Onkyo TX-NR696: Network Receiver with 4K and AirPlay Streaming Support

The Onkyo TX-NR696 is a smart receiver that works with Alexa and Google Assistant and supports 4K Ultra HD content. It passes Dolby Vision and HDR10 through each of its 6 HDMI inputs and offers superior home theater performance for a middle price.

Design

The receiver has a traditional boxy shape. The housing is made of plastic that looks like metal. It features a classic Onkyo design with a large volume knob and 12 direct source buttons arranged in a row beneath the display. The display is large, making the lettering on it easier to read from a distance. It also has one HDMI input on the front.

The TX-NR696 features a tried-and-true design that has been employed by Onkyo receivers for years. As a result, I give it 9 out of 10 points.

Features

The TX-NR696 can be considered as a more advanced version of the Onkyo TX-NR585. They both are mid-level receivers, but the reviewed model is more powerful (100W per channel vs 80W) and has the THX certification, proving its usefulness as high-quality, cinema-like audio equipment. It also has the THX Cinema mode that makes the sound amazingly realistic.

The TX-NR696 is AirPlay 2 compatible. Besides, it also supports such music streaming apps like Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, and others. Chromecast is pre-installed.

All the buttons on the provided remote control are black (except for the Power button) and are hard to see in the dark. It would be much better if it had some kind of backlight.

The TX-NR696 is a network-based receiver and will complement any home theater setup. For the features, it receives a 9/10.

Performance

The receiver performs great, and its interface is easy to navigate, so I was able to easily switch between all of its features. However, the manufacturer warns that the user may notice some issues with the receiver's performance if you don't download the latest Onkyo TX-NR696 firmware update (this can be done via the on-screen menu).

So, the receiver's performance can be estimated at a 9/10.

Sound Quality

The TX-NR696 is a 7 x 100W receiver that is equipped with top-quality chipsets, so the sound is crisp and clean in any sound mode. In general, it drives the speakers louder and makes dialogs more audible. The Onkyo TX-NR696 specs provide a lot of sound adjustment options, so anyone can make it sound to their liking. It supports the most required codecs such as Dolby Atmos and DTS. Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization allows you to create a height effect and make the sound more volumetric.

For the provided sound quality, I give it a 9/10.

Connectivity

The receiver has 6 HDMI inputs, component and composite video inputs, 6 analog audio ports, 2 optical and 1 coaxial port, and a USB port on the back. There is also a phono input, so you can connect it to your turntable directly. Besides, it has an inbuilt Wi-Fi module and supports Bluetooth.

This receiver's connectivity possibilities are extensive enough to earn a perfect score of 10 out of 10.

Setup

The receiver comes with a speaker setup microphone for automatic setup and a quick start guide instead of the full Onkyo TX-NR696 manual (however, you can find its digital version on Onkyo's official website). So, in fact, all I had to do was hook up my speakers and run an automatic speaker calibration.

For the setup, the receiver gets a 9/10.

Conclusion

In the final part of this Onkyo TX-NR696 review, I can claim that this receiver can provide true three-dimensional sound thanks to Dolby Atmos and DTS. It also supports streaming from the most popular music apps. As for me, it has an excellent price-to-performance ratio, so you get exactly what you pay for.