When you want to build a home theater setup, one of the primary components that you need to purchase is a good AV receiver. It is the center where you connect all your components, and it provides the power needed to run your speakers. However, in the last few years, AV receivers have received quite a lot of technologies that add new features to offer. For example, take a look at Onkyo TX NR656 and Onkyo TX NR555. These two AV receivers are among the favorite models released by Onkyo. They are relatively affordable, especially if compared to some of the high-end options available on the market. Even so, they both already support 4K content as well as HDMI to HDMI upconversion. Nevertheless, Onkyo TX NR555 is available at a lower price point. Onkyo TX NR656 is one step higher on the ladder. So, what are the differences between Onkyo TX NR555 and Onkyo TX NR656? If you are interested in either of the two, continue reading below!
Contents
Onkyo TX NR656 vs. Onkyo TX NR555: Design
In terms of design, Onkyo TX NR555 and Onkyo TX NR656 actually look very similar to each other. They have exactly the same dimensions. They each are 17 3/16” wide, 6 13/16” tall, and 15 9/16” deep. Onkyo TX NR656 (22 lbs) is just slightly heavier than Onkyo TX NR555 (20.7 lbs). Put the two side by side and you will tell that they are the exact copy of each other – except for the HDMI input port on the front panel. As you can see, Onkyo TX NR555 does not have an HDMI port on the front panel, while Onkyo TX NR656 has an HDMI input port on the bottom right corner. This HDMI input port is certainly very handy; it will be much easier for you if you need to connect a laptop via HDMI, for example.
Even though they are basically still just black metal boxes, they look modern and elegant. They each have a backlit display screen that features green font for control. The way the control knobs and buttons laid out is very neat. You can find the complete ports on the rear panel. Here, you can see that Onkyo TX NR656 has a few more ports than Onkyo TX NR555. However, neither power cord is detachable. (Read also : Onkyo TX NR656 Vs TX NR646)
Onkyo TX NR656 vs. Onkyo TX NR555: Inputs and Outputs
Onkyo TX NR555 and Onkyo TX NR656 are both 7.2-channel AV receivers, meaning that they are compatible with the latest surround technologies to connect to 7 satellite speakers and 2 subwoofers. However, Onkyo TX NR656 is coming with more input and output ports than Onkyo TX NR555, giving you more flexibility and freedom to connect various devices and components. To be precise, Onkyo TX NR555 only has 6 audio-video inputs and 3 audio-only inputs. Onkyo TX NR656, on the other hand, has given video support to two of the audio-only inputs so that it now has 8 audio-video inputs and just 1 audio-only input. They each still have 2 component video inputs, 2 optical digital inputs, and 1 coaxial digital input.
Onkyo TX NR656 has also added more HDMI ports, which means that it can give more connections than Onkyo TX NR555. The more affordable model, Onkyo TX NR555, only has 6 HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI monitor output. Having just one HDMI monitor output is perhaps not enough. If you need an additional HDMI monitor output, Onkyo TX NR656 is the answer. It comes with 8 HDMI inputs and 2 monitor outputs.
Onkyo TX NR656 vs. Onkyo TX NR555: Features and Connectivity
Both Onkyo TX NR555 and Onkyo TX NR656 already have powered multi-room audio outputs with pre-amplification, allowing you to set up a separate audio channel for Zone 2. However, they don’t have the multi-room video outputs. Meanwhile, for connectivity, they both support wired and wireless connections. They each have an Ethernet port and a USB port. They are both Internet-ready, and they have built-in Bluetooth. They have built-in supports for Apple AirPlay, Spotify, and Pandora. Each has a 2-year warranty for parts and labor.
You can play compressed, hi-res, and lossless audio formats through the local network with either model. They both support MP3, WMA, WMA Lossless, WAV, FLAC, AAC, Apple Lossless, and DSD 5.6 MHz formats. They both support HDCP 2.2 for 4K content, HDMI standby pass-through, composite/component video to HDMI conversion, as well as HDMI to HDMI upconversion. They already support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. For automatic speaker calibration, they are both armed with AccuEQ with the AccuReflex technology, which is great. The automatic speaker calibration is very handy and effective to make up the best speaker configuration that suits your room’s acoustics.
Onkyo TX NR656 vs. Onkyo TX NR555: Performance
Besides coming with more input and output ports, Onkyo TX NR656 also comes with higher output power than Onkyo TX NR555. Onkyo TX NR656 offers 100 Watts stereo RMS power per channel at 8 Ohms load and 0.08% THD. The peak power is 170 Watts per channel. On the other hand, Onkyo TX NR555 only has 80 Watts stereo RMS power per channel at 8 Ohms load and 0.08% THD and 140 Watts peak power per channel. So, if you find Onkyo TX NR555’s power to be too low for a particularly large room, Onkyo TX NR656 should be the way to go. By the way, they both have 20 Hz – 20 kHz frequency response range.
Name | Onkyo TX NR656 | Onkyo TX NR555 |
---|---|---|
Name | Onkyo TX NR656 | Onkyo TX NR555 |
Features | - 170 W/Ch (6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 0.9% THD, 1 Channel Driven, FTC); 100 W/Ch (8 Ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.08% THD, 2 Channels Driven, FTC) from Dynamic Audio Amplification for a Thrilling Audio Experience | - 140 W/Ch. (6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 0.9% THD, 1 Channel Driven, FTC); 80 W/Ch. (8 Ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.08% THD, 2 Channels Driven, FTC) with Dynamic Audio Amplification for a Thrilling Audio Experience |
Ratings | 4.3 out of 5.0 stars | 4.3 out of 5.0 stars |
Price | ||
Best deal | Save Money Please click here | Save Money Please click here |
NOTE : Product prices, availability, ratings and save money information are accurate as of the date/time indicated on post time (as seen right bellow the tittle) and are subject to change. Any price, availability and save money information displayed on Amazon Site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Conclusion
Onkyo TX NR555 and Onkyo TX NR656 are quite similar to each other, except for the number of I/O ports and the output power. If you don’t need the additional ports and the higher output power, Onkyo TX NR555 should be sufficient. However, for a larger room, you may need Onkyo TX NR656’s higher output power. It is also the way to go if you have many components and devices to connect, or if you think that the HDMI input on the front panel is particularly useful.