Onkyo TX-DS787 vs. Onkyo TX-SR602 (1 Viewer)

[Matt Brighton]

Ok, this will sound weird but I don't care. First of all, I've owned Onkyo receivers in the past and I love them. I'm currently selling my TX-DS676 and the only reason I'm selling it is because I wanted to upgrade to component switching. So I bought an Onkyo TX-SR602 at Circuit City and have been pretty impressed with it. I don't know about the whole Neo and Dolby Pro Logic II, etc. but the DTS-ES and DD-EX is a nice touch and I love the component switching.

But (yep, there's a but) I came across a TX-DS787 which is a few years older but seems to still have all of the features I'm looking for. Yeah, it has one less set of component inputs (2 instead of three), but it's THX certified and the wattage per channel is higher.

This is what I'm asking: Which would be a better receiver? Would the 602, since it's brand new, be a better model or would a model like the 787 be a better buy? Supply any reason if you must, but I need some expert advice here!

Thank you in advance for your help...

P.S. - The prices are nearly identical for these two models, so price isn't a factor.

 

[JeremyErwin]

Is DTS-ES discrete important to you?

 

[Matt Brighton]

Not really. And I suppose it doesn't matter now because I bought the 787. Hey, for $300 I figured it was something I shouldn't pass up.

 

[Jessie_]

Hey Jeremy what does DTS-ES discrete exactly mean. Does it has to do something with the way it sounds.



Thanks'
Jessie

 

[JeremyErwin]

dts-es (digital theater systems extended surround) is the "six speakers plus a subwoofer" variant of dts.
In dts-es matrix, the back surround signal is carried by the left and right surround signals a la thx-ex (and dolby 3, if you can remember back that far...)

In dts-es discrete, the back surround signal is a separate, independent signal. It is the only truly "6.1" surround sound format. As far as I am aware, the ds787 does not support this later piece of software, but the 602 does (along with potentially useless modes like dts-96/24, dts neo:6, and dolby surround IIx). Thus, the question.

Trivia Note: dts-es matrix uses the "thx-ex" decoder to extract that sixth channel. This probably goes a long way towards explaining the presence of the "dts+neo:6" mode on later model receivers.