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Customer Reviews: Average Rating:  Rating :  - Great Functionality, Great Features, Amazing Sound
Like most people, I bought this unit as a replacement for my old receiver (a Pioneer VSX-405...VERY old). Admittedly the TX-SR605 offers more features than I need, but I view it as a good future-proofing purchase.
Setup for the unit was very straightforward, and not just because I know my way around the A/V world. It really is straightforward even for a total novice. Just be sure to read the manual and follow along! What really helped me was the Audyssey speaker setup. This was the first time I had set up a full 5.1 channel system. The Audyssey mic easily mapped out which channels were active and where in the room the speakers were located. I made some manual tweaks to the dB levels after the setup was complete, but that was out of pure personal preference.
Just FYI, here's a quick rundown on my home theater setup. Samsung LNS4051 1080i/720p LCD TV, Panasonic DVD-S53 upconvert DVD player, Time Warner Cable/Scientific Atlanta HD-DVR box. Both the DVD player and cable box are connected straight to the TV via component cables, with digital coaxial cables running to the TX-SR605 for digital sound. Why not HDMI? For some reason the picture with component cables was WAY better than with HDMI. I tried two different brands of cables, and I also compared the picture with the HDMI run into/out of the receiver vs. straight from the DVD player/cable box to the TV. In all cases, component cable was better. So I have to believe the issue is with the HDMI inputs on my TV.
I'm now enjoying full 1080i from both my cable box and DVD player, with Dolby Digital sound via the TX-SR605. I realize not using the HDMI may seem to defeat the purpose of buying the new receiver, but I have to disagree. The sound is just so much better than what I had before. I also like how it automatically recognizes and switches between the Dolby Digital (HD) and the Dolby ProLogic II signals. And for now I have the piece of mind that when I upgrade my TV someday, I have a killer receiver that will handle my HDMI needs.
I have not had any problems with the popping sound or any overheating. I would say my unit is fairly well vented, though there is only about 2.5 inches between the top of the unit and the cabinet. One thing I should note: I did have to replace the receiver soon after I bought it because I couldn't get any sound out of it until level 40+, and was having to run it at 55-60 for basic TV watching. After redoing my setup a million times and making sure I had everything correct according to the manual, I called Onkyo support and was told it is perfectly normal. When I asked the guy why I have to run it at 60+ to get great home theater sound, he said it was a matter of "how the TX-SR605 is calibrated". That seemed really strange to me -- why have a volume scale from 0-100 if the sound is really only rich from 50-100?
I ended up returning my unit to Circuit City and explaining to them what was happening. They tested my unit against the floor display unit and they weren't even close in terms of volume ranges. They decided I had a bad amp and swapped my unit on the spot. It was a little frustrating knowing that Onkyo had basically lied to me, but I'm willing to look past it (for now). Had I been outside the 30-day exchange period, though, I'd probably be writing a very different review!
But since getting the new unit I couldn't be happier. I highly recommend this product! + See Full Customer Review |  |
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