onkyo
Latest
Sound United won't acquire Pioneer and Onkyo home audio
Earlier this year, Sound United announced the addition of Pioneer and Onkyo's home audio divisions to the list of brands it owns. Its properties already included Boston Acoustics, Denon, Marantz and Polk, but the company believed adding those two would allow it to expand its market and release products in more categories. Something must have gone wrong during the acquisition process, though, because Sound United and Onkyo (which also owns Pioneer) called off the deal.
Denon parent Sound United now owns Pioneer and Onkyo home audio
The audio world just got noticeably smaller. Sound United, the parent company for brands like Denon, Polk Audio and Marantz, has reached a deal to buy Onkyo's home audio division, including everything from smart speakers to receivers and turntables. Crucially, that gives it control of the Pioneer, Pioneer Elite and Integra labels -- that's a lot of major names under one roof. The purchase will help Sound United offer "premium" gear designed for "specific needs," targeting a wider range of listeners.
'Venom' and 'Alpha' will be the first IMAX Enhanced 4K blockbusters
The 'IMAX Enhanced' tag that IMAX and DTS teamed up to create for home entertainment is continuing to expand with several announcements at CES. According to its backers, the label means that content is mastered using the latest "proprietary post-production process developed by IMAX while a "special variant" of DTS:X pumps up the audio to deliver an "immersive" IMAX experience at home. Today the group added three general outlets for streaming IMAX Enhanced content: Tencent in China, FandangoNow in the US and RakutenTV in Europe, plus Privilege 4K in the US for Sony TVs. Sony Pictures announced that Venom and Alpha will be among the first blockbuster movie titles available with the tag. while Paramount has also pledged support. Arcam, Elite, Integra, Lexicon, Onkyo, Pioneer and Trinnov are working on certified A/V receivers, while TCL has joined Sony in developing certified TVs. Meanwhile, an IMAX Certified Mode to optimize settings based on content is still in development.
The best AV receiver
By Chris Heinonen This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After over 50 hours testing eight new receivers hands-on, we're confident the best receiver for most people is the Denon AVR-S730H. In its price range, every receiver sounds indistinguishable until you turn on its room-correction software; the software makes a big difference in sound quality, and Denon's is the best affordable version we tested.
Onkyo's high-end receivers will link up with Sonos
Some Onkyo receivers are getting the Work with Sonos seal of approval -- you'll soon be able to stream tunes from the Sonos app to Onkyo, Integra and Pioneer Elite receivers. You can add Onkyo devices to an existing Sonos setup as well, which might come in handy for a multi-room setup. Some Onkyo systems already have Google Assistant support via Google Home, and the Sonos tie-up will similarly add limited Alexa controls through Amazon's Echo hardware, the company told Twice.
Gibson files for bankruptcy to ditch electronics, focus on guitars
Yesterday Gibson Brands filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Known for its famous guitars, the company is in a similar situation to Toys 'R' Us, owing as much as $500 million to creditors including private equity firms like Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, Silver Point Capital and Melody Capital Partners. It took on significant debt -- which is about to mature -- to finance a series of acquisitions to build up a Gibson Innovations electronics business that it's now in the process of separating from. Other than buying a stake in TEAC, Bloomberg reports it bought Philips line of headphones and speakers, and until recently had close business ties with Onkyo. According to the press release "The Company's Gibson Innovations business, which is largely outside of the U.S. and independent of the Musical Instruments business, will be wound down." While the headphones are likely done, other elements like its Gibson and Epiphone guitars, as well as KRK and Cerwin Vega studio monitors and loudspeakers will continue on. Hopefully, that includes its digital recorder-embued guitar cable.
Pioneer and Onkyo slip Chromecast support into more audio devices
Owners of some recent audio products from Onkyo and Pioneer don't need a dongle for Chromecast support anymore. At CES in 2016 Google announced a push for Chromecast support in more audio products, but it's taken until now for updates adding the feature in many of last year's receivers, Hi-Fi systems and other devices. Once they're updated, all it takes is being on the same WiFi network with your smartphone, laptop or Google Home and they're ready for all kinds of casting or multiroom audio -- check below for a full list of supported model numbers.
The best receiver
By Chris Heinonen This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. We spent 10 hours researching and more than 70 hours performing hands-on testing to determine that the Denon AVR-S720W is the best receiver for most people. It offers by far the easiest setup process we've ever seen in a receiver, and it's the simplest to use of the models we tested, with none of the usability flaws of its competitors. It provides very good sound quality and every new feature you might need, including AirPlay, Bluetooth, Pandora, and Spotify Connect support plus the ability to connect directly to Internet radio stations and local DLNA servers.
Google Cast is coming to more speakers this year
At last year's CES, Google announced that the Cast tech that allows you to beam video with a Chromecast would be available to audio as well. This meant that companies were free to put the feature in new devices alongside AirPlay and Bluetooth connectivity. While a few options arrived in 2015, Cast isn't yet a common feature on new speakers, soundbars and other audio gear. That stands to change in 2016, and today, a number of audio companies announced plans to take advantage this year.
