Onkyo HT-SP908 7.1 Channel Home Theater System

by Onkyo

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 96 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000UN44HW
• Item model number: HTSP908
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,787 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Making Waves as one of the Best in High-Definition, Networked Home Entertainment

Meet the standout leader of Onkyo's new range of home theater systems. Embracing all of the technologies synonymous with the 2007 line-up - including HDMI 1.3a, Dolby® TrueHD, DTS-HD® Master Audio, and Audyssey 2EQ - the HT-SP908 7.1-channel home theater system has a number of advantages that propel it into the home theater super league. 7.1-channel A/V receiver and HD conversion DVD/CD/MP3 player combine to expertly handle DVD, broadcasts, CDs, digital music and video files from your computer as well as satellite radio to open up a huge reservoir of internet and computer-based audio resources.

HT-SP908's full-featured remote

Enjoy the cutting edge of technology with the1080p HDMI Simple Solution - just one cable to TV with HDMI video up-conversion in AV Receiver. In line with Onkyo's impeccable track record, under the hood of the HT-SP908 you will find an innovative power supply, remarkable amplification design, and high-performance parts from the likes of Texas Instruments. "Complete" is a tag not given lightly, but the HT-SP908 earns it in style.

Better Class of Home Theater Video and Sound System

Take a look at Onkyo's high end home theater system capable of passing 1080p video and studio-master-quality audio, such as DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD. With HDMI version 1.3a as your link, the HT-SP908 becomes a home theater dynamo with real versatility. The Audyssey 2EQ Auto Speaker Calibration system creates a larger listening 'sweet spot' by using multiple calibration points. It is ideal for larger area and family listening. This slim, wall mountable 7.1 speaker system includes a two-way dual woofer front speaker, a two-way dual woofer center speaker, a one-way surround speaker and a 10 inch 230W powered subwoofer for a total of 1000W of audio versatility packaged in an attractive wood cabinet.

Multimedia Center to Manage Digital Audio and Video Files

The 7.1-channel A/V receiver and HD conversion DVD/CD/MP3 player combine to expertly handle DVDs, broadcasts, CDs, satellite radio as well as digital music and video files from your computer. The HT-SP908, which is Microsoft Windows Media certified, can play DRM music downloads from Napster and CDquality files from MusicGiants with Windows Media Player serving as its command center. You can also bring your iPod® to the party with the included RI docking station, which neatly integrates the device into your home entertainment system.

The HT-SP908 is the home theater total package

For internet radio, you can access stations that use MP3 or WMA streaming. This system includes some stunning innovations like Audyssey 2EQ™ to correct room acoustics, multi-room playback, a full connectivity suite (with switching and upconversion), it is fully XM and SIRIUS ready, and has an integrated system control. These features elevate this system into a league of its own. With many of the features found in Onkyo's high-def A/V receiver line-up — Audyssey 2EQ™, Faroudja DCDi, RIHD, HDMI and component video upconversion — the HT-SP908 looks every bit the total solution.

1080p Video and High-Resolution Audio Processing via HDMI 1.3a

Multiple HDMI inputs and outputs enable you switch four of the latest high-definition components between either of the HT-SP908's two assignable HDMI inputs and one HDMI output. This offers a simple, one-cable solution for connecting your Blu-ray and HD-DVD players, satellite and cable boxes, media centers as well as gaming consoles. The High-Definition Multimedia Interface delivers the latest high-definition audio formats — Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby® Digital Plus and DTS-HD® High Resolution Audio — which are then processed by the HT-SP908's onboard DOLBY and DTS decoders. These new formats enable unprecedented quality, including bit-for-bit reproduction for TrueHD and Master Audio. Also, HDMI 1.3a gives you greater bandwidth to deal with higher resolutions, 36-bit Deep Color™ and high frame rates.

Product Description

Many home theater systems are designed as an add on to HDTV. With little thought or imagination, these systems detract from, rather than enhance high-definition home entertainment. With generic amplifier designs, limited playback capabilities, and inferior parts, they are little match for the range of A/V formats, sources, and technologies offered today. The HT-SP908 is a completely different proposition. With the TX-SR605 7.1-channel A/V surround home theater receiver and the DV-SP405 DVD/CD/MP3 player providing video and multichannel audio via today's ultimate transport, High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), this system will effortlessly transport audio and video signals in the digital domain. Some stunning innovations, like Audyssey 2EQ¿ to correct room acoustics, multi-room playback, a full connectivity suite (with switching and upconversion), XM and SIRIUS capability, and integrated system control, elevate this system into a league of its own.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Onkyo I've owned yet, January 17, 2008

By 

Dougie Fresh (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Onkyo HT-SP908 7.1 Channel Home Theater System (Electronics)

I've been a big fan of Onkyo since I bought my first Onkyo receiver and CD player back in 1994. This is my third Onkyo purchase and an upgrade from an Onkyo 700 I bought about five years ago. I bought this HTIB because it had everything I was looking for to go with my new HDTV. I wanted HDMI switching, low profile speakers I could mount on the wall, a powered subwoofer, a DVD player with HDMI and to improve the whole sound experience. This package had it all and at a pricepoint well below the systems I was trying to put together by hand.

