Onkyo TX-SR705 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black) Reviews

• Great Receiver, Great Price

  
  By A1PWWI1Z2JTN5U on 2007-09-03
  The reason to get this receiver over the 605 is the step up to 3 hdmi inputs and THX certification.
  
  The power consumption of this unit is more efficient then the 805 and 605. This unit was built after those 2 other models. This isn't the lonely middle child, it shines on its own.
  
  There is also a slew of issues this receiver does not exhibit that the 805 has problems with (check AVS forums for details)
  
  HDMI video looks great, 7.1 sound great! Price is great! :)
  
  

• zone 2 ONLY PLAYS analog input

  
  By A2OVE13PKTNVFQ on 2007-10-15
  I totally agree with all previous reviews but I want to add one detail that totally boggles my mind. When I setup my outdoor speakers I could not get any sound out of them and tried everything. Until I read the trouble shooting section in the manual that states: NO Sound, Zone 2? ONLY COMPONENTS CONNECTED TO ANALOG INPUTS CAN BE PLAYED IN ZONE 2" so if by chance you want to use your XM/Serius MP3 digital player in multiple zones, you cant! IPOD connected? nope that wont work either. I ended up running RCA cables into the receiver from my MP3 player (weak sauce considering what i just paid for this thing). I just upgraded from an old Yamaha that did this just fine. I am not going to return it because i am pretty much invested in the thing now. If I had to do it over again I would like to have known this up front. I am still in shock...
  
  

• Pain to set up -- very poor user manual

  
  By A3RVC7V0BD0FFG on 2007-10-30
  This is my second surround receiver, so it should be straightforward to set up. Not. Took hours to figure out how to get a video signal to the TV. Too many factory defaults are set wrong, like getting video passed through.
  
  The manual is very thick and terrible. No meaningful organization to actually get up and running, you keep hitting brick walls and sent down rabbit trails. Without even having video to the TV, you are left using the front panel display for selections, which is pretty hopeless in itself.
  
  And even after two weeks of use, I found that the default setting for audio is a 40 ms delay. No wonder things are out of sync; this is only suitable for progressive disk players, not live TV broadcasts, which typically should be close to zero delay. You might assume the default would be zero; but it's not. You have to check everything.
  
  In short, this is a very capable receiver, but getting it set up is just awful. Once you --finally-- reach the audio "audessy" setup with the microphone, it is painless. Audessy works quite well. They have solved the typical setup problems, but allowed a host of others to crop up.
  
  Fan noise is excessive, the fan seems to have 2 speeds: on and off. It also seems to make a ringing sound as its frequency often reinforces the sound of the (normally quiet) fan in my 60" Sony LCD projector above it.
  
  This is the best bang for the buck, sounds fabulous, but -- really -- needs a better manual.
  
  
  
  

• Not enough video inputs

  
  By A3EBNLRJUNEP56 on 2007-11-28
  I have had this unit for about 2 months now. Sound is great and so is the up-conversion video quality. However something that was not mentioned in the other reviews has surprised me. Despite the HUGE number of inputs on the back they serve for nothing because they are configured to be used "EITHER/OR". Let me explain. The unit is configured based on the type device. For instance, the DVD input can be configured to be S-video, composite, component video, or HDMI. This means that if I configure my DVD on S-Video1, I'm unable to use HDMI1, Composite1, or Component Video1. This is terrible because basically you're left with 4 max video inputs. I have 2 DVDs plugged, 1 DVD recorder and my satellite and already run out of inputs! This means that my game is not connected. If I get a BlueRay I'd have to disconnected yet another piece of equipment. To make matters worse, the display names are also fixed. So I have one of my DVDs on the Game input and I can't change the name on the display to be DVD2. Meaning that I have to remember associations Game=DVD2, LD=DVD Recorder, etc.
  
  It is a shame such a piece of equipment (at this price) provides only 4 video inputs. Really a shame!
  
  --
  UPDATE
  Since then I have talked to Onkyo USA. So I thought I'd add. They have terrible costumer service, after waiting for 30 minutes on hold (without any indication of how long I was supposed to wait), a rude and impolite gentleman answered the phone with a arrogant tone. I asked about the "input issue" below and that they are misleading the people by not saying anything about the fact that you really have 5 inputs (which you can assign HDMI, SVideo, etc) and he just told me that "it is what it is, you don't like you can return the product". And I will!!! Based on this attitude I'll never buy Onkyo again. I wish I could change my ratings to 1 star!!
  
  

• Gotta have * 3 * HDMI 1.3 inputs

  
  By A17IHZS3LCAGAY on 2007-09-14
  I've had this AV Receiver for 2 weeks now. It plays nicely with my Samsung LNT-4661 LCD TV, Playstation 3, Motorola DCT6412 cable DVR and PC. I have a 7.1 speaker setup (at the moment it's a jumble of brands - Polk RM8000T front, Infinity Alpha 25ES dipole/bipole surround, Acoustic Research AR303 rear surround and Infinity subwoofer).
  