The best $150 over-ear headphones
By Lauren Dragan This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. If I wanted to spend $150 or less on a pair of over-ear headphones, the Sony MDR-7506, for the third year running, is the model I'd buy. After we researched all of the over-ears in this price range that are currently available (around 110 units in total), read countless professional and user reviews, and conducted three separate listening panels of audio professionals, the Sony MDR-7506 emerged as the clear winner.
Onkyo's music player is also DAC and headphone amp for your phone
The chatter surrounding high fidelity listening devices and services picked up over the last year or so (thanks, Neil Young), and Onkyo hopes its new 3-in-1 device will lure you to the land of high definition. The company's aluminum-wrapped DAC-HA300 is not only a portable music player for audiophiles, but it also serves as both a headphone amp and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for iOS and Android devices, or even your office workstation. With its primary function, the PMP can wrangle up to 128GB of tunes via a microSD card for 192 kHz/24-bit listening, while also serving as a headphone amp for that set of cans you take along on the daily.
Pioneer and Onkyo unite to bring their home audio into the internet era
Home audio isn't what it used to be -- for many people, it means internet-savvy speakers everywhere instead of a conventional stereo in the den. Pioneer and Onkyo are clearly aware that they need to adapt, as they've just started the process of combining their home theater units with a mind toward modernization. The two will "cope" with the shift in music playback trends through the strengths of their brand names and "superior technologies;" a private equity firm is also taking a controlling stake in Pioneer's home electronics division, so there will be cash available to expand the business. It's still early going, so just what this alliance will do to embrace internet audio isn't clear. However, it's safe to say that they'll be doing more than rolling out the occasional wireless adapter or smartphone dock. [Image credit: Christian y Sergio Velasco, Flickr]
Onkyo's latest headphones add iOS controls to their posh copper cables
Does the choice of metal inside a headphone cable have much discernible impact on sound quality? It's a debate we'd struggle to contribute to, with ears as bruised as ours, but Onkyo clearly believes that such things matter. Its latest over-ears (the ES-CTI300) and in-ears (IE-CTI300) come with the company's first "super-conductive," oxygen-free 6N copper cable to include in-line controls for music and calls on iOS devices. The translucent cable is detachable, so you can switch it out if it gets damaged or if you'd prefer the older, seamless 6N cable (which has no controls) or the flat anti-tangle cable instead. Other specs are pretty much on a par with Onkyo's existing range, with the on-ears having 40mm titanium drivers tucked inside aluminum ear-cups, and with the in-ears using 14.3mm drivers inside hybrid aluminum/ABS resin enclosures. We're waiting to hear on US availability, but Brits should expect to find these products in stores from December, priced at £200 and £150 for the bigger and smaller pairs respectively. Oh, and depending on your own level of bruising, you might want to try them with Onkyo's new iOS app, which lets you play your iTunes library through a touch-adjustable equalizer that claims to have 16,000 discrete bands, no less.
Onkyo's CS-255 docks your iPhone 5 for $300 this August
Onkyo's late to the iPhone 5 party with the CS-255 Lightning dock, but considering the company's history of quality we'll forgive it. It may be hard to justify that tardiness given the CS-255's $299 price tag -- somewhere between mid-range and super fancy -- given its lacking power compared to similarly priced docks. But hey, it plays CDs too! It's also worth considering that, for that much money, you could get one of the company's own home theater receivers offering much more power and flexibility. Of course, should you be interested and not an iPhone 5 owner, the CS-255 is also compatible with ... well, anything with a USB input. It comes bundled with two 15-watt speakers and hits stores this August.
Onkyo launching six fresh Android SlatePads in Japan on March 8th
Onkyo is best known in the US and most other markets for its audio gear, but in the past, has tried its hand at PCs, music services, and even a dual-screen netbook. The company also occasionally dabbles in tablets, and will soon be releasing no less than six new Android-powered "SlatePads" in Japan. On the bottom rung is a 7-incher with miserly specs: 1.2GHz Cortex-A8 CPU, 800 x 480 res, 512MB RAM, 4GB storage and ICS to sticky-up your fingers. Dual-core 1.6GHz Cortex-A9 processors, 1GB RAM and 4.1 Jelly Bean are found on the rest of the range, which includes another 7-inch, one 8-inch, one 10.1-inch and two 9.7-inch models. All will be available from March 8th, with damage starting at 10,480 yen (around $114) and topping out at 28,800 yen (approx. $313) for the 9.7-inch, 2,048 x 1,536 res option. You can check out the finer details in the Japanese PR sourced below, but know these aren't likely to make it stateside -- not unless you want to pony up the extra dough to import one, anyway. [Thanks, Olivier]
Onkyo DS-A5 grafts AirPlay on to existing home stereos, docks older iOS gear
Embracing AirPlay has usually involved a wholesale switch in hardware: years of speaker investment go out the window for the sake of skipping a wire. Onkyo doesn't have a problem if you bring your own equipment to the fray. Its new DS-A5 docking station brings Apple's WiFi media streaming to many home stereos, including those of rivals, as long as there's a wired or 802.11g-capable wireless router to feed the connection. Naturally, there's perks if you do live in an Onkyo universe -- any link using its Remote Interactive cable can both wake the stereo through AirPlay as well as control the dock from a traditional remote. About the only oddities are the vintage composite video output and a 30-pin dock for charging iPads, iPhones and iPods, neither of which will be much help if you live on the cutting edge. Onkyo brings the DS-A5 to American shores in October for $199; that's a lot to pay for playing songs from the couch, but it's a sight more affordable than replacing home audio equipment costing multiple times that amount.
