Customer Reviews

Onkyo TX-SR805S 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Silver)

5 star:		(122)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Guess which company managed to get True HD and DTS HD into their next lineup of high end receivers. Onkyo of course!! Cutting edge technology filling your room with beautiful sound.

I received my Onkyo TX-SR805 in the mail yesterday and I couldn't be any more thrilled! The behemoth weighs in at 61 lbs. and you can tell it means business. Daunting as it may look, the setup is a breeze due to the fact that everything you plug into the receiver's many inputs, can be output to the TV through one simple HDMI cable. It upconverts any analog connection you can throw at it whether it's S-video, Component, or simple RCA. If you still have a Hi-Fi VCR or other Standard Definition electronics, I'd suggest investing in at least an S-Video cable for that, or if it does have an RGB Component Cable use that because even though it upconverts RCA it can only do so much for the picture quality. That being said it does upconvert all of these analog signals into 720p, 1080i. It DOESN'T UPCONVERT Composite connections to 1080p. The difference in the upconversion wouldn't be noticeable.

The integrated Faroudja DCDi technology is wonderful! If you thought that your 480p signal was decent before, wait till you see how well this deinterlacing works! Edges have much less noise and things in SD are cleaned up very well through the receiver.

Setup was easy as far as speaker configuration, the Audyssey MultEQ XT auto calibration system runs a speaker measurement set up for up to 8 listening positions in your room! so if you want it to take into account your entire living room seating arrangement, just move the little wired speaker microphone to each listening position and it does all the work.

Unlike some receivers like my recently sold Sony DG800, the receiver's setup menu can be output onto your TV screen. So instead of squinting at the receivers display from across the room, you can see everything right up on the TV screen. However, if you do like to tweak settings while watching TV you can choose not to have it output onto the TV.

If you're actually considering spending around $1000 on a receiver, THIS is the only thing you should be looking at! At the moment, the higher end Denon AVR4306 does just about everything that this Onkyo can do but the Onkyo Receivers are the FIRST receivers to truly decode DTS HD signals, and Dolby True HD! It's absolutely insane all the details that can come out of High Definition Surround Sound! I Recently acquired a Playstation 3 and although I don't plan on converting my DVD collection (500 dvds) to Blu Ray or HD-DVD I did purchase Speed on Blu Ray and I can tell you from what I heard, the future of High Definition Audio is here in this Onkyo TX-SR805! Every detail that they mixed into the movie's original track is encoded into DTS HD. It's literally translated from the original format without any loss of quality. It's ridiculous how amazing it sounds.

You may not hear a huge difference, but when movies start being encoded with this HD Audio, eventually you'll go back to an old DVD and cringe at the sound difference (or at least notice the lack of detail in the audio). If you don't have a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD player don't fret, there's still a vast array of audio settings between Dolby Digital, and DTS there's also THX Ultra2 certified settings that blow you away! I currently have my DVD player setup to THX Cinema and watching the Pod Race in Star Wars Episode One: Phantom Menace is something you should check out A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

All the features can be overwhelming and the remote isn't the most intuitive, but when you spend a little time getting used to the buttons you need to push to make things work in harmony, you'll be happy with what you've got. Not to mention the beefy remote that comes with it can learn button functions which I love. For example when I coded in my HD Dishnetwork Box I couldn't get to the On screen TV Guide or my Recorded TV Menu, so I assigned the buttons manually and now the universal remote does everything my Cable DVR Remote does! If only I could code it to my Windows Media Center Remote oh well.

