Customer Reviews

Onkyo TX-NR3007 140 Watts 9.2-Channel AV Surround Home Network Receiver (Black)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I researched my AVR choice for months, read plenty of reviews, both pro and consumer, and settled on this one. There are several home theater forums as well that were very helpful- although realize that on any internet forum you tend to concentrate those who are having problems with the unit. People who don't have problems don't tend to say as much- and that goes for any product.

For me, this thing works like a champ. I chose this over the 1007 for 1)better video processing (Reon chip), 2) independant power supplies (video/aduio/etc), and at the time, I found it for a great price, only a bit more than the 1007. It also has Dolby Dynamic volume, which the 1007 doesn't have- but I use the audyssey dynamic volume anyways. The backlit remote is nice too- although not a reason to buy this over the 1007. At first, I wasn't sure if the Reon chip was worth it, my projector suppossedly has the same chip, but I can tell a big difference upconverting my Dish 720p. The image looks much better when I let the Onkyo do the upconversion as oppossed to my projector. Likewise, it does a better job with DVD material compared to my BR which also upconverts DVDs, just not as well as the Onkyo.

There are plenty of comprehensive reviews about all the many, many features this unit has. I'll let you research those. Compared to other brands, this seemed to have the most bang for the buck. No other 9.2 recievers in this price range. Few THX Ultra certified recievers in this price range. More HDMI inputs than anyone else. I currently have a 5.1 setup with high quality quadrapolar surrounds, and to be honest, I don't think I'll be getting rear surrounds any time soon. I will probably add height next. From everything I've read height makes more of an impact than rear surrounds.

Plenty loud, plenty of headroom. Customizations out the wazoo. Audyssey microphone automatically sets up the unit for you. Mine runs warm, but after a full length movie with the sound cranked up it's not hot by any stretch.

I don't use the net features, can't comment.

So far I use it with my dish 622 box (HDMI), panasonic BR (HDMI), sanyo DVD (component), macbook (HDMI), airport express (optical) and hooked up to a samsung plasma (HDMI) and epson projector (HDMI) without any problems.

After my Outlaw Audio 1050 broke, I researched and got this receiver. The pros are:

1. Superior audio amplifier - I listen usually from low to moderate levels and the quality is noticeable still after a few months. I'm using Dynaudio speakers.
2. Several HDMI inputs - Easy switching, using the receiver as the central control point.
3. Additional zone - I pipe the music into the garage below my living room.
4. Internet radio - You can enter in stations into the unit's webserver, provided that you've connected it to your home network. See image I uploaded.
5. Streaming mp3 - You can play back mp3's and other formats from your Windows Media computer if you've got sharing enabled. It can search for playlists as well. I'm using a Windows Home Server HP EX490 1TB Mediasmart Home Server (Black) which always streams music. My computer, however, uses iTunes. I use a couple programs to synchronize music between computer and Home Server, and automatically convert nightly from iTunes playlist format to Windows Media format. This enables playlists on the receiver (as well as Xbox 360 and PS3).
6. Automatic update of firmware via Internet.
7. Works well with Harmony One remote Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]

A few cons:
1. No switching outlets, which means it won't turn on pieces of equipment with it. I bought a power strip that will detect when the unit turns on and then in turn power on ambient lighting and a couple wall warts. Smart Strip SCG3 Energy Saving Power Strip with Autoswitching Technology
2. Old mp3's cause the unit to stop dead in its tracks. Not so good during a party. mp3's from (say) 10 years ago will cause the unit to close the connection to your streaming server. Only a power on/off will restore it. You'll have to (say) use iTunes to convert the offending song to mp3 again. Delete the original and that will take care of the problem. Took me a while to figure out this issue since it could have been the server, the unit, the connection, the router, etc. Maybe a future update will take care of this.
3. Audible clicking when a new digital stream happens, be it from a new HDMI source, new streaming song, etc. Not a big deal, but I wish they had used quieter relays.

Having said all that, this unit is awesome and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

Below is a review of the TX-NR 3007

My System:
DVp-602ci Video Processor
TX-NR3007
PDP-6020 Pioneer TV
Midrange V2s Tower Speakers (2)
Mirage S12 Powered Subwoofer
Mirage V2s Omnistat satellites (4)
Mirage Omnistat V2cc Center
Dish VIP 622
OPPO BDP 83

SETUP:
First let me say the setup was harder than I thought. The quick setup quite (paper hard copy supplied) was a lifesaver. For those of us that are a bit older, the speaker connections can be hard to see. I would have preferred to have the speaker inputs color coded better like the TX-SR705 (this replaced that one). From start to finish it took me about 90 minutes. My suggestion to anyone purchasing the "NR" models is to connect the speakers and then go right to the speaker set up. I saved myself a lot of hassle by reading this forum first. You must use the supplied microphone and SET UP THE SPEAKERS FIRST. The GUI is helpful but not necessarily intuitive. It took some playing around for me to get to the correct menus and set up everything to my taste.

