Customer Rating: 
Summary: Good receiver but with a constant hum
Comment: The receiver has plenty of good features and tons of inputs and delivers quality sound. However, there is a constant hum that is more than noticable when using HDMI or optical inputs which increases as the volume increases. I'm not sure if this was a problem only found on my unit or if this is a common problem. I have seen only a few reviews stating the same situation. I thought that this was a problem with my HDMI cable at first, so I purchased a few more and tried them with the same results. I also thought that it may be possible that my Playstation 3 unit which I kept on top of the receiver was somehow causing some sort of interference so I moved it about 5 feet away and still had the hum. The optical cable which is connected to my XBOX 360 left me with the same situation. My prior receiver which is a 5 year old inexpensive Sony never had any issues with a backround hum with the exact same optical cable setup. The issue was so irritating that I had to return the product.
Once again, this may just be an issue with my particular unit. This receiver does have more features for a better cost than anything else out there. Also, Amazon was great about returning the product with no shipping fees.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Amplifier
Comment: I have owned this amp for about 3 weeks now, and I am very impressed with it.
I have an XA2 HD DVD player, and the sound quality released by this beast blows my mind. I thought I had a great system before i replaced my previous amp, but I cant believe the difference, I especially love passing through True HD, the sound quality is sensational.
Some earlier posters have complained of a few issues with this amp, but latter posters seem to rate it very highly, early release issues now seem to be fixed.
This is a wonderful product and I love being able to control all my AV equipment via the very clever 605 remote.
I would rate it 5 stars, but my single gripe is I think 2 HDMI ins by todays standards aren't enough considering virtually all modern AV equipment is now HDMI controlled. I think 3 HDMI ins should be a minimum standard ( and a fully back lit remote would have been nice to make this the perfect product).
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Functionality, Great Features, Amazing Sound
Comment: Like most people, I bought this unit as a replacement for my old receiver (a Pioneer VSX-405...VERY old). Admittedly the TX-SR605 offers more features than I need, but I view it as a good future-proofing purchase.
Setup for the unit was very straightforward, and not just because I know my way around the A/V world. It really is straightforward even for a total novice. Just be sure to read the manual and follow along! What really helped me was the Audyssey speaker setup. This was the first time I had set up a full 5.1 channel system. The Audyssey mic easily mapped out which channels were active and where in the room the speakers were located. I made some manual tweaks to the dB levels after the setup was complete, but that was out of pure personal preference.
Just FYI, here's a quick rundown on my home theater setup. Samsung LNS4051 1080i/720p LCD TV, Panasonic DVD-S53 upconvert DVD player, Time Warner Cable/Scientific Atlanta HD-DVR box. Both the DVD player and cable box are connected straight to the TV via component cables, with digital coaxial cables running to the TX-SR605 for digital sound. Why not HDMI? For some reason the picture with component cables was WAY better than with HDMI. I tried two different brands of cables, and I also compared the picture with the HDMI run into/out of the receiver vs. straight from the DVD player/cable box to the TV. In all cases, component cable was better. So I have to believe the issue is with the HDMI inputs on my TV.
I'm now enjoying full 1080i from both my cable box and DVD player, with Dolby Digital sound via the TX-SR605. I realize not using the HDMI may seem to defeat the purpose of buying the new receiver, but I have to disagree. The sound is just so much better than what I had before. I also like how it automatically recognizes and switches between the Dolby Digital (HD) and the Dolby ProLogic II signals. And for now I have the piece of mind that when I upgrade my TV someday, I have a killer receiver that will handle my HDMI needs.
I have not had any problems with the popping sound or any overheating. I would say my unit is fairly well vented, though there is only about 2.5 inches between the top of the unit and the cabinet. One thing I should note: I did have to replace the receiver soon after I bought it because I couldn't get any sound out of it until level 40+, and was having to run it at 55-60 for basic TV watching. After redoing my setup a million times and making sure I had everything correct according to the manual, I called Onkyo support and was told it is perfectly normal. When I asked the guy why I have to run it at 60+ to get great home theater sound, he said it was a matter of "how the TX-SR605 is calibrated". That seemed really strange to me -- why have a volume scale from 0-100 if the sound is really only rich from 50-100?
