Onkyo first released the HT-S9800THX home theater system in 2017, which consists of 7 speakers and a subwoofer for 7.1-channel surround sound and a multi-functional AV receiver.
The Onkyo HT-S9800THX is a THX-certified home theater model and is equipped with the latest features, as well as a high-class sound scheme. The cinema supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D surround sound formats, which are now becoming almost mandatory when recording HD tracks for Blu-ray movies. The AV receiver is equipped with seven HDMI inputs and two outputs with support for 4K Ultra HD video, HDR10 and HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma), as well as a full set of other technologies necessary to fully realize the high-quality potential of this video format. The audio path of the device uses AKM4458 digital-to-analog converters with 32-bit/384 kHz parameters, as well as proprietary VLSC filtering for precise processing of low-level signals. To obtain the most balanced and dynamic sound, the AV receiver uses amplifiers implemented according to a circuit without phase shift. Surround sound is adjusted using the precise and fast-acting AccuEQ Room Acoustic autocalibration system.
Onkyo HT-S9800THX is equipped with a full set of network and multimedia functions, including playback of compatible content from available devices and storage devices, online streaming services. You can transfer content to Onkyo HT-S9800THX in several wireless ways: there is support for Chomecast, DTS Play-Fi, AirPlay, Bluetooth. FireConnect is used to organize multiroom. The new product also supports streaming from Spotify, Tidal, Deezer and TuneIn services, and the built-in DAC processes the signal with a quality of up to 32 bit / 384 kHz. The device is also equipped with its own output for sounding the second zone.
On the rear panel of the receiver there are almost all the necessary digital and analog connectors. The device connects to the network via Wi-Fi and Ethernet. The Onkyo HT-S9800 speakers included in the system are based on the same type of speakers and crossover filters, which guarantees a uniform surround sound field. To implement a system for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X playback on the basis of this kit, it will be necessary to supplement it with separate speakers for the height channels.
The heart of the Onkyo HT-S9800THX system is the 7.1-channel network AV receiver HT-R997. The model is equipped with ordinary switching – no specialized connectors “that do not allow contact confusion.” The usual terminals of the speaker cable are clearly grouped and marked. Analog signal switching is performed on RCA connectors. The seven HDMI inputs and two outputs support Dolby Vision, HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma), HDR10, BT.2020, 4K/60 Hz, 3D, DeepColor, xvColor, LipSync, Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, DTS:X, as well as DTS-HD Master Audio, DSD, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD (SACD), Multichannel PCM and CEC. In short, it has almost everything that is on the technological horizon today.
The ARC audio return channel deserves special praise – a technology that allows the entire set to work as a TV audio module, fully controlled by the TV remote control (the TV must also support ARC). At the top of the receiver’s rear panel are two antennas (dual-band Wi-Fi is provided), although, naturally, it is possible to connect to the network via a twisted pair. The
network capabilities of the device provide, according to the developers, “easy streaming of anything” plus support for multi-room systems using DTS Play-Fi and / or Chromecast technologies. True, you will have to wait for some time – until the corresponding firmware updates. From experience, we note that, as a rule, you do not have to wait long.
Using the Onkyo Controller application (we used the Android version), you can control the available network services of the system, because the HT-R997 network AV receiver is not called a network for nothing. The user has access to AirPlay, Spotify, Tidal, TuneIn, Deezer and even Pandora (for Australia and New Zealand). They are pre-installed and will work via the Onkyo Controller. The presence of the proprietary FlareConnect multi-room technology is also promising. With its help, you can distribute, distribute and synchronize music from network-connected and external audio sources (using dual-band Wi-Fi – 5 GHz / 2.4 GHz) between our AV receiver and wireless speakers compatible with this technology. What is important is that it can easily transmit an analog signal, for example, from a turntable.
Naturally, local network and Bluetooth media storage are also available. You can do it even easier – connect a USB drive. However, despite the fact that one of the HDMI ports is brought out to the front panel for quick connections, USB for some reason is only available from the rear. However, no one has prohibited the use of a simple extension cord. From available memory devices, the receiver plays Hi-Res audio, including DSD 5.6 MHz, 24-bit FLAC, WAV, AIFF and ALAC, as well as Dolby TrueHD.
Onkyo Controller will also allow you to control a dedicated Zone 2 amplifier, delivering high-quality stereo to a pair of separate speakers from any source available in the receiver. The complete remote control, as in many similar systems, fades into the background, although it can serve as an auxiliary device for quick control.
