Onkyo HT-SR800 7.1 Home Theater Entertainment System (Black) Reviews

• Great System! Great Value!

  
  By A2Y5T1O43P14RP on 2007-07-17
  As you can see from a quick search this is almost always reviewed highly and is also highly rated by Consumer Reports. I recently got my own and I wasn't disappointed. The system was easy to set up and a quick browse through the instructions gave me all the info I needed. I have listed the 3 most common complaints about the system below.
  
  1. The HDMI is just a pass through you have to connect the sound to the unit separately (not really that big a deal).
  
  2. The included wire is too thin: this is true you can replace it cheaply with wire bought on Amazon, so its not devastating. I recommend the METRA Ltd S14-100 MTA 14 Gauge Clear Speaker Wire which you can get here for $21.53 and will really improve things.
  
  3. Onkyo doesn't make speaker stands for this system and the speakers only have keyhole style brackets on the back for mounting which can make buying wall brackets difficult.
  I'm not positive how to resolve this, B-tech makes some screw in mounts you can put in if you dont mind putting some wholes in the speakers B-TECH BT1 Universal Speaker Bracket for Small Speakers (Pair per box). They also make a wall mount that clamps the side of the speakers if youd prefer not putting holes in your new speakers B-Tech BT77 Speaker brackets Black.
  But both of those solutions are kinda expensive (30 per pair for screw in, 70 per pair for the clamps).
  I recently bought some universal mounts (Premier Mounts PSPK-5B Universal Speaker Mount for Walls and Ceilings with 2.5-Inch Extensions (Black)) that supposedly work with keyholes so we'll see.
  
  UPDATE: the speakers are great, make sure to use the microphone to calibrate, this is part of the value of the system and makes a big difference in the sound quality.
  About the mounts:
  The cheap universal mounts, were ok.
  They worked fine on the Satellite speakers but there were some design flaws and they don't have the strength to hold up the big front speakers. One of the pieces broke during assembly but as I had 5 and couldn't hang the front speakers with them anyways that wasn't too big of a problem.
  
  I used the 29.99 B-Tech mounts mentioned above (the ones that have to be screwed in) for the front speakers and they worked perfectly. Enjoy!
  
  

• ""OUTSTANDING FOR THE PRICE""

  
  By A2PMQH87R1H3QU on 2007-05-01
  Pros:Great reciever, great 1080p thruput, good power strong sub-w
  
  Cons:HDMI 1080p thruput only, sub par speakers
  
  HTIB have come along way, usally i would turn my nose to these systems but after looking at the specs and the past performance of ONKYO i felt it wouldnt hurt to try. Easy setup. easy speaker calibration. The speakers on this system does not do this receiver justice. I recommend replacing the cheap speaker wire ASAP to push the sound alot better. The receiver has alot of features and alot of custom sound settings not found in other HTIB what blows me away is that this system is only $450. The HDMI switch in this receiver works seemlessly. Best 1080p passthru I have seen for the price. This system is a diamond in the rough and should demand some attention. After spending some time with the remote its a breeze. Really am impressed with what onkyo is doing as a company.
  
  
  

• This would be a great system, but for one HUGE problem

  
  By A1R38258EUZBZE on 2007-11-22
  Beware of this unit if you plan to use it as a home theatre system. It has HDMI inputs and outputs, BUT THEY DON'T PASS AUDIO! The whole beauty of HDMI is one cable for everything, but ONKYO has only added the plugs to fool you into buying their unit. You still have to use the regular audio plugs, in addition to the HDMI cable. If I had known this, I never would have bought it. I wasted a whole day trying to get it to work, because ONKYO isn't honest enough to warn you about this in the manual. This system is great overall, so it's a shame that some sleazy executive chose the low road, and resorted to misleading us like this. I'll never buy another ONKYO products again: you can't trust people qho behave like this.
  
  

• Superior Sound!

  
  By A3O249OLH61S1K on 2007-10-27
  Great system. HDMI inputs allow you to hook up both your cable box and DVD player (or PlayStation if you have one). The speakers are solid. The package for the entire system is huge, so be ready to lift up some weight. Easy to setup, lots of features if you are into audio/video connections. In addition, the remote control is universal so you can set up your TV and cable box to it. I now only have 1 remote control for everything, the one that came with this system. I am very happy with it!
  
