My home theater receiver lost it's smoke!

[ragtop69gs]

Yep,,, it sure did! My 9 year old Onkyo sent up some smoke signals and sang it's last song

 

Now it's time to figure out what will take it's place, I'm looking at THIS one or THIS . I'd like to hear of any suggestions on others with similar features and price range. My speakers are all PSB's rated at 6 ohms, Front L & R are Image 3LR, Center is Image 8C and rears Image 1B. My sub is an Onkyo SKW750 , I was running an Energy AS-90 till the crossover board failed and the Onkyo came back up from the basement.

[CaseyJ955]

Ive been hearing lots of good things about Anthem lately, really wanted to try one. My old Yamaha just went out, it had a hum in the subwoofer channel and I replaced it with an Onkyo 555 because I'm cheap and it has the features I needed, and more than enough wattage to drive my Fusion Alchemy 8 towers/center. I also had to look for one with adjustability as just about everything comes through my PC GPU which is unadulterated HDMI sound/video out. Are you doing 2ch music and HT, either/or?

 

As I have read, wattage is not really a concern, the difference between 65 and 105 is barely audible but the price sure goes up. I had to Google the PSB speakers, they look pretty nice. If they are an efficient design I doubt wattage will be a concern. I think mine have an efficiency rating of 96db or something and at 2/3 volume they will drive me out of the room on this 80w&8ohm setup. I researched, got somewhat confused and based a lot of my decision on customer reviews and reliability ratings. Crutchfield has a great comparison feature that makes it easy to check features right next to each other. I didnt need upscaling but wanted to future proof as much as could for a low price so thats how I arrived at my decision.

 

I went here and bought this, pretty pleased. It left me some loot to upgrade my TV which was also pretty long in the tooth, now everything works via HDMI as it should and it sounds pretty darn clean.

 

http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/onktxnr555/onkyo-tx-nr555-7.2-ch-x-80-watts-networking-a/v-receiver/1.html

 

Let us know what you end up getting and what you think of it. Are your PSB speakers built into the house? I see on the sight and it looks like they offer a lot of in wall/ceiling options.

[ragtop69gs]

Anthem is a bit too pricy for me. That first link for the Yamaha TSR-7810 is what I'm leaning towards, lots of great features for an awesome price. The Yamaha RXV781 is the exact same unit thats sold at big box stores for over $800.

The Yamaha's have a great reliability reputation if you ask repair shops about frequency of repairs.

 

I have a computer waiting here to use as a DLNA media server so network connectivity is a must. In the future I will go 4k and try out the Atmos speaker configuration, it looks to be the next step in HT sound.

 

I usually don't get much past half volume on any receiver but the extra headroom of 100+ watts means I'll never get to the point of clipping or distortion.

 

I'd have gone Onkyo again but don't care for the GUI menu plus the last one only lasted 9 years! I have a receiver I bought in 1977 that blows away most of the new stuff google LR9090

 

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[bongobobny]

Well, Jay, overall Denon has a higher rating than the Yamaha in the "Audiophile" crowd. Denon has always been a good entry level product line for the audio snobs. Not to say that Yamaha is not an excellent brand but according to those "professional ears," they don't sound quite as accurate to them. That being said, I don't know about you but I am not a professional symphony orchestra conductor and can't quite discern subtle differences as good as they can. As far as audiophile grade audio equipment I prefer Rotel over Denon but that is a different story.

 

Let your pocketbook be your guide, both receivers should perform satisfactorily for you...

[ragtop69gs]

Like you Bob, with my tinnitus, my hearing isn't the greatest anymore so spending big bucks on stereo doesn't make sense. Denon is #2 on my short list.

 

For high end stuff, Carver & Krell have always sounded great to me.

 

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[Max]

A couple of weeks ago dad's 5 year old Onkyo TX-8050 receiver audio stopped working. I took it to an Onkyo service centre to determine if the repair cost outweighs the cost of the receiver. Surprisingly I was told that Onkyo has a no charge 'one time out of warranty repair program' that may apply to some of their customers (whatever that means) and will get back to me. I've been waiting a week for they're response . Point being, you never know, nothing to lose, it might be worth while to take your Onkyo in to see if they'll apply the 'one time' repair.

[etcswjoe]

Cell phone and computer speakers for me.

[ragtop69gs]

A couple of weeks ago dad's 5 year old Onkyo TX-8050 receiver audio stopped working. I took it to an Onkyo service centre to determine if the repair cost outweighs the cost of the receiver. Surprisingly I was told that Onkyo has a no charge 'one time out of warranty repair program' that may apply to some of their customers (whatever that means) and will get back to me. I've been waiting a week for they're response . Point being, you never know, nothing to lose, it might be worth while to take your Onkyo in to see if they'll apply the 'one time' repair.

 

 

I don't think Onkyo will be getting anymore of my $$ ! Mine had been in for repair twice already !! Poor QC and customer service.

