New Sony STR-DA2800ES or old Onkyo SR806 for home theatre

[ukhorsey]

I use a receiver only for audio home theater 7.1 purposes, no video conversion or pass thru.
I have read reviews on here for both receivers.
Onkyo 806 has 5 star in audio and is praised and new Sony 2800ES only 3, however the Onkyo is 5 year old review.

Would the new Sony outperform the Onkyo, or does Onkyo still rock over Sony's ? I'm not sure if Onkyo THH2 Ultra is pumped up to what it is advertised at. Which unit should I go with ?

I have fixed my HDMI issue with the 806, so assume its reliable.
Thanks for any assistance.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Used + Onkyo = Inauspicious.

If those are the only 2 options, I would take the brand new Sony 100% of the time.

 

[Pyrrho]

I agree with AcuDefTechGuy. I would pick a new Sony over a used Onkyo receiver every time, if they are at all comparable. But I would prefer going with a Yamaha. Like this one:

Yamaha AVENTAGE RX-A1020 7.2-channel home theater receiver with Apple AirPlay® at Crutchfield.com

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum!

From your last statement, I'm assuming that you already have the Onkyo - is that correct? If so, you might be able to ignore the remarks above (no offense, guys ) because I think they assumed that you're considering buying one or the other. Onkyo's don't have a great reputation for reliability these days, but you remarked that you're assuming it is reliable. If you do already have the Onkyo, it's my opinion that the Sony won't be $1000 better for audio (if at all).

 

[afterlife2]

I agree with Adam. Get yourself a laptop fan(10-15 bucks) and place it on top of the 806(Also set the OHM to 4 it reduces the heat) with air circulating out. That was the way I had my Onkyo 707 setup and never had problems with HMDI sound for the 2 yrs I had it. If you wanna upgrade the Onkyo 818 is the way to go. It has built in fans and can be had for $700 at a4less.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Oh, yeah, if you already own the Onkyo, then just keep it. No need to buy a new AVR.

I guess I was looking for key words like, oh I don't know, "I already own an Onkyo 806".

Pyrrho is the philosophy guy, and even he didn't catch that the OP already owns the Onkyo.

 

[Pyrrho]

If you already own something, it is quite a different matter from choosing between things that you don't yet own. With receivers, in general, if you do not need to replace it, you ought not replace it. This is because, eventually, you will need to replace it, and then you will get the latest features available at that time, which will not have been available earlier. So put it off as long as reasonably possible, and you will get more for your money than if you are quick to replace it.

 

[ukhorsey]

Thanks for all the replies. I actually have both, the Onkyo is hooked up, the Sony is not, PITA to swap out. I also haven't had the time to swap them out. I repaired the Onkyo by recapping it. Wondering which to keep and which to move out. If the Onkyo has much better sound according to the reviews, then I thought about keeping it. I came across both receivers at a great price. So how does that play into the response now will be interesting to me.

 

[Adam]

If you have both, you should just try it out for yourself. Why even ask us? Odds are slim that many if any folks here have those same two receivers.

 

[ukhorsey]

If you have both, you should just try it out for yourself. Why even ask us? Odds are slim that many if any folks here have those same two receivers.

True, but many have experience with Sony vs Onkyo. I am reading that Onkyo blows away Sony in the audio field reading the reviews on this site, and I am no expert in deciding even if I probably heard both hours apart which is what it would take. Example Onkyo has THX2Ultra, Sony does not, so how does that matter? I could go on.

 

[PENG]

True, but many have experience with Sony vs Onkyo. I am reading that Onkyo blows away Sony in the audio field reading the reviews on this site, and I am no expert in deciding even if I probably heard both hours apart which is what it would take.

Posts on this site tend to be unfavourable to Sony AVRs but the opposite is true in other sites, especially the UK ones.

Example Onkyo has THX2Ultra, Sony does not, so how does that matter? I could go on.

