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What Hi-fi: It’s been a busy day for Onkyo. This morning came the news that Onkyo’s new 2011 AV receivers will be Spotify-compatible, starting with the £500 TX-NR609, and this afternoon it unveiled three new stereo hi-fi components.

The line-up comprises: Onkyo TX-8050 network stereo receiver (£400); TX-8030 stereo receiver (£300); and the C-7030 CD player (£200).

The TX-8050 (top) and TX-8030 both have a discrete amplifier design with custom-built circuit boards. They deliver a claimed 130W per channel, and use Onkyo’s WRAT amp technology to “reduce distortion and ensure cleaner and more accurate signal amplification”.

Other highlights include analogue inputs, a universal port for Onkyo-branded peripheral devices such as the UP-DT1 DAB+ tuner and two preouts.

The TX-8050 adds DLNA network functionality to allow owners to stream PC audio and internet radio, plus optical and coaxial digital inputs and a USB socket. The device is also compatible with Onkyo’s Remote App for iPhone/iPod.

As for the C-7030 CD player (above), it has a new high-precision clock to reduce timing errors, a custom-built transformer a 1.6mm thick chassis to minimise vibrations.

All three models will be available in black or silver from April.

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Engadget: It’s been just over a month since Apple first showed off AirPlay media streaming, part of iOS 4.2, and now we have another receiver adding compatibility. Marantz is calling its Melody Media receiver “the world’s first AirPlay certified music system,” a title that we think Denon, who announced compatibility last week, might take issue with. Regardless, the systems are quite similar, even sharing a nearly identical form-factor and neither actually being compatible with AirPlay out of the box. Marantz’s option will require a £40 firmware update, available next month, which seems a bit excessive given the up-front cost of the thing: £499.90. But, perhaps there’s some sort of licensing fee involved here Marantz doesn’t want to pay on each and every one shipped. The receiver offers dual stereo amps with 60 watts per channel, the ability to load MP3s from its integrated CD drive, and a USB connection on the front for connecting older devices that cannot play through the very air we breathe. How terribly pedestrian.

Update: And the reason why these receivers look so similar? Both companies are owned by the same parent: D&M Holdings. Perhaps this slightly optimistic statement by Marantz boils down to simple sibling rivalry.

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