Best Bang for the Buck in Next-Gen Home Theater Receivers, August 30, 2008
I'll start by saying I'm not an Audiophile. I just wanted a decent mid-range receiver that does all the latest lossless audio formats and has 7.1 channels so it's ready to take advantage of BluRay as that format evolves. So my primary focus is on a system that plays audio for movies and video games as it's primary function. Currently I have...read full review
I'll start by saying I'm not an Audiophile. I just wanted a decent mid-range receiver that does all the latest lossless audio formats and has 7.1 channels so it's ready to take advantage of BluRay as that format evolves. So my primary focus is on a system that plays audio for movies and video games as it's primary function. Currently I have this receiver setup in a 5.1 configuration since that's the type of receiver it replaced. I have more speakers on order to expand it out but to be honest, right now if you're building a home theater from scratch, you only need 5.1 . The 7.1 specs aren't really supported yet and DVDs and Playstation/Xbox are all 5.1, so if you're starting from scratch save some money and setup for 5.1 first and expand as support grows.
I used the automated speaker calibration feature to setup all the channels. This is where you place the provided mic at ear level at three different listener positions. The receiver then sends out tones which will drive you and your dog nuts for about 15 minutes while the entire process goes on. Once it was done however, I was/am very pleased with the results.
I've heard some people ask about humming, i can detect no humming. I have some WiFi equipment close by which is 2.5 ghz and so far have not heard any humming. Some other people have said the Receiver runs hot to which I would ask those people, is this your first receiver? They do run hot ! This one runs no hotter than the old one i replaced from a different manufacturer so as far as I'm concerned, the heat issue is normal. I have it in a small component rack that's enclosed on the sides and back with a door on the front, it's got maybe half an inch space around the sides and 2 inches of space on top and so far everything is good.
The back has tons of inputs, but the primary reason I waited for the 606 over the previous model is the number of HDMI ports, the next generation audio/video cable which is a requirement for full resolution BluRay playback. They're rev 1.3a to support all the latest audio formats as well (none of which are currently supported by the discs themselves yet though). The receiver will pass through a 1080p signal from a BluRay or other high def video source. If you feed it a standard def 480i video source, it will upscale it to 1080i or 720p. It does a decent job but i would say upscaling isn't the receivers strong point, it does an acceptable job though. But lets face it, Onkyo doesn't build TV's, their bread and butter isn't video, it's audio.
I'm pleased with the performance and the styling of the receiver, it's just very basic and sleek. No built in graphical user interface and all that other nonsense that receivers 3x this price but no more times the performance come equipped with. This receiver for a mid end system for movies and video games just really can't be matched in terms of performance per dollar spent.
I have matched this receiver with some Polk Audio speakers. Specifically i have a Polk CSi3 center channel and six Polk RTi4 bookshelf speakers (all of which you can find at great prices here on Amazon where I ordered them from) and I am very very happy with the results. The Polk speakers like the Onkyo 606 receiver are over achievers for their price point, so they match together extremely well.
The only thing I have left to say is buy it, I wouldn't hesitate recommending this receiver to anyone looking for a solid movie/video game home theater experience. minimize
One solution to HDMI buzz, October 23, 2008
Other reviews cover this receiver with excellent detail (setup, sound, etc.) and I agree with most comments. This is a great unit for the money. Many features, easy setup, poor upscaling, great HDMI support.
Unfortunately I have the HDMI buzz issue mentioned by several reviewers but fortunately I found the cause and one solution....read full review
Other reviews cover this receiver with excellent detail (setup, sound, etc.) and I agree with most comments. This is a great unit for the money. Many features, easy setup, poor upscaling, great HDMI support.
Unfortunately I have the HDMI buzz issue mentioned by several reviewers but fortunately I found the cause and one solution.