VIDEO
I use a Denon DVP-602ci. That system uses the Realta T2 Chip. I already had a nice picture for HD sources and a good picture for SD sources. The Reon VX chip took my picture to the next level. It is not so much dramatic as it is 'refined". I am using the low settings for all noise reduction settings. Basically I feed 1080i from the cable box to the processor and output 1080i from the processor to the receiver. The racier is set to 1080P. The processor is the hub for noise reduction and the receiver does all the scaling and de interlacing. The combination is incredible. Besides no video noise at all, the picture is just more crisp and clean with what appears (I am sure it is not the actual case) deeper black levels and contrast. I am extremely picky when it comes to video. The ISF night/day modes work well too. I switch between them and the low noise reduction settings with ISF set to custom. I also tried the picture without the Denon processor in the mix. While the combination is the best it still puts out a really good picture. I was very skeptical of the implementation of the Reon VX on a receiver. It seems to be a good one.

SOUND
My speakers sounded okay with the 705. This is another level all together. Onkyo has moved away from booming sounds. It is much more balanced and refined. The Audyssey EQ system works flawlessly. NO LOUD COMMERCIALS. All HD codes are properly processed. I also have not had any clicking noises (so far tg). The other thing I like is this receiver has much more gradations for volume. It makes it much easier to dial in the perfect volume without going up or down too far.

In a nutshell the TX-Nr3007 is 9.5 out of 10 for me!

I just replaced a Pioneer Elite with this new Onkyo 9.2. This new Audessey DSX technology is awesome. I have all 11 speakers (Def Tech) hooked up plus 2 subs and I can tell you that the front high and front wide speakers do make a huge difference. If you have ever been to a place like the Hayden planetarium or maybe Epcot at Disney and experienced the sound at a show in a theme room there it's kind of like that. You cannot run both front high and front wide pairs at the same time unless you don't use rear surrounds. I find that using the front highs are best with movies and games and the front wides are better with music. And 2 subs give me a break! You don't have to have all speakers you can stick with 5.1 or 7.1 if you like. Then later on you have the option to add speakers. There are so many sound modes with speaker configurations to play with and they all sound good. The remote is better then I expected. It looks good and feels good is backlit and has macros. Macros allow you to shut off all you components with one button. This also hooks up to the internet and listening to Pandora through Ethernet sounds great.
I read a foreign review that said compared to a Yamaha receiver he was disappointed at the sound. This is not a fair or accurate comparison because this receiver has many tweaking adjustments such as crossover cutoffs for each speaker. You can set it up to match your optimum speaker sound. I can tell you that if you buy this receiver matched with Def Tech Speakers you won't be disappointed.

I have had this unit for sometime now. The sound and functionality is great. I had the previous 876 so this was easy to learn. Love streaming Pandora through ethernet.
Known flaw - sound goes out after several on/off cycles. Only was to fix was to pull plug out of wall for hard on/off, which always worked, but was a pain.

New software update downloaded via ethernet connection which has corrected the issue (so far)

This is a fantastic receiver. I thought my last won was great but this is in an entirely new category. Sound is phonomenal and to watch/hear a Blue Ray through this RX astounding. But, I purchased 4 more Def Tech speakers for this; 2 each BP7004's and 2 Mytho's XL's which were another $2500. Used them for front wides and front highs. Problem; you will never get front wides and high to play at the same time no matter what listening mode you use. At best you can hear one of the pairs at the same time, not both. If playing a CD or HD TV you are still only getting 5.1 or 5.2 sound. Even with that I can't complain about the TX-NR3007 but I would not have bought both wides and highs so keep that in mind. You won't regret this receiver.

At first I was hesitant to spend so much on this receiver. Now I have no regrets on pulling the trigger on my purchase. This BAD BOY does it all and more. Setup with TIVO HD DVR, Oppo Blu Ray Player, Sirius Streaming, HP Server, Epson HD Projector & 52" LCD TV, I figure it will take months to tweak everything.

