Onkyo's TX-SR383 adds height channels, but not Atmos
The Onkyo TX-SR383 offers two more channels than before, but a price bump means that the receiver may not be as competitive against models with Dolby Atmos onboard.
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It's almost springtime. The first buds have begun to sprout. And like this time every year, there's new receivers on the way! The first of these is Onkyo's entry-level TX-SR383.
The receiver receives a mild feature bump compared to last year's TX-SR373 , with the main additions being an extra two channels of amplification -- now at 7.1 -- and a USB port on the back, for powering devices such as the Roku Streaming Stick .
Those extra channels can either be used as a Zone 2 (for analog or BT sources only, for some reason), rear surrounds or front heights. Be aware that there is no Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, just DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD, so the extra amps can't be used as discreet height channels.
The receiver also includes four HDMI ports with support for 4K and HDR and an ARC for connecting to, and receiving audio from, a TV. There's also Bluetooth with aptX and AccuEQ Room Acoustic Calibration for tailoring the sound to your specific space.
Given the extra amplification it's not surprising to see that the price has increased by $50 over last year. However, as a result the TX-SR373 is pushing into an area populated by receivers with features such as Dolby Atmos, music streaming and proper binding posts on all speaker outputs (rather than spring clips). Receivers like last year's -- still excellent -- Denon AVR-S730H would offer a better deal for a little extra at $429. Let's see what this year's receivers bring...
The Onkyo TX-SR373 will be available in the next month for $399. Australian and UK availability is yet to be announced, but expect pricing in the realm of £400 and AU$700.