Suggestions please: Onkyo TX-SR604 vs. ?

[Sn1ck3rz]

I've been doing a lot of comparsions between $500ish receivers and am leaning towards this particular item. Was curious if anyone had any comments on this specific model or others to consider in case I missed something. My key features I've been after are:

1) 3 Component inputs (Xbox 360, DVD Player, HD Cable box)
2) A/V delay (Lip Sync delay) adjustable per input (not a master setting)

Additional features that seemed desirable were Auto Speaker Calibration

This unit features HDMI switching but not upconversion. None of my devices except my 50 inch DLP have an HDMI connector. So that wasn't really necessary (unless someone has a definitive reason why HDMI beats component).

I don't beleive I need any of the XM radio functions since I don't ever plan on having that service. Additionally I have no need for special support for MP3 players. I also only have a 5.1 speaker array and not certain I need anything beyond that speaker wise.

I'm mainly curious if someone can recommend an older model that would be superior to this Onkyo but similar in price due to the older model not having the XM, HDMI, and 7.1 that I don't beleive I need. Please also post if the previous 3 items are actually important and I'm missing something there.

 

[MDS]

It sounds like you are approaching the decision in the right way; ie determining what features you need or will need in the near future and which features you can do without.

If you don't need the HDMI switching or XM radio you could possibly look at the prior year models 602 and 603. I haven't been keeping up with every new model lately but I can tell you how Onkyo works with their model upgrades. Every year (around august/september) they release new models and they migrate features from the higher model series to the lower series. For example, the lip sync was originally available only on the 802, then they released the 703 with that capability and now apparently it has migrated down to the 6 series.

I would go to http://www.onkyousa.com and download the manuals for the 602/3 and verify if they have lip-sync. If so, all of the other features are the same and you could save a few bucks with an older 6 series instead of the currrent 604.

 

[Sn1ck3rz]

Thanks

I took a look at the 703 and 803 and they look pretty nice. The 803 costs about $150 more and you basically get the added HDMI switching. I noticed that the 804 is now available for pre-order so I was wondering if it is wise to wait just a bit longer for prices to drop on the 803 or if the 803 prices are probably already bottomed out? Didn't see any info on a 704 so I wasn't sure if 703 prices are soon to drop.

 

[MDS]

The thing to consider with Onkyo's 7xx and 8xx models is that those are THX certified. Also, only the 7xx and up models have pre-outs so you can add external amplification. More features that you may or may not find useful.

The new 674 looks to have all of the features of the 703 plus HDMI (with upconversion of other video formats to hdmi) and XM. Since you really aren't interested in hdmi or xm, maybe the 703 would be a good choice. It has lip-sync adjustment and added bonus of thx certification and pre-outs if you ever decide to add external amplification.

 

[Sn1ck3rz]

Getting closer to a decision but a couple more questions

I'm pretty much down to the 604 or 703. I don't think that I'm going to need the HDMI connectors because everything I've read so far seems to indicate that HDMI still has growing pains and isn't finalized. So, not counting the HDMI stuff the couple of things I'm comparing are:

Audyssey 2EQ: 604 has it 703 doesn't. 703 has older single point auto calibration. Not sure if this 2EQ is much better or not or if I should even care. I saw an article on the higher end Audyssey Multi-EQ that seemed cool but that is on expensive Denons. I downloaded and read through the 604 manual about the 2EQ auto setup but was unsure if it was able to perform the procedure with anything less than a 7.1 setup. If anyone has that answer that would be helpful.

THX: 703 has it 604 does not. My understanding is that THX is mostly a certification of a particular quality of sound. Beyond that I'm not sure how important or desirable this feature is for me.

I think that if I had to pick a particular audio trait that I would want more than others it is accuracy of the sound reproduction and sound placement in the sound field. I do a lot of gaming and for shooters etc. having accurate 3-D audio is very desirable. It's also enjoyable for watching movies.

That being said I'm not sure which of the above two features is more useful in acheiving the type of sound I'm looking for. Any comment on the above would be most helpful .

 

[MDS]

Auto setup routines such as Audyssey are finding their way onto a lot of new receivers these days. I can't give you any direct experience with them because my receiver does not have any auto setup routine - I always do the calibration manually. However, if you read posts and articles about receivers with auto setup, whether it be YPAO (Yamaha), EZ-Set (H/K), or Audyssey the results are a mixed bag with some saying they worked wonders and others saying they ended up re-doing things manually anyway. All of the auto setup routines set the front speakers to Large which is wrong 99% of the time. So, is it a must-have feature? Not for me but it may be useful nonetheless if you use it as a starting point and then tweak from there.

THX certification guarantees a certain level of performance but also adds features like additional thx surround modes and post-processing that can help to improve the sound. In a way, the THX post-processing is similar to the auto-calibration routines except that it is done on the fly rather than as a one time setup with test tones.

If it were me choosing between the 604 and 703, I would value the THX certification more than the Audyssey auto-setup and would choose the 703. The 7xx series also have pre-outs which would be necessary if you ever choose to add external amplification.

 

[Sn1ck3rz]

Thanks

Thanks for the help. I downloaded both manuals and checked them out. Finally decided on the 703. 703 wound up being only $100 more than the 604. Only thing I really gave up was the HDMI and I don't use it.