  

• Great System - Great Value

  
  By A2WFGXSMYFAP0A on 2007-06-13
  I just received this system a couple of days ago, and I would agree with the previous reviews. The system was very easy to set up and the performance is fantastic for the price. I found that this was actually a bit more system than I needed for my room. But who ever complains that there home theater is too powerful?? I did replace all of the speaker wire and the sound was noticeably improved. I would definitely recommend this system to any friend looking for a powerful Home Theater with a budget under $500. You can't beat the flexibility for this price.
  
  The only thing I would have changed is the size of the front speakers, I wish they were just a bit smaller and a little less obtrusive (They are about the same size as the receiver). But overall that's not that big of a deal. I am very happy with the system.
  
  
• Clear, Clean, & Warm
  By A126WN93KS7AGJ on 2007-09-20
  After having had this system for a week, I am now utterly impressed with it. Once you get all the speakers calibrated, replace all the speaker wire with some 14 gage, and get your room setup properly you'll find this system blows you away too.
  
  Strait out of the box you will not be impressed. But that will be the case with any sound system. They need to be properly setup.
  
  I HIGHLY suggest replacing the wire with METRA Ltd S14-100 MTA 14 Gauge Clear Speaker Wire. It really does make a world of difference. I was thinking the speakers were not as clear as I would have liked, until I installed the new wire. Now everything is extra crisp and clear.
  
  After doing tons of research, Onkyo was the only one I could find that consistently got great reviews. I can see why!
  
  
• Good, but it has its limitations
  By A14DLOV1GBUUWA on 2007-12-01
  For the price, you won't find a better htib, but you need to beware of some extremely important limitations that I overlooked. I ended up returning this unit because it lacked one very important feature that was necessary for my new plasma and playstation. The only way to take advantage of the full seven channels is to use one of the digital optical or coaxial audio inputs - you cannot use one of the hdmi inputs. The hdmi inputs will ONLY process video and will not process the audio and play it in 7 channels. You will have to use an additional digital audio cable with the hdmi cable in order to get the full seven channels with video. This is an issue with some players, such as the Playstation. Keep in mind that the PS3 does have both HDMI and optical audio output, but you are out of luck if you want the best audio from the PS3(because it lacks a coaxial output). The best digital audio is achieved from the coaxial and not the optical, or even better is the hdmi. You will achieve the best audio from the unit using hdmi v1.3. Most cable boxes, like my Motorola comcast box will also only have the optical audio out, again unless you have a receiver that can process the hdmi audio as well as the video. So, instead of running multiple cables for each device, I decided to return the unit, spend a couple hundred dollars more for a better receiver and get the hdmi v1.3 inputs, which will process both the audio and video signals. In many cases, this is the only way to use the full seven audio channels. This is the htib if you don't plan on achieving really good audio from your sources without using both hdmi video and audio cables together. The only function of the hdmi on this receiver is to switch just video between two sources, otherwise it is useless because it doesn't process the audio.
  
  
• Easy to setup, incredible to listen to
  By A2WJRFO0S81GY on 2007-05-17
  Got these speakers at Circuit City for $470. I had the whole system set up in a couple hours and I have minimal HT experience. Push a few buttons and its calibrated. In terms of sound, the subwoofer packs a punch! I agree with the other reviewer about getting better speaker wire, but that goes for most other systems too. Overall the sound is amazing even with the wires provided, system is powerful and incredibly easy to use, good company, no cons so far at all. HDMI is a good feature, but I don't have the equipment to set it up yet. I'm real impressed - I wouldn't go with any other package.
  
  
• Extremely average.
  By A22UBDIW1C92WW on 2007-08-26
  I thought after all the reviews i had read i found a product that wasnt going to break the bank but give me an entry level theatre experience. Should have saved my money. Totally feels like a wal mart setup. You get what you pay for. Dont rule it out either, for the money, its not bad. Its just not for someone who has an out dated superior set up. If this is your first experience with something like this , i think you will love it.If you are trying to replace that 10 year old pioneer elite receiver, think again.
  
  
• Amazing HTiB for the price
  By A1Q9WJWXPOAN55 on 2007-09-10
  Update 5/2/2008: I am still exploring the various capabilities of this HTiB, I received an HDMI cable box from COX and enabled the Dolby through the optical output, using the EX mode, the sound became astonishing. If you are using BluRay, it is better to leave it on PCM, but for regular DVDs, Dolby and DTS make an amazing contribution. This receiver is amazing, and still only one drawback, it does not process the audio coming from HDMI cable, it routes it to the TV (why would you want that?) but does not output through the speakers.. For BluRay, you might need a different receiver, but for upscaling DVD players, its wonderful (bear in mind one digital output cable!)
  