  I think one of the key reasons I chose to go with the SR705 over the SR605 is the fact that it has * 3 * HDMI inputs. It keeps the cabling a little better under control when there's only a single receiver to TV HDMI cable. Also it handles the upconversion of non-HD sources very well with Faroudjia DCDi.
  
  I'd say I'd agree with the complexity of setup, but it's easier than it is on a lot of other AV Receivers. It comes with the Audyssey calibration equipment. I haven't done any fancy audiometry to evaluate the accuracy of the automatic calibration but I'm impressed as a listener.
  
  It has all the power it needs to fill the room with sound, whether it's classical music, rock or movie soundtrack. I'm happy with my decision.
  
  
• Solid product, a couple of limitations
  By APAVZ3U4O9M59 on 2008-02-17
  This is a very solid AV receiver, with great sound, good front panel and remote controls, some nice touches and a couple of less-than-fatal flaws.
  
  Cons
  - It "only" connects up to 5 video input sources, even using the AUX input (which might require connectors in front, depending on cable choices). 5 sounds like a lot, but with DVRs, DVD players, games, recorders, AppleTV, etc. they go fast. Already, I could already use another! Of those 5, up to 3 can be HDMI, which is a big plus for this model. The other video sources must use Component (up to 3), S-video or Composite. (There are additional audio-only inputs as well.)
  - Zone 2 is actually pretty handy (if you don't use all 7 channels for home theatre, you can re-purpose 2 audio channels - they get a separate input selection and volume control. Great for a remote speaker pair!). But it only supports analog audio. That means digital audio sources (e.g., those with Optical connectors) either won't work in Zone 2, or require additional cabling (using regular RCA-type stereo inputs as well).
  - HDMI audio is slow to sync - for example, after resuming from a DVR Pause, video is rolling for 2-3 seconds before audio resumes - you can miss some dialog and have to jump back.
  - OnScreen Display (e.g., volume bars and other visual feedback) is handy, but OSD doesn't work with HDMI inputs. (Understandable, since the signal passes through, but disappointing.)
  - Setup wasn't completely intuitive, but was quite workable. (It's not rocket science, but it helps to understand the basic concepts in advance.)
  
  Pros
  - It really sounds great, and the digital video is flawless. The "Audisy" automatic speaker calibration feature gave a dramatic improvement in sound quality for my listening room.
  - I think it's a great value, especially if you need 3 HDMI inputs.
  - There are some nice small touches, like the ability to balance the volume levels on different input sources - to avoid a jarring change in volume when switching.
  
  Disclaimers
  - I use a Harmony remote ("one ring to rule them all"), so I can't comment much on the Onkyo remote.
  - This isn't my first AV Receiver, and I'm somewhat into wires and pliers. "Your mileage may vary."
  
  Conclusion
  I really like the performance - sound and video are great, especially for the price. It's a very good product, not perfect but solid, convenient, and very good at what it does.
  
  
• Best Value, period.
  By A70YGMFQTPYEC on 2008-02-06
  I went through SR605, SR705 and Yamaha RX-V1800. Both 605 and 705 are the greatest values on the market when HDMI and built-in HD decoders are a value.
  
  HDMI implementation is the best I know of. It works well and support HDMI device control features, absent in other units, including the most expensive ones (although Pioneer Elite would come close, but it is not as flexible as Onkyo: you will get All or None features).
  
  SACD/DSD decoder is weak (processes DSD as 41.4KHz PCM), but most players could convert DSD to PCM at 88.2KHz - it provides a better sound quality (in this case) and audio sounds comparable to DVD-Audio that sounds awesome.
  
  Auto Setup is nice, but auto settings will make mid range more prominent. I like it otherwise, plus my speakers are very flat response (do not need much of EQ), so I disabled EQ settings and cranked Sub +10db. Tone could be used as well (to boost bass a little).
  
  In general the received is very decent, just have a few quirks, but most are addressable. There are some forums dedicated to SR705 - you could get deeper info, hacks and advice. Unit is a little bit hot in the right-back quadrant (so is SR605), I put a 12V 120mm silent fan with thermistor on top of it, it keeps receiver internal fans from running on heavy load and self adjusts based on receiver load(temperature).
  
  It decodes any audio (via HDMIv1.3) I have (BD,HD-DVD,SACD,DVD-Audio). There is some discrepancies between different audio options in the movies, but it is the way audio was mastered. I verified it with Yamaha (observed same thing), so receivers do not color audio. As other folks figured out movie's Uncompressed audio needs +5db boost in LFE to match TrueHD or DD.
  
