Mark Fleischmann

The Onkyo TX-NR5009 ($2899) and TX-NR3009 ($2199) and their Integra equivalents are the only receivers that upscale to 4K x 2K. But they weren't as photogenic as the two docking systems, the iOnly Play, left, with cool sliding cover over the dock; and the iOnly Bass, right, which is large enough to accommodate an iPad. Pricing $249 for either.

Price: $1,099 At A Glance: World’s first 3D THX I/S Plus–certified integrated system • Audyssey 2EQ, Dynamic EQ, Dynamic Volume

Certified to the Max

Once a year, I pack several Gucci suitcases with cash and FedEx them to the folks who develop licensed technologies for surround systems. Without these fine people, products would be festooned with fewer logos, toy critics like myself would have less to write about, and that in turn would hasten my journey down the slippery slope toward obsolescence, incontinence, and death. Each new licensed technology is a further stay of execution. It is in this spirit, much like a dog whose owner has been out all day, that I greet the Onkyo HT-S9300THX compact home theater system with THX I/S Plus, as well as auto setup, room correction, and low-volume listening modes licensed from Audyssey. This isn’t the first THX I/S Plus system, but it is the first one to combine I/S Plus and 3D capability.

Where wireless options are concerned, Onkyo asks: Why limit yourself?

Three new receivers from Onkyo will be the first to deliver nine amplifier channels. They also support dual subwoofer outputs, making them 9.2-channel models. Why this, why now? The advent of Audyssey's DSX and Dolby's Pro Logic IIz post-processing modes have prompted the increase in channels. Both of these modes add height while DSX also offers the option of width. With nine amp channels, you can run any two of the following: height, width, and back-surround. The receivers are the TX-NR5007 ($2699), TX-NR3007 ($2099), and TX-NR1007 ($1599). These THX Ultra2 Plus also boast THX Volume Plus, a low-volume listening mode that evens out differences among source inputs and tames the insane dynamics of some movie soundtracks. Also included in the two top models is Dolby Volume, which does the same. An ethernet connection allows streaming with Pandora, Rhapsody, and vTuner, not to mention Sirius. Video processing is HQV Reon-VX. ISF Certified Calibration Controls (ISFCCC) allows a qualified installer to tweak everything to perfection. See press release.