What Hi-Fi? (UK), the Onkyo TX-SR503E received a five-star rating and very positive comments from the reviewers. They were impressed by its versatility and potential class-leadership. In their group test, they rated it one of the best-sounding units and by far the cheapest: a combination of attributes sure to appeal to consumers.

During the main action scenes of Constantine, reviewers found that the TX-SR503E had sufficient power to achieve a convincing performance, while also offering enough refinement to maintain a quality listening experience even when the receiver was pushed hard. They praised its “smooth, rich balance” and noted its “easy-going nature” that allowed it to work effectively with a wide range of films and speaker packages. This was considered a significant bonus at this price point.

According to the reviewers, the TX-SR503E coped well with subtleties, too. In the DVD of Downfall, it picked up enough low-level information to convey the change in atmosphere as a character walked from one room to another. The TX-SR503E’s treatment of music also won over the reviewers. The Missy Elliot DVD-Audio was rendered with “a decent dose of punch and power,” while the original soundtrack toThe Revenge of the Sith was delivered with authority.

While they noted that radio performance can often be an afterthought on entry-level receivers, reviewers discovered that the Onkyo engineers hadn’t compromised in this department. FM came across with a fair degree of finesse, while MW was also acceptable.

In summary, the What Hi-Fi? reviewers found the TX-SR503E to be an excellent budget receiver sold at an extremely competitive price. In their own words: “we can’t deny this is a fab unit.”

• 100 W/Ch, Continuous 6 ohms, 1 kHz, DIN
• DTS(R)-ES? Discrete/Matrix, DTS(R) Neo:6, DTS(R) 96/24, Dolby(R) Digital EX?, Dolby(R) Pro Logic(R) IIx
• 192 kHz/24-Bit DACs for All Channels
• HDTV-Capable (50 MHz) Component Video Switching
• Advanced 32-Bit Processing DSP Chip
• 3 Wideband Component Video Inputs and 1 Output
• 4 Digital Inputs (3 Optical/1 Coaxial)
• 3 S-Video Inputs and 2 Outputs
• Color-Coded 5.1 Multichannel Inputs
• Crossover Adjustment (60/80/100/120/150 Hz)
• Frequency Response: 10 Hz-100 kHz (+1 dB, -3 dB)
• WHD: 435 x 150 x 374 mm
• Weight: 10.1 kg