My one and only tiny complaint about this receiver is that it doesn't have HD Radio. It supports XM and Sirius radio but not HD FM Signals (not sure how to explain it but it's CD quality Free Local Radio Stations). The radio itself sounds fine and I don't listen to the radio very often anyways so it's not a big deal to me, but being as future proof as this receiver is, it should have HD radio. (Since I don't have XM, Sirius, or an Ipod I can't comment on the Docking capabilities or the Satellite Radio quality)

Last but not least make sure you have a big heavy duty surge protector, this thing is a power monster, you'll want a surge protector to make sure the receiver is getting a regulated amount of power, when I was setting it up I had all my components on at once and someone decided to turn on the hair dryer and a few fans, and there went the power. So be forewarned if you like 4 components on at once you might blow a fuse. also for $30 a 3 year protection plan is highly recommended just in case something shorts out in the receiver (knock on wood) you can service it for free, and get a replacement if necessary.

These aren't available in the store(ordered mine online at CC) and the sales people don't have much info on the receiver itself since it came out in May(about a month from prior to today) but it's comparable to the TX-SR804 if you want more similar opinions :)

My SR805 arrived with a bad remote control. Not a big deal, it happens, so I started the process to get a replacement. Onkyo telephone support hold times were very long (30-45 minutes). The person I spoke with was rude and seemed annoyed that I was calling. I was directed to contact one of two local authorized service centers. Calls to both service centers were not initially returned. Long story short, it took a few tries and a whole lot of patience before I was able to get a replacement remote control ordered.

Of major importance to me is the ability for the receiver to switch all video and audio sources. I had problems with a another brand not being able to handle a 1080i/p signal over HDMI but I was happy to see that wasn't the case here. The SR805 handles all my video perfectly. One HDMI cable from the receiver to the TV. Perfect.

On screen setup is a little cryptic, but not terrible. Automatic speaker setup is nice and it's fun to watch the dog try and figure out what is going on when the automatic setup makes the subwoofer thump. She's sure there's someone knocking, but where?

Sound quality is amazing. Sound through all speakers is loud and clear. The volume wasn't as loud as I was expecting. It's pretty loud, don't get me wrong, but I expected it to be louder. This may be a result of my speakers, I'm not sure yet. I am using low end speakers right now. When I pay the receiver off, I'll upgrade to better speakers. In the meantime, it's loud enough to disturb the neighbors.

The remote control is excellent. Big and easy to operate. Effectively controls all my other components (DVD, TiVo, TV). Too many buttons to memorize for use in the dark, but a nice backlight helps. My only complaint with the remote control is the small joystick in the center. I fear that it's too easily broken. In fact, the joystick is the problem with the remote I am trying to have replaced under the warranty.

You should consider the unit's size and the heat it generates. It's a 60 pound beast. I am using this unit in a TV stand with a glass door on the front. The shelf above the unit leaves only about three or four inches between the top of the unit and the bottom of the shelf above. The back of the stand is open so I took a small 80mm computer case fan and wired it to an old spare 12v transformer. I plugged the transformer into the switched outlet on the back of the SR805 and mounted the fan vertically, on the top of the unit at the back to pull the hot air off and blow it out the back. The fan is virtually silent and this makes me feel a lot better about having the until in such a tight space. Thanks to the switched outlet, the fan is only on when the unit is operating.

I would give the hardware four and a half stars and the support one. I feel the quality of the support is as important as the quality of the product and Onkyo's support is a real disappointment. Overall, I figured it averaged out to 3 stars.

My Onkyo 805 arrived yesterday evening and after making the required hookups the set up was easy. The Audyssey MultiEq made speaker calibration a snap. I watched Casino Royal last night in the glory of uncompressed audio through my Blu-ray player and wow there are so many crisp and smooth sounds that I was completely unaware of that exist on the BD. The sounds are lifelike and unaltered, the way the movie director had intended.

I got up early this morning to try my ipod collection through the 805. I have a wide range of musical tastes. From Country, to Classic Rock, Modern Rock, Alternative, R&B, Pop and Rap. Its been five hours straight now and I feel like I'm in heaven with the incredibly accurate sonic production obtained from this receiver.

In the $1K price range I don't think there is a better receiver out on the consumer market. Onkyo has definately hit a home run on this unit. I've become an Onkyo fan for life!

THX Ultra 2 is a certification you don't generally see until you are paying $2500 for a receiver. To get it at a sub $1000 price point is a STEAL. THX Ultra 2 is Über AV class performance.

