Customer Reviews

Onkyo TX-SR875 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I have nothing but good things to say about this unit. I do have a few neutral comments which will follow the positive notes. I am not a very verbose person so please allow me to enumerate the highlights.

1) 4 HDMI inputs. Cable Box, Blu-Ray, Old DVD (more on this later) and one for expansion.

2) Easy to configure. I didn't even need to look at the manual to figure out how to select digital audio and digital video inputs to the various source components.

3) ONE SINGLE CABLE TO THE TV!!!! Only a single HDMI cable was needed to connect the TV to the Onkyo. No component, S-Video or composite. This baby upsamples and digitizes any and all video inputs to HDMI. I used to have to switch my input source on both my Denon AVR and my TV every time I wanted to go from watching a disc to watching cable to watching a VCR movie.

4) PRICE! This AVR is less expensive than the competing products from Denon and Yamaha and has MORE features.

5) Quality. This is every bit as well made as the Denon unit it replaced. In some ways better.

6) Remote control. Easy to program. I succesfully replaced all my remotes except my Sony Blu-Ray player.

7) Audio formats. I am not an expert here, but this thing seems to decode any and every audio source data from my Blu-Ray collection (I have about 20) without any problem.

8) Upsampling. If you feed it 480I or any other non-1080P source data in analog or digital format it seems to be able to upconvert it to 1080P. I have not exhaustively tested every combination (I have heard de-interlacing 1080I can be hard) but what I have tried works well.

Summary: If you want an HDMI-friendly receiver, THIS is the unit for you.

Notes:

a) I still keep an upsampling DVD player Marantz DV 6001 around because although the Blu-Ray player can play DVD's it is darn slow about it.

b) This unit is slightly larger than my old Denon 4800, so it just barely fit in my enclosure.

c) It runs a little warm, so dont stack anything on top of it if you can avoid it.

I've owned this received for about a month now and have been using it every day since then, so I'd like to think I'm qualified enough to post a review of the 875 based on my experience with it. Keep in mind that I'm not a professional tester so don't expect any fancy measurements or technical data sheets in this review because I don't have any (you can look at Onkyo's website for that);)

I'll start with the negatives which, after 1 month of use (thankfully) is just one. The only bad thing I can think of at this time, is the amount of heat this receiver puts out when it's running. Now, I was well aware of this issue after having read many reviews from various 875 owners who brought up the fact their receiver ran very hot to the touch.

To be honest with you, I didn't concern myself too much with those complaints since I've owned many receivers over the years, many of which, would run pretty hot after pro-longed use so that was nothing new to me. Heat build-up is totally natural as far as I was concerned. I just figured those complaining about the 875's heat output maybe didn't have all that much experience with A/V receivers and were probably worrying themselves over nothing....

Well, soon after my 875 arrived, I un-boxed it, and then took some time to read through the instruction manual. Afterwards, I connected all my speaker cables and then plugged the 875 in. After first plugging in my
HD-DVD player, I dove into the audio menu to configure the sound options to my liking. I popped in "Bourne Ultimatum" and sat down to take a quick
peak just to see if everything was set up and configured properly before I moved onto hooking up the rest of my components. The picture quality through the HDMI input was perfect, no degradation what so ever and the sound quality was incredible (more on that later) so I stopped playback and got back up to finish connecting my other components.

At that point, the receiver had only been on maybe 10-15 minutes at most and out of curiosity, I placed my hand over the unit to see how hot it had gotten during that time.

To my surprise, after only 15 minutes of use (at moderate volume no less) my 875 felt hot enough to scramble an egg over it. I'm not kidding. Suddenly, all those warnings I'd read about prior to placing my order didn't seem so "exaggerated" after all. This receiver really does run HOT. Hotter than any other piece of A/V equipment I've ever owned. Enough to actually cause concern for the over-all longevity of the unit. I mean, there's no way a receiver should be running that hot after only 15 minutes of use.

