I just finished watching my favorite television show ever made.
The second season of The Rings of Power is an allegory about being tempted by the dark side of life. Without giving any spoilers, it’s clear the people behind this show have dealt with their fair share of darkness and deception. I loved the battle scenes. But it was the epic interactions between Sauron and those he was deceiving that really landed with me. It helped that I was also engulfed in pristine audio: the Onkyo TX-8470 Receiver.
I’ve been testing the Onkyo TX-8470 2-Channel Network Receiver for a while now, using a pair of PS Audio Aspen FR5 speakers. I am also using my own side and back speakers using a 7.1 surround sound setup. My main takeaway after using the Onkyo TX-8470 is that it has power to fill my family room with sound.
First, I tested the Tidal app which uses high-res audio. I played albums by Bastille and Bon Iver that just bowed recently. It was enjoyable comparing the bombastic sounds of alternative rock with the acoustic cues in indie folk music. The Onkyo TX-8470 provides pure sonic reproduction that makes an acoustic guitar come alive — distinct and warm.
The receiver works with Tidal right out of the box, although I preferred using the app on a media streamer. The Google TV Streamer is a great option because you can see the album art. Tt’s faster to find songs and albums that way. The Onkyo TX-8470 supports apps like Deezer and Roon as well. You can even use Apple and Google products through the receiver to control smart home features. Connecting my iPhone 16 Pro was fast and easy over Bluetooth.
The Onkyo TX-8470 delivered on that and more — I could hear the tight finger picking on the Bon Iver album like the guy was sitting next to me. In movies the room-filling sound was also crisp and life-like, just like the director intended it.
A few standpoint features did make me start to warm up to the $799 price of the receiver. Not all makes and models have a photo port for playing vinyl albums, but I connected a turntable and it worked perfectly. There’s even a grounding port to help with static and feedback.
Several other perks are worth noting. The receiver has gold-plated speaker terminals that not only make sure the connection is secure and vibrant, but will last a long time. The receiver supports a 32bit/768kHz stereo DAC that offers low latency, low interference, and pristine music reproduction. Yes, you can find lower cost models without gold-plated terminals and without a phono connection, but I came away impressed with the overall sound quality and power of this model.
I also had no problems connecting over HDMI using the ARC port through my smart television. I like the simplicity of the remote, with obvious buttons for switching connections, changing volume, and adjusting settings. The remote is also light in the hand and not that massive so you feel like you are carrying around an oar paddle. Overall, the Onkyo TX-8470 Receiver is a powerful and capable receiver for movie night and music in all styles.