  Interface is not advanced GUI, but very easy to navigate, I could not say the same about Yamaha - it is very ugly and unintuitive. I do not want to get started on Yamaha and its useless sound fields and DSP messing up the audio to the degree even artists would not recognize his own original work. Apparently, you need to press "Straight" to disable DSP completely, so you can hear what audio should sound like. And finally in "Pure Audio" mode Yamaha will kill the HDMI circuit, that in turn will stop player and as a result you would not get anything... figures...Onkyo does it right and leaves hdmi powered. Some TV now have a power save option to power off LCD panel, but maintain HDMI link, so you could continue to enjoy audio only material and not waste your panel and energy.
  
  I did not experience any LipSync issues from any source. It is possible, some TVs do not negotiate video/audio HDMI link parameters correctly. My Sony 52"W3000 is always in sync from three HDMI players: BD, HD-DVD and DVD.
  
  
  Keep trying until you find what you like...
  Good luck!
  
  
• Great receiver with one FATAL flaw
  By A3BO9WFPXI654X on 2008-02-01
  I bought this receiver because the new technology was there, the price was right, and the reputation of the brand was solid. I did however read the warnings quite a few people were writing about this receiver: there is an audio delay with this receiver when used with different sources such as cable boxes and disc players. I decided to go ahead and get it anyway and hope that I wouldn't be one of those who experienced this. Unfortunately however, I did, and this problem is something I just couldn't live with. With any dialogue that should match up with lips moving on screen, the delay was just barely discernible - but in the world of audio and video, barely discernible tends to mean very distracting. I loved everything else about the receiver - the audio quality is top notch, music is rendered beautifully, and the features cannot be argued with. If you have just read this, let me tell you that although you will most definitely enjoy this receiver's positives, the lip-sync audio delay will be all you see, hear, and think about. Sorry if I just ruined your experience with this one, but I would recommend against it. I replaced this one with another brand and I'm very pleased that the audio matches up with the video 100%. Just not something one should have to deal with when spending this kind of money.
  
  
• Another Consumer grade product
  By A3F43PAJZLOE3I on 2008-07-25
  It is hard to rate products like this. It is a super duper feature packed product. You get a lot of bells and whistles. Integrated amp has three main parts,
  
  1) Power supply
  2) Pre-amp, processor
  3) AMP
  
  1) Power Supply: 3/5 stars
  It creates lot of noise. It doesn't have very good isolation. There is no easy way to connect a external ground. Also the power rating for the entire unit is very deceiving. 110 W while driving only the main two. In 7.1 it is probably 20 W per channel. 805 and 905 have far better power supply than this puppy. That is the main reason they are so heavy.
  
  2) Pre-amp, processor: 4.5/5 stars
  Number of input connections, hdmi control, all the DSP and format support. Wow Wow... there is no other receiver in this price range that handle it all. Dolby True HD, DTS, LPCM, TOS Link any thing you ever want is available here.
  
  Iam taking 1/2 a start out because of the input impedance. It is quite low for a active pre-amp. It will require a nice sturdy analog source to provide the full punch. Phono inputs are OK at best. Other Stereo only receivers that sell for 1/3rd of the price does it better. Also the unit is not very linear. It adds its own color to the music.
  
  3) Amplifier: 2/5 stars
  
  It has a huge feedback circuit. The dynamic slam is almost non existent. Especially when you play SACD driving all the 5 channels. It does fare well when i connect only my two fronts. To get the best power, i just connect my two fronts in bi-amp mode. The bass seems lot clear and music flows more naturally. Similar to the pre-amp, the amp is not linear. There is a lot of coloration going on.
  
  Also the bass seems to vary a lot. For movies I have to turn the bass down. For music I have to increase it. I never had this problem with NAD integrated and other amps. There is some thing going on at lower frequency range.. It colors it pretty bad. This could be mainly due to the feedback. On a large explosion that lasts for few seconds the feedback just builds upon itself and makes it too loud. In music bass is fast and tight, feedback is not fast enough to provide the punch.
  
  Another big complaint is the channel isolation. It is less than 20 db. So stereo image seems to float. Sound transition from speaker to speaker is never crisp and clear. Sound always seems to leak to rest of the speakers in the system. It is not ideal for SACD or DVD-Audio.
  
  Over all rating: 4/5 stars
  
  For this price, you cant ask for more. This amp is clearly meant for HT Movies. Dont bother playing music in it, a big waste of time. I would suggest getting a 905 with toroidal transformer. It has much more smooth sound. Dont get fooled by numbers. Music is art, not technology. You need a amp that can be fast, responsiveness and color less.
  
  A simple analogy is a automobile, it may have 500 HP(dumptruck). When 0-60 takes 5 min, it is not fun driving it around. Just power rating and numbers are not enough. Dynamic slam, agility are also important for a receiver. If you can spend more, buy a 805 or 905. It is a huge difference in performance. If you are looking for stereo only amp, look at Creek Audio 5350SE.
  
