So, what's wrong with Onkyo?

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

I'm not sure where you've been reading the Onkyo bashing but it hasn't been in the threads I've been reading... the current generation Onkyo's (SR604 and up) are considered some of the best entry-level offerings for HDMI receivers w/ HDMI audio support. The upcomming Onkyos look to offer a great range of HDMI 1.3 offerings from the entry level on up to the high end... the SR805 looks EXTREMELY interesting w/ full HDMI 1.3, TrueHD/DTS Master decoding, a 50lb amp section, and THX Ultra 2 cert... all for $999 MSRP, same as the 35lb THX Select SR804.

I'm not seeing the Onkyo bashing at all... and there's definitely no justification if it is indeed going on.

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

+1. I loved my 575x (my brother still does!) and my buddy loves his.

What exact posts indicate what you said in your first sentence?

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

In the posts that you linked, one person said Onkyo's were like Hyundai's. I liken them more to a Ford F-150. Strong, sturdy, built like a tank and has the features you need to get the job done at an atractive price. I do agree that they are not quite up there in sound quality with Marantz, H/K, Denon and Yamaha, particularly for music, but I often recommend them for movie based systems. BTW, I own an HT-500 (in storage) and a 702 which is in use until I finally make up my mind between Outlaw, Emotiva and Marantz, if I ever do.

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

I don't know if it's a design "flaw" or just a different result from using the chosen internal components. To me, some receivers are just more "musical" than others. My H/K 520 being the best of what I have. Lite and airy, huge soundstage, tight bass. The music seems to float around the room. Just a pleasure to listen to. My friends Marantz 4600 is near the same but doesn't have quite the "umph" or kick in the pants as the more expensive 520. I'd love to hear an 8500. The Onkyo is more straight forward. The music comes at you all at once and seemingly from the same place. I felt the same way about the Pioneer 1014. Lots of features, good build quality, excellent price. Just didn't sound sound quite right. Keep in mind that these differences are very slight and really only noticeable with music I'm very familiar with, but since I'm 90% music it has to be right. I wouldn't really say there was anything wrong with Onkyo (or Pioneer or any other avr) there are just some brands, or models, that produce a sound that is more appealing to me.

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

Are you even including Sony AVRs in this generous embrace?

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

Yeah, all pretty vague nations about "SQ" or some such. Funny that the middle guy who states that Onkyo "sucks" and is "not NEARLY as good as people claim" thought it was "absolutely great" a month ago.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/...96&postcount=7

As always on the anonymous internet, let the reader beware...

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

I love onkyo, defently the best bang for the buck.. Im running a HT-R520 and have been for 4 yrs now and not a glitch out of it.. and one I look and see how much systems are that cant even compare to the sound Onkyo can produce its pretty funny.

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

I haven't as yet had the opportunity to listen to a Sony in my system so I really couldn't say. Edit: In reference to my "generous embrace " I was only speaking of sound quality, not overall value, build quality or the strenght (or lack there of) of it's amp section. Hope that better answers your question, without actually answering it! If you know what I mean.

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

In a word..Nothing!I've had My Onkyo TX-SR701 THX certified receiver for over 3 years now.I've been happy with the sound on all formats,TV,DVD,CD.I am planning to upgrade because I need more HDMI connectivity.Otherwise I'd be content.As far as the post about the guy who bought an Onkyo only to return it for a Yamaha.Yamahas sound better out of the box...a possibility.Yamaha has an almost idiot proof setup.Remember,any receiver or TV has the possibility to look or sound awful until you take the time to calibrate them.In no way shape or form trust an in store display either.I've seen many a great receiver turned into what I call a "LOUD1000"aka a good receiver turned into POS.Simply from a moron setting all the levels too damn high.You're doing the right thing by asking and getting opinions.Bravo!Just at the end of it all go with what YOU need not pressure or opinions from anyones posts Including Mine!Good Luck.

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

One of the people in the posts you linked said Onkyo "High end? I don't think so." But I think nobody is really claiming that they're high end. They're just really good for the money. I love my entry-level TX-SR604 for the quality it produces for under $400. When I want "high end" in a few years, when I'm making a lot more money, then I'll spend about $2k and get high-end. Until then, lovin' my Onkyo.

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

Maybe the NR1000 @ $5000 could be considered high end?

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

I've owned just about all the major brands and while there's truth that there are better receivers out there for more money Onkyo's are a solid choice and are very easy to use. Truth be told modern receivers all sound more alike then dissimilar and you won't likely be dissapointed with any of the name brand models unless its an ergonomics issue (which can make or break a design IMO).

