The metallic click of the reload will probably make you jump, too.

Broad soundstage

The ocean-deep bass and crunchy treble manage to convey a broad musical soundstage too, but I feel the lack of mid-range expression and muscle extension prevents this receiver from sounding like a true hi-fi amplifier.

Vocals and acoustic instruments just don't have the depth of the models higher-up the range. The SR606 is better suited to rock and dance music, and action movies, than classical music and costume dramas.

But then you do a reality check and remember this is basically an entry-level product; somehow it just feels like it should be compared to stock much richer. And that I guess is the ultimate compliment.

DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD

Using HDMI as the primary input, there's little this model can't accomplish. I was very impressed by its performance when it took an uncompressed DSD stream from a Super Audio CD via HDMI from my 80GB PlayStation 3.

It's also still one of the relatively few affordable receivers able to decode DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD soundtracks from a Blu-ray disc.

The 606 will signpost the jump in clarity and bass extension when you switch from regular 5.1 mixes to their higher-res cousins. Try Chapter 3 on Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Ultimate Edition and select the DTS-HD MA track to hear for yourself.

Excellent EQ

As well as extending the bass notes lower as the alien ship hums overhead, making everything resonate, the sound effects seem supremely well-placed to put you in the centre of the action.

The main new tech running throughout Onkyo's 2008 AVR range is Audyssey Dynamic EQ. This clever audio processing maintains the dynamic range of a soundtrack, even when the volume is lowered.

Normally, when the level drops, LFE and ambiance vanishes. Dynamic EQ does a great job of maintaining the balance.

Onboard scaler

The onboard scaler is also intriguing. While it doesn't upscale to 1080p, it does make a decent fist of building up SD images to 1080 lines and a better one of making 720p images.

If you don't have better upscaling at source, perhaps in a Freeview box or standard Sky receiver, it's a worthwhile addition to the feature roster.

Of course, it's rare for a DVD player not to have its own scaler these days too, and again, the only way to find out which component is the best at upscaling is to compare them.

I discovered that my Denon DVD-1910 did a better job of turning 576 lines into 1080 than the Onkyo, but the Onkyo was certainly better at it than an older Samsung player, which caused blocking and softness.

Of course, if you have a 1080p source, you can simply pass this straight through without any scaling, thanks to the latest HDMI 1.3a ports. And with four of these to choose from you're fairly well future-proofed.

Improved performance

By adding a scaler, Dynamic EQ, two extra HDMI ports, and improving the power output (albeit slightly) Onkyo has crammed enough inside the SR606 to bring it bang up-to-date.

The danger was always that this could push the features-to-performance ratio out of whack and compromise the Onkyo's audio prowess.

Fortunately hasn't happened. The chassis, outward design and most of the internal electronics seem exactly the same.

Better than the original?

As I've said, the sonic balance is geared toward action movies and in-your-face soundtracks, which it handles very well, lending real impact to explosions and picking out treble detail in complicated mixes.

It's not the most refined sound, but its dynamic and direct approach will certainly have wide appeal. And there's no doubting this box of tricks is extraordinary value.

In short, this is one sequel that I suspect will do even better business than the original.