  Review:
  I have been researching for a decent enough HTiB for almost 6 months now. I had bad experiences with Panasonic, LG, and Yamahas (Not a particular model). They didn't impress me much and I always wanted to be blown away before I see the "Max Volume" on the screen. I was going to buy the HT-SR600 due to ONKYO's reputation but by the time I decided the new SR800 was released. The built-in 230W subwoofer and powerful satellites made me go with the 800 vs 600. However it becomes harder to mess with 7 speakers versus 5. I received the product and I was happy (not as much as I expected after reading the reviews). After testing it for 2 weeks, finally I replaced the wiring with 14AWG speaker wires and audio cables with Fiber Optics (or digital COAX). I had no clue that could make such a difference. I am no longer able to turn the volume all the way up and I see no distortion whatsoever. Endless input/outputs and amazing quality for the price. Highly recommended for people who want to stay below $500 and still be proud of their system.
  
  
• The final peice of my Garage>>Media Room conversion
  By A9OY21RN562CP on 2007-06-21
  Just some background information:
  
  I have an XBOX 360 connected to the Optoma HD70 through VGA cable to make the XBOX 360 an upscaling DVD player. I was originally using the Philips HTS-6500 for the sound when I had the system setup at my girlfriend's apartment. The sound from the 6500 was good enough that it wasn't too loud since her place was smaller.
  
  I have recently bought a place and decided that there wasn't a room in the house for just me :( so I went ahead and scratched out the garage and I'm going to make it my media room. With a 109" screen and XBOX for gaming and movies, I needed a system that delivers on the sound part.
  
  I've learned to trust a few places online when it comes to meaningful reviews and I find it to be obligatory that if I did in fact buy and use a great product, I should let everyone know about it. I'm no audio expert nor an audiophile so I don't necessarily know the ins and outs of receivers and speakers but I do know that I appreciate good sound.
  
  First of all, let me start of by saying that if you cannot setup these speakers, this is not the system for you. It's soooo dang easy and fool proff (color coded wires, and speakers!!!) that if you mess up, you should be ashamed of yourself. That being said, I'm a techie so I was able to setup the whole thing without even looking at the instruction manual. I guess that's some sort of skill or something. for a non techie, you can get everything connected in about an hour and have it placed relatively close to where you would want your speakers eventually and have sound. After that I decided that the speakers need some time getting used to their new surroundings so I just turned it up a bit and let them have their break-in period.
  
  I was a bit underwhelmed at first when I first turned it on but after tweaking with the presets and setting up the speakers in their proper positions, I decided to give it a true listening after about a week of a few hours of louder than normal use of the speakers. Boy, do they sound incredible now. The bass is punchy, not boomy like some of those other subs. The front and center channels are crisp and I think the most accurate I've ever heard. That's not saying much since I don't necessarily pay attention to that stuff until lately so I can say that these are the best that I've heard from a HTiB.
  
  Santana, Final Fantasy Advent Children, even Catch and Release (I know, I had to watch it though :( sounded very good. I played some videos that I had downloaded from the XBLM and they all sound spot on. By the way, I've only had it setup for a 5.1 right now since I'll be working on my speakers stands for the rear surrouds while installing everything on the walls.
  
  In terms of audio, this is some good stuff that really should be taken into consideration if you serious about sound.
  
  As far as video, I haven't done much since I use VGA but as soon as Comcast or DirectTv gets installed at my house, I'm sure I'll be using the HDMI pass through for HDMI to my projector. Once the PS3 price drop happens, I can go ahead an buy a PS3 and hook it up on the back of the receiver and switch from between the Set top box or the PS3. the Wii will have to stay with the standard game set so that you guys can play
  
  
• Just Spectacular Booming Sound with all the options you need
  By A20FO6THLCFZ0P on 2007-11-29
  First, the price of this system relative to other systems with exact and less features is UNBEATABLE. If you want to pay for the brand, such Bose/Sony for the same performance or less, by all means that is your choice.
  
  Second, the surround sound feature with incredidable bass is just amazing. At first I said to myself that most media does not even emit 7.1 sound but only 5.1, particularly HD cable tv. This system, actually takes a 5.1 sound source and emulates it in 7.1 if you ask it to do so. The receiver gives you 15+ sound choices geared to your liking. If you want to switch the sound to just two speakers with no bass for some subtle quite or if you are watching the Transformers HD DVD and actually want to feel the base going through your body (I kid you not), all can be done in a flick of a button..it's that easy. Hence, flexibility is not even a question.
  