Onkyo shows off a few mini audio systems, one amp and Roku-ready receivers
Onkyo's CEDIA booth served as a way for it to show off all manner of new audio technology including this funky iLunar dock (above), which uses tech developed by Swiss audio company Sonic Emotion to create a "3D sound field" from stereo sources. We couldn't get much of a feel for it on the show floor with the wide open spaces and noise, but according to Onkyo, its six full-range drivers and downward-firing subwoofer combine to send sound in all directions, resulting in a stereo experience no matter where the listener is seated in smaller rooms. There's more details on that, as well as a few other mini audio systems and a new amp in the gallery and press releases after the break. One other development we noted was the Roku Streaming Stick-ready branding popping up on Onkyo receivers since its partnership was officially revealed, and there was even a dongle conspicuously front mounted right there in the booth. We're still for a release date and pricing, but it looks like hardware partners are ready to go.%Gallery-164751%
Roku Streaming Stick ready devices will come from Insignia, Mitsubishi, Onkyo, Oppo and others
Roku unveiled its miniaturized Streaming Stick at CES, and while we still don't have an exact release date or price tag, the company has produced a list of manufacturers that will deliver "Roku Ready" hardware. That list is comprised of Element Electronics; GlobalVue International, LLC; Haier; Hitachi America, Ltd.; Insignia / Best Buy (which already tried out this strategy once with the whatever-happened-to-the TiVo-powered cTV); Mitsubishi Electric (TVs); Onkyo and Integra; OPPO and TMAX Digital, Inc.(Apex Digital® TVs). In case you've forgotten, the Roku Streaming Stick plugs into MHL-compatible HDMI ports to not only feed video to the HDTV, receiver or other device, but also accept remote control inputs and power, and brings its own WiFi hookup for internet access. That way, users can add this single accessory to make a "dumb" flat panel into a connected TV all without any extra cords or switching remotes, and, if necessary, easily upgrade in the future. As CEO Anthony Wood mentioned just days ago Roku's current focus is finding companies willing to work together to provide a well integrated experience for the add-on. To make that clear for potential buyers, Roku Ready devices like HDTVs, receivers and Blu-ray players will not only be stamped with a logo to show they're compatible, some will arrive with the dongle packed in. Its due date is set for "the coming weeks" so it shouldn't be long until we nail down the other details about the Roku Streaming Stick -- all currently available information can be found in the press release after the break.
Onkyo upgrades remote apps for latest-gen receivers, intros music streaming Bluetooth adapter
It's been a little less than a year since Onkyo first entered the software-based remote space, and now the company's ready to give those controls a major boost with the help of a much needed refresh to its iOS, Android applications. To kick things off, Onkyo's Remote 2 app is finally making music streaming capabilities friendly with this year's TX-NR receivers, while other under-the-hood enhancements were made to the various remote zone functions. In addition to these improvements, Onkyo also introduced its $60 UBT-1 Bluetooth adapter, essentially offering the same tune streaming features but "through a hardware gateway" and, best of all, at a much higher quality. Unlike the USB dongle (which is available now), however, the free apps won't be available until sometime "at the end of the month" from Cupertino's App Store, Google Play and Amazon's custom shop. In the meantime, you can keep yourself occupied by checking out the official pressers and UBT-1 picture right after the break.
Onkyo to deliver 11.4 DTS Neo:X surround sound on latest receivers
While still a far cry from 64 speakers, Onkyo and DTS teamed up to bring the first 11.4 channel surround sound to your home theater. At the top of the trio of new receivers is the TX-NR5010. It is the only one that's THX certified, but like the TX-NR3010, it can drive 9 speakers and has pre-outs for four subs as well as two more channels. $2999 is the price you'll pay for the best, with a $700 price break when you move one model down the line to the TX-NR3010. Last up, but still shipping in July with 11.4 support, is the TX-NR1010 with its seven channel amp at $1799. DTS Neo:X is the name of the up-mix technology that uses a single algorithm to take anything from a 2.0 signal to 11.1 and converts it to 11.4. The other first here is Cisco Linksys SimpleTap -- also coming to the entire 2012 Onkyo lineup of network receivers via a firmware update -- which promises to deliver a simpler network setup. For more of the juicy details, have a quick look over the press release below.
