Onkyo and Loud Clicking Noise (Digtial to Analog Audio Switching) (1 Viewer)

I just helped a friend put together a moderate home theater to go with his 50" Samsung DLP. For a number of reasons we/he chose to go with the Onkyo TX-SR702 which seemed to be a solid choice.

He's been having a problem with digital sound from his cable box. Here in NYC Time Warner utilizes the Scientific Atlanta 8000HD, which is also a DVR box. We've used the coaxial digital audio output from the cable box into the Onkyo (this box also has optical).

Here's the problem: when switching from one channel to another, the digital audio signal drops out (which is normal). When the receiver losses the digital signal it searches for an analog signal. There is a loud clicking noise when it switches from the digital to the analog (and also when it goes back to digital again).The noise definitely comes from the receiver (as opposed to the speakers), and we've confirmed with Crutchfield that the unit is not defective, as their bench unit behaves in the exact same way. Needless to say it's very annoying to watch TV as this happens everytime they change channels, and it clicks twice, once when it loses the signal (and switches to analog) and again when the signal stabilizes and it switches back to digital.

The Onkyo doesn't let the user select digital only (ie: never switch to analog when the signal drops out), and changing to the optical cable doesn't change the situation. Other than switching to analog audio inputs (and obviously losing fidelity) I can't come up with a viable work-around.

Has anybody else experienced this with Onkyo before? How about other receivers? It seems like a fairly common thing,
and if the Onkyo is well known for this apparent design flaw, what other brands exhibit the same loud clicking? Going digital-analog-digital wouldn't be too bad if they could avoid the loud clicking, there would just be a pregnant pause of silence.

I've recommended Onkyo (and Denon) to a number of friends in this $500-800 category, and I hope I haven't been blind to something like this, especially if it's well known.

Hope there are others with similar experiences who can lend a hand. Thanks in advance.

I've got an Onkyo 602 and mine has that annoying click.
When watching a HD Channel and when a Commercial comes on, it (((Clicks))),program comes back on, another (((Click ))), etc.....
Guess it's something I just have to live with ??

I have the 602 and when I change channels I hear the relay clicking. It only does it on my digital channels. Not all my channels are digital. I think it depends on the source material (ie music channel, movies etc) That the cable box sends to the receiver and the receiver changes accordingly.
Your receiver is working fine its only doing what the cable box is telling it.

That's what I thought, and what I was afraid of. Because of the way the digital signal gets interrupted, or maybe it's more a matter of how long it takes for the new signal to come-in, this happens each and every time my friend changes channels.

Other than using the analog audio(L/R) inputs, is there any way to avoid this issue?

My friend says he can put up with it, but his wife's really not pleased, and frankly I'm pretty dissappointed that this is part of the normal operation as designed by the engineers.

Presuming that the unit will be exchanged, what other brands exhibit this same problem, and which don't? Do Denon's have this clicking relay problem? Sony's? Marantz?

Thanks.

My current receiver is an Integra (based on Onkyo platform) and it does what you describe. My only other A/V receiver was a Denon and it too did the same thing (though the click was a bit softer). It annoyed me at first, but I've learned to ignore it. I agree there should be a way to avoid this issue, but unless your friend is an inveterate channel surfer, this shouldn't be a continuous problem. I've also found on my Integra that it is channel dependent--my digital channels don't click in between (I have a SCI/ATL 8000 PVR) but when I go from a digital to an analogue channel, I hear the click. It also happens when watching special features on DVD that have mixed DD and PCM tracks (clicks everytime it switches in and out of Dolby Digital).