[cecdoo]

I have a Denon recvr for at least 15yrs, has never been in a shop, and I crank her up pretty good on a regular basis. It actually replaced the Yamaha recvr I had. I was really into that stuff years ago and I still prefer the old stuff. I have a Sony ES9000 DVd player that has never been in a shop and I still think it does a better job then my bluray setup. My vote goes to the Denon.

 

Craig

[CaseyJ955]

Anthem is a bit too pricy for me. That first link for the Yamaha TSR-7810 is what I'm leaning towards, lots of great features for an awesome price. The Yamaha RXV781 is the exact same unit thats sold at big box stores for over $800.

The Yamaha's have a great reliability reputation if you ask repair shops about frequency of repairs.

 

I have a computer waiting here to use as a DLNA media server so network connectivity is a must. In the future I will go 4k and try out the Atmos speaker configuration, it looks to be the next step in HT sound.

 

I usually don't get much past half volume on any receiver but the extra headroom of 100+ watts means I'll never get to the point of clipping or distortion.

 

I'd have gone Onkyo again but don't care for the GUI menu plus the last one only lasted 9 years! I have a receiver I bought in 1977 that blows away most of the new stuff google LR9090

 

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Anthem was too pricey for me too. Some folks say that the difference is tough to hear, I would agree. I saw that Costco model, I almost bought it and probably would have had I not just gone the refurb route to save money. These things are not made to last as they once were so even if it does last 10 years it's likely to be obsolete. I just cant see dropping a couple G on an AVR, I have heard some in that price range and nothing about them compelled me to even consider the price. My hearing is fairly good, once I finished and setup these Fusions I could suddenly hear the difference between an MP3 and FLAC, enough that I had to rerip my entire CD library, but I cant hear the difference between an entry level and high priced unit on the showroom floor.

 

I believe the guiding principle of manufacture excludes building a lasting unit anyway so whatever you spend is gone in a few years. In regards to AVRs we hit the point of diminishing returns fairly early in the price spectrum, IMHO. I hope these speakers serve me indefinitely but I assume replacement of my AVR and TV every 8 or so years. I think it sort of sucks but the speed of technology is hostile to the concept of buying a high quality unit that will last for decades.

 

I did Google that lR9090, VERY nice! I really wish stuff were still made with that quality.

[Freebird]

I have really lost touch with the audio industry. For music, I primarily use Pandora or Iheart connected via Bluetooth to a Bose Soundlink Mini.

 

Last time I bought stereo equipment I was looking at Pioneer, Sansui, Marantz, Fisher, etc. I guess I'm officially over the hill.

[ragtop69gs]

I have really lost touch with the audio industry. For music, I primarily use Pandora or Iheart connected via Bluetooth to a Bose Soundlink Mini.

 

Last time I bought stereo equipment I was looking at Pioneer, Sansui, Marantz, Fisher, etc. I guess I'm officially over the hill.

 

 

Better over the hill than under it!

[CaseyJ955]

I have really lost touch with the audio industry. For music, I primarily use Pandora or Iheart connected via Bluetooth to a Bose Soundlink Mini.

 

Last time I bought stereo equipment I was looking at Pioneer, Sansui, Marantz, Fisher, etc. I guess I'm officially over the hill.

 

Streaming audio puts you on this side of the tech barrier though. Other than Sansui all those brands you listed still produce audio equipment. See, it aint all bad haha.

[ragtop69gs]

I ordered the Yamaha TSR-7810 today, I should see it Wednesday.

[bongobobny]

You should be happy with it! Keep in mind the "ratings game" for power has really gotten out of hand these days! 500 watts is peak to peak, so divide in half for peak, then divide by 0.707 for RMS or true power, and then divide that by a fudge factor of maybe 1/2 and you will get the kind of power ratings we grew up with!! Remember you have 7 channels so divide the total power by 7 to get the actual power per channel...

 

I have an Onkyo in the guest room that I use but am not real thrilled with. It was a good price new when I bought it several years ago, a 5.1 system...

[ragtop69gs]

The 90 watts of my last 7.1 AVR would make your ears bleed if it was cranked all the way. I'm sure I'll be happy with this one, it is a Yamaha after all!

[videoarizona]

I have really lost touch with the audio industry. For music, I primarily use Pandora or Iheart connected via Bluetooth to a Bose Soundlink Mini.

 

Last time I bought stereo equipment I was looking at Pioneer, Sansui, Marantz, Fisher, etc. I guess I'm officially over the hill.

 

Yea, me too! I still have non-powered sub in my house!

 

Jay, I like the Yamaha. It's connections are good for my legacy gear, it's sound field technology is impressive for it's cost and it's future forward tech, like the bluetooth and casting is well thought out.

 

Of course....it's a Yamaha! That does mean something to me.....as a company...they do good work in everything they get in to.

[ragtop69gs]

Yea, me too! I still have non-powered sub in my house!

 

Jay, I like the Yamaha. It's connections are good for my legacy gear, it's sound field technology is impressive for it's cost and it's future forward tech, like the bluetooth and casting is well thought out.

