Well, lets get rid of the bullshit first, 145 watts per channel according to the brochure, lets call it 75 Watts and let it slide. It's no wonder people who buy this stuff from department stores get confused.

    This is the receiver the 595 should have been, finally Onkyo have put a digital input along with A/V's on the front panel. With A/B speaker switching and high band component video switching, Onkyo have finally come up with a $1399 receiver that delivers all the goodies. 6.1 Channels? you should know what I think of that by now, but if you have the means to stick an extra speaker or two behind your head the SR600 will accommodate you (if you think the extra channel is going to make a difference, ask your local dealer to demonstrate it then let me know what you reckon).

    The on-screen display is a handy feature - especially as the remote control resembles an IQ test for Mensa candidates, If you failed the entrance exam then at least they give you colour coding for dummies on the centre and surround speaker terminals. Dolby Pro-Logic II is here along with DTS ES and Dolby Digital EX, DVD-A and SACD is handled via 5.1 channel inputs on the rear.

    Sonically it's a mixed bag, in stereo mode the sound is very "Marantz", by that I mean fairly laid back, the sort of sound the Pommies have orgasm's over (it'll probably get 4.5 star reviews from "Whatever HiFi"). In surround sound mode the decoding seems well spaced and accurate, watching the 2001 "Planet of the Apes" escape pod scene shows up the dynamics and spatial abilities of the Onkyo, which are both excellent. For the $1399 retail price this puts the TX-SR600 up against the Marantz 5200 and the Yamaha 630 or 730. Your choice would depend on many factors such as type of speaker, ratio of music to Home Theatre use etc. call us for advice on which would be the best unit for you.

    The only caveat seems to be Onkyo's penchant for 6 Ohm speaker loadings, the majority of our good speakers are rated 4 Ohms, I'm sure the Onkyo handles these with no problems but the "minimum 6 Ohm" sign above the speaker terminals can be a put off for the non technical. My suggestion is not to worry about the speaker impedance.

    This is one of Onkyo's new range which seems to have dragged the marque into the mainstream for the first time in 5 years, good one Onkyo, now if only we can do something about the Wattage - Bullshit factor!