Onkyo HT-RC260 7.2-Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)

While we may define it as an entry-level A/V receiver, the HT-RC260 gives you performance and features that leave class-competitors gasping in its wake. Six of the latest HDMI® 1.4a inputs provide easy connection for all your high-def sources and compatibility with the eye-popping new 3D video format. Another connectivity highlight is a handy Universal Port that allows you to hook up Onkyo peripherals such as a Dock for iPod/iPhone. Meanwhile, if you want to distribute music to another room, the HT-RC260 provides Zone 2 line-outs and speaker outputs. Regardless of their resolution, all video sources can be upscaled to stunning 1080p via HDMI and Faroudja DCDi Cinema . High-quality Burr-Brown DACs work alongside jitter-cleaning technology and three-stage inverted Darlington circuitry to minimize distortion and deliver extremely realistic audio for movies, music, and games. The HT-RC260 also offers compatibility with lossless Dolby and DTS codecs, as well as the expanded surround formats of Audyssey DSX and Dolby Pro Logic® IIz. Quality home theater has never been more affordable. read more..

Hot Features

• 100 Watts per Channel at 8 Ohms, 20 Hz?20 kHz, 0.08%, 2 Channels Driven, FTC
• HDMI (Version 1.4a to Support 3D and Audio Return Channel
• HDMI Video Upscaling to 1080p with Faroudja DCDi Cinema
• Audyssey DSX and Dolby Pro Logic IIz for New Surround Channels
• Powered Zone 2 and Zone 2 Line-Out for Playback of Separate Source in Another Room

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Best receiver in this price range by J. M. Wetterich
This receiver is an exceptional value for this price range. You get a ton of features including some that you can't find on comparably price Yamaha's, Denon's, or Sony's. For example, this receiver supports HDMI 1.4 with 3-D and return audio which can't be found on a slightly more expensive Yamaha unit. The RC260 is presumably based on the SR608 but lacks VGA (who cares), THX certification, and the Sirius input. It does, however, have the fan on top of the unit which means it runs quite a bit cooler than previous Onkyo offerings. It also tends to have a just a smidge more power than other brands if that is of any concern to you. Another note, the unit is quite beefy, beefier than I expected. You may want to actually measure out the dimensions with a tape measure so you can get an idea of what shelves it will fit on.



As for the sound, this receiver DOES sound good. It may not beat out receivers twice it's price range, but if you're that discerning then you're probably not looking in the $350-$400 price range anyways. It actually made some old Philips mini-system speakers I had sound decent. I've since aquired a number of Polk speakers from the Monitor series including a few Monitor 60's and a CS1. These of course sound even better.



I found set-up to be quite intuitive and easy. The Audyssey is mindless and any dope could perform it. It's the equivalent of plugging in the microphone, hitting next, and shutting up. When I first hooked everything up, the system actually sounded pretty crappy. After running Audyssey, it sounded amazing. It zeroed in on the strengths of my speakers and assigned the appropriate crossovers and distance. I was quite impressed. I found the on-screen menu to be great and easy to navigate through.



Speaking of set-up, there's been discussion concerning the video through-put and possible molestation. On my unit, if I set it to "Through", I do not get any processing on my signal. The input matches the output for 1080P signals. What you're looking for is to compare the bits (ie: 24 bit or whatever) input versus output using the "Display" button. I don't know if I just got lucky or what. However, there is a work around for this issue: hold 'VCR' then press return once or twice to toggle video processing on or off.



Overall, this is a fantastic receiver for this price and, contains a ton of bells and whistles you can't find on other receivers in this range. It also sounds great and should have all of the connections you need for your A/V equipment.