Onkyo TX-NR696

Onkyo TX-NR696
Brand Onkyo Number Of Channels 7 Signal-to-Noise Ratio 98 dB Weight 22 pounds Manual tx-nr696.pdf USB 1
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About

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

Onkyo TX-NR696

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.

Specification

Media Content Source

USB-host

Network

Bluetooth

Additional Features

Bi-amplifying

AIR Studios Monitor Certification

Audio Return Channel (ARC)

X.v.Color

Apple Air-play Support

Deep Color

Advanced Sound Retriever (ASR) Technology

MCACC Pro

Three-zone Capability

Smartphone Remote Control

A-B Speaker Switch

Dual-zone Capability

Pure Direct Mode

Auto Power Off

Amplifier

Frequency Response

10 Hz - 100 kHz

Output Impedance Per Channel

8 Ohm

Output Power Per Channel

120 W

Total Output Power

840 W

Signal-to-Noise Ratio

98 dB

Number Of Channels

7

Total Harmonic Distortion

0.08 %

Sound Features

Digital Content Protection

HDCP 2.2

Surround System Class

7.2 channel

Surround Sound Effects

Dolby Digital

Audio D/A Converter

24bit / 192kHz

Digital Sound Processor (DSP)

Sound Output Mode

Surround Sound

DSP Preset Qty

54

Audio Formats

AIFF

AAC

WMA

WAV

MP3

FLAC

Apple Lossless

DSD

Functions

Amplifier Class

Network Audio Player

Internet Radio

Digital Player

Built-in Decoders

Dolby Digital Plus

Dolby Atmos

DTS:X

DTS Neural:X

DTS-HD Master Audio

Dolby True HD

Dolby Surround

Connectivity Interfaces

IEEE 802.3u

IEEE 802.3

WI-FI

Bluetooth

Connector Type

HDMI Outputs

2

HDMI Inputs

7

Coaxial Digital Inputs

1

Phones

1

Optical Digital Inputs

1

USB

1

Subwoofer Outputs

2

Coaxial Digital Outputs

has not

Optical Digital Outputs

has not

Dimensions

Weight

22 pounds

Dimensions

17.1 x 6.7 x 14.5 inches

User Manual

Manual

tx-nr696.pdf

Power Device

Standby Power Consumption

0.1 W

Operational Power Consumption

635 W

Radio

Preset Station Qty

40

Tuner Bands

AM/FM

Tuner Type

digital

Built-in Display

Colour

black

Type

fluorescent

Signal Processing

Upscaling Via HDMI

3D Pass-through

Video Conversion/scaling

HDMI to HDMI scaling, analog to HDMI up conversion

HDMI Pass-through

up to 4K

Clock

Sleep Timer

Built-in Clock

General

Brand

Onkyo