I ended up returning my unit to Circuit City and explaining to them what was happening. They tested my unit against the floor display unit and they weren't even close in terms of volume ranges. They decided I had a bad amp and swapped my unit on the spot. It was a little frustrating knowing that Onkyo had basically lied to me, but I'm willing to look past it (for now). Had I been outside the 30-day exchange period, though, I'd probably be writing a very different review!
But since getting the new unit I couldn't be happier. I highly recommend this product!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Sound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment: This receiver is great. Especially with my surround sound speakers. When I watch movies on my HD television, you would think your at the movies. Great price!!!!!!!!!!!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very Powerful, Easy Setup
Comment: I got the 605 this past July and have been very impressed with it. While "only" rated at 90W per channel, it is a very realistic rating; other manufacturers specify ratings with only a 1Khz test tone with one driven speaker, letting them claim more power. My old receiver was rated at 100W*5, but this one is vastly more powerful as the rating is from 20-20,000Hz, 8 Ohms, and multiple driven speakers...basically it will put out those levels for EVERY SOUND YOU HEAR. Sure, it's hot, but any truly powerful amplifier will be!
The good: The component, Digital Audio, and HDMI inputs are assignable to any input you want to give them to. The setup menu is easy. It also remembers your preferred listening mode for each audio format, for each source. The Audyssey 2EQ calibration microphone works VERY well...that saved a bunch of time! Also, this unit decodes TrueHD, DTS-HD, and Dolby Digital Plus via HDMI just fine.
The limitations: Only 2 HDMI inputs (I got a switch). It will not upsample 5.1 PCM (such as a Blu-Ray movie) to 7.1PCM, but it WILL upsample Dolby Digital to EX and DTS to DTS-ES up to 7.1. It does 480 Component upscaling to HDMI at 720p, but this is a double-edge sword as it will downscale 1080 Component to 720 via HDMI (Component IN to Component OUT is untouched as is HDMI IN to HDMI OUT, though).
All in all, I'm very impressed with the quality and value of this receiver.
Summary: Good receiver but with a constant hum
Comment: The receiver has plenty of good features and tons of inputs and delivers quality sound. However, there is a constant hum that is more than noticable when using HDMI or optical inputs which increases as the volume increases. I'm not sure if this was a problem only found on my unit or if this is a common problem. I have seen only a few reviews stating the same situation. I thought that this was a problem with my HDMI cable at first, so I purchased a few more and tried them with the same results. I also thought that it may be possible that my Playstation 3 unit which I kept on top of the receiver was somehow causing some sort of interference so I moved it about 5 feet away and still had the hum. The optical cable which is connected to my XBOX 360 left me with the same situation. My prior receiver which is a 5 year old inexpensive Sony never had any issues with a backround hum with the exact same optical cable setup. The issue was so irritating that I had to return the product.
Once again, this may just be an issue with my particular unit. This receiver does have more features for a better cost than anything else out there. Also, Amazon was great about returning the product with no shipping fees.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Amplifier
Comment: I have owned this amp for about 3 weeks now, and I am very impressed with it.
I have an XA2 HD DVD player, and the sound quality released by this beast blows my mind. I thought I had a great system before i replaced my previous amp, but I cant believe the difference, I especially love passing through True HD, the sound quality is sensational.
Some earlier posters have complained of a few issues with this amp, but latter posters seem to rate it very highly, early release issues now seem to be fixed.
This is a wonderful product and I love being able to control all my AV equipment via the very clever 605 remote.
I would rate it 5 stars, but my single gripe is I think 2 HDMI ins by todays standards aren't enough considering virtually all modern AV equipment is now HDMI controlled. I think 3 HDMI ins should be a minimum standard ( and a fully back lit remote would have been nice to make this the perfect product).
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Functionality, Great Features, Amazing Sound
Comment: Like most people, I bought this unit as a replacement for my old receiver (a Pioneer VSX-405...VERY old). Admittedly the TX-SR605 offers more features than I need, but I view it as a good future-proofing purchase.