I had a XBOX 360 connected via HDMI and a Gamecube connected via component. Both output through HDMI to the tv. When I first powered up the SR606 and the XBOX I heard a continuous buzz or hum through the speakers which became louder when the volume increased. This made quiet movies nearly unwatchable as dramatic scenes were dominated by **BUZZZZZZZZZZZ** instead of cinematic tension.
I called Onkyo support in New Jersey and they quickly brushed me off with a flat recommendation of "return the unit to the retailer" with no diagnostic advice. I followed this direction and predictably, the new unit suffered the same ailment. The buzz continued.
All of my audio/video gear is connected to a single, ungrounded, electrical outlet (building was built in 1915). After a bit of Internet searching I found an article which discussed "common impedance coupling" whereby many high draw devices (such as a plasma TV, A/V receiver, and XBOX 360) which are connected to a common electrical run will produce a voltage drop and potentially introduce noise. I am not an expert in electricity but this lead me to investigate the way the components were connected to the SR606, rather than the SR606 itself.
I found that the XBOX 360 was responsible for the buzz. With the XBOX disconnected from the wall outlet, the buzz stopped even when all other components were connected and turned on. Thinking that the metal HDMI connection could be carrying the noise to the SR606 I connected the XBOX HDMI directly to the tv and connected the XBOX sound to the SR606 via a TOSLINK optical cable in order to remove any conductive connections between the SR606 and XBOX. This removed the buzz!
As a test I re-connected the XBOX HDMI to the SR606, kept the TOSLINK connection, and disabled the HDMI sound input for the XBOX on the SR606. This let the sound only come from the optical connection but retained the metal link between the SR606 and the XBOX. The buzz was much quieter but remained.
The last test was with the Gamecube which draws about 40 watts to the XBOX's 175. Although it connected via component, it output via the HDMI so I thought that if the buzz was related to the HDMI output on the SR606 I would hear it when using the Gamecube. I hear no buzz when using the Gamecube. Unfortunately do not have another device to test buzzing with HDMI input but it seems to me that the buzz was related to the following:
1) Using a single, ungrounded electrical circuit for all devices.
2) Connecting the XBOX 360 (which consumes a large amount of electricity) to the SR606 via a conductive connection.
I imagine that if I had independent outlets, homerun back to the breaker box I could separate the SR606 and the XBOX and correct the buzz. Unfortunately I spent all my cash on A/V gear so electrical work will have to wait. However, if you have better wiring in your house (or low draw A/V equipment) I imagine that your SR606 will be buzz free even when using HDMI connections. minimize
Feature-PACKED for the price!, December 30, 2008
It wasn't until I purchased a Blu-ray player (Sony PS3) and Epson Cinelite 1080P projector when I realized I needed to purchase a new receiver. I was looking for something I could connect all my game consoles (PS3, XBox360, Wii), my Mac Pro, and my Karaoke system.
I first bought the lower-model Onkyo TX-SR506 (then later...read full review
It wasn't until I purchased a Blu-ray player (Sony PS3) and Epson Cinelite 1080P projector when I realized I needed to purchase a new receiver. I was looking for something I could connect all my game consoles (PS3, XBox360, Wii), my Mac Pro, and my Karaoke system.
I first bought the lower-model Onkyo TX-SR506 (then later returned... keep reading to find out why), thinking it had all the inputs I needed and HDMI output for my requirements. Since this review is for the TX-SR606, I won't go into too much detail on the features of the TX-SR506. However, since I'm sure some of you will be comparing the SR506 to the SR606, I will quickly tell you what the TX-SR506 LACKS that may help you determine whether or not these missing features are necessary for your application. The SR506's HDMI ports are video pass-through only, meaning it does not carry Audio signals with it. Next, the SR506 will only output video to the same medium as the video signal it receives so if you have equipment using different types of connections, it has to use that same type of connection as an output from the receiver (e.g. component video input can only be displayed using the component video output, composite in to composite out, hdmi in to hdmi out, etc...). No coversion of video inputs to another type of output will be performed. So expect to have multiple cables output to your LCD/plasma/TV/projector's video inputs. Finally, only 4 total video devices can be plugged into the SR506 at any given time... yes, I know the photo of the SR506 shows an abundance of inputs but you can only program one input type (HDMI, component, S-Video, or composite) for each of the four video inputs (DVD, CBL/SAT, AUX, VCR/DVR).
