Onkyo TX-SR605 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Reviews

• Here's what it does.

  
  By A33QSE1ZWTVVLQ on 2007-08-05
  This receiver does a great job. It replaced a 7 yr old Denon 1601 that quit working one night. It drives my 5.1 Polk system at least as good as the older Denon, which always sounded great. At this price, good sound quality is probably a given, so this review is more about the features that set this unit apart. Let's talk video first.
  
  The nice thing about the video processing is that you can hook anything up to it, and it will send the video feed to your TV through one cable. Its basically a big switch, letting you easily change between A/V sources. You just leave your TV on the input through which it is connected, and it feeds the TV whatever source you pick, and sends the audio through the speakers. I hooked up my Samsung DLPSamsung HL-S5688W 56" 1080p DLP HDTV to it via the HDMI output. I used the two HDMI inputs to connect my Samsung DVD player and my Comcast Motorola HD-DVR. I also hooked up my Samsung VCR through a composite input and RCA cables for the VCR's audio. The Onkyo basically passes anything its sent through the HDMI inputs out through the HDMI output. You don't get any upconverting if you use the HDMI inputs and are outputting via HDMI. If you feed it 1080i through the HMDI inputs, it will output 1080i. Feed it 1080p, and you get 1080p output. (I've set my DVR and DVD players to send it 1080 input.) This is not true of the component inputs. It will send those inputs out as 720p, even if you feed it 1080. Just use the HDMI inputs for your 1080 sources. If you have more than two 1080 sources, this Onkyo might not be for you, since it only has two HDMI(1080 capable) inputs. I guess you could get an HDMI switch HDMI 3 Ports Switch With Remote (or some other brand) if you needed it in the future, or just watch your third HD input (video game, maybe) at 720p, or maybe your TV has another HDMI input itself. Another oddity is that it won't send digital sound out the HDMI that you associate with the component video inputs. This is only a problem if you need the TV to produce sound. I use the 5.1 speakers for all sound, so I don't care. The video it outputs seems to be a little better looking than video straight from the source, but I'm not sure its noticably different.
  
  (A word on upconverting of video. Its just interpolation. Upconverting tries to add lines were there were not lines in the original source. Its not going to make SDTV look like HDTV. It might make it look a little better, but its in the eye of the beholder, and some sources seem to look better upconverted than others. Too me, it isn't worth much. My DVR can upconvert, as can my DVD player and even my TV. I've tried them all, and don't think any of them can improve an SDTV picture much. If you want to try this receiver's upconverting, there's a hidden menu to turn on upconverting 480 HDMI input to 720p, but it will also make it downgrade 1080 HDMI input to 720p. Holding down the aux and power buttons will activate the hidden menu. I leave it off, which is called auto mode, but have my DVR upconvert 480 to 1080 before it sends it to the Onkyo. Other things in the hidden menu are standard video settings like sharpness, contrast, etc.)
  
  I also like the remote. Its fairly small, yet controls all my equipment very well, even the Comcast/Motorola DVR. My wife has put away all the other remotes, so that's a good sign. She can operate the entire system with the included Onkyo remote. My 65 year old parents even figured out how to use the entire system, so the remote must be pretty good. It helps that the Onkyo's switching simplifies everything so much. Another feature that is nice is the front panel inputs. You can hook up your digital camera very easily that way. It even has an optical audio input on the front.
  
  The setup is pretty straight forward, especially if you have some experience setting up home theaters. If not, the manual explains things well enough, and a little Internet reading will get you all the way there, if you are like me and enjoy tinkering with the settings. The onscreen display is great. You do have to use the menu system on the front panel to tell it to output the setup menu via the HDMI, otherwise the blank screen will frustrate you. The Audessey auto-speaker calibration does a fairly decent job of configuring your system for your room, measuring distance and equalizing the volume, setting timings and equalizing sounds. I think I improved it by using the manual 5 band equalizers, though. I thought my center speaker sounded flat, so I tinkered with the equalizer and am much happier. I tried messing around with Audessey's crossover settings, but couldn't improve them any, though. Audessey also correctly set up the speaker distances.
  
  One main reason I bought this thing was the future proofing features. It has the Dolby TrueHD and the DTS-HD, so if those every come out I can use them. I can also upgrade to a 7.1 speaker system, but my living room really isn't configured to handle that many speakers. It also offers I-pod connectivity and XM and Sirrius satellite radio connectivity, should I ever want those.
  
  Some common complaints I've read are speaker popping noises and that it runs hot, and some people think that overheating causes the popping. I don't have the popping problems, and I don't think it runs too much hotter than my older Denon. I have it in a decently ventilated cabinet, though. I don't think it would do well in a closed up cabinet without any airflow. My ventilation is simply a crack at the bottom front, and at the top back. Hot air rises out the top back, pulling in cool air from the front bottom. I have about 6 inches of space between the receiver and the top of the cabinet. The receiver is a bit tall, so you should measure your space before your buy it. Make sure you can allow for this ventilation space on top of it.
  
  Lastly, I like some of the many different listening "modes". Dolby Prologic IIx is better than the old Prologic on my Denon. It improves the surround effects of non-DD or non-DTS TV shows. It has the 5-channel stereo that I liked so well in the Denon, too. The other modes seem like gimmicks, though. It does do a good job of picking the appropriate mode, but you can also tell it what to use as a default mode for each source. For example, if the TV feed is in DD or DTS, it uses DD or DTS, but if its in Prologic, you can specify to use Prologic II cinema. However, if your TV show is a concert, you can change it to Prologic II music.
  
  In summary, the Onkyo will simplify your system, allows for future expansion, is easy to use, sounds great, and costs less than anything else out there with this feature set. I recommend it.
  
