The new 2009 range of Onkyo’s home cinema amplifiers and receivers is now with us, and in typical Onkyo style, they have raised the bar again. Take this new budget model for example, the Onkyo TX-SR307 – with an average street price of well below £300, it still manages to pack in enough features to make it a high defininition hub of your system.
The main selling point of the Onkyo 307 will be it’s three HDMI inputs. Conforming to the 1.3 specification, these HDMI inputs will allow you to connect your Blu-ray player, Playstation3/XBOX360 and your Sky HD box and pass them through a single HDMI output to your screen. It is here where the Onkyo TX-SR307 will gain many admirers as you can connect a number of devices to your television at one time. If you connect an additional optical cable or digital coaxial cable you’ll get also surround sound from them too. Of course, it also has a multitude of other connections such as two optical and a digital coaxial inputs to further add to the 307’s flexibility.
The front panel has a socket to connect your iPod or MP3 player and the built-in special ‘Music Optimizer’ will make the most of the compressed music formats. Of course being a receiver it also has a built-in radio, but even with all this flexibility, using the Onkyo as a gaming hub is obviously one of its prime purposes as it has four digital sound processing modes especially optimised for Gaming: Rock, Sports, Action, and Role Playing Games.
If you’re worried about setting a home cinema amplifier up, you’ll be pleased to know that the SR307 comes complete with the Audyssey 2EQ system and microphone to automatically optimise the sound for your room, and all the speaker connections are colour coded to help make it as easy as possible.
The TX-SR307 is available in black and silver and the styling is very typically Onkyo. Some may not like it’s slightly retro looks, but if you can look past this you already appreciate that performance comes first, and looks second.
There is a newer model of this receiver available: Onkyo TX-SR308
What to consider before you buy the Onkyo TX-SR307
We don’t really have any gripes with the system, but if you want to get the full benefit of high-definition sound as well as video, you should look further up the Onkyo range such as the Onkyo TX-SR507.
Why you should buy the Onkyo TX-SR307 Home Cinema Receiver
As a value for money amplifier, the Onkyo ticks all the boxes, with a great set of features and connection options. At well under £300 it’s hard to see how you could get more for your money. Great stuff. Rating: /5
Compare Onkyo TX-SR307 Prices
Good AV receiver – set up was excellent however had to tweak for voice center as unless you listen to it very loud it seems to loose this. The HDMI is only pass through it does not take the sound from here – you have to add av or opic connectors to get sound!!
just got this amp. First step into hi fi equipment and i must say it sounds wicked in my small lounge. Set up was easy aswell. Got it for a very good price as well from richersounds. Very happy!
I have the 307, is it possible to rename the inputs, from DVD/BD to say Blue Ray, etc,
just got the 307 from Currys and very disappointed that the HDMI ports did not take sound and additional cables must be used to receive sound but apart from the sound issue the system is very good in terms of value for money.