We all know that heat is the number one reason for component failure and I was really surprised that Onkyo would release an A/V receiver that runs this hot without adding an internal fan (or three) to help bring temperatures down to safe levels....

It's my opinion that there's no way you can leave an 875 inside an A/V cabinet as the unit would probably fry itself completely after a few month's of daily use as well as possibly causing so much heat build-up within the cabinet itself, it could possibly cause failure in some of your other components as well. (Yes, the 875 really does get that hot!)

Again, this is NOT an A/V receiver you can stuff inside a cabinet or television stand and call it a day. The 875 must be left OUT IN THE OPEN, so unless you have a place for it OUTSIDE your cabinet, I'd suggest you move on and find yourself another receiver or you may end up being stuck with a $1500 door-stop if the 875 ever overheats and breaks down.

I have my 875 sitting on top of my cabinet and there's about 16-18" of clearance between the top of the unit and the ceiling and I've resorted to placing a desktop fan next to the 875 blowing cool air down and into the receiver itself. The fan is not all that quit and can easily be heard from the seating position 10 feet away when the volume level is down, so it can be pretty distracting at times, but it's a temporary fix until I buy a quiter fan, which I WILL be doing since there's no way I'm running this receiver without one.

So be warned people, If you plan on picking up an Onkyo TX-SR875, this thing runs REALLY hot so you're going to want to leave it out in the open to get as much air-flow as possible to allow it to breath and seriously
consider placing a fan over it as well to help cool it down ever further. IT makes a world of difference believe me.


Now, I'm sure many of you are probably already thinking about going with another receiver after reading what I just wrote but please, keep in mind that the issue with heat is the only negative aspect of this receiver I've found and as long as you place it in a spot where there's plenty of air flow and you don't mind using a fan to help cool it down even further, the 875 should last just as long as any other A/V receiver out there today. You just have to take precautions as to where your placing it.

Everything else about the 875 I'm proud to report, is fantastic.

I have an HD-DVD player, a Blu-Ray player, an HD satellight receiver and a HTPC all connected via the 875's HDMI inputs. The video portion of these signals is then being sent back to a 60" LCD HDTV. As I mentioned earlier, there's no signal loss what so ever feeding the video signal through the receiver first than into my HDTV.

Some have noted that the 875 slightly changes the contrast levels of the video signals requiring users to re-calibrate their contrast levels slightly to compensate for the change but I haven't had this problem at all.
The image looks identical being sent through the receiver first as it does being sent straight into my HDTV. Perhaps this was an issue only on the first production run and Onkyo has since upgraded the 875's firmware to resolve it? Whatever the case may be, I never had to re-adjust any of my video settings.


The receivers up-scaling capabilities are nothing short of amazing as well, even better than my Toshiba HD-XA2 when watching standard DVD's.
I've also noticed that when playing older PS1 and PS2 games on my PS3 look better when I select 480p on the console and let the receiver do the upscaling rather than letting the PS3 do the upscaling itself.
Switching between sources takes about 4-5 seconds before you get both the audio and video signals but that's about as much time as it took the HDMI switcher I used to run, so that's not a big deal. I've seen plenty of other receivers take longer than that so I'd say the waiting time from source to source is about average.

The automatic speaker setup (which Onkyo calls Audyssey MultiEQ XT) includes a small microphone which your supposed to set up at each of the listening positions you or others will be sitting in during movie/music playback and it automatically calculates how many speakers are connected, their distance from the seating positions, their cross-over frequencies and even their size and sets everything up for you.

Be warned that the microphone is extremely sensitive to ambient noises around the room/house/apartment so you'll have to be in complete SILENCE when the Onkyo is doing it's measurements or you'll get an error message and have to do it again.