  

• Solid receiver; some minor (?) HDMI switching limitations...

  
  By A11I9S69435548 on 2007-06-13
  Got the Onkyo 605 (replaced the RX-1200) this morning and spent about an hour setting it up. The experience was very positive and I had no problems what-so-ever.
  
  
  
  In summary, it seems to be a solid receiver if you can live w/ inability to matrix "Multi Channel PCM" to 7.1 and lack of component -> HDMI switching > 720p.
  
  
  
  My set up:
  
  
  
  Toshiba XA2 (HDMI input to receiver); HDMI audio set to "Auto"
  
  XBOX 360 (Component 1080i output connected directly to 60A2000 RPTV); optical input to receiver.
  
  Klipsch 5.1 RF
  
  
  
  I tried a couple of 5.1 SD-DVDs and it looked like receiver applied PLIIx to them (I only have 5.1 at present though). The True HD soundtrack from the Matrix HD displayed as "Multi Channel PCM" and PLIIx wasn't applied as expected.
  
  
  
  The 1080p pass-through on HDMI seems to be working just fine w/o any noticeable degradation of PQ (component transcoding to HDMI is limited to 720p from what I have read though, but that doesn't concern me).
  
  
  
  Here's a run down of the steps (for newbies) and my own experience with them:
  
  
  
  a) Read the manual first!!!
  
  
  
  b) Connect your speakers (preferably using banana plugs from Radio Shack etc.). Make sure that you get the polarities right before turning on the receiver. Run the Audessey setup by plugging in the provided microphone. In my case, it detected that I had inadvertantly unhooked my left front speaker and completed w/o problems after that .
  
  
  
  c) If you prefer an on screen display, connect a S-Video from the receiver cable to your TV / monitor. You may want to adjust the aspect ratio 4:3 or 16:9
  
  
  
  d) Connect the HDMI inputs (if any) and assign the appropriate HDMI input. In my case the XA2 was connected to HDMI input 1. The HDMI output from the receiver was connected to the TV's HDMI input.
  
  
  
  e) Make sure that you set HDMI Audio Out to "Yes"
  
  
  
  f) If you prefer to see the OSD over HDMI, set the HDMI Monitor to Yes. You will no longer see any output on the SVideo. If you make a mistake on this screen, you can revert by pressing the arrow key on the receiver to switch back to SVideo.
  
  
  
  

• Definitely, the best for the buck!

  
  By A1L64571OJUKIB on 2007-06-13
  While I have been an A/V buff for many years, I do not go off the deep end buying a myriad of equipment to play anything and everything. I carefully research every piece of gear before I buy(ad nauseam, if you listen to my girlfriend) to do what I want and have the flexibility to handle upgrades in associated components. That said, I have to admit I didn't wait for the TX-SR605 be on the market for more than a week before I purchased one. No magazine reviews, Amazon listings, online blogs, etc had reviewed one when I purchased mine the day after the receiver hit the shelves on the West Coast.
  This receiver should handle most A/V enthusiast's needs for the next several years. The OSD is very straight forward and the listening field calibration(mic included)works well to get you started. It could use a third HDMI input (available on the next unit up, TX-SR705, for $200 more) but with the up-conversion, it will handle component level inputs with no visible difference(IMO). I purchased the Sirius receiver add-on which integrates and plays flawlessly. I also bought the associated Onkyo iPod dock for my Nano(another homerun). This unit is not THX certified (a dubious certification these days for equipment designed homeowner use) but is available on the next models up in the range. The unit will, however, handle all the new (some as yet unreleased) Dolby audio expansion codecs. There are enough assignable inputs to handle most homeowners systems for years to come. I am quite satisfied with this unit and have no reservations.
  My gear rack includes:
  Pioneer Elite PRO-1140HD 50" plasma TV
  ONKYO TX-SR605B Receiver
  OPPO DV-981HD DVD player
  Xbox 360 with HD-DVD
  Playstation 3 (only for the BluRay player, of course)
  Scientific Atlanta 8300HD cable box
  Harmony 676 remote "to rule them all"
  
  
  

• Great sound quality, frustating feature limitations

  
  By AOJA1LC8PN7K1 on 2007-10-24
  I purchased this receiver to replace a five year old Sony. The sound is amazing but there are several strange feature constraints.
  
  Strengths:
  -Excellent sound quality
  -Intuitive auto speaker setup using the included remote microphone
  -On-screen setup is a nice feature that's usually not included in this price range
  -1080p up-scaling for composite and component inputs look great
  -HDMI output video quality is excellent - comparable to a direct connect between the TV and video source
  
  Weaknesses
  -Only two HDMI inputs
  -Lacks compatibility with separate HDMI switches
  -Can't use a digital audio source for zone 2 (no iPods, XM radio, Satellite, etc.)
  -Can't display on-screen status (i.e. volume) via HDMI output
  -There's an intermittent audio delay of 10-30 seconds between changing HDMI input selections
  -On-screen setup is very rudimentary (but easy to navigate)
  -Remote IR sensor is less sensitive than Sony receivers
  -Limited display information on the receiver itself (i.e. active speakers, multi color indicators, etc.)
  
  I originally planned to get around the 2-port HDMI input limitation by using a separate HDMI switch. However, audio would intermittently drop out after switching inputs. I returned this unit and upgraded to the 705 model primarily for the third HDMI port. If you only need two HDMI ports and don't plan to use the zone 2 feature, this is the best receiver for the price.
  
  

• The Worst Receiver I've Ever Owned!