  Yes, the HDMI connection does not carry audio as it 'should' in light of recent technology. But honestly, who cares! The one person on Amazon who left a feedback score of '1' for this system because of this, obviously is way too lazy to do a one time connection of an audio cable, that's all it takes! Use optical cables (the receiver has 2 hdmi and 2 optical) and there is NO loss in sound quality.
  
  One thing people MUST do for ANY sound system is buy 14 gauge speaker wires. If you use the 24 gauge ultra skinny wires that comes with the package, you simply won't experience what I and others are experiencing. The 14 gauge wires are thicker than 24 gauge, hence it carries more voltage to the speakers, which means everything works to it's full potential because it is being powered accordingly. Logically, you know what this means for a surround sound system's overall performance involving 7 speakers. I could admit, that not including 14 guage wires is a negative aspect of this product, but realistically no home audio package provides you optimum speaker cables, which is the reason why there is an industry for speaker cables to begin with. If you can, replace the Subwoofer cable too. As for quality of the cables, do not bother with getting the highest quality simply because 14 guage cables is the same no matter what quality you get as they are the same thickness. Hey you're saving money on the system, use that to get the cables :).
  
  Considering all, and considering I am a techy person, this is by far one of the top purchases I have ever made when it comes to electronics. This system has nothing but the highest user rating in every single website you may research on the net about it. So buy one, and follow the instructions me and others are leaving here. I am sure you will not be disappointed.
  
  
• 4 1/2 stars for amazing SOUND and value
  By A1UN7CZESYPVGU on 2008-01-21
  I've done months of research before I bought this & several other pieces of my home theater system & although I was nervous that it didn't have HDMI audio(only passthrough) we took the plunge. We were NOT disappointed. We hooked it up to a Panasonic Blu-ray DMP-BD30K and Sony KDS-60A3000 SXRD (no we didn't buy an LCD...we were going to get a Samsung LNT5271 LCD but the picture on the Sony blew it away, is bigger and has 120 mhz motionflow). Here's how we hooked everything up:
  1) HDMI & fiber optic digital audio cables from the blu-ray to the receiver
  2) HDMI cable from the receiver to the tv
  3) Fiber optic digital audio cables from the recevier to the cable box
  4) HDMI cable from the cable box to the tv
  5) Monster XP HD CI CL3 12 guage speaker wire (if the wire goes thru the walls CL3 is needed for insurance purposes).
  The picture especially when watching a blu-ray disc (some shots looked 3D!) & sound were OFF THE CHARTS! It would be nice if the receiver 'upconverted' & used all 7 speakers but at least it's ready when the functionality is used more. Because of this & the lack of 'full' HDMI we didn't give it 5 stars, but unless you want to spend $500+ this is an excellent system especially for the $437 we bought it for on 1/9/08.
  
  
• It's amazing how much your money will buy these days!
  By A1URXSRV6WDHVY on 2007-10-17
  This system is an incredible value. I have had it for a week now and am really enjoying even my regular TV viewing more. With DVD , or HD DVD/ Blu Ray playback it will rock your house.. The receiver can handle all your devices and then some. I currently have a MOXI DVR , an HD DVD player, a Hi Fi Stereo VCR/DVD combo unit, and a CD player connected with inputs to spare. The Dolby matrixes it provides cover just about any listening situation you may encounter. The custom Onkyo DSP presets are very handy as well, especially for watching old movies in mono or transforming stereo music into pretty realistic surround mixes. It will reprocess your Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks into Dolby Digital EX and give you a much enhanced surround experience. It really is a quality amp.
  
  The speakers , while on the cheap side, are not too shabby. They are a bit large in size compared to other HTIB systems but they sound very good considering the price. The cool thing is, you can always upgrade your speakers at any time to any 8 ohm speakers of your choice , but this is by no means a necessity as the included speakers do the job quite nicely. My only complaint would be they are a little shy in the midrange, most noticeable during CD or stereo music playback. There is a 5 band digital EQ for each channel and you can make a custom EQ setting just for stereo playback and save it in the manual EQ section while keeping the Audyssey EQ curve for movie playback. There are many options for using this thing just about any way you can think of.
  
  The sub is more than adequate unless very loud and booming explosions are what you`re after, and even then it is pretty darn good for that too considering the total cost of the system.. I would think this system would sound best in a mid sized room. I have it in my rather large bedroom , set up to Dolby Labs spec for the speaker placement with a Lazy Boy in the sweet spot. It is as good or better than I have heard in any of my local theatres and I don't feel I am missing out due to sub standard speakers.
  
