1. Sign-up to become a member, and most of the ads you see will disappear. It only takes 30 seconds to sign up, so join the discussion today!
    Dismiss Notice

Alternative to Onkyo 898??????

Discussion in 'Archived Threads 2001-2004' started by Brad Newton, May 22, 2002.

  1. 1 May 22, 2002
    Brad Newton

    Brad Newton Second Unit

    Joined:
    Aug 14, 2001
    Messages:
    382
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    110
    I was set to make this purchase, but held off due to the audio drop outs on JPIII & PH, along with others. After having my fears eased regarding that issue, then a new problem with "ticking" arose with the Onkyo products. Now I am very hesitant to purchase any Onkyo unit. I'm looking for suggestions for an alternative unit instead of the Onkyo. It seems there are problems with most brands in some fashion. I had settled on the Onkyo because it had suffecient hd bandwidth, 7.1 capabilities, DPII, component switching & other extras. Does Yahama make a unit that has the same features as the 898, in the same price range? Any others..........All suggestions greatly appreciated.
     
  2. 2 May 22, 2002
    Andrew_Ballew

    Andrew_Ballew Second Unit

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2002
    Messages:
    294
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    You might want to consider the new Pioneer Elite units- The new VSX-47tx can be had for a little under $2000- maybe a bit out of your price range, though, considering the cost of the 898.
     
  3. 3 May 22, 2002
    Jay Morrissette

    Jay Morrissette Agent

    Joined:
    May 13, 2002
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    The Sherwood Newcastle 963 is about the same price, and many people on this forum like Newcastle.

    I was debating between the two- Onkyo 898 and Newcastle 963.

    I ordered the Onkyo for a few reasons:
    -Direct access buttons on the front
    -Two video record loops as opposed to one on the Newcastle.
    -Onkyo has the reputation for being easy to use- That is crucial for my wife use it, and convenient for me when I need to perform less common tasks.

    I really wanted to buy the Newcastle for two reasons:

    -They are kind of the under dog, and
    -the 963 comes the MX-500 remote that I was planning on buying any way, but the above list was more important to me.

    I should get the Onkyo today- I'll post my comments soon!

    ~Jay

    PS- I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the ticking and drop outs won't affect me!
     
  4. 4 May 22, 2002
    chrisden

    chrisden Agent

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2002
    Messages:
    41
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Have you considered the Marantz SR 8200? Excellent receiver with great remote, THX select, 120w *6, and RS232 port, too. Excellent for music and HT. MSRP is $1699.
     
  5. 5 May 22, 2002
    Jay Morrissette

    Jay Morrissette Agent

    Joined:
    May 13, 2002
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I always wondered how double posts happened... I backed up, then refreshed.

    sorry

    ~Jay
     
  6. 6 May 22, 2002
    Dalton

    Dalton Screenwriter

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2001
    Messages:
    1,198
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Rhode Island
    Real Name:
    Dalton
    Brad,
    You might want to look at the HK 8000. It has some incredible features(including the implementation of Logic7 on 5.1 sources). I have seen it online for about $1600. You do have to get a separate 2 ch. amp if want 6.1/7.1. I am still tossing around the idea of upgrading my Onkyo 797 for this unit. BTW the Marantz SR8200 mentioned above is a solid choice as well.
     
  7. 7 May 23, 2002
    Earl Simpson

    Earl Simpson Supporting Actor

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2002
    Messages:
    803
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Get the 898 if thats what you want! Great rcvr!
    JVC 10
    Denon 3802
    Sony 5es
    HK 520
    Yamaha 2200/3200
    PS/ At that price you may want to think about separates. $1500 would get you a great start on separates
    http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Holl...1/ratevsac.htm
    The lower models from Marantz don't have the punch/ or any of the lower models for any brand except HK. See thread!
     
  8. 8 May 23, 2002
    Jay Morrissette

    Jay Morrissette Agent

    Joined:
    May 13, 2002
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I got the Onkyo plugged in last night! My wife was asleep in the next room, so I couldn't listen very loud. But I realized that I either have too much stuff or the Onkyo has too few inputs [​IMG]
    I mapped out how everything should be plugged in and now it is completely full. If I add another component I'll need to dump something.
    This morning before work I had a few minutes to play some music- It's not calibrated yet, but sounded pretty good. A bit brighter than my Newcastle 945 was. In fact in The Perfect Vision review they noticed that about it. My speakers are on the warm side so I think it'll be great for movies.
    I know this is now a common feature, but it's new to me and I love it. The auto detect! If I put an audio cd in the DVD player- it knows, if I put a DTS music disc in- it knows[​IMG] My old receiver didn't do that and it was more of a PITA than I ever would have realized.
    Here's my list of components, that'll give you an idea of why I used up all of the inputs:
    LD player
    Dish receiver
    DVD player
    HTPC
    HDTV tuner card
    VCR
    Phono
    Tape deck
    Canopus A/D D/A Analog to DV converter- for capturing video to make DVD-R's
    My next purchase will be an MX-500 to control all this.
    ~Jay
     

Share This Page