  
  By A6FSHTCEPSVR2 on 2007-07-14
  Don't believe the hype with this receiver. First off, HDMI 1.3 in a receiver is useless at this point. If your HD-DVD player or Blu-Ray player does the decoding of DTS-HD Master Audio or Dolby True-HD then the receiver will receive the signal as uncompressed PCM. The only reason this receiver has HDMI 1.3 is so that when High Definition players can send out the signal via bitstream the receiver will do the decoding and it will say Dolby True-HD or DTS-HD Master Audio.
  
  HDMI 1.3 is still in its infancy. There are some problems. First off, if you have an HD-A1 don't get this receiver. The HDMI connection won't work because of incompatibility.
  
  Now to the biggest problem with this receiver. There are countless AVS threads online that speak of HDMI problems with this receiver. I'm here to tell you they're true. Listening to any Uncompressed PCM track on a Blu-Ray movie produces an annoying humming noise, and many have even heard popping noises from their speakers.
  
  Cnet may review this high, but listen to the customers who've actually used this receiver for more than a day.
  
  I used to have an Onkyo receiver and though that they were the best bang for your buck. I guess times have changed. I can't caution enough not to buy this product with out thoroughly researching what users have to say.
  
  
• Big Mistake buying this.
  By A1QZLNXH0F1WNK on 2007-12-23
  I thought I had performed a thorough evaluation of home theater receivers, Onkyo seemed to have great ratings and a good "bang for buck" value. I however got a lemon, and have found out that 30% of the units are bad for HDMI operation.
  Google "Onkyo popping". My receiver pops after about 20 minutes of HDMI viewing, and the popping noise is very annoying and begins to increase. I had to buy an expensive fan to help reduce the popping, but this has not stopped the problem. Onkyo told me to reset the unit- and this did not work. The unit is very cool with my special fan, but the popping continues. Onkyo was supposed to call me back (after the 30 minute wait on the phone), but that promise was never kept. My wife wants to kill me because we spent a bunch of money on our home theater and it is not fun to watch with the popping noise.
  I have never left a review in my life, but this seems to be the only way to voice my disappointment that Onkyo refuses to even accept that there is a problem, despite the 15 pages of complains.
  
  
  
  
• Great home theater receiver- HDMI 1.3 switching for $500!
  By A1EY9E5MN0FGCF on 2007-07-06
  I was in the market for a new receiver that would handle HDMI switching duties for my LG BH-100 BluRay / HD-DVD player and Tivo Series 3. The receiver needed to support the new Dolby Digital and DTS high bit rate codecs to fully take advantage of the features of the BH-100. I was very pleasantly surprised to find everyting I was looking for in the Onkyo TX-SR605S for $500.
  
  I have used the player for a month now and have been completely satisfied with its features and performance.
  
  Highly recommended!
  
  
• Onkyo has very disappointing product support.
  By A288V3WQRXCV7O on 2007-11-12
  Receiver's tuner and video card inop after 45 days. The unit was then shipped to an authorized repair center. The repair center indictated the unit damage "pointed to a surge" and repairs would cost more than a replacement and was not covered under warranty. The entire system was hooked up through a Monster HTS 3500 power center that had no indications of a surge and six other components were working normally. As a note, contacting Onkyo product support is a nightmare. Use the 1-800 number as the hold times often exceed 1 hr. Once I finally talked to a representative, they recommended I have Monster contact their repair center to resolve the issue. Now there's customer service. Monster, on the other hand, provided a new power center, that I get to keep regardless, and will test their unit for problems. Should it be a failure of the Monster component, which is highly improbable, they will cover the cost of repair/replacement of the receiver. After another extended call to Onkyo product support explaining physics, environmental conditions, and probability, Onkyo still does not stand behind their product.
  
  
• Not as anticipated
  By A1LGRUSCHZPD81 on 2007-06-16
  I returned this for the following reasons: 1 - Only this only one out there that downscales 1080i signal from component source to 720p. 2 - Low sound. 3- I cannot tell which speakers are active in any given listening mode, I thought there is a way to tell this somewhere in the setup, nada. 4 - Cannot output 5.1 PCM to 7.1 channels.
  
  
• Great specs. Video output DOA. Bad shipping policy.
  By A31KJ5C3ZMFGYW on 2007-10-10
  I ordered this because of it's amazing HDMI support (all analog inputs can be output to TV via one HDMI cable!) and it's excellent price. HDMI inputs could be displayed to the TV but any other inputs could not be output via *any* output method. Ie, even component in -> component out would not work. No composite, component or SVideo output at all. After working with onkyo for a while they determined that the video processor is busted and needs to be returned. Ok, that happens. I'll get a replacement. No big deal.
  
  Now comes the problem. After paying $30 to ship this defective product to my house, I'm required to pay another $50 (cheapest/slowest UPS rate for a box this size/weight). OneCall (ordered through Amazon but shipped from OneCall) doesn't pay return shipping but will cover sending out the replacement. So, I'm out $80 due to shipping a defective product back and forth. Worried that the replacement could need to be returned as well, I told OneCall not to bother sending a new one out and I'll spend a little more to buy locally.
  
  Great product. It's a shame it was broken. OneCall/Amazon's defective return shipping policy is unconscionable. Consumer should not be responsible for shipping broken merchandise. Will still happily buy from Amazon but only if item is sold/shipped by Amazon and not OneCall.
  
  
• Mine blew up... Review Updated.
  By A1OHVNTQXITNSK on 2007-12-28
  I picked up my Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver from Amazon, hooked it up with my HTPC and Boston Acoustics MCS 130 5.1 system. All connections were straight-forward, and configuration was relatively painless, though I did actually read the instructions before setting it up. Audio playback of Cable TV, Cable HDTV, DVD's, HD-DVD's and Blu-Ray disks was all done through the optical input. XBox360 on the other optical input. Video out from my HTPC is using a DVI-HDMI cable going directly from my HTPC to my TV. I will try putting video through the receiver once I get another HDMI cable so it's easier for me to use/see the on-screen menus. Because I'm bypassing the receiver for video, I hooked up an S-Video cable from the Receiver to my TV for all the on-screen setup, which works as expected.
  