  
• Poor quality control
  By A1YX3D0B109W9Q on 2007-10-25
  My Onkyo 705 arrived quickly, but two of the three hdmi inputs would not work (all of my components worked fine when I switched them to the working input). Considering the online polls at A/V Forum, which indicate almost 30% of purchasers have had some problem with one of the new models (605, 705, or 805), such as bad inputs, clicking, humming, and/or overheating, I would think twice about ordering these. By the way, the other 70% of purchasers seem quite happy, so take your shot if you feel lucky.
  
  
• Good Receiver but tough to setup
  By AWUCLJB7IW3SB on 2007-08-28
  - I had this receiver for more then 2 weeks now. I am using it with my Boss 5.1 speakers. I tried TX-SR605 for 2 weeks before moving up to TX-SR705. I found the power of TX-SR605 was little less (could be I did not setup correctly or something) after switching to this I am very happy with its performance.
  
  - I consider myself reasonably good at setting up this this kind electronic components but it was even difficult for me to understand it the setup. It took me close to 4 hrs to get it right.
  
  - Universal Remote which comes with receiver is also pretty good I easily got it working with my Samsung HDTV, Motorolla Cable Box and Samsung DVD/VHS combo.
  
  
• Sounds Great, Audio Sync Problems, Update Soon
  By A1T3NOK6XH0RIC on 2008-01-15
  This receiver sounds amazing, hands down. I have a 5.1 setup with new Yamaha 225 series speakers and a 315 subwoofer, and the sound is beautiful. The video on the other hand is fine, but I am experiencing audio sync problems.
  
  I haven't upgraded my television or movie player. I have an analog tv set, with composite in only, and a dvd player outputting s, and analog audio. The audio trails the video occasionally, and the unit can only delay audio by 40ms, in 5ms increments, it cannot make the audio go past '0ms'. If I could go to +40ms, it might fix things, but so far, no go. Despite only outputting analog stereo sound, it reproduces or simulates surround sound wonderfully. There are definitely things I'm hearing in films that I haven't heard before.
  
  Granted, I plan on soon upgrading my tv to a Samsung LCD, sending the signal via HDMI 1.3 through an upconverting DVD player, or Blu-Ray player, I am concerned that the receiver cannot function properly on the lowest possible video and audio connection.
  
  The audio sync problem doesn't happen on every movie either. Which is even more odd. I have yet to contact Onkyo as reading the other reviews for the set don't get me excited about talking to their customer service department.
  
  Other than the intermittent audio sync problems, which really is a big problem, everything else is great. Heat is not as much as some others have stated. There is no fan noise of any sort, in fact, I don't believe it even has a fan. The volume knob glows blue, but not too brightly. The remote control is a learning remote, meaning you can program your other remotes to work off of it. The manual is not that bad, as some have stated. To be honest, some of the complaints I've read in the review section have been from user error, or simply not understanding the basics. You don't have to 'read the whole manual before setting things up' though, as long as you have knowledge of the basics.
  
  There is plenty of power, and I have yet to turn the volume past -5db, with the maximum going up to +18db. The audigy automatic speaker setup is tedious, and I'm not sure that it helps that much, but it is a good way to set things up initially. I do not have a perfect listening environment by any means. My couch is off center from the TV, my sub is behind a large bulky chair, and my surround speakers do not have stands yet, and rest on an empty box, and end table, ghetto I know, but it's better than being on the floor.
  
  So, overall, I'm pleased. The price was right, and it seemed like a good deal between the 605, 705 and 805. If I can't figure out the audio sync problems, which could be user error, but so far I have yet to prove that, I'm going to return the unit and spring for the 805, or a yamaha rx series, or Denon.
  
  I will be sure to update my review for your perusal.
  
  
• Excellent Receiver for the Price
  By ADTCJQK46NDMA on 2008-02-19
  Well I've owned this receiver for about a month now so I think I can give it a fair review. If you do your research you will know what you are getting. (highly recommended for any receiver)
  For the price this receiver had everything I wanted at an absolute bargain:
  HDMI 1.3
  Onboard decoding of HD audio formats
  Custom input labels
  Good balance of power consumption and output
  
  The sound is excellent, especially when you have a good source. (duh) Now I have a fairly small place, so I didn't need the additional watts per channel that the 805 or 875 offer, All my devices can output via HDMI so my video doesn't suffer with the Farouja chips down/up conversion of all other inputs to 720p. (if you have HD feeds via component they will look a little soft if your eye is discerning enough) I would recommend the 875 if that is an issue.
  
  Now for the often mentioned lip sync issue: DO YOUR RESEARCH! It depends on your source. (if it has sync issues now whether you realize it or not it will get worse with this receiver on the default settings) This is actually a problem with almost all the new receivers Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer etc.. they each behave a little differently though.
  On the bright side the lip sync adjustment on these Onkyo receivers is very easy to manipulate and you can get it near perfect. I recommend a visit to the AVS Forum for detailed instructions and additional tips and tricks for any reciever.
  
