) from HDMI and analog sources.
• Analog To HDMI Upconversion: The a/v receiver supports video upconversion, so you can connect your analog Component and Composite and PC video sources and Onkyo TX-NR609 will output them via HDMI. This means that you will need only one HDMI cable to connect to your TV.
• 3D Ready: Onkyo TX-NR609 is able to pass 3D video through HDMI.

Onkyo TX-NR609 offers multi-zone playback which allows you to play different input sources in 2 different rooms.

Zone 2

• Powered Zone 2: You can use the unit's 2 amplifier channels by connecting Zone 2 speakers directly to the speaker terminals. The remaining 5 channels will be left for main zone amplification.
• Audio Line Output: If you have a dedicated integrated amplifier for Zone 2 you can connect it to the a/v receiver via line outs by sending fixed signal and then control volume on the Zone 2 amplifier.

Audio

• Analog Line Inputs and Outputs: There are 6 line inputs and 1 line output for analog audio connection.
• Digital Inputs and Outputs: 0 optical input, 2 optical outputs and 2 coaxial inputs are available for digital audio connection.
• Headphone Output: There is a 6.3 mm (1/4") headphone output jack on the front panel.

Video

• HDMI:
Inputs: 6 (1 front)   Outputs: 1
8K Inputs: 0
• Composite Video: Connect you VCR, Laserdisc player and other old video equipment with composite video cables.
Inputs: 5   Outputs: 2
• Component Video: Component video connection gives you the higher quality video compared to the composite video connection. So in case your old DVD player and other equipment do not have an HDMI output but have Component video output use this connection over the composite one. Onkyo TX-NR609 supports up to 1080p resolution on Component video connectors.
Inputs: 2   Outputs: 1

Here we list all the available features and specifications of Onkyo TX-NR609.

BASICS
Brand	Onkyo
Model	TX-NR609
Type	A/V Receiver
Country	USA
Release Year	2011

AMPLIFIER
Channels	7.2
Front Wide Channel Support
WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology)
VLSC (Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry)
Optimum Gain Volume Circuitry
THX™ Certification	Select™2 Plus
Continuous 6 Ω Rated
Certified 4 Ω Performance
Discrete Output Stage Circuitry
3-Stage Inverted Darlington Circuitry
PUSH-PULL Design
Independent Block Construction (Amp/Preprocessor)
Bi-amp Capability
BTL (Bridged Transless or Bridging)

AUDIO
Digital Processing Crossover Network
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Engine	Advanced 32-Bit Processing DSP Chip
DAC	Burr-Brown
DAC Specs	192 kHz/24 Bit
Maximum Channel Processing	7.1
Air Studios Monitor Certification
Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
Dolby Atmos Music
Dolby TrueHD
Dolby Digital Plus
Dolby Surround Upmixer
Dolby Pro Logic	PLIIz
Dolby Digital EX
Surround EX	also known as Dolby Digital Surround EX
DTS:X
DTS Neural:X
DTS Virtual:X
DTS Neo	Neo:6
DTS-HD Master Audio
DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
DTS 96/24
DTS Express
DTS-ES	Discrete 6.1, Matrix 6.1
IMAX Enhanced
Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
PCM	2-ch/Multi-ch Input
Music Playback via USB	FLAC, WAV, WMA, WMA Lossless, Ogg, MP3, LPCM, AAC
High Resolution Music Playback via USB and/or Network	up to 96 kHz
High Resolution Audio Formats via USB	FLAC, WAV, WMA Lossless, LPCM, AAC
Gapless Playback
DSD via HDMI	2-ch/Multi-ch Input
DSD via USB
DSD to PCM Converter
USB DAC
Jitter Reduction	PLL (Phase Locked Loop) Jitter-Cleaning Circuit Technology for S/PDIF Audio
DTS Dialog Control
Dialog Enhancement
Dialog Level Adjustment
Dialog Normalization
Dialogue Lift
Tone Control	Front L/R Channels
Compressed Music Enhancer	Advanced Music Optimizer
High-resolution Music Enhancer
THX Processing Mode
Audyssey Dynamic EQ
Audyssey Dynamic Volume
Audyssey LFC
Audyssey Sub EQ HT
Audyssey DSX	Front Height
Phase-Matching Bass Boost
Direct Mode
Pure Audio Mode
Pure Direct Analog Path Mode
Virtual Speakers	T-D (Theater-Dimensional)
Independent Subwoofer Outputs

CALIBRATION
Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.	Audyssey 2EQ
Audyssey App Support

VIDEO
Enhanced ARC
HDR10
HDR10+
Dynamic HDR
Dolby Vision
HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma)
BT.2020 color space
QMS (Quick Media Switching)
ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode)
VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)
QFT (Quick Frame transport)
3-D Ready
Video Signal Passthrough	up to 1080p
Video Signal Upscaling	up to 4K/30p (Marvell Qdeo)
Analog To HDMI Upconversion	Component, Composite, PC
Component Video Upscaling
Analog to Analog Video conversion
Component Video Maximum Resolution	1080p
isf Certified Calibration Control

