Customer Reviews

Onkyo TX-SR608 7.2-Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)

5 star:		(104)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

Unlike a lot of CEs, Onkyo may have indavertantly cannibalized its own model lineup by pushing so much featureset into an entry level receiver that it might deter buyers from their higher end models. I recently did a thorough comparison of the Pioneer VSX-1020 and Denon AVR-791 and the Onkyo nudged out the Pioneer due to its beefier amp section and OSD capabilities. That said, I must caution users that its value is marred by what appears to be a bug with its ability to pass through HDMI video signals unmolested, even in "Through" modes. This bug manifests itself in two ways: 1. 24 bit sources (like cable hdtv) are upconverted to 30 bit when output on a display; AND 2. for some inexplicable reason, 1080p 24fps sources stutter intermittently as if a frame is dropped. The latter might be more noticeable to plasma owners whereas 120hz and 240hz LCDs might compensate for the frame stuttering with their interpolation software (ie the soap opera effect).

With that caveat, the Onkyo is a terrific performer offering strong power (power consumption is up from the 607 to a very grown up 756 watts), terrific flexibility (four speaker terminals can be assigned to wide, height or zone 2). The Denon is limited to merely 7 speaker terminals and the Pioneer has only a pair of assignable terminals. The Audyssey auto-callibration (2EQ) is a notch behind Denon, but the inclusion of Audyssey DSX (for wide arrangements) is a feature that the Denon does not offer. While it lacks the USB terminal for Ipod playback of the Pioneer and the Denon, it does offer a computer input which might resolve the HDMI handshake nightmare many face with htpcs.

Onkyo rather smartly included a fan atop of the receiver, which is silent and all but eliminates the historical Onkyo toaster oven effect.

I really enjoy this receiver, but found the HDMI video molestation issues to quite problematic and what mar an otherwise incredible buy. Hopefully Onkyo can issue a firmware update.

As others have said, the two 1 star reviews do not review this new Onkyo 608 (makes no sense to me).

Anyway, I absolutely love my new Onkyo 608. I never review stuff, but I wanted to give props to this receiver. I was debating between this one and the new Pioneer 1020. However, I've heard that the amps in the Pioneers don't compare to the amps in the Onkyos. Though I cannot verify the truth of this, I do believe that the amp in the Onkyo is of a very high quality. I have already noticed a tremendous amount of power increase over my previous Yamaha receiver (the model that was included with the Yamaha 390 HTIB). This puts out a lot more sound, and I absolutely love the ability to take advantage of HD audio. I noticed a huge fidelity difference in the compressed Dolby Digital track for Dark Knight and the Dolby True HD. The track was intended to include a lot of bass, and the HD includes all of it. The regular Dolby did not compare. Thus, HD audio is definitely worth having if you own a blu-ray player. Just like video quality (some transfers are better than others; aka reference quality), not all sound tracks will have a huge difference, but to me, it's still worth it. Back to the Onkyo: I love it. There are so many settings that you can tweak. If you like the ability to configure your equipment, you will love this receiver! You can also bi-amp with this receiver, which is nice if you don't have 7 speakers.

First and foremost, people that don't even own the "608" shouldn't even be posting here. Trying to compare the "608" that has a built in fan and the "606" that doesn't AND has the fact the "608" has 2x the amount of features is like apple and oranges. Enough said about that and onto a review by a person that actually owns the "608".... Pushes my polk audio speakers very very well (2 @ 70 monitors, 4 @ 50 monitors, 1 @ cs2 center, and powered psw505). Volume hardly goes past 1/2 way / 50,,, anymore and the neighbors start calling cops im sure.. Loads of options and can be tweeked untill you are blue in the face. Got sub set @ 80hz, front main 70's set @ 60hz, all 4 surround 50 speakers set @ 80hx THX, and cs2 center set @ 80hz THX. One really really nice thing about the onkyo 608 is how cool it is and stays @ room temp with the built in fan. I'm loving this receiver so far and would highly advise anyone to purchase without a 2nd thought. More receiver than I need with no need for seperate amp.

The Onkyo TX-SR608 is an amazing receiver for the cost. One of the best aspects of this receiver is the way it handles the volume control. First of all you can set the volume level that the receiver on turns on so you are not overwhelmed with a loud volume right away. Also you can set a maximum level so you don't accidentally turn the volume level too high. Audyssey Dynamic Volume is perfect when you don't want huge fluxuations in volume so that dialogue, music and surround effects don't drown each other out. This means you don't have to constantly turn volume up and down during a movie as it maintains a more consistant level of volume. In order to use Audyssey Dynamic Volume you MUST run Audyssey 2EQ Acoustic Room Correction first. Place included microphone on a cheap tripod for this; DO NOT HOLD IN YOUR HAND as I have read some have;this can have an adverse effect on sound output. Set the Dynamic Volume to the Compression Mode you want(Light, Medium, or Hesvy as Off is Default) set Re-EQ function to ON as well. The instruction manual is very detailed and easy to understand. Default setings are underlined in the instruction manual.

I really love Audyssey DSX it really gives a much fuller sound to the movie soundtrack. I use the front wide setup as opposed to the front height channels.

This is the sixth receiver I've owned over the years, starting with Onkyo, then Sony, then JVC, then Denon, then Harmon Kardon, and now back to Onkyo. Along the way I've owned several Onkyo CD and DVD players as well. I've always admired their sturdy, no-nonsense, slightly industrial design, with a healthy respect for a few well-placed actual buttons instead of overloading on dials that require me to cycle through everything. What once seemed like an antiquated display, with those classic, typically Onko-like pixelated characters that haven't changed in years, now fills me with nostalgia and a respect for its simplicity, clarity, and effectiveness. My impression has been that Onkyo understands how to maximize value at this price point. I have enough income that I could entertain ambitions toward higher-end audio solutions, but I've learned over the years that the returns diminish rapidly beyond this price point, especially considering how relatively quickly the technology in home theater is changing (the recent HDMI changes being an obvious example). So I tend to upgrade every 5 years or so, as it turns out, and I don't have to break the bank doing it.