  Sound quality was good, and hearing the 5.1 soundtrack on existing DVD's and some Blu-Ray disks really draws you into the movie. Music playback is also good, and the options for the various surround mixes from stereo input are nice. There is definately some lag when switching audio formats (e.g. different programs using different audio formats all going over the same SPDIF optical connection), but that's to be expected. Once playback has started, there's no problems at all.
  
  The Audessy setup is one of the reasons I chose this receiver, as I have a less-than ideal setup for speaker placement, but was hoping it could help make up for it with good technology. The good news is that for the most part it did a great job at that. Only limitation I found is that unfortunately I don't have enough space in the front of the room for the sub, so I placed it closer to the rear of the room in a corner. The drawback is that the you can only set the distance from listening position to sub to be +/- 5 feet from the FRONT speaker distance. This means that since my front speakers are 11 feet away, it only allows me to set the sub to be 6-16 feet away. In reality it's 3 feet away to the right of the couch. Of course, this isn't ideal sub placement to begin with, as I can sometimes tell which direction the sound is coming from with it being that close and to one side, but I was hoping the delay for the sub would be able to accomidate it being at the rear of the room. Except for this, the only other (slight) drawback is that you can't actually see or tweak the EQ settings that the automatic Audessy setup chooses. You can switch to Manual EQ and set it however you'd like, but it'd be nice to see what was chosen for my speakers and be able to fine-tune to my liking. You can see/change the speaker distance and crossover points, but you can't see/change the Audessy EQ settings.
  
  Another major reason I chose this receiver is the future compatability with the newer HD Audio formats. I won't be able to make use of them right away (e.g. only own a 5.1 system to date), but it's nice to know that it's there. With a future upgrade to my HTPC, I'll probably be running the audio through the HDMI input instead of the SPDIF optical, so it's nice to know I've got that capability for when I'll need it.
  
  So, all in all I really like this receiver, especially for the features/price. But the reason it's a two-star review is that after about a week of using the unit, I went to turn it on yesterday morning, and heard a click-click-POP and watched in horror as I saw some smoke coming out of the right-rear of the unit. I immediately turned it off and unplugged it. It should be noted that it was on a table with absolutely nothing above it, so the ventallaiton was as good as it can get w/o adding fans. I started worrying about the trouble I'd have returning a defective unit, and whether I'd be able to go through Amazon, or if I'd be forced to go through Onkyo Warranty service. Fortunately, a I ordered directly through Amazon, I filled out a short online form yesterday morning, and later yesterday I got an email stating that they're shipping a new unit to me next-business-day (ETA-Dec 31), and UPS will pick up the defective unit at my door in the next few days. WOW, I'm impressed!
  
  After I get the new unit up and running for a while, I'll try to update my review. I've heard quality is a possible concern when you've got so many features at this price, so if the first one I got was a lemon, so be it. If customer service is good (so far great from Amazon), and the 2nd unit works well, I'll be a happy customer. If there's a problem w/the 2nd one, it's going back and I'll find another receiver.
  
  UPDATE: Amazon did great and shipped me a new unit, as well as had UPS pick up my defective unit at my door. New unit is now hooked up, everything working great so far as it was before. I have an HDMI cable and another optical SPDIF cable for my Xbox360 in the mail, along with some speaker wire and banana plugs. I'll update again after I get more info.
  
  UPDATE 1/9/2007: I've now had the new unit for a little over a week, and all is good (knock on wood). I've also since gotten an additional HDMI cable, so now video is going through the receiver as well from my HTPC. I've noticed a strange issue where I don't see any of the on-screen menus when I'm using an HDMI source (I have the receiver set to use HDMI). I can see the setup menu, but there is no super-imposed volume or sound controls on any of the HDMI inputs. It _is_ working for any composite inputs (which are then converted and sent over HDMI to the TV).
  
  
• Great Receiver!!
  By A3BYTVWGHDW0DR on 2008-01-13
  -Don't let the negative review given by one user spoil this for you. If you want a bang for the buck receiver that can decode the new HD audio codecs(DD+, TruHD, DTA-MA), then this receiver is for you. this receiver can also upconvert and pass through video signals without a hitch. all receivers shipped out now have the most up to date firmware. (had the negative poster searched, they could have figured out how to do this via the net--i did!!)
  -set up is truly a breeze. plug in and assign your sources, plug in and set up your speakers and let Audyssey do its thing. this calibrates for a flawless soundfield.
  -i have had this receiver for 7 months and simply love it. you really can't go wrong with this receiver.
  
  
• Beware If You Get A Bad One
  By A1B3H3ANIHLZYN on 2008-02-16
  Bottom line of my experience is their service, support and warranty people have no interest in making a serious problem right. Up until my problem occurred I really liked the receiver, but once it failed the experience left a really bad taste in my mouth.
  
  I've owned the receiver for three months and the surround left back channel just failed and fried my speaker. Found speaker to be open circuit with a meter, smelled burned and insulation on internal wiring is melted.
  
  The authorized service center told me that the output transistors had failed and that the amp protection circuit didn't work to save the transistors because the main board had a crack in it which prevented protection from working. They said they repaired the traces and replaced the transistors. I expressed my concern about repairing the circuit board rather than replacing it but they assured me it would be fine. On getting the receiver home I decided to look under the hood at what they had done and on close inspection I found a crack in the same board through a hole occupied by a plastic spacer similar to the damage they had described. However, in another location, the main board was broken and a small piece of the board is missing and I found another cracked circuit board near the main power transformer.
  