CONNECTIVITY
MHL Input
DLNA 1.5
FireConnect
FlareConnect
Chromecast Built-In
DTS Play-Fi
Works with Amazon Alexa
Works with SONOS
AirPlay
Apple Product Connection	iPod and iPhone via USB or optional UP-A1 Dock (sold separately)
Remote App	iPod touch/iPhone
InstaPrevue Input Source Prevue
Ethernet
Ethernet Switch
Wi-Fi	via Front USB (optional UWF-1 sold separately)
Bluetooth
HDBaseT Compatible
HDMI Inputs	6 (1 front)
HDMI Outputs	1
8K Inputs
USB Input	1 Front
USB DC Out Port
RCA Line Input	6
RCA Line Output	1
XLR Line Inputs
Phono Input
Optical Inputs	2
Optical Outputs
Coaxial Inputs	2
Composite Video Input	5 (1 front)
Composite Video Output	2
S-Video Input
S-Video Output
Component Video Input	2
Component Video Output	1
PC In
Multi-Channel Input
RCA Pre-Outs	0.2
XLR Pre-outs
Front A/V Inputs	HDMI, USB, Composite Video
Speaker A/B
Headphone Out	6.3 mm (1/4")

ZONES
Zones	2
Powered Zones	2
Zone 2 Outs	RCA Line Out
Whole House Mode
RS-232C Interface
+12V Trigger Output
Remote (IR) Input/Output

MISC
On-Screen Display	Advanced "Home" GUI
Detachable Power Cord
uport
ONKYO-RI System Control
RIHD (Remote Interactive Over HDMI)
Pre-Pro/Learning Remote	/
On Screen Remote Programming
Bi-directional Remote Setup via GUI
Activity Based Remote
Smart Grid-Ready

RADIO
Analog Tuner	FM/AM
Presets	40
Digital Radio	HD Radio via optional UP-HT1 Tuner (sold separately)
Internet Radio	vTuner
Pandora
Spotify
Tidal
Deezer
Napster
SiriusXM Internet Radio

CONSTRUCTION
Solid Aluminum Front
Speaker Terminals	9
Large Speaker Terminals	7
Color-Coded Speaker Terminals
Transparent High-Grade Speaker Terminals
18mm Pitch High Grade Pre-outs
19mm-Pitch Audio Inputs
Gold plated RCA terminals

POWER
Power Supply	AC 120 V, 60 Hz
Independent Power Supply
H.C.P.S. (High Current Power Supply)	Massive High Power Transformer
Toroidal Transformer
Power Consumption	6.2 A
Standby Power	0.2 W

GENERAL
Dimensions (W x H x D)	435 mm x 173.5 mm x 328 mm 17-1/8" x 6-13/16" x 12-15/16"
Weight	11.2 kg (24.7 lbs)
Warranty	2 Years

SPECS
Power Output (8 Ω, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 2	100 W (0.08% THD)
Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 2	125 W (0.1% THD)
Maximum Effective Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 1 channel driven, JEITA)	175 W
Rated Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 1 channel driven, IEC)	160 W (1% THD)
Dynamic Power per Channel (3 Ω, Front)	240 W
Dynamic Power per Channel (4 Ω, Front)	210 W
Dynamic Power per Channel (8 Ω, Front)	120 W
THD	0.08% (20 Hz - 20 kHz, Half power)
Damping Factor	60 (Front, 1 kHz, 8 Ω)
Input Sensitivity and Impedance (Line)	200 mV/47 kΩ (Line)
Rated Lineout Level and Impedance	200 mV/2.2 kΩ (REC OUT)
Maximum Lineout Level and Impedance	2 V/2.2 kΩ (REC OUT)
S/N Ratio (Line, IHF-A)	106 dB
Frequency Response (Analog In)	20 Hz - 50 kHz/+1 dB, -3 dB (DSP bypass)
DSD Sampling Rates via HDMI	2.8 MHz
Video Input Sensitivity/Output Level and Impedance	1 Vp-p/75 Ω (Component Y) 0.7 Vp-p/75 Ω (Component PB/CB, PR/CR) 1 Vp-p/75 Ω (Composite)
Video Frequency Response	5 Hz - 100 MHz/+0 dB, -3 dB (Component)
Ethernet Standard	100BASE-TX
FM Frequency	87.5 MHz - 107.9 MHz
AM Frequency	522/530 kHz - 1611/1710 kHz

* - 480i/576i and 480p/576p only
** - 480i/576i only
*** - no 1080p/24 upconversion
**** - 1080p signal is not converted

In 2012 Onkyo TX-NR609 was replaced by TX-NR616. Let us now have a look at some important changes that the successor brought.

UPGRADES	Onkyo TX-NR616	vs	Onkyo TX-NR609
Bi-amp capability		vs
Higher Resolution Music Playback via USB	up to 192 kHz	vs	up to 96 kHz
Dialog Normalization		vs
MHL Input	Front HDMI	vs
InstaPrevue Input Source Prevue		vs
More HDMI Inputs	8 (1 front)	vs	6 (1 front)
More HDMI Outputs	2 (simultaneous)	vs	1
USB Input	1 Front (for iPod/iPhone) and 1 Rear	vs	1 Front
More Zones	3	vs	2
Whole House Mode		vs
Bigger Power Supply	6.3 A	vs	6.2 A

DOWNGRADES	Onkyo TX-NR616	vs	Onkyo TX-NR609
THX Processing Mode		vs
Less RCA Line Outputs		vs	1
Less Composite Video Outputs	1	vs	2
Less Component Video Inputs	1	vs	2
PC In		vs
uport		vs
Digital Radio		vs	HD Radio via optional UP-HT1 Tuner (sold separately)
Napster		vs

For more detailed comparison between the models please visit Onkyo TX-NR609 vs Onkyo TX-NR616.