  As many of these reviews point out, the included speaker wire is basically garbage. TO hear the full performance of the amp you really do need to get some decent speaker wire. It is a bit of a pain to prep your own wire but really worth it once you hear how good this thing can sound.
  
  All in all I totally recommend the SR 800 to anyone wanting a good cost effective surround sound system. It can really handle anything you throw at it and it sounds great! Totally worth the money!
  
  
  
• Overall very good, but no HDMI audio
  By A3KXBA4STVHRBU on 2008-01-28
  I have had this system for about 9 months now, and I have no real complaints. The sound (with upgraded speaker wire and subwoofer cable) is very good, and the various listening modes are fun to play with, especially when using an iPod. The only drawback is the lack of "audio over HDMI." I will admit, I did not really know what this meant. Here's my take:
  
  It really doesn't matter if you have a standard definition (with or without upconverting capabilities) DVD player. You can output the sound via an optical cable or coaxial and the sound is great. It handles the Dolby digital 5.1 sound very well. I particularly enjoy it with "The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers" and "Star Wars III."
  
  The problem occurs if you have a high definition DVD player (HD DVD or BluRay). Since these can decode "TrueHD" sound, there is more to be heard than what's in the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. However, this sound can only be passed from the DVD player to the receiver by HDMI or multi-channel analog audio. Since this receiver cannot decode audio over the HDMI, the only option is multi-channel analog audio. Most entry level high definition DVD players (at least the ones in the price range of us mere mortals) do not have a multi channel audio output. Thus, with this receiver, you are left with only optical/coaxial output which is still very good, but not "TrueHD."
  
  Other than that, this is a good system. The subwoofer can be maximized for "window rattling" explosions if you want, and it's fairly easy to do. Just make sure you take time to go through the user manual, it helps alot.
  
  
• All the Reviews are True: Spectacular Sournd After a Few Gotchas
  By ATQOX56QY27FO on 2008-04-20
  I'm new to home theater and haven't bought a receiver in over 10 years, so I spent a few hours on the Internet researching home theater systems (what everybody calls HTIBs, "home theater in a box"). What convinced me to buy it was the cnet.com editors' video review, but the impression I got from reading about 50 reviews were:
  
  1. Skimpy wires (true, but may not matter)
  2. Auto-calibration makes setup easy (true, and is a must-do)
  3. More inputs than you need (true)
  4. HDMI issues (true, but by design)
  5. Awesome sound (true)
  6. Unit gets hot (false)
  
  I got my unit from Vann's for $420 (no tax nor shipping), and it arrived in Texas from Montana in about 5 days in the manufacturer's box. I read in one review that the box was the size of a refrigerator, so I expected a monster package, but it turned out to be more the size of dorm refrigerator. However, it was still too bulky and heavy for me to carry by myself or fit in a mid-size car. The box was also crumpled, torn up, and taped back together, but with 2-3 inches of styrofoam on the inside, none of the contents were damaged.
  
  Like a kid that can't wait to try out his new toy, I wanted to set it up without reading any instructions and turn it on as quickly as possible. The speaker wires that come with the unit are pretty skinny, but are nicely color-coded to the inputs on the back of the receiver and on the back of the speakers. This made it easy to keep track of the 15 speaker wires I rushed to hook up to speakers I placed side-by-side.
  
  By the way, for some reason, it didn't occur to me that the unit has a built-in AM/FM tuner, because all the reviews kept mentioning that it doesn't come with a DVD player and is strictly an amplifier. That was a nice surprise.
  
  When I turned it on the first time, no sound came out. After a few seconds of panic, I read from the instructions that you have to push a button to turn on the "A" speaker outputs. (Incidentally, there are also "B" speaker outputs for some different Onkyo product that uses the same receiver. Do not turn on the "B" speakers.) After turning on only the "A" speakers, still no sound. It turned out there are AM and FM antenna wires (included) that you have to plug in. The unit will mute the sound instead of playing radio static. Whew, I finally heard sound, however, it didn't sound so spectacular like everyone said.
  
  Thinking radio quality isn't too good a source, I quickly plugged in my DVD player to the HDMI-in and my muted TV to the HDMI-out. Got a picture, but no sound again. Small panic once more before remembering a review that mentioned the unit only passes HDMI in to out, which I now understand to mean that it doesn't play sound from the HDMI input. I plugged in audio cables from the DVD and was relieved to hear the soundtrack from the receiver. The sound was pretty good, but not spectacular.
  