  I attempted to return the unit to the service center to have them correct the defects. They refused saying all they were authorized to do was electrically repair the unit. I called Onkyo USA support and last spoke to a Diane who identified herself as the warranty manager. She indicated the warranty doesn't cover cracked circuit boards. So, I tried Circuit City where I purchased the receiver. They said since there is no indication of physical damage to the exterior of the unit or the shipping carton indicative of shipping damage, they couldn't do anything about it.
  I've filed a complaint with the BBB against Onkyo USA and I'm contemplating one against the repair shop. This is like having a repair shop fix your car and the car works fine except later you find they did the job with bailing wire instead of factory parts.
  
  
  
• Supports HDMI 1.3 - Best Value for Our HDTV Setup
  By A2CQ7Z067V1AI on 2007-07-12
  We purchased this Onkyo receiver in early June and have been using it for a month. Good sound, easy to setup and use. At the time (June 2007) we found limited information online about the pros and cons of HDMI 1.3. It seemed to be the next standard in digital transmission of audio and video but there was surprisingly little bally-hoo from vendors about it. Also there were limited reviews on CNET and elsewhere.
  
  July 17, 2007 Update: There is a fabulous review of the SR605 and its use of the HDMI 1.3 standard on CNet now. It's rated 8 out of 10 by CNet and 8.8 by user reviewers. Now we are just waiting for a new Blu-Ray DVD player that can take advantage of what this unit can handle.
  
  
  We started putting our system together by purchasing the Samsung LNT5265F 52" 1080p LCD HDTV. It supports HDMI 1.3 and we wanted the rest of the components to use HDMI 1.3 also. Onkyo seemed to have the best price for the support of this relatively new HDMI standard.
  
  We were tempted by several Home Theater In a Box (HTIB) systems that include a receiver and all the speakers. But closer inspection showed that several of them included an unneeded (for us) DVD player (we purchased the Samsung BD-P1200 Blu-Ray Disc Player) and the HDMI support seemed to be the older pass thru video requiring a separate cable for getting audio from the Satellite receiver and DVD player into the A/V receiver.
  
  Actually it was not clear from the descriptions and the few of reviews we could find online whether HDMI 1.3 was required for a "single cable" connection. But because the HDTV made us want HDMI 1.3 support, it seemed like we had to purchase the receiver and speakers separately We chose the TX-SR605 and Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1 Surround Sound Speaker System.
  
  And yes, it works terrifc! HDMI cables ONLY are used to connect the TX-SR605 receiver to the Blu-Ray DVD player, the Satellite DVR and finally the HDTV. We get great digital sound from HD broadcasts off of DirecTV and Blu-Ray DVDs are amazing. (We did have to enable Dolby output in the menu for the DirecTV DVR before getting the best sound however).
  
  BTW, we also shopped around at the local major stores to see what was available. Even Costco had a fancy HTIB system from Sony. But when we looked closely it seemed these HTIBs and many receivers are aimed at customers with last year's HDTV that goes up to only 1080i resolution and/or older HDMI standards. A salesperson at Best Buy had a deal on a Harmon Kardon receiver and speakers for over $1200 combined. That unit might be OK, but this Onkyo seemed to be a better value for what we needed. And cheaper with no sales tax by purchasing it online. Our unit came quickly from Vanns in Montana to Northern California.
  
  
  
  
• Great little receiver - minor issue with the tuner
  By A29J17NPPAWKBK on 2007-07-15
  We've had this new Onkyo receiver for a week now, connected to our 5.1 Bose Acoustimass 10 system and it works wonderfully. The HDMI upconversion has made life so much simpler for us and allows us to use a single HDMI connection between the receiver and our HDTV for all our system components. The lack of audio up/down-conversion has not been an issue for us (but I suppose could be if we were trying to 'tape' a digital audio source on an analog recorder). We're looking forward to getting the new Onkyo DS-A2X ipod dock whose release has been delayed probably until at least August 2007 (was originally supposed to be released in early July) as the new dock promises full ipod video and photo display passthru. The value for the buck of this receiver is fantastic. My only small gripe is that, for such a full-featured receiver, they don't have a way to jump to a preset radio tuner station. It seems like a silly oversight, given that they allow up to 40 stations to be preset, yet the only way to get to the presets is to scroll through consecutively from one preset station to the next, rather than ie. have a Preset-station selection button and punching in the number of the station preset. The only way to go 'directly' to a preset station is to manually punch in the station's frequency, but that defeats the whole purpose of having a preset. I may be able to get around this issue next month when Logitech releases the updated firmware for their Harmony remotes which will allow for macro/sequential-command programming to a single remote button, allowing me to transmit each radio station's frequency with the press of a single button on the remote.
  
  
• Poor Build Quality
  By ARE9KMKMMLL7D on 2007-07-31
  The HDMI 2 input did not work from the beginning. Onkyo's service department had me reset the amp, which fixed HDMI 2 for a few days. Now it's in the shop for warranty work.
  
  This experience makes me wonder what else doesn't work. Will 7.1 work when if I buy an extra pair of speakers? How about zone 2 ouput or component inputs? I have not tried these out, but I'll definitely need to see what else is broken.
  
  If you buy one of these, test *everything* thoroughly before the retailers exchange grace period expires! Don't assume that the HDMI connections will work down the road when you are ready to upgrade.
  