Now enter the TX-SR606, full of the features that the TX-SR506 lacks! Both the SR506 and SR606 do an impressive job in ease of setup and sound output quality but that's pretty much where the similarities end. The FOUR HDMI inputs (yes, an impressive FOUR inputs over the SR506's TWO) of the TX-SR606 also carries digital audio signals. This keeps the optical/TOSLink/digital-coax digital audio inputs free for devices you may have that do not have HDMI audio -- another major flaw I found with the TX-SR506 when I had it (since it didn't carry audio through HDMI, I had to resort to using up both optical audio inputs for my PS3 and XBox 360 and had none left for the optical audio output from my Mac Pro and my Karaoke system).
Next must have feature about the SR606 is that all non-HD video inputs (going into the component, s-video, or composite inputs) are automatically upconverted so you can view everything using the HDMI output. The upconversion of these non-HD devices is upconverted to 1080i. 1080P upconversion would have been nicer but look at the affordable price on this unit! If you really need the 1080P upconversion, consider the Onkyo TX-SR706 model -- which will set you back another $200+ but is THX-Certified. And quite honestly, when you take a 480i/480p signal and upconvert it, you won't see too much of a difference between upconverting it to 1080i or 1080P (alright I know that statement is open for the screen size vs. viewing distance debate but remember your source signal is 480i/480p to begin with). Even if the upconversion feature isn't really a necessary feature for the size of your screen, the fact it processes and converts non-HDMI video inputs to be displayed with the HDMI output means you only need one cable going to your LCD/plasma/TV/projector and you can keep the TV on just one of its input modes (no more switching from Input1 to Input2 to Input3 when going from DVD to game console to Tivo/DVR).
With the SR606, you can customize all the video source inputs and audio source inputs to suit just about any setup needs you may have. For example, I have the video and audio for my PS3 and XBox 360 going into the HDMI input ports on this receiver (this unit has an impressive 4 HDMI 1.3a input ports) so I set up the receiver so that it knows to process video and audio signals for my first two devices through the HDMI port. My Mac Pro's secondary video (primary video is plugged into my 30" computer LCD screen) is plugged into the 3rd HDMI input on the SR606 receiver using a DVI-to-HDMI cable to provide full 1080P output and the audio is plugged into the SR606's optical/TOSLink digital audio input. I then have it programmed in the receiver so that it knows to process video from the HDMI3 input and audio from the optical1 input for the third device. Finally, the video for my Wii is plugged in to the component 1 input and my Karaoke machine is plugged in to the component 2 input while audio for the Wii is plugged into the standard 2-channel RCA-style input and optical 2 input for the Karaoke machine. Again, you can mix and match your audio and video any way you like and just tell the SR606 how you have it set up. It's very flexible. And the Wii and Karaoke gets upconverted to 1080i through the HDMI output while the PS3, XBox 360, and Mac Pro maintains its 1080P resolution via the HDMI inputs.
Since it's upconverting the video signal from your non-HDMI video devices (component, s-video, composite), you will see the volume level on your screen when adjusting volume for these devices. This leads me to the only gripe I really have about the SR606. If your device uses one of the HDMI video inputs, the receiver will not display the volume level on your tv/lcd/plasma/projector so you'll have to just look at the LCD display on the receiver itself for that information. This, however, does not warrant any deductions in my rating for this feature-filled receiver.