The manufacturer claims that the Onkyo HT-S9800THX uses a dynamic audio amplification system with a phase-free circuit, as well as a VLSC (Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry) circuit for filtering noise. With a 7.1 configuration, the set can operate in accordance with DTS:X and Dolby Atmos technologies with support for up to 5.2.2 channels. Additional Dolby Surround and DTS Neural:X 3D mixing are also available. The AKM DAC (AK4458) with a resolution of 32 bits / 384 kHz is responsible for decoding signals.
It is worth understanding the most important point, which speaks in favor of the boxed version of the flagship level, which is our Onkyo HT-S9800THX. The developers have created a set in which the components definitely match each other. Perhaps, professional installers of the highest qualification would have been able to assemble for the same money an option that is not inferior in parameters and more clearly meets specific conditions, but something makes us doubt it.
Looking ahead, we will note the main thing. When the front satellites and subwoofer were connected to the receiver, the system sounded immediately without any preliminary settings. The resulting triphonic, perhaps, had too much bass, but this was immediately compensated for by the simplest, obvious adjustments. But the notorious “stitching” of the subwoofer’s high frequency ranges and, accordingly, the low frequencies of the front speakers turned out to be quite accurate. But it is precisely this that often becomes a real stumbling block for systems assembled from different components. Let’s add to this that in addition to audio characteristics, the components clearly match each other in terms of power ratings, and the use of a unified set of drivers guarantees a uniform sound space.
The Onkyo HT-S9800THX system is equipped with a 7.1 acoustic set. Seven surround sound speakers are created on the basis of two speakers. The 12-cm low-mid frequency driver is equipped with an A-OMF diffuser (OMF – Onkyo Micro Fiber). This is an advanced material developed by Onkyo made of PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) with a flexible cotton weave on the surface and the addition of an aramid layer, which, according to the developers, has a good combination of “speed and anti-resonance properties.” The manufacturer emphasizes the naturalness of the OMF sound – but we have yet to see for ourselves.
The combination of a white “fabric” surface with a smooth black convex central dust cap and a black “half-wave” external suspension looks quite bright. The effect can be changed by installing a grill on the speaker – a curved plastic structure on stands in the form of a frame covered with acoustically transparent fabric. The LF/MF driver in the case is framed by a dark silver ring, in which quite brutal fastening heads are visible.
The tweeter mount is made in the same style. In this case, the tweeter did not receive its own waveguide. The 2.5 cm tweeter with a soft dome is located on a round flat platform with one or two cutouts along the edges for adjacent LF/MF speakers. This solution can provide an extended directivity pattern, which is logical for home theater acoustics.
In total, the set includes three practically identical front group speakers with three speakers each. These are the right and left front satellites and the center channel system. They differ only in the orientation of the speaker cable terminals, the number of wall mounts, and the location of the brand logo on the grill. In each of these speakers, the tweeter is located between two LF/MF drivers. The front satellites are designated SKF-980, and the center channel speaker is SKC-980.
In addition, the Onkyo HT-S9800THX set includes two pairs of rear/upper satellites SKR-980/SKB-980, equipped with a pair of the same LF/MF and HF speakers. And although the technical specifications indicate the power for using 6-ohm acoustics, all the listed speakers in the set are eight-ohm. Interestingly, regardless of the number of installed LF/MF speakers, all speakers indicate the same power – 130 W (although larger speakers have a better sensitivity indicator). And this power matches the parameters of the receiver well.
The speakers are equipped with standard universal screw terminals for the speaker cable, “recessed” into the body in plastic cups. In case of placing the speakers on a plane, it is convenient to connect the speaker cable to the banana connectors, which is what we did. But if the speakers are to be hung on the wall, there is no room for a “banana”, and it is better to use a screw connection option. A nice little thing will be the cork feet-spacers found in the kit for installing the acoustics on a horizontal surface.
The list of acoustics from the Onkyo HT-S9800THX set is completed by the active subwoofer SKW-938. The impressive 30-cm low-frequency driver works in the acoustic design of a “closed box”, which, as is known, provides the sub with greater musicality. On the other hand, such a design somewhat reduces the return compared to the most common bass-reflex version of the acoustic design. However, as already noted, there was no reason to complain about the lack of bass in the HT-S9800 set. The subwoofer grill, apparently, is non-removable. At the bottom, on the frame of the grill under the brand logo, there is an LED power indicator, which glows blue with a quite humane brightness.
Like all the acoustics of the set, the subwoofer received a black film finish. All other speakers are additionally decorated with rounded vertical corners of the front panels, which add a share of individuality to their, in general, neutral design. In addition, we note that all components of the HT-S9800 bear the inscription Made in Malaysia on the factory nameplates – which is even a little unusual.