  There's a setup microphone that you plug into the front of the unit, which automatically activates the auto-measuring. The first time I tried this, the unit displayed an error. My fault once more, because I placed all the speakers side-by-side to "test them out". After positioning them around the listening area, the auto-calibration completed successfully. Note this takes about 10 minutes, because it sends test sounds to each of the 8 speakers 3 times. After this, the sound improved immensely to what I consider awesome, but not spectacular yet.
  
  I proceeded to hook up my HD cable box and DVR with component cables to get video pass through (mine don't have HDMI connections). This time, I get audio, but no video. A little more reading through the manual, and I learned that if you use component inputs, then the video only goes to the component output, not the HDMI output. So it turns out that the HDMI issues aren't really problems with the units being defective, but rather that it's kinda poorly designed for the HDMI connections.
  
  At this point, I've got a jumble of wires and cables coming out the wazoo to get cable, DVD, and DVR sound. After a few minutes of thinking, the solution dawned on me. Unplug all the cables, and just connect the TV audio output to receiver. That way, no matter which source (DVD, DVR, or cable box) is playing on the TV, I only need one set of audio cables to the receiver. This took care of the wire jumble issue, but still not spectacular sound.
  
  A little more reading of the manual, and I discovered that you have to use digital audio optical cables (Toslink) in order to get the most advanced surround sounds for all 7 speakers. Fortunately, I ordered a pair of those cables through Amazon, and now finally the sound is SPECTACULAR!
  
  All in all, if you're new to home theater like I am, save yourself some time and read the setup instructions and operations manual before you start plugging stuff up. You'll save yourself some panic, frustration, and temporary disappointment. I have not noticed any heating issues. My 52" LCD puts out more heat than the receiver. Unless all your components have HDMI connections, the HDMI pass through will not save you any cables to your TV.
  
  
  
• Sound is not that great
  By A2VO6L6JYZWFN6 on 2007-09-24
  Not happy with sound quality. The speakers are bigger than expected and don't come with mounting bracket/arms. The speakers have metal clip on the back where you can put them flat on the wall with a nail or a screw. So this means you can't control the angle at which they point. Even if you buy separate mounting brackets, you will not be able to mout these speakers becuase there are no universal mounting holes.
  
  
• Great system for the price
  By A2DIBWJPEYDUVJ on 2007-09-26
  I've been very impressed with this system so far. I like the Onkyo package because it includes a quality receiver without charging for extras like DVD/CD changer. The receiver (HT-R550) is mid-way between the TX-SR505 and the TX-SR605 in terms of features, and outputs more power than either. There's no upconversion, only switching, but at this price range, you're not likely to find decent upconversion hardware in anyone's system. The Audyssey setup is simple and effective and the speakers sound great with some upgraded wiring. There are a couple minor inconveniences. The wiring is cheap and flimsy - definately recommend some 16 or 14 awg. The remote could be programmed for the TV and DVD player, but not our digital cable box, and none of the other component remotes could control the Onkyo. When using the "A/B" speakers together, the "A" set becomes a 5.1 channel - power from the 2 rear speakers is used for the "B" set.
  
  Overall, highly recommended! More than I expected for the price.
  
  
• This device does not actually support HDMI audio
  By A3A3LB85R6IIXF on 2008-02-26
  I just purchased this system and while it does sound great as far as I can tell, it is truly deceitful for these guys to claim HDMI support. In their defense, they do identify it as 'pass-thru', but this really only adds to the immense confusion already facing a semi-casual audio equipment consumer.
  
  Buyer Beware: This device does not pull the audio signal out of the HDMI inputs and instead simply 'passes it through' to your television. You can imagine my surprise when I plugged more than three hundred dollars worth of HDMI cables into this thing only to find out that I needed to also go purchase one hundred and twenty dollars worth of optical cables if I wanted sound to come from anywhere other than my television!
  
  This was especially confusing for two reasons:
  
  1) One of the main reasons HDMI cables and connectors are so damn expensive is because they carry both extremely high bandwidth video and multi-channel digital audio signals. Why would anyone ever want to send only the video signal through a device that is primarily an amplifier with speakers?!
  
  2) There are many people that say that optical cables can't support the higher bitrates required for 7.1 channels of digital audio. These people appear to be wrong, but I'm still not sure....
  