Being experienced with Onkyo and setting up HT systems of my own, I had little trouble getting this system setup. I wanted to "do it right" this time so I bought banana plugs to terminate the speaker wire (I did not use the wire that came with the system) which makes it SO MUCH easier to install. Besides the speaker connections, I have an HDMI cable going from my cable box and another from the DVD player into the Onkyo receiver and an HDMI out going to my HDTV. I also have a analog output from my cable box into the receiver for listening to on Zone 2 and a mini-jack to stereo RCA plug into the receiver for hooking up either my MP3 player or laptop for playing MP3s. This is by far much less cluttered than before thanks to the HDMI cables.

The sound of the system and all the options for adjusting the sounds blow away my Onkyo 700. The speakers sound better than the Bose 501s and Cambridge Soundworks surrounds I had setup with the 700. Both the new system and the old system were setup for 5.1 but the new system just blows the old system away in terms of sounds and 5.1 effects. I think a lot of that has to do with the subwoofer but the other part of it is that the sound just seems more "expansive" for lack of a better term. The speakers look fantastic on the wall and they sound really good. It's hard to believe the quality of the sound given the pricepoint of this system.

The HDMI switching works great and I've noticed absolutely no degradation in picture quality running the HDMI through the receiver vs. directly to the HDTV. I don't have equipment to take advantage of the HDMI 1.3a capabilities but it's nice to know that someday if I get a DVD player that supports TrueHD or an HDTV that supports the various 1.3a features my receiver can handle it.

I have three small complaints about the system but they aren't enough for me to reduce my rating from 5 stars.

1. The DVD player comes set out of the box to NOT output DD5.1 through HDMI. You have to go into the DVD player settings to change that. It's not a big deal but a real pain if you don't happen to notice that in the product manual it's default is to not output DD5.1. That seems like a poor choice of default setting out-of-the-box.

2. The subwoofer when it kicks on out of standby mode tends to make a "popping" noise. I am going to try turning down the volume on the sub to see if that makes it less noticeable. This happens when watching TV. If there's no sounds below the crossover threshold for sometime, the sub turns off. When it turns back on "pop" goes the sub.

3. This thing get HOT. The receiver gets so hot. I have it in a small cabinet with glass doors. I've had to lower the shelf to give it more space and install a fan on the back of the cabinet. That's helped quite a bit but before it would get so hot you could not touch it. My other Onkyo receivers NEVER got like that.

Overall, this is just a terrific buy. I am very happy and have been enjoying it thoroughly along with my new HDTV mounted above it. They compliment each other very well. It's great for watching TV, movies and for listening to music and it looks great in my cabinet and up on the walls.

---- Update 2011-Aug-18 ----
Here we are nearly 3 1/2 years later. This receiver and most of it's components are still the center of my home theater. Unfortunately, one of the speakers has a buzzing in it now sounding like it's been blown so that needs replacing. I also discovered, once I moved to using DTS-HD audio format that there is a bug in the firmware for certain early models that causes loud popping noises in some soundtracks. Mine is one of those early models. It's something that can only be upgraded at a service center. You can find more information on the Onkyo USA website, Google: "TX-SR605 Firmware Update". Other than that, it's still going strong.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, February 12, 2008

By 

Frank Trovato "voice.blogspot.com" (Long Island, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Onkyo HT-SP908 7.1 Channel Home Theater System (Electronics)

I am one of those people that will hem and haw over a purchase like this for a long time, and that is exactly what I did. I read reviews, write ups, specifications, you name it I read it. I had settled on two other systems before deciding on this one because of its power, versatility and its compatibility.

