Onkyo TX-SR805 AV Receiver Review

[sh0]

I have an Axiom Audio setup, m60s, vp100, qs8, and an SVS PB12-NSD. Since the vp100 and qs8's bass capabilities are limited, I would prefer to cross them over at 100hz, while the main m60s get crossed at 50-60hz. If I set the SVS sub to a 80hz crossover, what happens to the bass from the center between 100 and 80 hz? Does it still get routed to the sub? Does it get routed to the mains? Or does it just dissappear because this is not a good setup?

autoboy, just disable the x-over on the sub and set the x-overs appropriately in the receiver. That frequency range will have diminished output doing it the way you mention.

I think he's referring to the Low Pass Filter for the LFE channel in the receiver, not the setting on the actual subwoofer. I was curious about this setting as well. The manual states:

With this setting, you can specify the cutoff frequency of the LFE channel’s low-pass filter (LPF), which can be used to filter out unwanted hum. The LPF only applies to sources that use the LFE channel.

*If you’re using THX-certified speakers, select 80 Hz (THX).

The only options are: 80 Hz (THX), 90 Hz, 100 Hz, or 120 Hz. I was assuming this should be left at 120Hz but I'm not sure. Also, is there a difference between how this setting is used for discrete LFE data (the actual x.1 channel) and "derived" LFE data (not sure what to call it) using the HPF from the other channels?

 

[DavidW]

Not to get too nit-picky, but...


40lbs to 50lbs is in no country's math-system a 125% increase. It's a 25% increase.

Semantics.

125% = 1.25

40*1.25 = 50.

The net increase is 10 lbs or 25%, but the 805 weighs 125% of a 40 lb receiver.

Mathematics is nonpolitical, it is no different in any country.

Units of measure are political, and the US refuses to use what everyone else uses: Imperial/English units verses SI/Metric.

 

[Seth=L]

125% increase would be 90 pounds.

125% heavier than 40 pounds is 50 pounds.

 

[autoboy]

I think he's referring to the Low Pass Filter for the LFE channel in the receiver, not the setting on the actual subwoofer. I was curious about this setting as well. The manual states:



The only options are: 80 Hz (THX), 90 Hz, 100 Hz, or 120 Hz. I was assuming this should be left at 120Hz but I'm not sure. Also, is there a difference between how this setting is used for discrete LFE data (the actual x.1 channel) and "derived" LFE data (not sure what to call it) using the HPF from the other channels?

I've never seen a crossover on the receiver before for a subwoofer. My current one just routes all the sound that the high pass cut off and reroutes it to the sub, and I have not options for the sub. If I set my center to 100hz, 100hz and below is routed to the sub, while the mains get 60hz and the 60hz and below is routed to the sub. The sub handles all LFE material in the soundtrack regardless of the crossovers of the speakers. This has me pretty confused on the Onkyo.

 

[zhimbo]

125% increase would be 90 pounds.

125% heavier than 40 pounds is 50 pounds.

Y'all failed word problems in math class, didn't you?

 

[MDS]

LFE is always handled by the subwoofer unless you have the front speakers set to Large and Subwoofer = No.

The LPF for the LFE is to allow you to specify which portion of the LFE is sent to the sub. The LFE channel can be as high as 120 Hz but rarely goes higher than 80 Hz. I don't know why you'd want to chop off the upper end of the LFE channel by setting the LPF to 80 Hz but it is a THX recommended setting.

 

[aberkowitz]

Semantics.

125% = 1.25

40*1.25 = 50.

The net increase is 10 lbs or 25%, but the 805 weighs 125% of a 40 lb receiver.

Mathematics is nonpolitical, it is no different in any country.

Units of measure are political, and the US refuses to use what everyone else uses: Imperial/English units verses SI/Metric.

Yes, but no matter what unit of measure you use it's still simpler to understand if you write that it weighs 25% more rather than 125% more.

"I'm not a smart man Jenny, but I know how much this receiver weighs"

 

[Seth=L]

Y'all failed word problems in math class, didn't you?

AMIDOINITRONG?

 

[Seth=L]

"I'm not a smart man Jenny, but I know how much this receiver weighs"

I laughed aloud at that.

 

[preppie16]

Tx-sr805 Video????

One question I still fail to have answered for me is if the Onkyo TX-SR805 is capable of passing a native 1080p/24fps vidoe signal through it to a monitor or projector?? Reviews I have read only tell of the 1080p/60fps passing.... HELP....

 

[rushwj]

i had a question about the audio quality. overall, it seems that the onkyo performs quite well. however, it was mentioned that the reviewer's reference Rotel performed somewhat better. since i don't know of any brands like rotel that use the Audyssey MultEQ, how would you compare the difference b/w the improvement w/ the Audyssey on the onkyo versus something like the rotel w/o it? also, does the audyssey help much w/ 2-channel audio, or just add a layer of filtering?
thanks.

 

[roshi]

I have a different question. Since the 805 got pretty bad scores on the whole video end of the spectrum, should I even route my HDMI cables (Cable Box, DVD-Player) through it, or should I just go directly to my LCD? Meaning, will I loose picture quality by going through the 805?