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

LOL,Sorry about talkin down at Ya.I need to really watch that.

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

Yeah, very much agree.

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

Maybe the NR1000 @ $5000 could be considered expensive for an Onkyo. :>) If it had the "Integra Research" name on it, then it would be considered high end, at least by Onkyo.

In my experience with the company and its products the past seven years or so, the equipment is actually pretty good, at least competitive with other brands at its various price points. It's their "customer service" that really sucks.

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

Onkyo > Bose

Toilet Paper > Bose

Sony > Bose (now that says something! )

Re: So, what's wrong winh Onkyo?

Getting back to this threads origin, after spending a few hours with my 702 last night there are only a couple of things worth mentioning. Although the remote is back-lit I wish it were a little brighter. But not a big deal. Another thing is I wish the bass/treble controls were adjustable from the remote. And the bright blue light around the volume knob is very distracting, but it can be turned off via the dimmer control. Other than those small issues, no complaints. One thing I really do like about Onkyo is the bass/treble controls work (for the front L/R speakers only) thru the analog inputs for SACD/DVD-A playback. Also, the 7 band EQ, plus 3 more for the sub, can be adjusted manually and independently for each speaker. Not all brands (HK for one) allow this. And yes, the SQ is perfectly fine. I just prefer a couple of others a little bit more for critical music listening.

Onkyo?  I'd NEVER own another.  I hope none of you ever has a problem with your equipment. Corporate support absolutely sucks and they're unbelievably uncaring.  I had to send the SR805 back two times to their local repair store, then to Colorado (their Western Region) repair center.  Finally, they admitted something was wrong and they sent me an "upgrade" but it turns out it was not a true 3-Zone receiver as the SR805 was .  Onkyo has gone to misrepresenting their "really" 2-Zone receivers as 3-Zone. On the NR807 and the NR1007, Zone 2 is really the back speakers in a 5.1 configuration, which is the bare-bones config for a theater.  Realistically, they are 2-Zone receivers. It would have been smarter for them to make Zone 2 an option for a pair needed to go to 9.1 or 11.1.

But what really bothered me was how many times I had to call corporate to find out what was going on. Out of 27 telephone conversations, they initiated two of them. Pathetic.

I like my 805 a lot. I love it for both music and movies. I watch movies more than I listen to music now days. When I listen to music, it's usually sacd, dvd-audio, or a vinyl album. Been listening to my albums more and more lately.

A lot depends on what speakers are connected. My LSi speakers are very musical speakers. That's what most people like about LSi speakers. Go to Polk's forums sometimes and do some reading. They also do very well with movies. The 805 has plenty of power to drive them, and they require it, being 4 ohm speakers. The 805 doesn't even break a sweat...........

What's wrong with Onkyo? Nothing that I've found. You can get a bad one of any brand. But, if you check around at several HT forums, you'll find more people love their Onkyos, than don't. I think the Integra receivers are supposed to be Onkyo's higher end stuff. But I've not seen any Onkyos that were slouches. Especially in the upper model numbers.
I recommend Onkyo all the time, because of my experience with them.

I bought an Onkyo believing that it was a pretty nice piece of equipment but I was pretty disappointed with the whole setup I got, besides the DVD player. The sub was maxed out on it's amp and sub level output on the receiver and it still had a hard time filling up my living room. I mean, you could tell there was a sub connected but it didn't have much authority. I was so disappointed with the SQ of the speakers that came with the SKS-HT540 that I promptly replaced the mains with some Insignia bookshelf speakers from Best Buy and have been very happy with the change. The only item that has remained from my old Onkyo setup in my new living room HT setup is the center channel, but that's likely to get replaced sometime soon as well.

I don't think i'll every buy any more entry level Onkyo equipment again, very disappointing.

 And I'm sure the search function helped dredge up another corpse from a 3 year old grave...

You buy an entry level HTiB and wonder why you are disappointed with the sound?  

I bought an entry level Sony receiver and love it. My mains costed me $65 brand new and they spank the Onkyo's which were listed at over $500 for the package. My sub costed me $122 and it absolutely murders the Onkyo sub.

My point is that just because it's low cost or entry level doesn't mean it has to sound like *ss. Even my g/f, who is the furthest from a trained ear, could hear such a difference between the Insignia bookshelf speakers and the Onkyo mains that she wouldn't let me hook the Onkyo's back up in the living room......I had hooked up the Insignia's to see what they sounded like while I was awaiting delivery of my sound card so I could run them on my pc....I ended up buying another set for my pc.