Yes you could go on, but most of time when people say all AVRs or amps sound similar, or even same if one wants to exaggerate to make a point, they often meant when they are used within their design limits and in pure direct mode. As soon as you engage any sort of sound processing or equalization, all bets are off as it will become highly subjective and room acoustic dependent. I have owned a couple of Sony AVRs in the past, know a few who owned them and I find it odd that on this forum, they seem to have mostly negative reports/comments.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

True, but many have experience with Sony vs Onkyo. I am reading that Onkyo blows away Sony in the audio field reading the reviews on this site, and I am no expert in deciding even if I probably heard both hours apart which is what it would take. Example Onkyo has THX2Ultra, Sony does not, so how does that matter? I could go on.

In direct mode (or when room correction, sub EQ, other EQ are bypassed), you won't hear a difference.

But Onkyo does have Audyssey. And with Audyssey, you get subwoofer EQ and Dynamic EQ, which I think is utterly fantastic. Sony does not have this.

So that is probably why people say Onkyo sounds better than Sony.

 

[ukhorsey]

In direct mode (or when room correction, sub EQ, other EQ are bypassed), you won't hear a difference.

But Onkyo does have Audyssey. And with Audyssey, you get subwoofer EQ and Dynamic EQ, which I think is utterly fantastic. Sony does not have this.

So that is probably why people say Onkyo sounds better than Sony.

Sony provides an optimizer microphone with the 2800ES, is that not similar to Audyssey setup ?

 

[Adam]

Sony provides an optimizer microphone with the 2800ES, is that not similar to Audyssey setup ?

I'm embarrassed to say that, even after skimming the Sony manual, I don't know if the Sony does any automatic equalization. It doesn't look like it, though. The Sony sets speaker delays (i.e. distances) and levels, but I don't see where it sets levels based on frequencies. Audyssey is a fairly sophisticated system that, IMO, does a good job unless you need to store more than one configuration (for example, if you have two totally different seating positions) because it will only store one configuration.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Sony provides an optimizer microphone with the 2800ES, is that not similar to Audyssey setup ?

No, they are not created equal.

Simaudio, McIntosh, NAD, Marantz, Denon, Integra, Onkyo, and Cambridge Audio have used Audyssey in their processors.

Wisdom Audio (who makes speaker systems upwards of $100,000) uses Audyssey.

Phase Technology's $18,000 dARTS speaker system uses Audyssey.

IMAX theaters also use Audyssey.

But most companies have their own proprietary software. Of course, it is equivocal as to which one is the "best". It is a personal preference in the end.

 

[sterling shoote]

I'm a huge Sony fan. I have not yet seen a need to replace my 15 plus year old Sony components with anything out there today from any manufacturing AV gear since my stuff still works providing state of the art performance. That's reason enough for me to at least look at today's Sony products if a need to replace comes about.

 

[Hyperion]

Depending on the speakers hooked to it.... Ive listened to the 2800ES and it sounds 2 shallow for me on a B&W Cm sourround setup (cm9,cm5,cmcenter2,asw10cm) while cranking it up no id what the onkyo will sound like tho.
I upgraded my customer to the 5800es and all is well.
Tho the ES series are very reliable.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[PENG]

I'm a huge Sony fan. I have not yet seen a need to replace my 15 plus year old Sony components with anything out there today from any manufacturing AV gear since my stuff still works providing state of the art performance. That's reason enough for me to at least look at today's Sony products if a need to replace comes about.

I agree, but yours are all 9000 series, pricey stuff.

 

[3db]

True, but many have experience with Sony vs Onkyo. I am reading that Onkyo blows away Sony in the audio field reading the reviews on this site, and I am no expert in deciding even if I probably heard both hours apart which is what it would take. Example Onkyo has THX2Ultra, Sony does not, so how does that matter? I could go on.

I suspect that the Onkyo has more power on tap then the Sony so it will be able to drive your speakers to louder levels without sounding strained. However, I doubt that you will notice a difference in sound if you play the Sony within its designed operating range and the Onkyo at that same level.

 

[g4ptek]

i choose Onkyo TX-SR806, but this this product Discontinued by Manufacturer, i had read a reviews for this home teather was good better than Sony