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When one hears the word “Onkyo”, there can be various impressions that come up to their mind. You may think about smart speakers, or perhaps vintage-inspired turntables. Or home theater AV receivers. Most probably, the latter is the first that comes up, considering that the company has been continuously producing great AV center hubs with cool features and technologies for quite a long time already.

Now, if you are looking for the best AV receiver, there are many people who would recommend you with Onkyo TX NR656. It is an excellent AV receiver available at a relatively affordable price point. It has decent power and Zone 2 audio. However, things can always be improved upon, and Onkyo TX NR757 has been released. So, how do the two models compare against each other, and which is the one that makes the best value for your money? (Read also : Onkyo TX RZ710 Vs TX NR757)

Onkyo TX NR656 vs. Onkyo TX NR757: Design and Dimensions

If you put the two AV receivers side by side, you will see that they have the same width (17 3/16”) and height (6 13/16”). However, Onkyo TX NR757 goes slightly deeper (15 3/4”) than Onkyo TX NR656 (15 9/16”). In addition, Onkyo TX NR757 is also a little bit heavier than Onkyo TX NR656, though the weight difference is very marginal.

Regarding the design, the two AV receivers actually look very identical to each other. For sure, the two look great and more stylish if compared to the older generations of Onkyo’s AV receivers. While an old model would have two rows of buttons, for functions and source selection, scattered across the front panel, both Onkyo TX NR656 and Onkyo TX NR757 only has one. As the effect, they look much cleaner and neater. The function buttons have been integrated to the LED display. Meanwhile, on the right is the volume knob, and on the left you can find two additional control knobs for tone control and changing listening mode. You will rarely use these two control knobs on the left if you are an audiophile and you perform the calibration routine. The LED display now definitely looks better because it is now a full-color graphic interface. Nevertheless, Onkyo TX NR656’s power cord is not removable, whilst Onkyo TX NR757 has a removable one.

Take a look : Onkyo TX NR656 Vs TX NR646.

Onkyo TX NR656 vs. Onkyo TX NR757: Features and Connectivity

As a matter of fact, you will not find additional audio or video ports on the more expensive model. Just likeOnkyo TX NR656, Onkyo TX NR757 is also a 7.2-channel AV receiver with 8 HDMI inputs, 2 HDMI monitor outputs, 1 main speaker output pair, and 2 subwoofer ports. There are 8 audio-video inputs, 1 audio-only input, 1 phono input, 2 component video inputs, 2 optical digital inputs, and 1 coaxial digital input on each model. In total, there are nine amplified channels which include a dedicated Zone 2. You can use two surround sets with the channels, but since there are supports for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X you may want to instead use the second pair for height effects. Both Onkyo TX NR656 and Onkyo TX NR757 support HDCP 2.2 for displaying premium 4K video content on their HDMI ports.

Each model comes with 1 Ethernet port and 1 USB port. Both feature built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as built-in supports for various streaming services such as Spotify, Apple AirPlay, Pandora, Tidal, Deezer, and Google Cast. Both support compressed, hi-res, and lossless audio formats including MP3, FLAC, AAC, WAV, WMA, Apple Lossless, DSD 5.6 MHz, and Dolby TrueHD. Additionally, for automatic speaker calibration, both models have AccuEQ with the AccuReflex technology, which is a great feature.

So, what is the difference between Onkyo TX NR656 and Onkyo TX NR757 in terms of connectivity? There are actually a few additions, which are the 12V triggers, RS232C port, and THX Select2 Certification. If you don’t know what those things are, most probably you don’t need those additional features. Nevertheless, you can use the 12V triggers for automatic control to turn on/off devices that have trigger inputs. This is incredibly convenient. For example, you can use this to automatically turn on/off your turntable. But, if your turntable does not have a trigger input, you need a capable power supply between the AV receiver and the turntable in order to use the trigger feature. The RS232C port can be utilized for firmware updates and for compatible remotes – RS232 remotes are much more reliable and powerful than IF remotes. RS232 remotes can be two-way so that you can look at your remote to see, for example, the volume level, surround mode, and whether the source is powered up. Meanwhile, the THX Select2 Certification makes it a great solution for an average-sized living room or media room.

Onkyo TX NR656 vs. Onkyo TX NR757: Performance

In terms of performance, Onkyo TX NR757 is also slightly more powerful than Onkyo TX NR656. The output power is a little bit higher. Onkyo TX NR656 has 170 Watts peak power per channel and 100 Watts stereo RMS power per channel at 8 Ohms load and 0.08% THD. On the other hand, Onkyo TX NR757 has 180 Watts peak power per channel and 110 Watts stereo RMS power per channel at 8 Ohms load and 0.08% THD. Both have excellent sound quality. Both have the same frequency response range, which is 20 Hz – 20 kHz. You can choose Onkyo TX NR757 if you find Onkyo TX NR656 not strong enough for your room. If you don’t need the increased power, it is not really necessary to buy the more expensive model.

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 NR656 and Onkyo TX NR757 are quite similar to each other. Onkyo TX NR757 comes with some additional features and slightly increased output power. The additional features are the 12V triggers, RS232C port, and THX Select2 Certification. If you don’t need any of the additional features or the increased output power, Onkyo TX N656 is sufficient and a much better value for the money.