Onkyo has released its new stereo receiver, the TX-8470. It has a Class G amplifier, producing 110 watts per channel at 8 ohms and 150 watts per channel at 6 ohms. According to the manual, the TX-8470 also supports 4 ohms, but the power is unspecified.
Review
The Onkyo TX-8470 can support 2 sets of speakers at once, so you can power speakers set in another room. It has a dedicated subwoofer output, 3 analog inputs, and a dedicated phono preamp, and you can use either moving magnets or a moving coil cartridge. You get 2 optical inputs, 1 coaxial input, 4 HDMI inputs, and 1 HDMI output that supports ARC. The HDMI inputs are HDMI 2.1, and they support video signals up to 8K 60fps and 4K 120fps, and HDR 10 and HDR 10+ signals.
As the Onkyo TX-8470 is a stereo receiver, Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos, and DTS:X are not supported, and you have to set your devices to PCM audio for the Onkyo to work.
There is some good news for gamers, the Onkyo TX-8470 does work with ALLM, VRR, and Quick Frame Transport. It also has its own built-in AKM 32bit/768kHz stereo DAC for high-resolution music files. The TX-8470 has WiFi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth. It is compatible with Apple Airplay 2, and Amazon’s Alexa. Using the Onkyo app, you can access Spotify, Pandora, Deezer, Tidal, and more.
Setup is easy and basic, you can customize settings on the app, your TV, or the screen on the TX-8470. For sound performance, the Onkyo TX-8470 has a neutral tone. It is hard to compliment at lower volumes, it works best at volumes between 50 and 70db. It is not very bass-heavy, and most times you will need an external subwoofer. The soundstage is right at medium volumes, but at higher volumes, it starts to get a little strained.
Verdict
The Onkyo TX-8470 is an average stereo receiver. If you want a budget amplifier and you don’t care that much about the performance, this could be an option. It does work well in gaming, but that is the only good thing I can say about it. It does not have amazing build quality and the back panel could be improved. If you are looking for a receiver, I would suggest the Marantz Cinema 30.