Another thing worth mentioning about this receiver (that you may have already gathered from reading the product's technical details section here on Amazon) is that it has a TrueHD and DTS-HD decoder for the ultimate in 7.1 HD surround sound quality offered in many of today's Blu-ray movies! Isn't Blu-ray one of the reasons you're looking at this receiver in the first place? :) Impressive feature to have in a receiver at this price point! Now is the price difference between the TX-SR506 and this TX-SR606 really starting to look more and more worth your while!? Go ahead and close that TX-SR506 product window/tab now and add this TX-SR606 to your shopping cart. You won't regret it.
Overall, at its attractive price point and the rich-list of features it offers, the Onkyo TX-SR606 easily deserves the full 5 stars! Check out my other reviews and you'll see that I don't just easily give out five stars to stuff I own! minimize
Excellent value. Remote and input flexibility could be better., July 14, 2008
The first thing that must be said is that for the money, this product is hard to beat. Excellent features, quality, plenty of power. 4 HDMI inputs and 4 digital audio (coax and optical). The Audyssey system automatically applies adjustments that most people would never apply otherwise.
The remote is competent but forget about its...read full review
The first thing that must be said is that for the money, this product is hard to beat. Excellent features, quality, plenty of power. 4 HDMI inputs and 4 digital audio (coax and optical). The Audyssey system automatically applies adjustments that most people would never apply otherwise.
The remote is competent but forget about its universal remote capability. They give you multiple codes for each device and you just have to try them all. And then, some never did work. Not a problem for me since I am using a Logitech Harmony (and so should everyone, IMO).
A bigger disappointment was that the audio-video inputs are more limited than I had expected. If you have several older devices, you should know that only the HDMI, digital audio, and component inputs can be connected to different inputs. And they can't be renamed. So anyone using my system has to know that TV/GAME button shows the old TiVo box and that the laptop is connected as CD. And if I had one more device, I'd have been out of luck.
But for around $400, what a terrific performer. minimize
Buzzes like a fridge...., August 11, 2008
Well not exactly like a fridge, more like two or three fridges.
This receiver is powerful and decodes everything under the sun. The sound coming out of this receiver is great and very clean. I've never bought an A/V receiver before and was a bit nervous about setting it up, but I set this up very easily with almost no learning...read full review
Well not exactly like a fridge, more like two or three fridges.
This receiver is powerful and decodes everything under the sun. The sound coming out of this receiver is great and very clean. I've never bought an A/V receiver before and was a bit nervous about setting it up, but I set this up very easily with almost no learning curve. The Audyssey speaker set-up is very easy and gives great results.
The first problem with the receiver is that it runs very hot. Too hot to touch. I think this is by design and from what I've read these receivers do not have overheating issues, but you have to be careful where you put it. Forget about having a closed cabinet. Also, the thing runs very hot in a cabinet with an open front but with a closed back. Basically you need this behemoth out in the open if you want to be sure you don't start a small fire. The thing is huge, about half the size of a coffee table, and I don't like having it out, especially when I have a cabinet with all my other devices.
The second problem with the receiver is the deal-breaker however. If you have a PS3, the receiver causes a terribly annoying buzzing at mid to high volumes. Basically any volume 25+ causes the buzz. The buzz is incredibly loud and comes out the speakers. From what I've read Onkyo apparently fixed this issue and came out with the Onkyo TX-SR606B. This is what I ordered from J&R, and assuming they sent me the 606B, the receiver still buzzes.
Overall, I would recommend the receiver if you don't have a PS3. If you do, then I don't know-it's up to you. I expect to be completely satisfied with a $500 dollar electronic device, so I'm sending it back. And I never send things back.
Something to keep in mind is that although the receiver decodes TrueHD and DTS-HD, if you have a PS3 it's not even needed. The PS3 decodes these formats itself and sends the uncompressed PCM data to the receiver. The receiver doesn't handle any of the decoding. I expect my PS3 to be my Bluray/DVD player for many years, so in the end I may not even need all the features of the SR606 and can just go with a non-buzzing receiver that doesn't have a tendency to heat my apartment in August. minimize