I was amazed at just how accurate the Audyssey was. The speaker distances for each of my speakers was 100% exact so I'd have a hard time recommending you do the set-up manually since the Audyssey system is so accurate but to each his own. (For the record, I tried setting up the cross-over frequencies and all the other parameters manually and couldn't make it sound any better than the Audyssey's settings so I just left them)

One of the coolest features of this receiver is that if you have it connected to your HDTV via the receiver's HDMI output, you get the entire set-up options user interface which gives you complete control to the receivers menu/sound options right on your HDTV. The menus are all clear and easy to read and easily understandable. Very well laid out and easy to navigate. No more having to stare at a receivers small (in comparison) display to set things up properly. You can do that from your television screen. Very nice.

Finally, there's the sound.

Obviously this is the number one reason why anybody would want to upgrade their receiver and I'm happy to say the Onkyo 875 is by far the most impressive sounding receiver I've ever owned. I'll even go as far as to say it's the best sounding receiver I've ever HEARD as well.

The CD's, I've played (both regular and SACD)sound absolutely incredible. We've all heard people claim to have head things with a certain speaker or CD player, receiver etc. etc. that they'd never even knew was there before, and every time I'd read or hear that, I'd always roll my eyes and think to myself "yeah right, this guy's full of it, how can you hear something on a music album with a certain speaker or A/V component that you never even knew was there. There's not THAT big a difference between higher-end A/V equipment and equipment priced more towards the mainstream."

Well, for the first time, I'm actually going to say what I've made fun of others in the past for saying. Listening to music through the Onkyo 875, I'm hearing things I've never heard before with any of my past receivers. The sound quality is so crisp and clear, each CD I listen to, no matter how old, is a totally new experience. It's like I'm listening to that particular album for the first time all over again. Reminds me of how I felt switching from vinyl to tape, then from tape to compact disc. There's a whole new sound to the music when played through the 875. I currently have a 5.1 channel set-up and play CD's via the 875's "Dolby Studio-Mix" sound mode and I'm completely enveloped in sound. Pure, clean and shockingly vivid sound. I know I'm sounding like a Bose commercial right now, but it's true. The 875 is bar none the best receiver I've ever heard and not only does it sound fantastic with CD's and SACD's but HD-DVD/Blu-Ray movie soundtracks are every bit as impressive as well. Some of the films I use as reference to show-off my systems sound production are Transformers and Bourne Ultimatum on HD-DVD and the Fifth Element and Ratatouille on Blu-Ray.

I have friends with other A/V receivers and some with ever higher end amp/pre-amp component systems totally blown away by how good the 875 sounds. One of them has already bought one for himself and 3 others want to do the same.

For the money, this is the best receiver out there. I can't even imagine anything else sounding better for anywhere near the cost of the 875. For the amount of technology and features this receiver provides, I'm still amazed Onkyo isn't selling it for twice as much as what they're currently asking for it. This receiver is incredible and I highly recommend it so long as you have a a spot to put it that has adequate ventilation.

So for the long review. Hope it helps you make a decision whether the 875 is the receiver for you. :)

I've had this for just short of a month. I haven't adequately shaken it down yet, but so far, so good. I bought this unit based on the (reportedly) superior video upscaling chip and because it's silver. (Goes with the rest of my gear except the PS3.) Lack of network capability wasn't an issue because my PS3 will more than suffice to stream any/all media content over the HDMI cable.

Speaking of HDMI cables, after installing this thing I threw away more cables (S-video, RCA, component video, etc.) than I care to mention. Now there are three - One HDMI from DirecTV to 875, one HDMI from PS3 to 875, and one HDMI from 875 to Samsung DLP. Talk about cleaning up the entertainment center. The cables are expensive, but you can check Best Buy or some of the other big box retailer and buy the "open box" ones that people bring back. Also, DirecTV includes one HDMI cable with their HD receivers, so if you know someone who isn't using theirs, you can get one for free.

Setup - Somewhat more complicated than I would have liked, although the audio setup with the included microphone performed flawlessly, if a little slow. I initially had trouble passing audio over the HDMI, and it took jumping around in the manual to find out how to override this. (It mentions that this is the case, but not how to fix it.)

