The new entrant into the receiver line-up from Onkyo is the TX-SR575, a seven channel (6.1 in surround sound) receiver that comes packing a host of features, some new and some old. Its aesthetics. however, have been left untouched from its predecessors.

OUT OF THE BOX
It doesn't weigh a ton, and if you're strong enough with long fingers. you could probably lift this baby with one hand. Watching it tear itself out of the box wasn't anything new, its LED, the big volume knob and the half-tilted front panel is a
trademark Onkyo design. Maybe it's time Onkyo takes a stab at some new cabinet designers.

TECHNOLOGY
The US model of this receiver boasts, for the first time, of compatibility between both the popular satellite radio networks, namely XM and Sirius. Over here, all of that doesn't matter. What does matter is this receiver's deficiencies that include an absence of 5.1 preamp outs for use with external amplifiers and an absence of digital audio outs. One won't really feel the need to use the latter feature as this receiver can decode every audio stream, be it Dolby Digital with 1080p pass-through video switching that lets this receiver take in a 780i signal from a standard DVD and output an upscaled 1080p signal to your digital television.

This feature comes across as a necessity now-a-days, to get the middle-class prepared to handle the superior quality of Blu-ray and HD-DVDs which are just waiting to hit Indian shores with a boom. The 575 sports the very trustworthy Audyssey 2EQ auto set-up technology. It works using the same fundamental principle of hooking up the provided microphone into the receiver, placing it in the centre of the sitting area and letting the receiver run its test-tones through your speakers for the microphone to judge the presence, size, and distance of speakers from the seating area.

It also equalises to compensate for your room's acoustical inadequacies. The Audyssey, however, takes measurements from three points in the room rather than one, and processes them together to arrive at settings that will often make for good sound throughout the entire room. If you need to tweak the receiver any further, it's best to consult the detailed and easy-to-read manual before doing it yourself.

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REMOTE CONTROL
The remote is just about as easy to figure out as the manual. Its slender yet curvy, plastic body feels just right when wrapped within your fingers and the rubbery buttons don't require any force. What we love most about Onkyo's remotes is their range. They seem to be able to work from miles away (we obviously can't ever check that). Plus, their universal capabilities with other Onkyo products whose occurence is quite rampant in our studio makes working the home-theatre environment all the more easier.