Onkyo TX-R805 7.1 Channels Receiver
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- Surround Sound: Dolby Digital® DTS® DTS ES® THX EX® Dolby Pro Logic II DTS Neo:6 DTS 96/24 THX® Dolby Digital® EX
- THX Certification: Ultra
- Number of Channels: 7.1 Channels
- Type: Receiver
- Surround Mode Power: 130 Watt @ 8 ohm, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, THD: 0.05%
- Stereo Mode Power: 160 Watt @ 6 ohm
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Future proof receiver at a great value
Pros
Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD; Post-processes PCM over HDMI; Powerful amp (THX Ultra2); Burr-brown DAC; HDMI switching
Cons
- Bad video up-conversion (but does pass-through) - Size - Requires ventilation
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Outstanding feature set and performance at price point. Adds a whole new experience with HD audio formats found on Blu Ray & HD DVD. Easy to set up and use.
Intro
There are several in-depth professional & audiophile reviews about this receiver, so I will try and stick to writing about my experience. This receiver is out of my price range at full price and I bought a refurbished unit from Onkyo's on-line store. It came with no blemishes, and looked brand new.
My primary reason for getting this receiver was to play uncompressed latest & best audio formats from Blu ray and HD-DVD. While my previous receiver sounded good (Panasonic SA-XR55) and my wife did not at first understand why we needed to upgrade, she was impressed with the difference. You do not need to be an audiophile (we are not) to be able to appreciate what this receiver can do.
Experience
Movies:
Audio - during a movie scene with rain, it felt like it was raining inside the living room and we ducked as the thunder flashed overhead. We are hearing details that we never heard before, like small echoes inside a cave that make you feel that you are inside a cave.
Video – I knew before buying this receiver that its weak point is video upconversion. The similar receiver that does upconversion well is the 875 but it is more expensive. However, the 805 does not touch the signal when it is passed through to the same interface. In other words, Component->Component, HDMI->HDMI are pass-through. However, Component->HDMI is weak. I deal with this by switching to the Component connection from the receiver to the TV when watching Component source and this is not a problem as I have a programmable remote. However, for those who do not like switching TV inputs, this may be an issue.
Music: While my Panny was a little "bright" (emphasis on the treble), and the Onkyo 805 I'll describe as "neutral," the biggest difference for me was how well balanced it remains across frequencies as the volume goes up & up. While this receiver handles the right source material (HD audio from Blu Ray and HD-DVD) very well, it also does great things with CDs and mp3 sources. Now I rip my CDs with the uber-standard but I hear more detail from my old CDs ripped at 192 Kbps than I ever did.
Sports: My last receiver handled it pretty well so I cannot tell much of a difference other than you can play it louder and you feel like you're inside the stadium or arena.
Set up
Speakers: I have 5.1 speakers (two floor-standing Pioneers from long ago), a Pioneer Center, Pioneer bookshelves with the larger woofers, and an Infinity sub. These are not great speakers by any means and I need to upgrade them, but I mention them to point out that this receiver is a worthwhile upgrade even with so-so speakers.
The receiver does Audyssey MultiEQ EX to automatically calibrate your speakers for the listening positions in your room. You plug in the included mic and position it at ear level where you would normally sit, and follow the on screen prompts. You can calibrate the speakers for multiple listening positions to create a listening zone. The receiver correctly identified the speaker distances and frequency ranges, and set the outputs that corrected for these. Great stuff.
Sources:
1) PS3 (HDMI video & audio)
2) PVR (HDMI video & audio) – Scientific Atlanta 8300HD from Cablevision with an external SATA HDD.
3) Xbox 360 with HD-DVD add-on (VGA to TV for video & Toslink for audio)
4) DVD player (DVI-HDMI for video & S/PDIF for audio) - Oppo 971H
5) Network streaming video (Component for video & S/PDIF to for audio) - Roku Photobridge
6) Network streaming audio (Toslink) – Roku Soundbridge M1001B
I use the Oppo for playing CDs, and the Soundbridge for Internet radio or my mp3 collection with the TV off. Unfortunately, the Xbox 360 does not have HDMI or analog outputs so I cannot get Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD from it. The receiver connects to my Samsung 56" DLP (HL-S5687W).