Sound - Nothing to complain about so far. Watched Poltergeist on it the other night, and the unit performed as expected for $1600. Music that I've played so far (album rock, XM radio off DirecTV) is outstanding, although I can't say that I hear a big difference over the Yamaha that the Onkyo replaced. (It had no HDMI, so it had to go.) This unit also enabled me to get rid of two separate amplifiers (Sony ES) that I was using to power the front/rear speakers. With 140 Watts/channel, the extra amplifiers aren't needed. This reduced the cable clutter even further.

Video - The switcher makes an audible click going from one input to another, but so did the Yamaha. It does take a few seconds (2-3) for the picture to come up after switching inputs, but this isn't a real problem. (Unless someone accidentally hits the input while you are in the middle of a Ghost Recon shootout and get killed trying to switch back.)

Graphical User Interface - Excellent. It probably doesn't match up to Sony's, but it is still more than adequate compared to trying to do the setup with the tiny LED display on the face of the unit. However, all the units at this price point (mentioned below) have a GUI of comparable quality.

This review won't help the audio/videophiles out there, but for regular folks, I hope it will. I'd buy this unit again in a minute, and it beat out the Yamaha RX-V3800, the Sony STR-DA5300ES, and the Pioneer Elite VSX-94TXH. The only one that I really considered instead was the AVR-4308CI, but it retails for $2400 (probably cheaper on-line) so it knocked itself out on price. Plus, I didn't need/want to pay extra for networking because I've got the PS3 for that.

Denon Denon AVR4308CI Home Theater Receiver
Pioneer VSX94 / VSX-94TXH / VSX-94TXH Elite 7.1 Channel Audio/Video Receiver
Sony ES STR-DA5300ES Home theater receiver with HDMI switching and video upconversion
Yamaha RX-V3800BL 7.1-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver (Black)

I've recently replaced my Onkyo TX-NR900 with the new TX-SR875. The only thing I had to give up was the internet connection, but I didn't use it in my old device, since the software is pretty lame and I primarily use a Mac (iTunes).

The sound quality is absolutely phenomenal and really adds dimension to all of my music. Not necessarily leagues beyond the unit it replaces, but i am truly impressed with how well Blu-Ray movies sound when listening to uncompressed audio. The Audyssey speaker setup worked well. I had to make a tone adjustment to add a bit of extra bass, but no other speaker parameters had to be adjusted after letting Audyssey work its magic.

On the downside, be sure to have a solid place to install the equipment with plenty of airflow. The device is about 55-60 pounds and produces plenty of heat when in operation. I also noticed that if I am listening to music over HDMI via my PS3, the sound will stop if I turn off the TV. The TV is also connected to the Onkyo, so I imagine some sort of DRM is causing this behavior. It wouldn't be so bad if you could get the PS3 to show a solid black screen. These minor issues are nothing when compared to the aural enjoyment provided by this well-made receiver.

Purchased the TX-SR875 new from Amazon on Dec 12, 2007. On 17th of June 2008 the HDMI output failed. It was returned to the Onkyo DTR Service Center in Denver, CO and they received it July 1, 2008. They stated the expected turnaround time would be up to 3 weeks. It is now August 13th and each week I get the same answer, parts on backorder. I contacted Onkyo USA and they followed up with DTR. This time they said it would be SEVERAL weeks before the parts would be in. When I inquired about just getting a replacement unit rather than keeping a customer waiting for weeks open-ended... They refused. Meanwhile my entire media room is dead in the water waiting on this receiver. Would never buy from them again based on the terrible Customer Service. Will see if Amazon can offer any solutions.... We'll see.

10/20/08 UPDATE

Received my receiver baxck from DTR on 10/9/08. After 3 1/2 months in their facility, they returned the unit just as I sent it to them--UNREPAIRED!! HDMI is still burned out!! Contacted Onkyo corporate to inquire about getting a replacement unit.... They told me to take a hike!!! Said since the unit was a second time repair(whatt???? they didn't fix it the first time!!!) they would not consider replacing it. In addition they were rude and arrogant as all get out!! Worst custome service I have ever dealt with. Paid for a new reciever and it lasted 6 months. No relief in sight!!