Setup for the unit was very straightforward, and not just because I know my way around the A/V world. It really is straightforward even for a total novice. Just be sure to read the manual and follow along! What really helped me was the Audyssey speaker setup. This was the first time I had set up a full 5.1 channel system. The Audyssey mic easily mapped out which channels were active and where in the room the speakers were located. I made some manual tweaks to the dB levels after the setup was complete, but that was out of pure personal preference.
Just FYI, here's a quick rundown on my home theater setup. Samsung LNS4051 1080i/720p LCD TV, Panasonic DVD-S53 upconvert DVD player, Time Warner Cable/Scientific Atlanta HD-DVR box. Both the DVD player and cable box are connected straight to the TV via component cables, with digital coaxial cables running to the TX-SR605 for digital sound. Why not HDMI? For some reason the picture with component cables was WAY better than with HDMI. I tried two different brands of cables, and I also compared the picture with the HDMI run into/out of the receiver vs. straight from the DVD player/cable box to the TV. In all cases, component cable was better. So I have to believe the issue is with the HDMI inputs on my TV.
I'm now enjoying full 1080i from both my cable box and DVD player, with Dolby Digital sound via the TX-SR605. I realize not using the HDMI may seem to defeat the purpose of buying the new receiver, but I have to disagree. The sound is just so much better than what I had before. I also like how it automatically recognizes and switches between the Dolby Digital (HD) and the Dolby ProLogic II signals. And for now I have the piece of mind that when I upgrade my TV someday, I have a killer receiver that will handle my HDMI needs.
I have not had any problems with the popping sound or any overheating. I would say my unit is fairly well vented, though there is only about 2.5 inches between the top of the unit and the cabinet. One thing I should note: I did have to replace the receiver soon after I bought it because I couldn't get any sound out of it until level 40+, and was having to run it at 55-60 for basic TV watching. After redoing my setup a million times and making sure I had everything correct according to the manual, I called Onkyo support and was told it is perfectly normal. When I asked the guy why I have to run it at 60+ to get great home theater sound, he said it was a matter of "how the TX-SR605 is calibrated". That seemed really strange to me -- why have a volume scale from 0-100 if the sound is really only rich from 50-100?
I ended up returning my unit to Circuit City and explaining to them what was happening. They tested my unit against the floor display unit and they weren't even close in terms of volume ranges. They decided I had a bad amp and swapped my unit on the spot. It was a little frustrating knowing that Onkyo had basically lied to me, but I'm willing to look past it (for now). Had I been outside the 30-day exchange period, though, I'd probably be writing a very different review!
But since getting the new unit I couldn't be happier. I highly recommend this product!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Sound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment: This receiver is great. Especially with my surround sound speakers. When I watch movies on my HD television, you would think your at the movies. Great price!!!!!!!!!!!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Very Powerful, Easy Setup
Comment: I got the 605 this past July and have been very impressed with it. While "only" rated at 90W per channel, it is a very realistic rating; other manufacturers specify ratings with only a 1Khz test tone with one driven speaker, letting them claim more power. My old receiver was rated at 100W*5, but this one is vastly more powerful as the rating is from 20-20,000Hz, 8 Ohms, and multiple driven speakers...basically it will put out those levels for EVERY SOUND YOU HEAR. Sure, it's hot, but any truly powerful amplifier will be!
The good: The component, Digital Audio, and HDMI inputs are assignable to any input you want to give them to. The setup menu is easy. It also remembers your preferred listening mode for each audio format, for each source. The Audyssey 2EQ calibration microphone works VERY well...that saved a bunch of time! Also, this unit decodes TrueHD, DTS-HD, and Dolby Digital Plus via HDMI just fine.
The limitations: Only 2 HDMI inputs (I got a switch). It will not upsample 5.1 PCM (such as a Blu-Ray movie) to 7.1PCM, but it WILL upsample Dolby Digital to EX and DTS to DTS-ES up to 7.1. It does 480 Component upscaling to HDMI at 720p, but this is a double-edge sword as it will downscale 1080 Component to 720 via HDMI (Component IN to Component OUT is untouched as is HDMI IN to HDMI OUT, though).
All in all, I'm very impressed with the quality and value of this receiver.
Onkyo TX-SR605 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Reviews: Page 8 of 44
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