Setup - You will find that running the speaker cable (if you run it behind walls) is the hardest part of the installation. Once all of that is completed the rest is a breeze. Anyone that knows anything will tell you to run at least 16 AWG speaker cable instead of the wires they provide for you. I ran 14 AWG cable and the difference it makes is something that you will notice, especially if you compare the wires side by side. I would also recomend getting a decent Sub-Woofer Coax Cable. Hanging the speakers on the wall is a breeze. You do not need brackets or hangers of any kind. Simply mark the wall where the wire should come through and use an anchor and hand the speaker using the mounting holes on the back. Simple and easy. Use extra care when connecting the speakers to the outputs on the receiver as you do not want to short anything together. Some peopel swear by banana clips but I am a believer that the more connections you make the more you can degrade the signal. Use HDMI for audio whenever possible because if you have a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player that can decode the highest quality audio then gguess what, this receiver can decode it through its HDMI v1.3 ports. Once everything is connected, you are ready to roll. Using the Audeysey automatic speaker calibration is a breeze and it really does give you the best sound with some minor adjustments to your personal liking.

Performance - I have a standard DVD player (packaged with the 708) connected with COAX digital, a PS3 with HDMI, a cable box with Fiber COAX all connected to the system. the Blu-Ray uncompressed audio is a thing of audio beauty. It takes a little setup to get it from the PS3 as right now it is unable to bitstream the signal (upgrades are said to be coming), but uncompressed audiio can be accessed by selecting the PCM selection on the PS3. When playing "Live Free or Die Hard" I selected DTS-MA and presto. It will only say PCM Multi Channel Audio on the Receiver, but the sound is incredible. The first action sequence in the movie involves a shootout with car chases, bullets flying and a massive explosion. The system outputs to all 7.1 channels with amazing clarity and the subwoofer can be house shaking at its higher settings. When playing DVDs I would recomend the DTS:NEO selection on the receiver, as it compensates for DVDs not having that extra 2 channels of audio. Watching the Matrix trilogy was an absolute treat. The system just immerses you in the action and gives you that theater feel that we all crave out of our Home Theaters from the fight sequences to the simple sounds of one of the hovercrafts flying by shaking your windows. For a "home theater in a box" I feel for the money you cannot get a better setup. For the true audiophile, I have read that upgrading your speakers can get you even lower lows and higher hghs, but I am content to stick with the very attractive speakers that it came with. The receiver is fully compatable with the highest audio quality streams available today, and will upconvert any component, S Video, and composite to 720p through its HDMI v1.3 ports.

The only problem I had with the system is that the original sub woofer it came with was defective as a loud rattle came from it on low band sounds. I simply packed it up and sent it back with the enclosed return label and 4 days later I had my replacement that works flawlessly. I have been enjoying TV, DVD and Blu Ray in all of its audio glory ever since and would recomend this system to anyone who would ask.

Highest Recomendation.

FCT
voice.blogspot.com

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Onkyo HT-SP908 7.1 - Excellent System, January 18, 2008

By 

Curtis Bard "c.bard" (Bard's Delight in Western New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

We are very happy with this Onkyo HT-SP908 7.1 system. Probably, the $2000-$3,000 systems are better, but this system is all most people will need. The discounted price helped make the decision for us. The iPod Dock works well for regular classic iPods and for iPod Nanos, but not for iTouch iPods. Some photos don't show the iPod dock, but it is included, and allows the user to play songs and videos in vivid color and vibrant sound on your flat screen TV/surround sound system.

We also purchased a Sony 52" LCD HD-TV, an Apple-TV unit, and a Playstation 3. Both the AppleTV and the Playstation can access the Internet if you have a router/modem setup in your location. Together all these units really complement each other, and provide a true home theater experience.

The HD channels are an excellent video and audio experience, and every day more stations and channels are switching over to HD. The regular SB source is ok, but HD channels (and Blu-ray DVDs with our Sony PS3) are fantastic. The Onyko DVD player is ok, but having a PS3 DVD / Blu-ray player is a better way to go.

I'm still confused about whether to use upgraded speaker cable gauge, or not. (We bought a roll of heavier gauge wire in case we want to replace speaker wires, and/or need extensions for some speakers.) We also purchased the recommended 1000 series Monster cables and a Monster outlet unit to be sure to get the best sound and picture and surge protection from our home theater system. We also intend to buy a relatively inexpensive SquareTrade extended warranty to help protect our investment.

It's a good idea to get 2 or 3 pairs of speaker stands, unless you will mount your flat panel TV and speakers on the wall. (We purchased the cheaper ones that worked out ok.)

This particular model has a full 1080p HDMI port that allows easy connection. (The other Onyko amps / systems have only pass-thru HDMI ports, which necessitates the use of additional cables.)

As everyone says, you can probably get a better system by buying individual components from one company and speakers from another, but that costs a lot more, and is a lot harder to set up. This Onkyo system is great for most of us home theater users that want good value and good sound to match the beautiful vivid and vibrant pictures of the new HD-TVs.