To transmit the signal to the subwoofer, the developers chose a simple and reliable wired option. On the back panel of the device, in addition to the power switch, there is also a level control, the scale of which has a dedicated THX value. It was this position of the control that we used during a preliminary acquaintance with the system.
The Onkyo HT-S9800THX set works powerfully and, at the same time, very carefully, demonstrating good microdynamics in quiet sections of the soundtrack. It is worth adding that the system was listened to in a large room with fairly complex acoustics. At the same time, the spatiality of the sound did not “fall apart” – everything was worked out tightly and accurately. Note that, obviously, the set is best suited for relatively small rooms, where the very THX sound will please even sophisticated listeners.
On the other hand, in the case of a spatial configuration with overhead sources like Dolby Atmos, future owners of the Onkyo HT-S9800 should play around with the placement of the corresponding speakers. They can be installed either on a raised platform, pointing upwards, or under the ceiling, or even on the ceiling itself – obviously, one or another option may be optimal for different rooms.
The system has additional listening modes, such as Direct, which allows you to output the signal “as is”. Note that stereo is played through the front speakers. The Dolby Surround/DTS Neural:X mode, on the contrary, allows you to scatter the 5.1 recording and even simple stereo across all the system’s speakers, obtaining a good virtual volume. The AllCh Stereo and Orchestra modes are also good for music stereo programs, when the side surrounds add spatiality to the stereo scene. Interestingly, some of these modes are accessible from the receiver’s front panel.
Onkyo HT-S9800THX Specifications
Number of Channels 7.1
Output Power 165 W per Channel (6 Ohms, 1 kHz, 1% THD, 1 Channel Driven, IEC) Total
Harmonic Distortion 0.08% (20 Hz – 20 kHz, Half Power)
Damping Factor More than 49
Input Sensitivity/Impedance 200 mV/47 kOhms
Frequency Response 10 Hz – 100 kHz (+ 1 dB, – 3 dB, Direct Mode)
Tones ± 10 dB, 90 Hz (LF), ± 10 dB, 7.5 kHz (HF)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio 106 dB (Line Input), 80 dB (Phono)
Speaker Impedance 6 – 16 Ohms
FM Tuner 87.5 MHz – 108 MHz
AM Tuner 522 kHz – 1611 kHz; 530 kHz – 1710 kHz
Number of memory presets 40
Built-in decoders (main) Dolby Atmos, Dolby Pro Logic IIz, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS:X, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Express, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio
AccuEQ Room Acoustic auto-calibration system
AKM 4458 DAC (32 bit/384 kHz)
32-bit DSP processor
Advanced Music Optimizer for compressed music files
Supported streaming audio file formats (local network) MP3, WMA, WMA Lossless, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, Apple Lossless, DSD (5.6 MHz), LPCM
DLNA v1.5 protocol
Wi-Fi support yes
AirPlay support yes
Bluetooth support version 4.1 + EDR (A2DP v1.2, AVRCP v1.3) with Advanced Music Optimizer technology
Additionally Google Cast, Fireconnect, DTS Play-Fi
Onkyo app support for iPhone and Android yes
Direct Mode yes
Supported Internet services TuneIn Radio, Pandora, Spotify, AUPEO!, Deezer
Independent crossover frequency adjustment for each channel 40/50/60/70/80/90/100/120/150/200 Hz
Inputs 7 HDMI inputs HDMI (2.0) with 4K/60 Hz support, HDCP 2.2 / HDR, 2 component, 2 composite, 6 linear (RCA), Phono, 1 coaxial, 2 optical, USB port, Ethernet
Outputs 2 HDMI (2.0), for 2 subwoofers, for the second zone (linear and acoustic), 6.3 mm headphone jack
Outputs for the second zone acoustic and linear
Other switching mini-jack for calibration microphone, AM and FM antenna jacks, ground terminal
Output terminals for speakers 9 pairs of screw terminals
Power consumption 570 W, in standby mode: 0.15 W
Front stereo speakers SKF-980, 2 x 120 mm woofer with OMF diffuser, 25 mm soft dome tweeter
Central channel speakers SKC-980, 130 mm woofer, 25 mm soft dome tweeter
Rear channel speakers SKR-590, 130 mm woofer, 25 mm soft dome tweeter
Active subwoofer 300 mm woofer, amplifier power 125 W
Dimensions (W x H x D) 435 x 173 x 378 (AV receiver), 158 x 433 x 199 (front stereo pair speakers), 433 x 158 x 199 (center speaker), 200 x 275 x 169 (rear speaker), 380 x 444 x 429 (subwoofer)
Weight 10 kg (AV receiver), 5.3 kg (front stereo speaker), 5.3 kg (center speaker), 3.5 kg (rear speaker), 15.5 kg (subwoofer)
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