Also, with this receiver having HDMI 1.3a capabilities, is the audio quality from HDMI as good (or even better?) as from an optical output?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Seth=L]

I have a different question. Since the 805 got pretty bad scores on the whole video end of the spectrum, should I even route my HDMI cables (Cable Box, DVD-Player) through it, or should I just go directly to my LCD? Meaning, will I loose picture quality by going through the 805?

Also, with this receiver having HDMI 1.3a capabilities, is the audio quality from HDMI as good (or even better?) as from an optical output?

Thanks a lot!

If you are using the HDMI as pass-thru (no video processing) you should have no problems.

 

[mitch57]

Thanks for the review. I have a question on the listening tests. In David's review he states:

"Using “In Absentia’, I was able to have a listen to the Onkyo’s multi-channel analog capabilities which did not disappoint."

Were you listening to this album via the 6 multi-channel analog inputs on the 805? If so, my understanding is that this receiver does absolutely no processing on the analog inputs. Therefore, it essentially is only passing the signal from the player to the amplifier and then on to the speakers unprocessed with the exception of volume control.

If this is in fact the case I'm curious as to how there would be any difference between this receiver and any other receiver/processor that does not perform post processing on those inputs. Wouldn't it be the DVD player's DACs that the listener would hear since the receiver/processor is only passing the signal unprocessed from the player to the amplifier/speakers?

I ask because I have an Integra 9.8 on order and for music I only listen to multi-channel DVD-A/SACDs through the 6 multi-channel inputs on my current Denon 3805. Based on the fact that the Integra 9.8 doesn't perform any processing on those inputs either I am expecting the sound to be essentially identical to what I hear now with the Denon 3805 provided the rest of my equipment remains the same.

Maybe I'm missing some critical piece to the equation. Please educate me if I'm missing the obvious or maybe not so obvious.

 

[preppie16]

Video Pass-through

Hi,
Still waiting to hear if the 805 will pass 1080p/24fps video.... Anyone know if it goes through untouched??? This is most important to me. Thanks

 

[autoboy]

Hi,
Still waiting to hear if the 805 will pass 1080p/24fps video.... Anyone know if it goes through untouched??? This is most important to me. Thanks

Yes.

I also figured out the LFE low pass crossover setting: From AVSforum:

If the LFE crossover is at 80 and my speakers are crossed over higher than that, am I losing sound between them?

The LFE crossover only affects the low frequency effects channel (the .1) of a 5.1/6.1/7.1 soundtrack, not overall response from redirected bass. The 705 defaults to the THX LFE cutoff of 80Hz and Audyssey doesn't adjust that setting. However, the LFE channel by its very nature is brickwall filtered during encoding at 120Hz. If you want to accurately reproduce the entire LFE channel, set LFE cutoff to 120Hz. However, few sound mixes have audio above 80Hz in the LFE channel, which is why THX recommends the 80Hz cutoff. Also, because the LFE channel receives a +10dB boost during decoding, the THX recommended 80Hz cutoff is there to reduce the chance of humming/noise above 80Hz from the LFE channel. Chances are that you will not notice a significant difference, if any, by changing LFE cutoff from its default of 80Hz, but doing so has no effect on the bass redirected from the other channels.

 

[edmcanuck]

Semantics.

125% = 1.25

40*1.25 = 50.

The net increase is 10 lbs or 25%, but the 805 weighs 125% of a 40 lb receiver.

It's really not semantics - you didn't say anything about it weighing 125% "of" an "average" receiver. Again, quoting the article:

an increase of 125%

A 40lbs receiver with "an increase of 125%" is 90lbs. Either that or you're saying the average receiver is ~23lbs.

 

[Nimrod]

Okay.... Super Noob question.

I like it, I want it (Soon to be Flush with alot of "found cash")

I have the SV Sound Setup 5.1 setup, (12" woofer)

This is a 7.1 Receiver................ Will it work (correctly) in the 5.1 mode?

 

[MDS]

This is a 7.1 Receiver................ Will it work (correctly) in the 5.1 mode?

Yes. You tell the receiver whichs speakers are connected and it processes and routes audio signals appropriately for the number of speakers.

 

[DavidW]

Okay.... Super Noob question.

I like it, I want it (Soon to be Flush with alot of "found cash")

I have the SV Sound Setup 5.1 setup, (12" woofer)

This is a 7.1 Receiver................ Will it work (correctly) in the 5.1 mode?

The 805 works just fine as a 5.1 receiver. 5.1 verses 6.1 or 7.1 is a function of the way Dolby and DTS are set up with 5.1 as the standard for multichannel encoding.

The additional channels in Dolby Digital ES and DTS ES are more or less built as an overlay onto the 5.1 coding. If you only have 5 main speakers, the setup will have the back channels turned off and regular DD and DTS will be the decoding.

The 805 is also set up with the option to reroute the back channels to power an independent stereo zone 2 with a 5.1 zone 1.