0nkyo TX-SR606 receiver

potem1

this seems to be a very popular receiver and i plan on getting one soon but while doing a little research i came across a review on cnet. i'm not quite sure what the bad part(in red) of the review means. can someone please help. thank you



The good: Four HDMI inputs; onboard Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding; upconverts analog signals to 1080i over HDMI output; Sirius-ready; excellent automatic speaker calibration; switches as many as six high-definition video sources; improved remote.

The bad: Poor video processing limits utility of HDMI upconversion for analog sources; sounds better on movies than with music; no phono input.

The bottom lineThe bottom line: The Onkyo TX-SR606 offers tons of functionality for the price, but subpar video processing and improved competition means it's less of a standout receiver than last year's version.

Conradicles

I read that as well. Here is why that really does not matter in my opinion:
Who really has analog sources anymore? They look horrible on a HDTV.

It probably is a great receiver for the price.

wutadumsn23

I second that, unless you plan on running analog sources (red, yellow, white cables, etc.) then I wouldn't worry about it. It has HDMI in and out for a reason and I suggest you utilize them, or what is the point of buying a receiver that has HDMI in/out, right? lol I absolutely love Onkyo receivers, and just bought the TX-SR806 myself about 2 months ago, I still kiss it before I go to bed everynight, lol. How much are you expecting to pay for the 606, if you don't mind me asking?

rdb2001

+1 to both replies. I recently purchased the 606. I have had it about a week and absolutely love it. I think it will be a good pick for your rig. Also, if you dont mind using refurbished items( I dont and have great success), shoponkyo.com has the 606 for 349 refurb, but on the weekends they run a 10% off so you and when you sign up to be a member they give you ten points which each point counts as 1 dollar. It also has free shipping so you would get 40 bucks off total from 349. Also they have the 706 silver for 399 which has preouts for adding an external amp and the same discount applies on the weekend. They also give you 5% of your purchase back in points so you would be able to use those towards you next purchase from there.

Conradicles

I bought the old model 603 as a refurb a few years back and it was fantastic.

NewHTguy

I had a 605 and loved it. However, there are no pre-outs, so don't expect to add an amp.

potem1

wutadumsn23 wrote: »

I second that, unless you plan on running analog sources (red, yellow, white cables, etc.) then I wouldn't worry about it. It has HDMI in and out for a reason and I suggest you utilize them, or what is the point of buying a receiver that has HDMI in/out, right? lol I absolutely love Onkyo receivers, and just bought the TX-SR806 myself about 2 months ago, I still kiss it before I go to bed everynight, lol. How much are you expecting to pay for the 606, if you don't mind me asking?

thank you and everyone else for your help. amazon has it for $349.00. the price isn't really a concern, i don't mind paying a little more for quality i just wasn't sure about the bad review....thanks for clearing it up. i will be using hdmi connections for my blu ray player and xbox 360 elite.

wutadumsn23

I was just curious to the price, because I did a quick Froogle search and found it at B&H for about $339 (Although it is currently out of stock, lol). Again, don't sweat the bad review for the upconvert, if you use HDMI like you plan to, it won't be an issue. Good luck and enjoy the Onk, I know I do.

wutadumsn23

Home Theater Magazine gave the 606 a great review, see attached link.


http://hometheatermag.com/receivers/808onk/index.html

CallingMrBenzo

i have the 606 and love it....and as others say why get a receiver with 4 hdmi ins if you aren't going to use them..its been great with everything i have given it so far

ALWALLER

The 606 does not have pre-outs. You will not be able to add
a amp in the future, using the 606 as a pre-amp. I just got a
705 for $500.00. Using it as a pre-amp for the Outlaw 7125 amp.
The 705 offer you a fexible up-grade path.

potem1

wutadumsn23 wrote: »

I was just curious to the price, because I did a quick Froogle search and found it at B&H for about $339 (Although it is currently out of stock, lol). Again, don't sweat the bad review for the upconvert, if you use HDMI like you plan to, it won't be an issue. Good luck and enjoy the Onk, I know I do.

CallingMrBenzo wrote: »

i have the 606 and love it....and as others say why get a receiver with 4 hdmi ins if you aren't going to use them..its been great with everything i have given it so far

thanks again for all your input. now i feel much better in choosing this receiver.

ALWALLER wrote: »

The 606 does not have pre-outs. You will not be able to add
a amp in the future, using the 606 as a pre-amp. I just got a
705 for $500.00. Using it as a pre-amp for the Outlaw 7125 amp.
The 705 offer you a fexible up-grade path.

not really sure what all that means(i'm a noob to this stuff lol) but thanks all the same.

wutadumsn23

He is just saying that you won't be able to add an external amplifier to push more power to your speakers, since the 606 has no pre-outs for it (the place where you would hook an external amp) More power=more sound. Since I don't know what speakers you have, I don't know what kind of power they can handle. Also the 606 pushes I think 90W per channel, and the 705 pushes 100W. Buy what you feel comfortable with, I started with an Onkyo HTIB (Home Theater In a Box) and in 3 years time have upgraded to the monster I own today (see signature) Just dropped about $2,000 on it and couldn't be happier. Having the ability to hook up an external amp to your receiver (pre-amp) is a nice option, but not always a necessity, especially if it is just a starter system, I think ALWALLER is just looking more long term. Just my $.02, after all we are just making suggestions, it is up to you to get what you want/ can afford. Good luck.

bms

If you're new to HT, do yourself a favor and get a receiver with pre-outs. You might say you'll never add amps, but believe me, if you stay in the hobby, you'll be sorry (like I am) for not getting a receiver with pre-outs.

The 706 (or the 705) has them, and it's not really that much more.

Good luck with your decision.

deseroner

I have a 606 , using my ps3, directv dvr hd,xbox 360, using 3 hdmi's picture is really good, once you go hd you cannot go 480i dvd's..Plus the sound that the tx-sr606 produces is also really good. get this one or sr706 if you care about 1080p upscaling..

Gadabout

Bump yourself up to the 705 / 706.

Long term, it will save you money. One day you will wonder what it would sound like with a bit more power. I considered the 605 when I was looking at AVR's. I quickly decided to move up the food chain so that I could have the Pre outs.

The 705 is available from Amazon for $449, just a little more than what you were planning on spending. The 706 is $488. In the long run, I think you will appreciate the what the 705 / 706 have to offer. If you don't need it for Xmas, save up for another month. You might even find the prices lower as folks clear inventory.

All that being said, I'm really happy with my Onkyo's performance.

Scott

diwarrior

I purchased my 606 last week on Amazon, (WholsaleAV) for $314.97 incl. free shipping. Very satisfied so far, I've got it powering PA Monitor 70's up front, PA Monitor 50's in back, a CS2 center, and PSW505 Sub. Huge improvement from my JVC/Advent Pro-logic system!!