 

Of course....it's a Yamaha! That does mean something to me.....as a company...they do good work in everything they get in to.

 

 

For the money there's nothing else out there that comes close in what it offers. Even has a phono input! My plan is to run an ATMOS 5.1.4 setup. Pre outs if I decide to amp it up. All of Yamaha's R&D and manufacturing is done in house so Q.C. is a step above many other audio makers.

 

UPS man will have it at my door tomorrow

[videoarizona]

UPS man will have it at my door tomorrow

 

Let us know how it works for you. I'm curious! My Sony is long in the tooth...

[ragtop69gs]

Let us know how it works for you. I'm curious! My Sony is long in the tooth...

Well Dave, I'm impressed with the AVR so far. Installation was a P.I.A. The auto speaker calibration YPAO worked pretty good, only tweak i had to make to it so far is it set my front surround speakers as Large even though the sub was handling LFE. Otherwise setup was not too bad with the on screen menu's. I'm having fun with all the other features it offers, I'll be exploring and tweaking for weeks I'm sure. It's leaps above the 9 year old Onkyo it replaces.

 

IMO it can't be beat for price paid / features. 👍👍

 

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[Max]

A couple of weeks ago dad's 5 year old Onkyo TX-8050 receiver audio stopped working. I took it to an Onkyo service centre to determine if the repair cost outweighs the cost of the receiver. Surprisingly I was told that Onkyo has a no charge 'one time out of warranty repair program' that may apply to some of their customers (whatever that means) and will get back to me. I've been waiting a week for they're response . Point being, you never know, nothing to lose, it might be worth while to take your Onkyo in to see if they'll apply the 'one time' repair.

 

I don't think Onkyo will be getting anymore of my $$ ! Mine had been in for repair twice already !! Poor QC and customer service.

 

follow up : got a pleasant call from the Onk service center yesterday, they repaired receiver under their one time out of warranty program,, thank you very much!

Would I buy another one?, nope, IMO a good quality receiver shouldn't crap out after 5 years for no reason.

[ragtop69gs]

follow up : got a pleasant call from the Onk service center yesterday, they repaired receiver under their one time out of warranty program,, thank you very much!

Would I buy another one?, nope, IMO a good quality receiver shouldn't crap out after 5 years for no reason.

Happy to hear they fixed your dad's receiver. Mine got treated to some well placed .40 S&W rounds before going to the landfill. My new Yamaha 7810 is a nice unit that is better suited to the tasks asked of modern info-tainment systems. I Love the networking features along with the internet radio functions. The Dolby Atmos feature adds a whole new 3D dimension to movie soundtracks so encoded, my setup is 5.1.2 once I get some speaker stands for my new surround speakers it should sound even better.

 

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[Max]

Happy to hear they fixed your dad's receiver. Mine got treated to some well placed .40 S&W rounds before going to the landfill. My new Yamaha 7810 is a nice unit that is better suited to the tasks asked of modern info-tainment systems. I Love the networking features along with the internet radio functions. The Dolby Atmos feature adds a whole new 3D dimension to movie soundtracks so encoded, my setup is 5.1.2 once I get some speaker stands for my new surround speakers it should sound even better.

 

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Lol, glad you found good use for your receiver in the end.

Picked up a Sony STRDH130 for dad the day after dropping off the Onk as he's in a home and needs his cassette player don'cha know. He's quite happy with the Sony. So, I inherited the Onk and will put it to good use till it dies.

You picked up a quite the system, hope you have better luck with it.

[videoarizona]

Update: Yamaha TSR-7810 is now in my living room. Took me a while to find it since by the time I had the pennies saved, Costco no longer had it.

 

Paid under $500 clams for it and am very happy.

 

Got the speakers and stuff plugged in, then plugged in unit. Pressed the WiFi button on router and Yamaha and that was done almost instantly. Put my music library on sharing, plugged in a USB stick, had the tuner find some of my stations, and set up the speakers. Took about 3 hours, most of the time on my film/video Edit computer system computer where my music library is mastered, sharing all the tunes.

 

I'm not going to get fancy with the sound fields or speakers for the time being. Want to get used to the system first. Have 2 main speakers and small surround speakers.

 

Bottom line: I'm impressed. Yamaha TSR 7810 is an outstanding value. Has lots of power for my Dynaco A25's (Yea, bought them in 1968), has all the connectivity I will need, including the phono input! And the wireless functions are robust and easy to deal with.

 

Thanks to ragtop69gs, Jay, for his suggestion and sharing the info on the receiver with us.

[ragtop69gs]

Glad you like it. Wait til you get the Atmos set up, the sound field will blow you away. I have the front presence speakers on top of my wall unit. Front & center, surrounds all set at ear level and love the atmos tracks on many blu-ray disks. I have started playing with streaming movies from my pc and so far have had a steep learning curve trying to get everything working properly .

 

All said, I very happy with the 7810.

The bad side of this is it's got me wanting to add more channels to the Atmos setup which will be EXPENSIVE! I've maxed out the number of useable channels and now want more! [emoji6]

 

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