Onkyo TX DS797 review (AV receiver - 5.1 channel)

Pump up the volume
The DS797 locked onto our Dynaudio Contour speakers and breezed through the Blue Man Group's bass-and-percussion-heavy DVD, Audio. And since the band's swaggering rhythms are spread out over all 5.1 channels, this DVD is a particularly difficult test for a multichannel receiver. Things were sounding so rich and meaty that we turned off our REL Storm-powered subwoofer and listened again with the subwoofer channel's bass redirected to the main speakers. That upped the power demands on the DS797, but the receiver didn't stumble; the bass was just as taut, with a hair less deep-bass power and extension. In other words, if your speakers are large enough or your listening room is on the small side, you might not need to buy a subwoofer: this receiver's power reserves are up to the job.

We also sampled the DS797's prowess on a few 6.1-encoded DVDs. The center rear channel adds a degree of focus that you can't get with conventional 5.1 Dolby Digital or DTS soundtracks. The catch is, the availability of 6.1-encoded DVDs is quite limited. Yes, this receiver can synthesize sixth-channel information, but the resulting effect rarely equals that of the sound of fully encoded DVDs.

The DS797's superb performance in home-theater and music modes, its bountiful features complement, and its friendly ergonomics put it in the top rank of receivers in its price class. Other more expensive models deliver more power, even greater switching flexibility, and fancy touch-screen remotes, but the DS797 will more than satisfy most of us. We highly recommend it.