  
• Great receiver --- If you get one that works
  By A2F7RY6DS3U75V on 2007-11-02
  This receiver is a great deal for the money, when it works correctly. There isn't currently a comparable receiver in its price range. Unfortunately, there are numerous issues that people are running into.
  
  The first 605 that I received did not have working Audyssey functionality. Audyssey uses a microphone (included) to configure your speaker settings. My receiver wouldn't produce the Audyssey test tones, and thus could never detect any speakers.
  
  The second 605 that I received had working Audyssey, but the contrast when using component video inputs was way too high. I have read of numerous other people who also had this problem. There is a customizable contrast setting (only in an undocumented hidden menu), but the contrast setting was not saved if I put the receiver in standby. Thus I'd have to set it every time I turned on the receiver, not to mention teach my wife and kids how to access the hidden menu and change it!
  
  Many others have had issues with overheating. Even with proper ventilation, some units overheat, which causes popping noises from your speakers.
  
  My recommendation: If you are going to buy this receiver, check the return policy of the place from which you are buying it. Amazon will pay to have it shipped back, but the other vendors who sell via Amazon's website (One Call, J&R, etc) will usually make you pay to ship it back to them. Since this receiver weighs 35 pounds or so, that can be quite expensive. Hopefully you get a fully working unit, but just in case you don't, you don't want to have to pay a huge shipping bill.
  
  
  
• Consider something else, do not fall into trap for hdmi upconversion
  By AI4BFJMITHX53 on 2007-07-28
  I brought this last month, and my experience is that there are lot better out there compair to this one. Reasons i am saying is below. My preferance is Harman.
  
  1> Sound quality is no better than $100 receiver.
  2> HDMI upconversion converts to 480p only, you will not see any difference at all. And in somecases even worst but never better. Same price receiver can do 1080i upconversion.
  3> I had problem with certain decoding like dts and dolby didn't work in most of the times for all speaker. (I am not sure what was wrong but never had this problem with harman)
  4> For no reason sometime it will stop sending video signal for few seconds.
  
  
  
  
• A very good receiver, an excellent value
  By A37UOT2RDW2OVL on 2007-11-29
  After a lot of procastinating, I finally decided to upgrade to a receiver with more features. I chose the Onkyo 605, and it's worked out very well.
  
  1) The price/performance ratio on the 605 is very good. You get a sophisticated, relatively high powered receiver that doesn't have many weaknesses.
  
  2) Connectivity is about all you can ask for at this price point. You have 2 HDMI input connections, and 1 HDMI output. There are both optical digital and coaxial digital connections for audio(for gear that can't do HDMI), and the usual component, S-video and two channel stereo inputs and outputs.
  
  3) The receiver can process the newer, higher level audio formats (TrueHD, DD+ etc) via HDMI. Right now most hi-def dvd players decode these before transmitting to a receiver, but in the future if players send an encoded signal in the newer formats, the 605 will be able to handle them.
  
  4) Connections are easy to make. The speaker connections accept banana plugs, or you can use bare wire. From what I remember, the spade type connectors for speakers may not work well due to the way the connectors on the 605 are constructed. The rest of the audio and video connections are well laid out, but, since there are a ton of them, things are a bit cramped in back. Also, if you're used to running all of those component video cables, and various audio cables, using just a couple of HDMI cables comes as a revelation (and welcome relief to cable clutter).
  
  5) Setup goes quickly. The owner's manual is generally easy to follow, even for novices, although it does help if you have some knowledge of home theater components for the more advanced procedures. The menus are pretty basic, and very easy to navigate. Once you go into the menu and turn on the On Screen Display function, everything pops up on your tv.
  
  6) The Audyssey audio setup deserves special mention. It allows you to do away with your spl meter, and you don't have to manually enter speaker distances, location, etc. You just plug in a microphone (attached to a long cord) and move it around the room. The receiver generates test tones and does all the calculations internally. The receiver can tell which speakers are full range, what the distance is to each speaker, etc, you don't have to do anything (except have the speakers connected). I was very pleased with the results overall (although I'm bumping up the volume on my subwoofer a little).
  
  7) Fit and finish are very good. The 605 is a nice looking receiver that seems to be well constructed. Although there are an overload of black components in the AV world, I think the black 605 looks a little better overall than the silver (and I actually have the silver due finding it cheaper at one store). The remote is easy to use, with a pretty good layout, but there sure are a lot of buttons (by necessity of course).
  
  Also, just a footnote. There have been reports of Onkyo receivers running on the hot side. My 605 actually runs cooler than my Comcast (Motorola) HD-DVR. It does run hotter than my old Sony DB930 receiver, but it's not scorching hot like I had been led to believe, and a few inches of clearance all the way around seems to be sufficient, at least from what I've seen so far.
  
  
• HDMI "hum"
  By AD3F5JGMTZQEG on 2008-01-07
  Right now this is probably one of the best bang for the buck cheap receivers. It decodes all new formats plus 2x HDMI 1.3a switching. I have attached an automatic 1.3 3x HDMI switcher to HDMI1 for a total of 4 HDMI inputs and it works flawlessly with Toshiba DVD player, Toshiba HD-A3 and Playstation 3 attached to the switcher and Xbox 360 to the HDMI2.
  The power output seams a little bit on the weaker side compared to the Onkyo 702 that it replaced. The on screen menu could use some improvement but it's fully functional. Could have more digital inputs (at least 1 or 2 more). Now the negatives:
  - doesn't pass through 1080i from component to HDMI, it will downconvert to 720p
  - annoying "hum" when any HDMI devices are attached, audible at volume level over 70-75. Not a ground loop problem as I have eliminated that and carefully grounded all devices together and powered them from same outlet, also unplugged cable tv connection. As soon as any HDMI device is plugged into the receiver you get the hum audible over 70-75 volume level. The more devices you plug the louder the him. As long as HDMI devices arte plugged in hum is present on ALL inputs, not just HDMI ones. If you wander over to AVS forums you will see that this is common across the 605/705/805 line. Another unit had the same behaviour.
  