11/21/08 UPDATE

Continued to pursue refund/replacement with Onkyo. No success. They insisted I return the receiver to the same facility that kept it for 3 1/2 months and never repaired it. I filed complaints on them with the BBB in New Jersey and with the Texas Atty General.

HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS!!

AMAZON IS A GREAT COMPANY!

COMMUNICATED THE PROBLEMS TO THEM AND LET'S JUST SAY, THEY STEPPED UP TO THE PLATE AND DID RIGHT BY THEIR CUSTOMER EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE NOT AT FAULT AND NOT OBLIGATED TO DO SO.

KNOW WHERE A LOT OF MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING WILL BE THIS YEAR!

THANK YOU AMAZON!

KEITH FERGUSON

Having installed around 15 home cinemas for myself and friends over the last 16 years,I was delighted by the extensive functions of the Onkyo.The move to HDMI is mastered ,with easy connections,and the sound quality is TOP.Also the video upconversion is so good that you will hesitate to replace your DVD`s by high def.The universal remote is so good that it has replaced my Logitech.My Onkyo handles -with fantastic quality-LP`s, iPod, Cd`s, Satellite,DVd`s, Blue Ray, XM radio...What more can you ask !Its 7x140 watts comfortably drive my Definitive Technology 300 watt speakers.Only 2 criticisms: manual sound optimisation is better than the automated option,and why does zone 2 not accept digital inputs ?Great product

Outstanding overall, but if one connects all video components with a single HDMI cable to the TV, then there are no individual adjustment for each source! This is a deficiency that needed to be addressed since each video source needs individual corrections to contrast, tint, etc

The 875 puts out great sound and has tons of features. But, I bought this unit in large part for the Reon video chip and was not impressed. It changed, but did not improve the picture compared to my new sony w4100 tv. I did tons of research and noticed several bloggers said the same thing, and I learned the hard way they are right. So why spend the extra $550 compared to the sr606? There really is no reason for your typical home theater system. I returned it and bought the 606 which is fantastic, has plenty of power and has all the features you will need. The sr875 runs ridiculously hot and you will need fans to cool it if you want it to last. The 606 also runs a little hot but not as much. Hope this helps.

This is my third Onkyo receiver and the first one I have EVER had problems with.I did a lot a research and decided the TX-SR875 was the one above all others. I purchased it from an authorized dealer on the internet. When I set it up everything worked great . I have 4 Polk Audio speakers W/ a Polk Audio Sub. The sound was FANTASTIC, set up was very easy.
I read about the heat problem and set it where there would be no obstructions to ventillation.
I called Onkyo service about the heat, because I could not hold my hand on top of the unit, it was so hot. I was told that was normal. After two weeks the display stopped working everything else seemed okay. Then everything stopped working. I have called Onkyos' service representatives and have spent about 4 hours, over a two week period, waiting on the phone. I finally talked to a person that told me to send it to Colorado. Their only repair center in the U.S.? To ship this 60 lb. anchor will be $40.00 EACH WAY at my cost.
I can see fans on each side through the vents but they have never come on.(Factory problem?)
I am VERY disappointed with Onkyos' product and service after being a loyal user for over 20 years.

I have done a lot of research before purchasing this receiver.. great sound...kinda easy setup... I was so happy.... 2 week after purchasing, playing Xbox360 at low volume first the video went out follow by sparks, boom noise and plenty of smoke!
This unit was know to overheat so i install it alone and VERY WELL VENTILATED area...
The Onkyo service.... miserable...
I was polite,, i've try to be very kind and all.... i went to a manager that couldn't care less about consumer satisfaction.
Don't do the same mistake as me. don't walk away from this unit... RUN!!!!