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Add to SafariWhen comparing Onkyo TX-NR656 vs Pioneer VSX-530-K, the Slant community recommends Onkyo TX-NR656 for most people. In the question“What are the best A/V receivers under $400?” Onkyo TX-NR656 is ranked 1st while Pioneer VSX-530-K is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Onkyo TX-NR656 is:
The receiver can play supported audio tracks with a more immersive sound than regular audio tracks. This is done through its object-based audio which can simulate a specific sound in a 3D environment inside your room. The employed features are Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Be aware that to enable DTS:X technology a firmware upgrade is necessary.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Immersive sound
The receiver can play supported audio tracks with a more immersive sound than regular audio tracks. This is done through its object-based audio which can simulate a specific sound in a 3D environment inside your room. The employed features are Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Be aware that to enable DTS:X technology a firmware upgrade is necessary.
Pro Impressive visual clarity
The displayed image with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and BT.2020 technology seems more real with greater depth. This is because it can display a larger scope of contrast and colors when compared to an ordinary receiver.
Pro Even sound distribution
The receiver has seven active speaker channels which provide a more immersive sound when compared to a five speaker setup. In addition, it has two subwoofers which increases the overall bass quality. The whole combination means that the sound is more evenly distributed through the room and you can have more quality options with speaker and subwoofer placements.
Pro Can play two separate sources of audio at the same time
The receiver can control the audio for two different rooms at once. Seven speakers can remain at the main room and two additional speakers can be connected that lead to another room. But be aware that only seven speakers can be active at the same time. This means that if you want to play some music in the second room, the main room will have only five active speakers available. It has nine binding posts available to avoid constantly reconnecting the different speakers to the receiver.
Pro Broad music playback options
There are a lot of options for music playback. With its internet connectivity it can stream music from internet radios like Spotify, Pandora and Deezer. It even has Apple’s Airplay available to stream content from Apple devices. Can connect to a Bluetooth device for music streaming and has a USB port for flash drives. This combination of features is just about everything that you would ever need for music playback.
Pro Video connectivity quantity
The receiver has eight HDMI inputs and three of those are HDCP 2.2 compliant. Other receivers at this price range usually have around four inputs which is a rather large increase.
Pro Additional playback options
Even though it doesn’t have internet connectivity and the music streaming services that come with it, a flash drive or Bluetooth is a great, convenient way to replace internet radios for music playback.
Pro Low price
The solid basics coupled with the low price make it a receiver with a great value.
Pro Can support future copyrighted content
Has 4 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output which are HDCP 2.2 compliant to support future copyrighted content in full 4K resolution.
Cons
Con Unreliable sound calibration
The receiver has AccuEQ room acoustic calibration which isn’t nearly as good as those in other receivers. The settings are unreliable. Because of this, inexperienced users might not achieve the sound that the receiver is capable of.
Con No network
Lack of network options means that there are no streaming applications specifically set up for music playback.
Con Achieving a great sound can be difficult
Doesn’t seem to be designed for newcomers because of its lack of automatic sound calibration. The user is expected to know what are the ingredients for a good sound and how to manually achieve them. It might take some effort before you can enjoy the sound on your system.
Con Uses an inferior method to connect speakers
For three of its speakers it uses spring clips which are an inferior way of connecting speakers to a receiver. With spring clips the wires are likely to have a tiny contact area which can result in poor performance. Binding posts are available for the two main speakers.