  Anyway to sum it up I think this is an excellent receiver. I have owned Denon, Pioneer, Yamaha receivers in the past and this Onkyo can easily hold its own in the bang for the buck category. If you put a little time into the setup (greatly simplified with the Audessy speaker setup) you will be very happy.
  
  Currently connected devices: Panasonic 50PZ77U (50" plasma), Xbox 360 Elite, Panasonic DMP-BD30 (blu-ray player), DirecTV HR-20
  
  Additional note 02/21/08: I've read of a few people complaining of extreme heat from this model. With the modest power consumption of this unit that should not be happening. Mine doesn't, it is so cool I could probably set another piece of equipment on top of it and not worry. Cool relative to other receivers anyway. A friend of mine has one and it runs cool as well. If it is getting so hot it hurts to touch I'd say you probably have a defective untit.
  
  
• Onkyo TX-SR705
  By A2XMN8IMRI1228 on 2007-12-21
  After doing a a considerable amount of research and reading several reviews I decided on the Onkyo over the Denon in the mid price range of receivers to replace my 8 yr old Sony. With 3 HDMI inputs, THX certification, True HD , etc, along with a great price from Amazon the decision to buy the Onkyo was a no brainer. Idecided on the 705 over the 605 because of the 3rd HDMI, more power and learning remote.
  
  My set up is a 58" Panasonic Plasmas HDTV (2 HDMI inputs), Toshiba HD DVD player and Comcast HD cable box, Infinity speakers for 5.1. The Toshiba & cable box both have HDMI out puts which made the setup of the receiver to the tv easy leaving me one more open HDMI slot on the Onkyo for maybe a Sony PS3.
  
  The setup of the receiver was pretty easy as long as you read instructions first. Having read some of the other reviews on Amazon about setup of surround sound speakers, I avoided the common mistakes made about the rear or side speakers. The set up and calibration of the speakers was a snap with the on screen display & instructions and took about 10 minutes for setting up 4 listening locations.
  
  I did not use banana plugs as some have suggested which may be better in the long run than standard connections. As the speaker inputs are close together it is a little difficult connecting speaker wires in back of receiver if you have large fingers.
  
  As the Panasonic has 2 HDMI inputs I experimented running the cable box and dvd player directly to the tv and found no difference in the quality of the picture running it through the Onkyo (that was a relief). The sounds generated by the Onkyo are crisp and makes watching movies on the big screen a theater like experience. The Onkyo learning remote works well as it has replaced the Comcast and Toshiba remotes. It even learned the On Demand and DVR functions of the Comcast remote. The display area on the receiver is small and the only thing you can see from 10 feet away is which input it's sending out and the sound mode.
  
  I believe Perfect Vision Magazine's editors voted the Onkyo TX SR 705 as their av receiver of the year. I would have to agree with them, after 30 days I have had no problems with the Onkyo and I have been enjoying HD movies and TV like never before. I am glad I made the right decision. The Onkyo 705 is great today and will be there for the future.
  
  
• Perfect Theater Match
  By A2JUZFT45GLZ8A on 2007-09-06
  This has been the perfect match for what I wanted to accomplish. I have my Sony KDL-40V2500 connected to the the reciever via HDMI 1.3 cable. Computer (decoding video), DVD, TV, XBOX all display great with full 7.1 sound. I am pleased with the inexpensive Onkyo 7.1 speaker system I purchased. It is lacking in some mid but for what it cost, I couldn't be more happy. I expect upgrading the two front speakers to some decent towers will fill it in.
  Speaker setup with the wizard is great. I have room to grow while using everything I have now on my HDTV.
  
  
• Problems with the SR705
  By A334X69Y2AJHJ6 on 2008-01-02
  I bought the TX-SR705 thinking it would convert my regular definition video from my DVD player and the low def channels from my cable to high definition. After trying to get it to work correctly for two weeks, I finally gave up and wrote to Onkyo tech support. What they said was that if I wanted to get the high definition feature, I needed to buy the SR875 or the next one above that (for $$$). I also had several issues with the lip sync changing from one day to the next. This was probably the biggest reason for returning the unit. I don't mind setting the lip sync once but having to change it every day is a pain.
  
  On the plus side, the auto speaker setup was great and the surround sound (I have a 6.1 speaker setup) was great. Hopefully the Sony that I'm replacing the Onkyo with will be equally as good.
  
  Bottom line: I know that a lot of reviewers ranked the SR705 very highly (that's one of the reasons I bought it) but I did not have a good experience with it.
  
  
• Best in class
  By A2K5YU8GFN8VYK on 2007-10-17
  Purchased a Samsung 1080p, 46 inch and wanted a really good AV. This Onkyo TX-SR705 met all my expectations. Especially handy are the 3 assignable HDMI in, 1 HDMI out connections. Using with Apple I TV hdmi, DVD R HDMI and HDMI from the Cable Box. Very clear set up and remote controls HDMI inputs. Also using with ORB peoples choice (ORB Audio.com). Great product. Highly recommended. You will not be disappointed.
  