  
• SR-605
  By A3V77OX73MYEYM on 2007-07-01
  Very happy with my SR-605 receiver. I am using it with a PS3 and HD Cable box with a 150" electric screen and HD1000U projector. It has plenty of juice and it will play 5.1 movies through all 7 speakers no problem. The reviewer who had all of the issues did NOT know how to operate the receiver which is easy with a little time.
  
  By far the best bang for the buck if you want HDMI 1.3 and upscaling of everything through HDMI. Way to go Onkyo!!!
  
  
• impresive receiver!!!!!!!
  By A1RCFFPOHKEFAU on 2007-07-08
  this is an amazing receiver, the sound quality is exelent! and the video features,work great,you can not buy a better receiver for the price!
  now onkyo has it all!!
  
  
• A great value that you won't regret
  By A15AX7PWR2HZE7 on 2007-12-02
  Do your research, ladies and gentlemen, before spending hard earned cash. There's a reason this model is the talk of the audiophile forums.
  
  If you're looking for excellent SOUND and you want video switching and cable simplicity, too, then this is the best choice for under a grand. It upscales your analog video inputs (basically anything that's not plugged in with component or HDMI cables) into real HD so you can play it on the TV via a single HDMI cable and for me, it works flawlessly. The video quality is in my opinion quite nice, though not the best ever.
  So it handles video very nicely, and I like that, but the fact is, great video is handled already in your digital cable box or disc player. If your TV is great at upsampling, then you can bypass the TX-SR605's upsampling function, anyway.
  The best thing about this receiver is the sound. It's fantastic. The noise floor is barely a whisper at full volume. There's plenty of power and this unit incorporates a lot of Onkyo audio technology that makes for really great sound. Digital music is more flowing and full and the channels are better separated than I was used to before. The included set-up microphone helps to set the system up. In my case, it barely changed a thing since I'm pretty precise with where I put my speakers and I don't have strange acoustics, but if you're one of those people who drops a grand on fancy speakers and then doesn't know a thing about where to put them, then this automatic setup feature can really save you from yourself. You just plug in the little mic, put it where the tv says, and hit go on the remote. In a couple minutes, the receiver has figured out what speakers you have and the best way to set your equalizer and levels so that your main listening area is as optimized as possible, automatically. I feel this would improve 90% of my friend's systems, who invariably screw it up. The way CD's sound on most stereos would make a music guy cringe.
  When future players output higher quality video and audio, this receiver can almost certainly take care of you, since it has the very latest brand new standards. The HD from a TV made ten years from now will pass right through this receiver to your future two thousand inch TV. True, this receiver doesn't have the best possible conversion of non-HD signals into HD, but that's unlikely to be too bad of a problem and going forward, of course, you'll be using more and more already-HD inputs anyway. The receiver handles five in total, two in HDMI, and that's plenty for anyone who's spending $450 on a receiver.
  
  For me, I want a receiver that minimizes clutter, handles every component I own from an old Nintendo to an SACD player to a record player and a cable box and an XM receiver and an ipod. I want it to get LOUD. I want it to make music sound beautiful, as it sounded in the studio. I want my gear to be pretty, too. So far, I'm happy with this purchase because it does all those things.
  If you buy this one and decide you want even more power or more HDMI inputs, nothing is stopping you from selling it on ebay and buying the TX-SR705 or 805 (it's more powerful siblings with a couple smallish upgrades). Chances are, though, you will be more than happy with this model. Donate the money you saved to charity - I'm sure there are causes more worthy of a couple hundred dollars than getting one more HDMI input.
  
  
• Best new bang for your buck
  By A57C53GQKIJSC on 2007-08-08
  It should be a crime to get this $700+ receiver for the price we got it. It's brand spanking new (full HDMI 1.3 support) and provides ample power for all speakers. You can really push this system with heavy duty speakers (for example, a 400-watt max Klipsch center speaker). Setting up the calibration over the TV is initially difficult; you must use the small LCD screen on the receiver to make the setup screen show up on the TV (and the instructions aren't too clear on how to do it). However, that is the only small snag on this great receiver. The included mic for auto calibration (manual calibration also included) makes it easy to perfect the sound in your home theater room. These types of receivers (HDMI 1.3) aren't in the stores yet, and you can be sure the price will be much higher than $400. Speaking of HDMI, the inclusion of two HDMIs with passover is very helpful with all the components that use HDMI nowadays. Do yourself a favor and stop shopping for any other receiver; this is the only one you need
  
  
• Had Problems with It
  By A1N210RM1ZOXEX on 2007-08-12
  [edit 8/13/2007]
  I got a 705 instead, and it has a "hum" problem, too, but not as bad. I have traced to the HDMI connection to the TV set. When the HDMI connection is not connected to the TV or the TV's power is disconnected, the "hum" goes away. I tried a different HDMI cable and it helped a bit, but the "hum" is still there.[/edit]
  
  I bought one of these and returned it. Since the store was out of stock, I am unable to determine if the problem is with this unit only or all in the series.
  
  The problem was a very noticable "hum" problem on HD DVD playback from my Toshiba HD-A2 via HDMI multichannel linear PCM only. There was no problem with "hum" in general. And, using my TV's speakers and the same sub-woofer, there is no "hum". So, it's something in the receiver.
  