  I'm still not quite sure if I'm fully firing on all channels, but the sound quality over optical (toslink) cables is definitely good.
  
  Overall the system sounds great, but my 1080p HD video signal was degraded when I ran HDMI through it so I had to run both HDMI cables directly to my television and then set up the Logitech Harmony remote to do the switching. This essentially means that for me, this device is an optical cable switch, an amplifier and speakers.
  
  In order to be useful, I had to buy a $150 remote, $120 worth of optical cables, and $200 (200 feet) of monster speaker cable.
  
  I'm starting to suspect that I may have overpaid....
  
  
  
• Blows you away
  By A10UD15798PM14 on 2007-08-09
  I tried this out at Circuitcity and immediately was impressed by the quality of sound compared to the $1000 Denon system sitting next to it. After much debate, picked it up, and simply blown away by the clarity of sound while watching 300. I have a Sony 5.1 system before and this beats the crap out of it. I am not going to be using HDMI in the near future but its good to know it supports all the latest encodings (DTS-HD, True HD) so its future capable for the next 2-3 years.
  
  The only con i can think of is the size of the speakers & sub-woofer which are huge so be prepared for that.
  
  A swell feature is automatic shut-off of sub-woofer when the reciever is put on stand by. Always wanted that on my Sony. For the money, its an excellent choice. Not sure what the deal is with users complaining about the included wiring, its emitting par excellence sound already.
  
  
• great value, great sound
  By A2ZSJW45SD85RL on 2007-09-26
  i am really pleased with my surround sound system from onkyo. other than having to replace the speaker wires, i have no complaints. i can't believe such a good sounding system cost so little. i would buy this system again if i had to do it over again.
  
  
• Great Product
  By A2L1RK0AG8YJZY on 2007-08-31
  For the price, unbeatable product. The sound is phenomenal and unless you're doing more high tech operations than plugging in a state of the art television and dvd player, you'll never exceed the limitations of this machine.. and unless you pay twice as much, you won't get better sound quality.
  
  
• Best Home Theater hands down
  By A1QOV0TUG24IAZ on 2007-10-13
  If you are looking for a great Home Theater then look no further. This system has every thing you want and maybe more than you want. If you have never set up an Home Theater before then you may want some help with this one, read the book several times before you start the set up process and make sure you understand it. Set up was easy but could have been an nightmare if I had not read the book on the setup. Only took a couple of hours to set up, the mic that programs the speakers is the best. Sound quality is great. I gave it 5 stars but there is a minor draw back to this system. As others have said the speaker wires that come with this are low rate and cheap so you will need to buy a heavier speaker ( I bought 16 gauge) wire which ended up costing me around $50 more along with some more cables that you will need to buy to set this up the way it should be set up. Plan on spending another $100 for everything to set this system up like you need to but it will be well worth the money. You will have an outstanding system with a little time and money.
  
  
• I love this system!
  By A23Z2OLF92I0U on 2007-10-20
  I had researched every website I could find for reviews on all the HTIB and I finally found the one! The Onkyo is better than the Bose that I listened to at the Bose store in our NEX and about 1/4 of the price. I have a 52 inch Sony XBR Bravia, PS3 and Silver Onkyo HT-SR800(S)set up for my home theater now and couldn't be happier. I was going to buy a $3500 system from Best Buy but I couldn't see spending that much after hearing one of these bad boys... Mix the price with Free Shipping to HAWAII for $400 total on a 100lb system, WOW!
  
  They only problem I had was the back left speaker didn't work when I got it. All I had to do is call their support center and they sent me a new one, no problem. I bought new speaker wire for it so if it makes a big difference i'll be even happier.
  
  If you are anything like me and have big aspirations w/o the big purse, buy this system!!! I guarantee you you won't be disappointed!
  
  
• Great System
  By A7943ZQQPTNDZ on 2007-10-11
  I'm not an audiophile, but after a lot of research, I bought this system. For a little more money than most HTIBs you get a lot more sound. This system can rattle my house and also plays the subtle sounds you expect from a good surround system. The room I set up my system in is 20x30, and I needed new speaker wires. If you use it in a big room, you'll need longer wire.
  