  
• Great "future-proof" bang for your buck
  By A3010KGHW804ZD on 2007-10-28
  I bought this receiver wanting some security that it'd still be useful in a home theater setup several years from now. The 705 has all the features you'd want in a "future-proof" piece of gear, such as HDMI 1.3 and processing of all the latest HD audio formats. The upconversion is a minor benefit (I don't use it at all as it tops out at 720p) but may be useful to some. Overall, I've been very happy with it. It sounds good, has a robust feature-set, terrific remote, and works as it should. I can't imagine a better HT-friendly AVR value right now than the 705.
  
  
• Awesome reciever-highly recomend
  By A1L33JYUD4MLL on 2007-11-18
  I've had my Onkyo TX-SR705 for about a week now and I'm lovin it. Set-up was a breeze although I have only set the speaker levels manually at this time. I looked at the manual a few times during set-up but most things (if you have ANY experience at all with A/V equipment) were very intuitive. This reciever met all my requirements-the right size, 3 HDMI inputs, THX certification, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD, 1080p 1.3a video processing, great reviews and a reasonable price. I replaced a Bose Lifestyle 35 system with this reciever and am using the Bose Acoustimass 16 speaker system with it (only because I already had them and until I get the KEF KHT5005.2 speaker system I want) and then all the bose stuff will go on ebay. I thought the Bose stuff was good but it was time for a change (they made plenty of money off me so they can't complain). The reciever sounds great with the Bose set-up so I expect to be blown off the couch with the KEF set-up. I have my Direct TV HD/DVR plugged into HDMI 1, my Sony BDP-S300 in HDMI 2, and my Toshiba HD-A35 in HDMI 3. Very sweet connections. 1 HDMI cable from each device to the reciever and 1 HDMI cable from to reciever to my Philips 47" LCD-DONE. Connecting devices in and out of an A/V reviever has NEVER BEEN EASIER. The only problem I encountered was with the connection of the Bose speakers. Bose speaker wires come as a ribbon strip of wires (similar to ribbon strip wiring you would find inside a computer) and they do not mark which wire is which (other than RCA jack on LFE connection and red band on positive speaker wires) so you have to rely on the "drawing" of how the connections are suppose to go. I put banana pins on the end of the speaker wires to make connection easier (which it did wonderfully) but even following Boses' directions carefully I found out(by setting the speaker levels manually) that I had superimposed my front and rear right and left speaker connections (Rt was Lt and Lt was Rt on both front and rear speakers). A very easy fix since I had put the banana pin connectors on the wires. So, with all the setup done I turned to the remote (excuse me, "programable remote") and proceeded to program my equipment into it. Now, I only have one gripe about this reciever and that is the remote. The only piece of my equipment that would program correctly was the TV. None of the other equipment would take any of the codes that the manual supplied (nothing on the web site either) but that was really not a surprise because I have never seen a universal remote to this day that is really universal. My solution, the Logitech Harmony 1000(which will be here tomorrow). It is kind of an expensive solution but it has gotten great reviews and I have high hopes (who wants 4-5 remotes sitting around all the time to try to remember which button on which remote to push).
  I am no sound engineer so I can't comment on the specs of this reciever so I base my opinions on what I do know. 1. Great sound-check,2. Great picture-check, 3. Easy to connect and use-check check and double check. Talk all you want about the technical stuff, it dosen't bother me(its also Greek to me), I had a list of what I wanted in a reciever and the Onkyo TX-SR705 meet EVERY SINGLE ONE of those requirements. You do have to turn on the HDMI inputs, strange, but that was very easy to do. Buy it, You'll love it!
  
  
  P.S. anyone looking for some good used Bose equipment? :)
  
  
• Great receiver at a great price
  By A3PCQI3TS96TOR on 2008-01-30
  I purchased this receiver just last week at the same time I bought a Toshiba 46" Slim Bezel Set. The HDMI connection from the Onkyo to the TV works great, so that I can change inputs from my TV for everything that is connected to the receiver. It worked right out of the box with video output from the HDMI to my set. From there it took some time to set up all the connections and keeping straight what was plugged into which HDMI port and what optical or coax audio connection I used for the devices I used the component video connections. I also had to adjust the delay setting for the cable box input, the default is set to 40ms and I ended up at 15 ms working best for my cable HD DVR.
  