I couldn't find it ANYWHERE online and ended up finding one at Circuit City. The pictures do it no justice at all. It's a BEAST of a receiver and it performs equally.

The first Movie I put on was Blade. Picture the opening Bloodbath nightclub scene with the pounding bass techno music... then the ensuing fight scene when Blade makes his appearance all I could say was WOW!

I've only owned it a few days so I can't really comment on the longevity etc but what I've experienced so far has been just flawless.

I am pushing an absolutely incredibly performing and built mid priced Aperion Audio speaker system ($2000.) Off topic but if you haven't heard of them they are some of the best customer service bang for the buck company I've ever dealt with.

Back on topic:
The TX-SR805 is what I would call the Ford Mustang 5.0 value from 1986 total performance at a reasonable price.

I just got this thing set up and the sound is awe inspiring. I had to send my Denon 4806CI in for warranty repair and bought this so i could still watch movies on my Optoma HD70 Projector. I will not try and compare this to my 4806CI because it is an upper level reciever and this is a budget reciever for me. I thought i did my homework on this reciever before i bought it and i overlooked something i think is sort of critical and dont want others to make the same mistake. This reciever WILL NOT upconvert the resolution output to 1080P, it will only pass through the same resolution it is being fed by the video device you are using. IT WILL take an analog video signal (i.e. S-VIDEO, COMPONENT, ETC) and allow it to run through the HDMI MONITOR OUT jack to display its NATIVE resolution to your TV or projector. I hope this clears any confusion up before someone buys it for this reason. This reciever does put out an awesome sound even compared to my denon and is easy to setup. I would recommend this reciever to anyone wanting excellent sound and HDMI pass through ability while using analog etc.. signals. You do get what you pay for, it just wont upconvert the resolution. Hope this helps someone out.

Featuring a true 130 watts per channel with all 7 channels driven you can't buy a better receiver. With a $30 discount I got my first 805 brand new for $639 & change. I researched the Onkyo 875 & couldn't justify spending another $360 for a USB port & 10 more watts per channel. Likewise I couldn't justify spending $760 more for HD radio & the 140 watts in the Onkyo 905. But that 905 is a steal at $1,000+ with the toraoidal transformer. & I was tempted. Basically I looked at Yamahas, Marantz, Dennons & Onkyo. Came down to Dennon's 2808, 3808 or their 4808 against Onkyo's 705, 805, 875 or 905! The Dennon 2808 & Onkyo 705 just didn't have quite enough power. I decided to try the Onkyo 805 because in several different surveys the 805s were rated # One in the high end, 7 channel, plus 100 watt per channel category. Those surveys included all the receivers I've mentioned & more costing up to 5+ grand. After I made that decision I bought a very sturdy stand for TV, cable box, DVD Recorder (which has a USB port) & above all this receiver. I made sure there was a lot of headroom for the "heat factor" which has not been a problem. If the 805 didn't meet my needs I was going to return it & up-grade to the 905 because bottom line, cost was not my primary goal. The 805 was up to task!

My AV room is aprox. 18 feet by 14 feet. With out a separate amp, I have this thing pushing Polk RTi12s up front, a CSi5 center, two RTi6s rear-surround & two FXi A6s for surround channels. A Polk DSW Pro 600 provides base for everything under 80 htz. At -10 db it has my speakers smoking. At -5 db it's live. If I push it to +10 db there's no distortion what-so-ever & much more sound than I will need. All this while sending crystal clear signal to a 1080p Panasonic 50" Plasma. This thing allows me to equalize all channels individually as well as set the volume for each channel individually. I was willing to spend upwards 10 times for speakers & receiver but I didn't want to buy products just to brag that I owned them. I wanted quality products that would exceed meeting my needs. I could write volumes on the 805 but when all's said & done what was most important to me is that when I was finished buying speakers & receiver to compliment the TV, I would have an audio video arrangement that would "never" leave me wishing I had more!