I chose the 608 model because it enables me to route all my incoming video through a single HDMI output--most importantly VGA video from my computer media center (you won't find that option in most receivers), plus composite video from my Xbox 360. This was important because I needed to ceiling-mount my projector a good distance away from the amplifier, and I would have experienced too much signal loss over analog connections at that distance. Now I rely upon a single 25-ft HDMI cable to route everything to the projector. Works great, and I can easily map audio and video sources as I see fit using the menus displayed through my projector. Currently I'm using it to drive a 7.1 channel setup and I plan to add a pair of front high speakers a bit later to go ahead and have the full 7.2. Why not. Another good Onkyo purchase.

I am a flat screen, surround sound installer. AKA an Audio / Video Technician / Installer. I have literally installed and setup over 50 of these Onkyo's. I have NEVER had any problems with any of the units! NEVER!!

The difference between my review and other reviews is that this is my job, and I am a VERY technical person. I have learned all the "secrets" as to how to setup this receiver. Every receiver today is getting more and more complicated Because there are more and more options and features. Forget about the old days of plug and play. Gone.

Whenever you add such a complicated component, such as this caliber of receiver, then there is either a learning curve with time spent reading the manual or hire a professional, such as myself lol. IF you want convenience and maximum potential out of any component these days, you will HAVE TO invest time or money.

In my professional opinion, this receiver is my #1 choice for 90% of my customers. It is equivalent to a Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. It's not a Kia and also not a Mercedes.

This is my 2nd Onkyo AV receiver. Our old one TX-SR-503 is still working great, but I wanted something with HDMI inputs. This new model is a great upgrade. It was easy to setup with the included mike. Audessey Dynamic EQis a very nice feature. You do have to read the manual to tweek it. I turned off the video upconversion. (see pg 21 of the manual). When it was on, I noticed some very slight distortion on certain Tv channels (TNT, YES) I read some forums on it and it was recommeded to turn it off. Each input has its own audio & video setting.Right now I only have a Comcast DVR box & a Samsung Bluray player hooked up to it. One of the HDMI jacks is in the front, which makes it easy to connect my laptop to it.
The Audessey EQ feature will automaticly detect how many & what size your speakers are. It also sets up the crossover frequency. You can go back in and do it manually. There are also many other settings you can play around with, such as THX mode (if you have THX speakers) Dolby true HD & DTS-HD master audio,
Dynamic volume control,A/V sync , Intellivolume and others. You can reasign and rename the inputs. It is HD radio ready, SIRIUS sattlelite ready and THX select 2 certified.
Our family really enjoys the better sound. I currently have Kenwood HTIB speakers hooked up. The Onkyo makes them sound better.
I have replace the center channel speaker with a Definitive Tech ProCinema 1000. What a Difference! I hope to replace all the speakers with the Def Tech 1000 line. I'm sure it will sound great with the Onkyo TX-SR608.

UPDATE 8/27/10
I noticed a glitch in the HDMI THROUGH feature. When I activated the HDMI THROUGH feature, which is supposed to allow HDMI signal to pass through with the receiver on standby,it kicks off the 4:3 overide off on my Cable box. At first I thought it was the cable box, so I swapped it out with a new model, and the same thing happend. Yes, I actually don't have the stereo on all the time to save power and to watch the news @ 5:00a.m. After a factory reset,I finally narrowed it down to the "HDMI THROUGH" feature. Not sure what I'm going to do.Either take it back, or hook up cable direct to TV and optical to receiver.
I still like the way it sounds and the funtions. Any suggestions?

I have never encountered a receiver with such a fantastic bang-for-the-buck ratio.

I've been running mine nonstop since I received it, and it stays cool, in every meaning of the word.

My old HDTV has Never looked so good. As a side-note, the remote operates all my peripherals except for my Roku Netflix box, but that's probably because I haven't found the input codes for it yet, if they exist.

Please Note: The two negative reviews dated before this one Do Not Apply to this receiver and don't belong here. They really skew the ratings and should be removed.

Hi first dont believe a thing in the first 2 reviews they are talking about old products this receiver is brand new and just released it runs much cooler, it is the first receiver to support HDMI 1.4 3d, it is truly cutting edge all the way I have been running it for 2 days non stop it does not get very hot like the old ones it sounds fantastic this is one of the best electronic purchase I have made in along time Thank you onkyo for a Great product

I agree that the Houston, TX and Colorado Springs, CO reviews are not discussing the Onkyo TX-SR608, which was released in mid-April 2010. Someone at Amazon should remove them, and then remove this first paragraph.

I have had the SR608 for only a few days. It has replaced my old, but faithful, Sony STR-DB930 receiver. It will be moved and placed into semi-retirement.

I have spent several hours extracting my previous (non-HDMI) receiver and installing this unit. Just the ability to remove my HDMI switch, and thereby greatly simplifying my wiring, has been a much appreciated benefit of having the SR608.

Another benefit of having a SR608 is, of course, its set of features. The 1.4a HDMI ports (one on the front panel and five on the back), the sound/speaker balancing and leveling (no irritating volume increases during commercials), the two sub woofer ports, the second stereo zone, the "high" speakers option, and the on-the-TV menus are very nice design features which should keep me technically current, for at least a few years.

I encourage everyone to seriously consider this unit for a well equipped, entry level receiver. Onkyo TX-SR608 100-Watt 7.2-Channel A/V Home Theater Receiver (Black)