  For what I needed to connect to it, there are plenty of inputs and outputs, although the 3 HDMI inputs are already full. There are HDMI and component video switches available if needed. The sound is great, rich and deep and keeps up well with all the movies and games I have tried so far. For a reference, the speakers I have connected are: Front - Infinity Interlude 50's each with 10" 250 watt sub, Center - Infinity Alpha, Surrounds - Infinity Interlude 10's and one Infinity Entra Center used for a rear (back surround). I haven't maxed out neither the speakers nor the receiver and until I am in a house I can't, but as loud as I have played it, there were no issues and the sound held together well, as good as my Harman/Kardon 525, if not better.
  
  The Audyssey setup is very easy and works well. I didn't have to adjust any of the distance or level settings once it finished. It is also a very attractive receiver, the typical black of most AV devices, but the understated readout and blue glow around the volume know add a nice clean look. One petty complaint I have is I would like to be able to dim the readout, but still keep the blue volume knob highlight turned on. You can give each input an individual name for the front display and these also show up on the CEC Link list on my TV which is nice. I also liked the remote, it was comfortable in my hand and fairly easy to use. It does have some weight to it, but I like that, my Harmony 880 feels way too light for the price. The back lighting could be brighter however on the Onkyo remote, it is still hard to see in the dark even with it's back light on. So far it has controlled all the devices I have set it up for, but I have not tried teaching it any commands or setting up any macros.
  
  One thing to note that some may be expecting is that the receiver does not upconvert everything to 1080p it allows 1080p to pass through the HDMI connections, but does not upconvert them (at least not that I can find out how). However your TV should be able to upconvert it. It's not important to me that everything gets upconverted regardless of source. I don't think most or any 480i or 480p TV shows would benefit and they may even look worse and the HD DVD and Blu-ray players can and do upconvert standard DVD's to 1080p. I am passing all my devices through the Onkyo (XBox Elite, PS3, HD Cable DVR, ReplayTV and DVD recorder) all using HDMI except the cable dvr and ReplayTV which are through component, and the image looks great. I can't tell a difference between a direct HDMI connection to the TV or through the receiver.
  
  So far I am thrilled with the receiver and would purchase it again and probably will, maybe upgrade to the 805 for the den. The only issue I have so far is the way the dimmer turns off the blue glow and the not so bright back light on the remote.
  However, I do note that I have not used the Zone 2, XM/Sirius inputs, nor the analog multi-channel inputs so I cannot speak to their functionality or quality.
  
  UPDATE: After a month+ living with this receiver, things continue to go well. I am still very happy with it and would purchase it again. I have had some audio sync issues, but utilizing the HDMI CEC settings on the TV and the receiver I have been able to adjust the delays out. Still an A+
  
  
• Great Receiver but Same Old Limitations
  By A3VXG8GCQ11HP9 on 2008-02-24
  I ordered this receiver a few months ago, and am perfecly happy with it. It took me about 3 1/2 hours to set it up, between cabling and software setup. Sound and picture are great, no complains. It's working as advertised.
  
  There's a couple of things I'd like to mention:
  
  * Even though it has a wide range of different inputs in the back, it still has a limited set of presets. On top of the usual theater components, I own 3 gaming consoles, and I previously had to have a separate switch box because receivers typically have a limited number of inputs. I was hoping to finally consolidate my system. Turns out I still have the same problem. Even though there's a dozen inputs in the back, you have to manually assign each of these inputs to one of the 6 or so presets (DVD, Cable, Game, Aux, CD...). Which means that I still have to connect a couple of components directly to the TV, missing out on the surround sound.
  
  * When watching cable, the sound system for different programs changes all the time, specially during commercials. The receiver has to adjust between Stereo and 5.1, resulting in a brief silence and clicking sound from the receiver constantly switching between systems. Once you notice this, it gets annoying. Maybe there's a way to turn this off, but I haven't found it yet.
  
  
• Almost a 5 star
  By A2IZEEON7YLZA on 2007-12-14
  This reciever is great with my Harman Kardon HKTS-18 7.1 speaker system and Toshiba A35 HD DVD player. Sound is great and the Audussey works well as a baseline for audio setup. Easy to program all features and menu's are decent.
  
  My only complaint is the Zone 2 feature as it is not user friendly and will not accept digital inputs. I had to run standard RCA cables from my Digital Cable and Music box to the Onkyo tape input to get sound to my zone 2 speakers on my deck. It will not use the HDMI input for zone 2 which I think is a poor design for a reciever of this caliber.
  
  As for the folks complaining about the clicking between modes- You just need to take the time program the reciever on how you want it to handle all sound input formats. I pretty much set the majority to Dolby Digital PLIIX movie or music. You get great 7.1 sound from just about every input format.
  
  
• baby boomer choice
  By A28U590PXYOEO2 on 2008-02-21
  If you're 50plus and still have speakers that you don't want to part with, consider this Onkyo TX-SR705. I considered getting a home theater in a box and I'm delighted with this alternative. My Altec, Marantz, and JBL speakers dating from the 70s never sounded better. The Onkyo offers a wide array of listening choices. It has a phono jack and it makes your vintage records sound like they were recorded this year, driving all eight speakers with 7.1 surround sound. And the movie sound tracks are to die for. It also has all the video connections you need to completely upgrade, but you can take your time as you have multiple ways to connect your system components. It was easy to set up, contrary to some reviews. So don't be intimidated, enjoy!
  