The longer I worked with this 805 the more I learned how to use it & the more I loved it. Value wise Onkyo's own 875 & 905 can't touch this. Yamaha, Denon & Marantz are not even close with bang for the buck. I set up another full system in a differnt room & was unwilling to settle for Zone 2 limitations. I wanted the full 7.1 in the second system as well. This arangement is a full complement of Infinty speakers & a little 37" Samsung 1080p LCD. When people write that they like it so much they would buy it again, believe them! I did exactly that. My second 805 ran me $506 total. I've hooked up a Panasonic BD30 to each system. All I need these 805s to do is to channel the clearest possible signal from both audio & video sources & drive speakers which I set up individually. Hardly anyone is producing genuine 7-1 surround feed yet but when it takes off & Bluray becomes the standard, if you own this, you're ready.

Right now Onkyo is introducing the slightly up graded 806 which is virtually the same in all the most important features. This means you have a chance to get an 805 for a much better price than I paid.

On paper this receiver looked like exactly what I needed. Multiple HDMI ports, and it would pass a component input to HDMI out. I could connect all of my inputs (SA8300 HDDVR, Xbox 360 with HDDVD addon, and PS3) and have one HDMI cable connected to the projector in my theater (Sony Pearl). As a bonus the SR805 would handle the newer TrueHD and DTS-MA audio codecs that are starting to show up on HDDVD and Bluray discs and would support 7.1 surround over HDMI. Throw in the sub $1000 price and on paper it's perfect.

Fast forward a bit to when I actually got my hands on the receiver. The PS3 seemed to work perfectly using HDMI for both audio and video. I watched both Casino Royale and 300 on Bluray and couldn't have been happier with the results. I had similar results with HDDVDs (Eastern Promises and Blade Runner). Despite that I never could get the SA8300 to play nice with the 805 using HDMI for an input. The image would judder regardless of which HDMI input I used. If I bypassed the receiver and connected directly to the Pearl I'd get a perfectly still image. To get broadcast TV to work I had to split it up into component for video and optical for sound. This meant that the 1080i feed from the SA8300 would be converted to 720p before being sent to the Pearl. No big deal, I figured that cable equipment isn't always the greatest quality, and I could live with both the picture and the audio with that setup as neither are knock your socks off high res on broadcast TV. It worked well for both HDDVD and Bluray, which was why I bought it in the first place.

Now, for no reason at all it's stopped working, and no amount of disconnecting, switching of cables, or resetting seems to cure it. I can't get through more than 5 minutes of a movie without the unit shutting itself off if I use HDMI for both audio and video. Any sort of on screen explosion or abrupt transition makes it flake out and turn off, almost like there's a surge/short and the machine is protecting itself. As you can imagine that's really annoying.

If I split the signal so that I use HDMI for video and optical for audio it plays through flawlessly, but that defeats the purpose of having an HDMI receiver that will decode the newer codecs. For what I paid for the receiver I want to work for more than two weeks.

It could be that I just have a bad unit (it happens), but this is the second Onkyo HDMI receiver I've been disappointed with (the other being an SR674 I bought last year)so I'm done with them. I don't know what else I'll end up purchasing, as everything currently available has shortcomings to deal with. They all seem to be plagued with HDMI issues (dealing with HDMI issues has been a real pain in the rear to this point), or they're really expensive (cough, cough Denon). I thought my search was over, but I guess I'm right back where I started.

I approached the purchase of this receiver with quite a bit of trepidation after reading numerous reports of it being very hot, and after seeing how hot it got in a local Fry's. I believe the key is the air circulation you provide for it. At the Fry's where I saw it, it was in a tight box, with no good air circulation, and the top got really really hot.