My set up was a cinch. I planned the connections ahead of time. I plugged in everything and went through the set up to tell the receiver where each source was connected. You can also rename the inputs, so that instead of DVD it says "PS3" or "Playstatn3". I told the receiver that the PS3 was connected to HDMI1, the PVR to Component2, the Photobridge to Component1 and Coax 1, and so on. The next step was to go on-line and tell my programmable remote (Logitech Harmony 676) about the new receiver and all the connections. That took all of 10 minutes even with my moderately complicated set up and the universal remote was controlling everything perfectly. The most time was taken in making the physical cable connections.
HDMI surprise
The HDMI port on my Scientific Atlanta 8300HD PVR does not work with my TV. I have thought about returning it for another one (which means that I'd lose all my recordings). Much to my surprise, when I connected it to the receiver through HDMI, everything worked perfectly! Normally HDCP, the copyright protection scheme of HDMI, creates problems when there are intermediary devices like receivers or HDMI switches. For some strange reason, the Onkyo worked out the kink and now I have my PVR working with HDMI.
Misc
Some people have reported problems with particular devices, with lags when switching from one HDMI input to another or pops. No such issue for me. The HDMI switching works quickly without drop outs on video and no pops on audio.
Others have reported that their 805 runs very warm, so I was expecting a space heater. I have a Bell'O TV stand that has only about 1.5" clearance at the top and is open in the front back and one side. The receiver has not yet gotten anything beyond a mild warmth. Nothing yet that is too warm to hold my hand against for a minute.
Some like the universal remote that comes with this receiver but I prefer my Harmony 676, so I cannot really comment on the abilities of the remote.
The Pros
- Plays the latest HD audio formats in Blu Ray & HD-DVD (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio)
- Post-processing of PCM over HDMI (can put out 7.1 from a 5.1 input)
- Powerful amp with THX Ultra2 certification
- Burr brown DAC (Data converters at the highest end of the precision range, including 24-bit)
- HDMI switching of 3 inputs
- On screen (TV) display for set up
- Never before seen feature set at this price range
The Cons
- Bad up-conversion from Component or S-video to HDMI
- Size (it is a behemoth that barely fit on my TV stand)
- Requires ventilation (like most units with its amp & features)
Comparison
I had considered the Onkyo TX-SR605 and TX-SR705 as well. A quick note regarding why I picked the TX-SR805.
The 605, 705 and 805 all accept audio over HDMI, specifically uncompressed PCM (player decodes the audio) and bitstream (receiver decodes the audio). These receivers are considered future proof because they can decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio over PCM or bitstream (Note: Only two players send Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio over bitstream right now, and the rest do PCM over HDMI). What the 605 cannot do is HDMI post-processing, such as converting 5.1 to 7.1. The 705 & 805 can also do HDMI post-processing.
If you do not need post-HDMI processing, are okay with the lower power, two HDMI inputs and do not need high quality DACs, then the TX-SR605 should work fine for you.
The TX-SR705 adds an additional HDMI input, HDMI post-processing and more power (THX Select2).
The TX-SR805 adds a more powerful amp (THX Ultra2) and Burr-brown DACs.
The TX-SR875 adds better video upconversion.
Overall
My speakers are decent but not that great. Another comment from my wife was that it sounded like we had new speakers. The receiver has added a completely new and immersive dimension to watching Blu Ray movies. Even some movie theaters are not up to snuff compared to our home theater experience. Someday, I will upgrade my HD DVD player to take advantage of this receiver, but one thing at a time. The TX-SR805 is beefy and can play music clearly & loudly. It is a nice HDMI switch that has upgraded & simplified my home theater connections. I was fortunate in paying $525 for a refurbished model that is like new and I recommend it at $900 as well.
Two-month update
Fast-forward to two months later. I have replaced the Xbox HD-DVD add-on with a Toshiba A3 HD-DVD player to get uncompressed audio (still PCM). I also sold the Oppo DVD player as I can play DVDs on the Tosh A3 or the PS3. But more importantly, I replaced my front speakers with Polk Audio RTi8's ($149 each) and the center with a Polk CSi3 ($149). What a difference! Not only is the sound clearer, and the highs & the mids much better sounding, but I'm also getting louder sound at the same volume levels. We are hearing more detail in our music than before. Leonard Cohen's "Go No More A-Roving" shows off this receiver with the deep bass and the clear reeds.
