Introduction to the Onkyo TX-NR809 Network Receiver

The Onkyo TX-NR809 network receiver was announced in May of this year, and right away, it made me salivate. Having both reviewed and owned several Onkyo receiver models over the last few years, I have come to expect an excellent product that is both packed with features and performs extremely well. The NR809 falls at the top of Onkyo’s mid-range receivers, and perhaps could even be put at the bottom of its high-end with everything it can do. It is a THX Select2 Plus certified receiver that features all of the latest digital audio decoders (DTS-HD MA, Dolby TrueHD, Pro-Logic IIz, and Audyssey DSX), an excellent set of video processing chips (HQV Vida and Marvel Qdeo) as well as DAC’s (192Khz/24-bit Burr-Brown) and the superb Audyssey equalization and configuration system. However, the most intriguing thing about the receiver, in my opinion, is the array of network features it offers.