However, here in my house, several days after installing it, and running it almost non-stop for days with a mixture of music and HD-DVDs playing through it, the receiver has never gotten more than warm. In my setup, I removed the back of the crappy little cabinet (a Bush build your own TV stand) and provided about 4-5" of space above the receiver. I also had 2 fans that I used with my DVR before I removed the back of the cabinet, but I'm not using those anymore. The receiver, in an environment where it has some clearance on the top, and open front and back, does not seem to be any hotter than my old receiver (an Onkyo TX-SR701) with the sealed cabinet back.

Enough of that, on to the rest of it. The audio quality is *outstanding*, and the number of HD connections seems to be unparalleled at this price point. It allows up to six HD connections - 3 HDMI and 3 Component. Since the receiver has good high bandwidth component connections, this rocks. I was able to go from 20 wires hooking up my components to just 3, so that was wonderful too. My former receiver was just a few years old, and was not that different in price from this one, but the difference in sound quality is stunning.

My father in law, who had a LOT of trouble hearing things on TV or movies with my old receiver, commented that I didn't need to turn the volume up so high, since he was able to understand what the announcers were saying. That's worth the price of the unit all by itself. The sound coming from a Toshiba HD-A30 HD-DVD player is phenomenal, and my wife is sold on the whole upgrade just from hearing that.

I'm a very happy Onkyo customer right now. Highly recommended.

Received my 805 Monday at 10:30am (next day shipping after a Friday evening order). I've not bought a new receiver in 10 years. My original receiver was a Kenwood 1080AV and I thought that was amazing when I heard it. Now, it's being used as a "subwoofer" to drive my 2 - 12" Rockford Fosgates (8 Ohm).

If I had to pick just one word it would be "WOW". Even with my 5.1 setup (805 supports 7.1), it's quite a bit different from my original receiver. More modes, more sound and the auto speaker setup is a breeze. I felt like it was too automatic for my taste, but I'd have to say, it's spot on with all the adjustments.

The 805, doing the same role as my 1080AV, seems brighter, more clear and has the sound stage right in my ear (which it should be). I think the 130W per channel must be making the difference. I don't notice any cutting or popping or any noise outside the occasional input selection pop (which you really can't get away from unless you spend some more $$).

Now onto the test results. The "Hulk" was awesome. Made the house sound and feel like he was in my living room. "Cars" was incredible, NASCAR in my living room. I'm looking forward to all the other movies I haven't had a chance to watch yet (SW, ST, Blade, etc) that have really great sound, but I think I'll hear alot more with this receiver.

If you can afford the extra 150 bucks over the 705 and 400 more than the 605, I'd say jump in, hang on and prepare to be blown away.

I replaced an aging Denon receiver with an Tx-SR805. I have waited for HDMI 1.3 for almost a year. I expected to pay more, probably another Denon or Pioneer Elite. When this became avaiable I listened to it at Fry's and checked the features, I concluded that it had everyting I wanted in a receiver. I ordered one from Amazon, I can't tell you how good it is, because it still, after almost 2 months is still far better than any other receiver I have owned. My brother has two Denon receivers that cost him over $4000 each and I wouldn't trade. Simply put this is a great receiver, I'm glad I waited for it.

The only problem I've noticed is some "banding" when it upconverts. The picture from all sources is greatly improved to near HD quality from DVD, Satelite, and even VHS!

The sound quality is simply unbelieveable, it has a lot of choices and takes a steep learning curve, but once you learn all its choices-the sound is simply great! You would have to go to seperates- amps, preamps, etc. to equal the openness and definiton. Yes, I have owned seperates and don't want to go back.

The last feature I really appreciate is the connection using HDMI. I have a box (about 25 seperate cables) I don't need anymore. Be sure to buy the new HDMI standard cable for 1.3. The HDMI 1.3 is necessary for HD sound as found on Blu-Ray or HD DVD formats, the Dolby Digital 5.1 standard we have all become used to is compressed, something like an MP3. Now if the industry will decide on one format and drop the other so there will be rental options for Hd Discs it will be worth buying an Hd player. When that time comes HDMI 1.3 is on this receiver and you'll be set to take advantage of the new sound cababilites without having to change and upgrade again.