An entry level receiver (Sony), with separate speakers, compared to an entry level HTIB is comparing apples to oranges. Not even close to being the same. If you had read around the forums a little bit, you'd find that most of us tell people that the speakers are the weak link in any HTIB setup, even the Onkyos. A lot of us here, including myself, recommend Onkyo HTIBs on occasion. Reason being, the Onkyos give you a real receiver, with lots of inputs and features. We explain the speakers are the weak link, but the system is very upgradable, as funds allow. Upgrade to separate speakers with the Onkyo receiver, and I believe the Onkyo will sound a lot better than the Sony. Compare apples to apples............

You'll seldom see us recommend Sony receivers, because they don't seem to hold up, they don't have the features, and just aren't a lot of bang for the buck. Sony makes very good tvs and BD players, but their receivers leave a lot to be desired, until you get into the "ES" line, and even those are becoming questionable. An entry level Sony receiver and separate speakers probably is going to sound better than any HTIB, even Onkyo and Denon.

 I don't know that it is just Onkyo.  I had many moons back an Onkyo 828 in the bedroom system and the person I sold it to is still using it.  Digital formats have changed rapidly and it means new models with new features more often.  Mass market companies come out with the latest and greatest as soon as possible and probably don't support last years model as well as they could.  They probably figure for the bugs they have it is not a big issue if some customers move on.  I've been looking at the possibility of a new rec'r in the basement system (which is not my main system) for about a month and many things have bugs and problems reported.  I have on computer a copy of a Marantz 5004 owner's manual and was close to pulling the trigger on an authorized factory refurb and a used Rotel amp until I read about the problems with the 5004 and 6004.  I have a 6003 in the bedroom system and the first unit I had died in about 3 weeks and the replacement has been fine for well over a year.  I was then looking at an Onkyo 807 and contacted someone who was over my place for a listening session who owns one and that has bugs.  So I am just going to wait until the next generation.  I Marantz 7300 OSE for the amount of time I use the system is good enough.  I have a PS3 down there and a Marantz DV9600 universal for SACD and DVD-A.  If I want Hi-Rez audio from Blu-Ray (as the current rec'r has not HDMI), I'll consider moving the Samsung 2500 from he bedroom system (which has analog outs) if I upgrade in there.  

There seems to be many more problems with units today as more stuff relies on electronics.  It's not just audio stuff.  I had the fridge repaired the other day (GE Monogram) as the upper part of the freezer and ice maker were not right.  There's a little fan the circulates the air (otherwise hot air rises) and the technician plugged a computer in to it and it diagnosed the problem as an electronics board which had access in the back of the unit.  The technician noticed my very old gas dryer (a Maytag that is probably about 20 years old and I spend $60 once to repair one part - far cheaper than the $300 board for the fridge) and told me never to replace it as long as it works.

ONKYO Sucks!

 

I have always used Pioneer or Denon, but my brother bought onkyo.  He had it 3.5 yrs, and used it probably 10 times.  I pulled it out to connect an HDMI cable, it wasn't knocked, dropped or damaged in anyway.  It was resting on a drawer, fully supported, yet it went into circuit protection mode.  It cost me 40 dollars to ship, because as one tech put it, ONKYO doesn’t distribute parts and send info, even to “Authorized Repair Centers.”  They are merely to send it to ONKYO.  They figured out the problem in a couple of weeks and I authorized 125.00 to fix it.  Almost 3 Months have gone by, and they just barely got around to ship it.  They would return any emails, I got the run around on the phone, and even Fry’s couldn’t get any info.  So 165.00 and 3 months later, I am still waiting and still don’t know why it went into CP mode.  I have had a Denon for 10 years and it has been through hell, never having had one single problem.  ONKYO Sucks!  Their Service Sucks.  Their product sucks.  Their employees suck.

I have always used Pioneer or Denon, but my brother bought onkyo.  He had it 3.5 yrs, and used it probably 10 times.  I pulled it out to connect an HDMI cable, it wasn't knocked, dropped or damaged in anyway.  It was resting on a drawer, fully supported, yet it went into circuit protection mode.  It cost me 40 dollars to ship, because as one tech put it, ONKYO doesn’t distribute parts and send info, even to “Authorized Repair Centers.”  They are merely to send it to ONKYO.  They figured out the problem in a couple of weeks and I authorized 125.00 to fix it.  Almost 3 Months have gone by, and they just barely got around to ship it.  They would return any emails, I got the run around on the phone, and even Fry’s couldn’t get any info.  So 165.00 and 3 months later, I am still waiting and still don’t know why it went into CP mode.  I have had a Denon for 10 years and it has been through hell, never having had one single problem.  ONKYO Sucks!  Their Service Sucks.  Their product sucks.  Their employees suck.