Onkyo TX-NR1009 AV-receiver

Of course, the TX-NR1009 is far more than a simple amp - it's a fully fledged sound epicentre, as comfortable flowing tunes over a home network since it's belting out Blu-ray hits. Annoyingly, to obtain these wirelessly you will want to invest in Onkyo's UWF-1 WLAN adapter - I expect built-in Wi-Fi to surface.

The worry eases, although setting up and using the TX-NR1009 is a chilling prospect at first - the arranged Audyssey's thorough MultEQ auto calibration and remote, classy onscreen menus. Operation is plain sailing once you have got to grips with these. The DLNA and web content menus are fundamental however simple to follow, although a search mode would make it easier to browse large libraries. It Play To, played with MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis and FLAC content, and, although there is no AirPlay support it does adopt the Windows equivalent.

The TX-NR1009's manner with movie soundtracks edges on the magic. I love it, although I understand some favored the older sound.

The Hoth battle in The Empire Strikes Back offers a dizzying display of fiery effects and whip-smart steering, as rebel fighters zip around AT and circumnavigate the listener. The soundstage is broad, but there's no vagueness concerning the FX placement - it's purposeful and precise. When it quietens down, you'll be able to revel in the display of fine high-frequency aspect, especially the spooky backdrop ambience of the Onkyo when Skywalker arrives on Dagobah. Dialogue enjoys admirable rates of clarity and depth.

This performance just affirms that Onkyo has another enticing model when added to smart layout and the feature list. The issue is, of course, you can get the same brand's 7.2 TX-NR809 for GBP300 less. You might not want those additional routes?