Pros: Lighted remote w/macros , 2 HDMI outputs, Audyssey MultiEQ room correction & speaker setup w/Microphone, On screen setup menu display, ethernet, THX Ultra Plus 2, HQV Reon-VX Video Processing, 9.2 sound, FULL 2 year parts & labor warranty, excellent Onkyo support, etc, etc, etc.

Cons: Heavy (you may need 2 people to lift), High learning curve, remote could use a dedicated light button, audible clicking when switching between sources & listening modes (minor issue supposedly fixed in latest firmware). Not much not to like.

Hook this MONSTER up, Update the firmware, and tweak to your hearts desire. Just be prepared to have the wife ask, (are you playing with that thing again?). I know you'll dig it the most

Have had nothing but problems with this unit. It will suddenly "lose" configuration of the speakers and your unit just goes "dumb." The temporary fix is to "CTL-ALT-DEL" the unit by pressing the VCR and STANDBY button simultaneously which resets the machine to factory settings. That means you've lost all your speaker settings, equalizer settings, the connection paths from component to RCVR, the sound settings for each component, etc. It takes hours to reprogram and just when you get it back, it happens again. No rhyme or reason. 2nd time, I paid pro's to come in and see if I had messed something up. I had not. After 3rd time, Onkyo tech, after a 2 week call-back time (they claim they are overwhelmed with calls--ya think?) intimated it's a known s/w flaw they have not been able to debug--you have to bring it into a dealer. Unfortunately, not all of Amazon's dealers are "certified." Estimate to fix my unit on my dime: $500-$700. Alot of $ for a unit that I've had for 3 months and has failed 3x, ruining 3 family and friend gatherings. Why do these people sell devices they know are not flawed, and may not be warrantied? Another Amazon Electronics failure--these guys are only good for books. Brothers and Sisters--pls look elsewhere.

28 Aug 10/Update: Some additional information with Vann's service. DO NOT TRUST VANN'S. Their 3rd party sub-contractor service rep called today. Rep said the 3007 is a new model so there is not alot off data and they [Onkyo] are still working out the bugs--they know this is an issue. Onkyo tech tried to help (pull out all speaker wires and re-attach). No joy.

Worse, this is how Vann's contracted repair handles tech issues. They just wait for the problem to re-occur. Seriously. No analysis. Not that they hook the AVR into a monitoring system to gather data as the system is working to catch and record the spurious failure. They just plug it in and wait until it happens again. That provides no more information than what I can explain--no telemetry is gathered. The tech "Jimmy" told me and I quote "Vann's only pays me $50 to fix it--that's not enough to do anything else [except plug it in]." In other words, buy from Vann's and you are on your own. He said after 90 days, if the problem has not re-occurred, they send the unit back untouched. Onkyo will not take unit back as it over 30 days old. I asked how I would watch BR, DVDs, IPOD, etc. in the meantime and he said that's not his problem. In other words, no AV Center for up to 3 months while Vann's waits for the problem to re-occur. If it does re-occur. he has to wait for Vann's to give him authority to do more. Vann's never sends the unit back to Onkyo. Folks, I'd stay away from this model and I would stay away from ANYTHING VANN'S sells. I have alot of problems with electronics I buy from Amazon--I think, like Columbia House, used to get years ago, items that are just below the quality threshold (that's why they could get them to you so cheap). I will never purchase electronics from Amazon again, not buy Onkyo until the item is seasoned if at all, and never never trust Vann's as a distributor again. Please don't make the same mistake I did.

For those who have followed, I thank you. Ultimate blow came today with Amazon refusing to honor their A-Z guarantee. So I now have a very expensive, large, very heavy doorstop. I have ceased business with Amazon ($25K in business over last 3 yrs I am sure will not phase them--seriously.) Word to the wise: Don't trust any electronics from Amazon, from Vann's, new products from Onkyo whose bugs are not yet worked out, and don't take solace in Amazon's A-Z gurantee--they will side with the vendor.

I am using this amp for more than two months along with Klipshe RF82
speaker system. Previously I was using Yamaha 2095 amp.
The results are excellent and I am very happy about the purchase.

This unit smoked and went into standby mode. Onkyo quality is questionable. The build up of heat and poor design will shorten this units lifespand. The heat issue is well documented and as other use the unit I expect the reviews will begin to wane. Again, while the specs are impressive, its inability to stand the test of time puts this unit at the bottom of the list of 'must haves'. I would expecially avoid this model and the 5007, you will be disappointed with this purchase.