Onkyo TX-NR545 Review

The new TX-NRx4x line of AV receivers from Onkyo happens to be particularly interesting, especially the manufacturer's entry-level model. So, let´s examine it - the Onkyo TX-NR545.

This is a model that welcomes a number of new features this year: AKM AK4458 DAC, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res Audio certification, AirPlay, HDMI 2.0 with HDCP 2.2 connectivity management. Could this be a good year for Onkyo?

Design, Build Quality and Connectivity

For the new TX-line, excluding TX-RZ800 and RZ900, Onkyo is keepin the proven design it has had for the last few years, with clean lines and decent build quality. On the front we find a row of buttons dedicated to changing source and navigating through menus, and an LCD display on the top. The lower part hosts audio / video analog inputs, microphone input and a headphone output.

At the rear, the TX-NR545 offers six HDMI inputs and 1 output, all of the HDMI 2.0 standard with HDCP support and HDMI 2.2 on inputs 1-3, assuring full transparency on 4K / 60 Hz signals with a 4: 4: 4 chroma sub-sampling, making it fully compatibie with future Ultra HD Blu-ray players. There are also two Component inputs, four Composite inputs, two optical digital inputs and one coaxial, 8 analog RCA audio inputs, two Subwoofer Pre-outs, a Pre-out for Zone 2 in stereo, a USB port, an Ethernet port, and 2 antennas for WiFi and Bluetooth.

The power amplifier remains the same as on the previous model (115 W / channel @ 6 ohms), but an interesting change has been made to the preamp. Onkyo has replaced the old trustworthy Texas Instruments Burr-Brown DACs for the new AK4458 DAC from Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation. This chip is designed for integration with an AV amplifier, as is the case with Onkyo, but also for other devices such as network audio players, audio DACs, audio interfaces, and so on. It is also one of the reasons Onkyo is wearing a Hi-Res Audio logo this year since the AKM AK4458 chip is theoretically able to support PCM up to 768 kHz and DSD 11.2 MHz.

Onkyo also uses a separate amplifier section (not balanced) to generate a more stable supply of current, which should provide a more precise and dynamic sound. More on the sound later, but the power consumption has increased to 60 W / 4.3 A compared to TX-NR535's 55 W / 3.2 A.

TX-NR545 User Interface

Onkyo has made no significant changes to the user interface and it is still classic Onkyo, frugal and spartan. In addition to the main menu, which gives access to all the amplifier settings, we find a secondary OSD that opens as a pop-up window where you can access some quick settings, like tone, DSP, and more. We also noticed a lack of video settings/processing, but considering the price it´s forgivable.

Improved AccuEQ Calibration

In the measurement position, results are quite satisfactory for the front, center and surround channels, with the exception of a slightly too high crossover frequency for the subwoofer. Other than that, the levels and frequency balance was spot on. Onkyo also gives you the choice not to apply any EQ on the front channels to avoid coloring the sound. This is particularly appreciated when playing music.

The weak point of the Onkyo AV receivers has often been the preamp being a bit feeble, and it seems that Onkyo prefer to focus on more muscle in the amplifier section - which undeniably is a nice quality in a 'Gung Ho Action Flick Home Theater' -  but it can be a bit too 'unpolished' at times, even though it probably also contributed to the success of the range over the years. Incorporating the AKM DAC (one on each channel) should hopefully add that 'polish' to the overall experience, something the listening test will reveal.

Longtime Onkyo fans can rest assured regarding the amplification as we stay on familiar ground. The Onkyo TX-NR545 performes as expected during Movie Night, with the typical Onkyo characteristics of power, generous dynamics and big sound. As the amplifier section is more or less the same as last year, the improvement comes mainly from the preamp section, but without any really significant difference compared to previous generations. It just adds some improvements, especially in the subwoofer channel.

Despite the dynamic generosity and exacerbated sense of power, the lower frequency spectrum on Onkyo's entry level models has always had a tendency to overpower the rest of the frequency range. The improvement was particularly noticeable when watching the monster rampage in Cloverfield. The TX-NR545 managed to retain the powerful and imposing character of the monster, and impacts exuded a sense of control, and by extension a firmness that was better than before. It´s still in need of some minor adjustments though, and perhaps a little more subtlety.

Another contribution of the new DAC comes from the higher frequency spectrum. Onkyo has made some small improvements when it comes to clarity and precision, and the midrange is slightly less muffled. A minor improvement that may not be very noticable when watching movies, but it helps to give a bit more credibility when playing music in Pure Audio mode, particularly when you turn off the equalization on the front channels.

Network and Multimedia

Onkyo amps have always been at the forefront when it comes to multimedia support, and this is evident by the compatibility of the TX-NR545; MP3, AAC, WMA, WMA Lossless, FLAC, ALAC, WAV, LPCM, MLP, Ogg Vorbis, Dolby True HD and DSD 2.8 / 5.6 MHz. In addition to playing files from a UPnP network, Onkyo amps are currently the only NTSF compatible (NTFS require manufacturers to pay royalties to Microsoft) and you can use USB sticks or external harddrives with a capacity greater than 4 GB. A big bonus is the long-awaited arrival of AirPlay, which should make users of iDevices very happy.

Navigating menus is easy but still rather crude. Fortunately the title and album art display help to pretty things up a little. The ability to navigate the menus easily also applies to the display on the front panel.

Conclusion