  
• SWEET HTB!
  By A2IHDATMGE30E3 on 2007-11-28
  Great HTB system if you don't want to fork out major bucks! I've owned 5.1 systems over the years by Awai and Sony, and the Onkyo 7.1 sounds much better. Mounting options are limited for the front L/R and center speakers due to size of speakers, but could probably be modified to accept a directonal wall mount if you really know what you're doing, but why would you? This would only serve to have the speakers set further out from your wall, and they already have a deep profile due to their size. I am perfectly happy mounting them flush to the wall to the left/right/above my 46" Bravia (which is wall mounted). I was able to mount the 4 surround speakers (they are much lighter) with universal mounts pretty easy (this would take a little work on your part). You will need to buy additional speaker cable if you run through the walls as I did for a professional looking installation.
  
  Set up of receiver is pretty standard and I thought that the speaker calibration mic to balance surround sound was a neat tool. I also like the presets for different sound formats depending on what's being input and what you are listening to. I'm still playing around with this to see what sounds best, as sound is in the ear of the beholder. Bottom line, satellite/movies/music sound great! The HDMI pass-thru inputs are nice, I guess, but unneccesary in my application. I have my HD receiver and DVD player run directly to my LCD via HDMI. I used digital optical from HD receiver and DVD to A/V reciver. The Onkyo receiver has plenty of input options.
  
  Overall this was an EXCELLENT buy that I would highly RECOMMEND! Remember that it is silver if color matching a TV or other audio components is an aesthetic must for you. I went with silver although my LCD is black because my wife and I are just tired of constantly dusting. You'll also want to plan out speaker setup and installation (read dimesions of speakers in product description) as there are 7 of them plus subwoofer. If you know someone who has experience installing and will do it for a sixpack and BBQ, go gor it! ; )
  
  
• Great Quality Excellent Price
  By A31NP1XQRYPPWF on 2007-08-15
  I am quite happy with the value and even more happy with the sound quality from this HTIB. Like previously mentioned the HDMI is just pass through and there is no upconversion from component. Meaning if you are using component in you get componet out but that is a small gripe IMO. Definately would recommend as you get a lot of bang for the buck!
  
  
• Pleasant Surprise
  By A23VZY0TGYHPVF on 2007-09-17
  After reading the reviews, I decided to buy this HTS. After setting everything up correctly I am really impressed with the sound. If you buy this and it doesn't sound good, spend a little more time with the settings before you make your final judgment.
  
  
• Worth the money
  By A2CTIHYWKNXMJH on 2007-10-03
  I have purchased this product couple months ago and I have to give it five stars because:
  1-Price is really affordable for a home theatre system like this.
  2-Great Sound.
  3-Very easy to setup.
  To me it worth every penny
  
  
• WOW!!! Fantastic System!!
  By A37QU23QG5SC48 on 2007-11-23
  This is an excellent home theater system that sounds OUTSTANDING--what a great price for all this sound!
  
  Please be sure to do the speaker set up and read instructions carefully, as this makes all the difference in the world in the quality of the sound coming from the speakers. I didn't follow instructions explicitly when I first set the speakers up and the sound was not that great, but when I followed the set up instructions very carefully and did the measurements correctly, the sound was superb! It sounds like you are right in the middle of the scene/environment. From the softest, quietest little movement of sound to the deepest, richest boom of the deep bases, all sounds are reproduced perfectly and crystal clear. The subwoofer is huge and has lots of sound depth; it literally rocks! LOL!
  
  This system far surpasses many more expensive home theater systems on the market. I did much research before purchasing my system, and found this particular model to have great reviews and wins hands down. You will NOT go wrong in purchasing this outstanding system.
  
  One other recommendation: Replace the wires immediately with #14 gauge stereo wires. Don't even turn the system on until you've exchanged the wires. I don't know why Onkyo didn't go all the way and put high-quality speaker wires on this great system, but if you want to hear it at its finest performance--change the wires!
  
  Every time I turn it on, I am amazed at the sound coming out of these speakers. And there are many user defined adjustments that can be made made as with top-of-the-line stereo speaker systems.
  
  I HIGHLY recommend this EXCELLENT Onkyo home theater system--believe me, it's the boss!
  
  
  
  

• Buttkicker BK-LFEKit Low Frequency Effect Kit with Amplifier for Home Theater

• Premier Mounts PSPK-5B Universal Speaker Mount for Walls and Ceilings with 2.5-Inch Extensions (Black)
• Cables To Go - 40315 - 2M (6.5ft) Velocity HDMI Digital Video Cable (Blue)
• HDMI Cable 2M (6 Feet)
• METRA Ltd S14-100 MTA 14 Gauge Clear Speaker Wire
• Fiber Optical Toslink Digital Audio Optic Interface 6 Foot Cable