  I bought this unit thinking I needed it for Dolby TrueHD playback. It turns out, I did not. All the receiver needs is being capable of decoding multichannel linear PCM over HDMI, provided the DvD player can decode the TrueHD information, and output over HDMI a multichannel linear PCM signal, which my $250 Toshiba DvD player can do.
  
  
• Very Good Product
  By A56IAIR71TPP5 on 2007-09-09
  I have owned Onkyo products in the past(amps, pre-amps, receivers, etc). They seem to last forever. This Onkyo entry is all that it appears to be. It reproduces sound--all HD formats--flawlessly. It has two HDMI inputs, and one HDMI output to the TV. There is no picture degradation. It can be set up in less than 30 minutes. The remote can be programmed by the Harmony Remote series. I wish only that it was a little more powerful (perhaps 110 watts per channel instead of 90). Still, the sound, even at lower volumes, is crisp and clean.
  
  
  
• Great features, Good sound, Low price
  By A2ITQC68145ODJ on 2007-08-05
  This is not a typical receiver. I searched a long time to select the replacement for my Sony product that failed. It was my second Sony to fail and they seem to only last a few years. So I thought it was time to switch brands. I wasn't sure which brand to go with so I reviewed (Check out CNET for reviews) and listend to Yamaha, Sony, Harmon Kardon, Onkyo and Denon. The HK and Sony did not have the sound I was looking for. The Denon sounded great, but cost too much for the features I was looking for and the Yamaha was close but had less features as well, that is when I found the Onkyo TX-SR605. Once I saw the reviews and seen the product I knew this was the system for me. Only $409 on Amazon with free shipping and full upconverting and downconverting between all connectivity, Composite, Component, S-Video and HDMI! Beat that in this price range. Once I got it home it was straight forward to setup. Almost too simple compared to my Sony. It has a GUI for setting up sound and video, an auto sound setup for surround that detects listening and speaker positions and adjust their distances. I was concerned about the simple display and controls but enjoy it now that I know how to work it. You can't go wrong with this receiver. Sound is great with the WRAT amps. Music is enjoyable through my Klipsch KG series speakers and movies have you sitting in the middle of the action. I am impressed for the money! You wont be disappointed with this receiver unless you need more inputs. This system has 2 COAX and 1 Fiber audio in. It only has 1 input for a recording source so if you want to record DVD and VCR you will not be able to, but who wants to do that? I have my Sat, CD, DVD Recorder and VCR all hooked up. On a side note it does get hot. Since I do not have much clearance above my unit, I place a small fan behind it to turn on when I am going to use it for extended periods. I just think that is a good idea since Onkyo recommends having good ventilation.
  
  
• Awesome sound and features
  By A187QZ8TLZKY9K on 2007-07-20
  Are you serious? HDMI upconvert, two HDMI imputs, three component inputs, terrific sound, manageable set up, and a manual that was written by a fluent English speaker? For $400?
  
  GREAT deal, great receiver.
  
  
• Very good receiver with only one problem.
  By A390EM03Y9TRQ7 on 2007-10-16
  I really like this receiver and it has a lot more set-up flexibility than my old Panasonic. I've only used it for its audio functions since I don't have an HDTV at this time. However, the sound is great and makes even my run of the mill speakers sound good.
  
  The only problem I've noticed, and which I think some other reviewers have noted, is that if you have to crank up the volume this receiver generates a significant amount of heat. Actually, I've been very concerned about how hot the right rear part of the unit gets, which is where the receiver itself is vented. (Of course, my old speakers could be the cause of why I have to use more volume than some better speakers might.) Anyway, I don't have much choice with my entertainment cabinet but to put the receiver on a shelf above the TV and there's only about 1" clearance to the top of the cabinet. If I use the reciever for an extended period of time the top of the cabinet gets warm. I'd recommend that if you get this receiver that you have some place to put it where there's plenty of room for ventilation and I wouldn't recommended having any other electronic equipment above it.
  
  Otherwise, I like the Onkyo 605 a lot. The remote is easy to use and works well. The speaker set up system worked well even though I had no TV hookup and couldn't use the on-screen set up process. The set up process is shown on the receiver's screen, itself, and was easy to follow. Except for the heat issue, this would seem to be a great receiver for anyone's home theater system.
  
  
• Amazing
  By A2RYB7LLWL1OVY on 2007-10-29
  Its my second Onkyo, replacing my TX-DS676, which I brought from Europe when relocating.
  Although the 676 was a good device this is even better.
  Superfast and supercomfy setup with the Audyssey feature. Just put the test microphone on a tripod and measure the acoustics from three spots.
  The amp measures distances, x-over frequencies and performs level adjustments.
  Sound of the automated setup is clear and very good.
  Programming the receiver (such as tuner) is easy. However, the remote is totally overloaded with labels and pretty useless.
  This is what I bought the Harmony 880 for from Amazon. A great and recommndable combo.
  
  
  

• Buttkicker BK-LFEKit Low Frequency Effect Kit with Amplifier for Home Theater
• 12' Subwoofer Interconnect
• Sony MDR-V700DJ DJ Style Monitor Series Headphones
• Monster Cable Interlink 200 Interconnect Cables 2 Meter
• Monster Cable I400MKII-2M Interlink 400 MkII Advanced Bandwidth Balanced Audio Interconnect

• Onkyo DS-A2X Remote Interactive iPod Dock
• Cables To Go - 40315 - 2M (6.5ft) Velocity HDMI Digital Video Cable (Blue)
• Cables Unlimited 6-Foot HDMI Male to Male Cable (PCM-2295-06)
• ONKYO SKS-HT240 Home Theater Speaker Kit
• Polk Audio RM6750 5.1 Channel Home Theater Speaker System (Set of Six, Black)