I'm replacing all my speaker wire with 12 gauge and eventually will pick up RTi4's for the backs.
I highly recommend checking out the threads on the Onkyo series receivers at avsforum. The official Onkyo TX-SR705 Thread has a lot of info that applies to this receiver as well, including set-up, common set-up mistakes to avoid, and how to use the full capabilities of this receiver, including uncompressed audio from Blu Ray and HD-DVD.
There are several in-depth professional & audiophile reviews about this receiver, so I will try and stick to writing about my experience. This receiver is out of my price range at full price and I bought a refurbished unit from Onkyo's on-line store. It came with no blemishes, and looked brand new.
My primary reason for getting this receiver was to play uncompressed latest & best audio formats from Blu ray and HD-DVD. While my previous receiver sounded good (Panasonic SA-XR55) and my wife did not at first understand why we needed to upgrade, she was impressed with the difference. You do not need to be an audiophile (we are not) to be able to appreciate what this receiver can do.
Experience
Movies:
Audio - during a movie scene with rain, it felt like it was raining inside the living room and we ducked as the thunder flashed overhead. We are hearing details that we never heard before, like small echoes inside a cave that make you feel that you are inside a cave.
Video – I knew before buying this receiver that its weak point is video upconversion. The similar receiver that does upconversion well is the 875 but it is more expensive. However, the 805 does not touch the signal when it is passed through to the same interface. In other words, Component->Component, HDMI->HDMI are pass-through. However, Component->HDMI is weak. I deal with this by switching to the Component connection from the receiver to the TV when watching Component source and this is not a problem as I have a programmable remote. However, for those who do not like switching TV inputs, this may be an issue.
Music: While my Panny was a little "bright" (emphasis on the treble), and the Onkyo 805 I'll describe as "neutral," the biggest difference for me was how well balanced it remains across frequencies as the volume goes up & up. While this receiver handles the right source material (HD audio from Blu Ray and HD-DVD) very well, it also does great things with CDs and mp3 sources. Now I rip my CDs with the uber-standard but I hear more detail from my old CDs ripped at 192 Kbps than I ever did.
Sports: My last receiver handled it pretty well so I cannot tell much of a difference other than you can play it louder and you feel like you're inside the stadium or arena.
Set up
Speakers: I have 5.1 speakers (two floor-standing Pioneers from long ago), a Pioneer Center, Pioneer bookshelves with the larger woofers, and an Infinity sub. These are not great speakers by any means and I need to upgrade them, but I mention them to point out that this receiver is a worthwhile upgrade even with so-so speakers.
The receiver does Audyssey MultiEQ EX to automatically calibrate your speakers for the listening positions in your room. You plug in the included mic and position it at ear level where you would normally sit, and follow the on screen prompts. You can calibrate the speakers for multiple listening positions to create a listening zone. The receiver correctly identified the speaker distances and frequency ranges, and set the outputs that corrected for these. Great stuff.
Sources:
1) PS3 (HDMI video & audio)
2) PVR (HDMI video & audio) – Scientific Atlanta 8300HD from Cablevision with an external SATA HDD.
3) Xbox 360 with HD-DVD add-on (VGA to TV for video & Toslink for audio)
4) DVD player (DVI-HDMI for video & S/PDIF for audio) - Oppo 971H
5) Network streaming video (Component for video & S/PDIF to for audio) - Roku Photobridge
6) Network streaming audio (Toslink) – Roku Soundbridge M1001B
I use the Oppo for playing CDs, and the Soundbridge for Internet radio or my mp3 collection with the TV off. Unfortunately, the Xbox 360 does not have HDMI or analog outputs so I cannot get Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD from it. The receiver connects to my Samsung 56" DLP (HL-S5687W).
My set up was a cinch. I planned the connections ahead of time. I plugged in everything and went through the set up to tell the receiver where each source was connected. You can also rename the inputs, so that instead of DVD it says "PS3" or "Playstatn3". I told the receiver that the PS3 was connected to HDMI1, the PVR to Component2, the Photobridge to Component1 and Coax 1, and so on. The next step was to go on-line and tell my programmable remote (Logitech Harmony 676) about the new receiver and all the connections. That took all of 10 minutes even with my moderately complicated set up and the universal remote was controlling everything perfectly. The most time was taken in making the physical cable connections.