  
• Best up grade for the $$$
  By A2L5T1VLWOBX5F on 2007-10-03
  I just up graded from a Onkyo 575 and I must say that I was shocked at the sound quality and performance of my new receiver! Very easy to work and set -up. I'm running two Onkyo 501 amps with this and it was very easy to figure out how to hook everything up. The power this receiver has is almost unbelievable as well. I haven't had it up past -20 yet but I can tell it will have more than enough power for my home theater ;o) For the money it was well spent and I'm very glad I bought this cheaper model because it has it all without the high $ price tag.
  
  
• Great!
  By ACMCPBOAOODF3 on 2007-10-05
  A great AV Receiver...programming the remote and the device was a little tricky but after i got it done it works great. Only problem is I have an LG BluRay/HD DVD machine and no code for the remote, also no code that works for the Mitsubishi 65" 2008 Diamond Series DLP HD TV. Need to find these codes...
  
  
• Everytime I check the price changed
  By A3F3B1JPACN215 on 2007-12-06
  By no means is this a high-end receiver but it is an excellent mid-range product. It's got so many features it's mind blowing. I wish Amazon would settle on a price (it goes up and down all the time). My feeling on home electronics is hook it up and hope it works. Well it was easy to hook this up and it worked. It has plenty of inputs and outputs which supports the majority of the requirements of most home theaters. Check Onkyo's wbsite for more details and better pictures.
  
  
• onkyo 7.1 worst electronic purchase ever
  By A1FYKFJ5DJ01CB on 2008-01-17
  i bought this receiver a yr ago & it has already quit working (at the most inconvenient time**, i might ad) it has to be shipped off to houston to be repaired, a real headache. i've replaced it with a pioneer 7.1 receiver.
  i'm 55 yrs old & i bought a pioneer receiver in 1974, a sony receiver in 1984, & a technics 5.1 receiver in 1998, & they all still work & are being used today. Thanks "onkyo" for bringing 38 years* of uninterrupted listening to a halt, & i'm sure pioneer thanks you for the sale also.
  
  *owned a sansui in 1970
  ** football party, its pretty hummililating watching a football game on a 1080 hdtv with the tv sound
  
  
• SACD/HDMI Sounds Great - Try re-running Audyssey XT EQ
  By A2QS3VN107MRZH on 2008-03-10
  As other reviewers have stated, this is an amazing product, especially for the price. I'm using an Oppo Digital DV-980H (another 5-star product) to feed SACD and DVD-Audio (via HDMI) to the Onkyo.
  
  Initially, I was having problems with the "overblown" or "hot" sound from DSD over HDMI that other reviewers have complained of. However, re-running Audyssey XT EQ a few times sorted that out. My problem was that I have a projector (Mitsubishi HD-1000) in my room, and I guess it was noisy enough to affect the Audyssey measurements. After turning off the projector and running the Audyssey again, I got a much better sound from the EQ. It's now hard for me to listen to my system without the EQ enabled. Also, make sure that you have your listening modes set up correctly for both 2-channel and multichannel DSD sources.
  
  In any case, this is a great product for anyone who has a disc player that can output advanced audio over the HDMI. Another great thing about the Onkyo/Oppo pairing is that the combination will play the disc even if the display is turned off, so if you just want to listen to music, you don't need to keep your display on. I haven't had this success with other HDMI 1.2 and 1.3 compliant players.
  
  Anyway, I hope you enjoy these products as much as I do.
  
  
• Works as advertised
  By A2GZX15T9NH8RR on 2007-09-26
  My last receiver was a Yamaha DSP A1 and that was quite some time ago. I just recently got this one and the sound that it reproduces is excellent. I like the ability to calibrate the output to the speakers based on location of the listener. That is a really useful feature. What I didn't like is its video processing capability. It isn't that great, but I just wanted the receiver for the sound so I am OK with that.
  
  
• Excellent Receiver
  By A3F13KUPWX2PU7 on 2007-12-31
  I recently purchased the Onkyo TX-SR705 to replace an older Kenwood THX receiver. Setup was very simple and was made even easier due to the HDMI inputs which simplified connection to my satellite receiver and my HD-DVD player. The automatic speaker setup/levelling worked very well even though I only have a 5.1 speaker configuration (no rear surrounds). After setup, I played snippets from several movies (both HD and SD) and I was amazed at how much more "live" my entire home theater room became. The sound definition was spectacular and I was hearing things that I had never heard before. I can't wait to do some more indepth testing of this unit, but so far, I am extremely pleased. Definately two thumbs up to Onkyo on this one.
  
  

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