Onkyo Ns-6170
Network Audio Player, Radio Tuner
Product ratings
Pros
Cons
5 reviews
Can use it to play all my MP3 albums via USB
Good reception, many functions available.
Mostly use DAB and USBPro
- Good reception
- Network, USB, DAB, FM
This review was created for a different variant: Ns-6170 (Radio Tuner, Network Audio Player)
Onkyo NS-6170 is the first choice for moles and others who know their gait by heart.
The workmanship and technical data are good to very good. The device serves me as a second system, whereby I have stored the music from my CDs in Flac format on a hard disk.
And this is where the problem begins. The single-line display of the device is insufficient for finding pieces (approx. 7'000 songs), in the case of classical music divided by composer, type of composition (e.g. symphony, name (e.g. 2nd symphony), performer. So I tried to connect my notebook between the hard disk and the NS-6170 so that I have a large display (see "remote playback from a PC" in the manual). But this only works if the tracks are played via Windows Media Player 12. Other players like the excellent Foobar 2000 cannot be used. Windows Media Player 12, however, cannot read Flac files, not even after I retrofitted it with the Flac Coldec. This is despite the fact that the Flac format is the most widely used format for high-quality playback today (of course, this is not in Microsoft's interest either. The Flac format is open source).
Now I could convert all the songs into a (possibly inferior) Microsoft format. But I don't want to do that. Obviously, I have no choice but to attach the hard disk directly to the NS-6170 and select the music via the small display.
Onkyo, when will you break away from "Big Brother" Microsoft and produce what we really need?Pro
- Processing
- DA converter
- All-rounder
- Design
Contra
- Display is absolutely insufficient. Finding songs is difficult.
- too Microsoft-believing
This review was created for a different variant: Ns-6170 (Radio Tuner, Network Audio Player)
For the audiophile classical music lover, a comparatively inexpensive tuner with the highest sound quality, but somewhat cumbersome for station selection due to outdated computer technology.
Advantages: Thanks to the steep-edge filter, all harmonics of all instruments can be heard very finely and well. Thanks to this filter there is no distortion of high frequencies due to the sampling technique of digitization. Moreover, the frequency response from 4 Hz to 70 kHz with a very low distortion factor and the separate feeding of the stereo channels leave nothing to be desired for the lover of classical music.
Disadvantages: Storing preferred DAB+ channels is not possible according to the manual. There are only 40 memory slots each for FM stations and Internet streaming, which cannot be selected with a numeric keypad, but only with arrow keys in the previously created list. This makes the selection a bit tedious.
The single-line display, which scrolls automatically, is easy to read and should have a long life due to the matrix technology (no screen).
Conclusion: For the audiophile lover of classical music, a comparatively inexpensive tuner with the highest sound quality, but somewhat tedious for station selection due to outdated computer technology.Pro
- Freedom from distortion and sound
Contra
- Storing and recalling stations from memory.
excellent network player, very versatile allowing to read all formats and to access all streaming services. Integration of the best audiophile protocols. Superb!
Multifunctional audiophile network player, very versatile.
Pro
- native Tidal, Spotify, tune in integration
- Superb audio quality
- very good interface and app for iOS and android
- WIFI
- supports Hi-res DSD files
- design (in black)
- remote control
- compatible with all formats
- chromecast audio, airplay, spotify connect, nothing is missing
- USB ports on the front and back
Contra
- larger screen welcome
Great player
I bought this player 2 months ago after trying a cheaper NS-6130, and have been enjoying it all this time.
The sound quality is amazing, and support for highest resolution FLAC and DSD files means you can play pretty much everything. The player just works as advertised (no issues with wifi or hi-res FLAC and DSD I experienced with the NS-6130).
I've ended up getting rid of my CD player and converting my entire CD collection into flac's. It's just so much easier to manage, and it sounds better.Pro
- great sound quality, can play music from USB had drives
- supports DSD up to DSD256 and FLAC24-192
Contra
- no support for cue files (I ripped some CD's as image+cue)
- limited inputs
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