HDMI surprise
The HDMI port on my Scientific Atlanta 8300HD PVR does not work with my TV. I have thought about returning it for another one (which means that I'd lose all my recordings). Much to my surprise, when I connected it to the receiver through HDMI, everything worked perfectly! Normally HDCP, the copyright protection scheme of HDMI, creates problems when there are intermediary devices like receivers or HDMI switches. For some strange reason, the Onkyo worked out the kink and now I have my PVR working with HDMI.
Misc
Some people have reported problems with particular devices, with lags when switching from one HDMI input to another or pops. No such issue for me. The HDMI switching works quickly without drop outs on video and no pops on audio.
Others have reported that their 805 runs very warm, so I was expecting a space heater. I have a Bell'O TV stand that has only about 1.5" clearance at the top and is open in the front back and one side. The receiver has not yet gotten anything beyond a mild warmth. Nothing yet that is too warm to hold my hand against for a minute.
Some like the universal remote that comes with this receiver but I prefer my Harmony 676, so I cannot really comment on the abilities of the remote.
The Pros
- Plays the latest HD audio formats in Blu Ray & HD-DVD (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio)
- Post-processing of PCM over HDMI (can put out 7.1 from a 5.1 input)
- Powerful amp with THX Ultra2 certification
- Burr brown DAC (Data converters at the highest end of the precision range, including 24-bit)
- HDMI switching of 3 inputs
- On screen (TV) display for set up
- Never before seen feature set at this price range
The Cons
- Bad up-conversion from Component or S-video to HDMI
- Size (it is a behemoth that barely fit on my TV stand)
- Requires ventilation (like most units with its amp & features)
Comparison
I had considered the Onkyo TX-SR605 and TX-SR705 as well. A quick note regarding why I picked the TX-SR805.
The 605, 705 and 805 all accept audio over HDMI, specifically uncompressed PCM (player decodes the audio) and bitstream (receiver decodes the audio). These receivers are considered future proof because they can decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio over PCM or bitstream (Note: Only two players send Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio over bitstream right now, and the rest do PCM over HDMI). What the 605 cannot do is HDMI post-processing, such as converting 5.1 to 7.1. The 705 & 805 can also do HDMI post-processing.
If you do not need post-HDMI processing, are okay with the lower power, two HDMI inputs and do not need high quality DACs, then the TX-SR605 should work fine for you.
The TX-SR705 adds an additional HDMI input, HDMI post-processing and more power (THX Select2).
The TX-SR805 adds a more powerful amp (THX Ultra2) and Burr-brown DACs.
The TX-SR875 adds better video upconversion.
Overall
My speakers are decent but not that great. Another comment from my wife was that it sounded like we had new speakers. The receiver has added a completely new and immersive dimension to watching Blu Ray movies. Even some movie theaters are not up to snuff compared to our home theater experience. Someday, I will upgrade my HD DVD player to take advantage of this receiver, but one thing at a time. The TX-SR805 is beefy and can play music clearly & loudly. It is a nice HDMI switch that has upgraded & simplified my home theater connections. I was fortunate in paying $525 for a refurbished model that is like new and I recommend it at $900 as well.
Two-month update
Fast-forward to two months later. I have replaced the Xbox HD-DVD add-on with a Toshiba A3 HD-DVD player to get uncompressed audio (still PCM). I also sold the Oppo DVD player as I can play DVDs on the Tosh A3 or the PS3. But more importantly, I replaced my front speakers with Polk Audio RTi8's ($149 each) and the center with a Polk CSi3 ($149). What a difference! Not only is the sound clearer, and the highs & the mids much better sounding, but I'm also getting louder sound at the same volume levels. We are hearing more detail in our music than before. Leonard Cohen's "Go No More A-Roving" shows off this receiver with the deep bass and the clear reeds.
I'm replacing all my speaker wire with 12 gauge and eventually will pick up RTi4's for the backs.
I highly recommend checking out the threads on the Onkyo series receivers at avsforum. The official Onkyo TX-SR705 Thread has a lot of info that applies to this receiver as well, including set-up, common set-up mistakes to avoid, and how to use the full capabilities of this receiver, including uncompressed audio from Blu Ray and HD-DVD.
