Onkyo TX-NR1007 135 Watts 9.2-Channel AV Surround Home Network Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been an Onkyo fan for years now. This is my 5th Onkyo receiver in about 9 years or so. I've upgraded for feature set rather than anything being 'wrong' with the prior models I've had. This is the highest end model I've purchases thus far. Hopefully I'll be able to keep this one around for quite a while. It's more than I needed but I was tired of upgrading and wanted something with enough HDMI inputs and features that I wouldn't get the itch.
I have a standard 5.1 surround system for speakers so I am not using the Audyssey DSX or ProLogic IIz functionality. Nor am I using the multiple zones at this time so I have no comment on that functionality.
Things I like:
Audyssey MultiXT - I've had versions of Audyssey in all but maybe the first Onkyo receiver I've had. I don't know whether they changed something or I've gotten better at setting my HT system up properly but after running through the Audyssey speaker setup on this receiver everything sounded much more balanced and even than the setup I had gotten with my previous TX-SR705. The 'sweet spot' is wider and I'm not getting the slight tonal shift as audio moves from one speaker to the next across the front speakers like I used to.
Audyssey Dynamic Volume - This is a fantastic feature! All of my audio for everything is piped through this receiver, whether I'm watching TV, Movies, Music or playing games. With my previous receivers I was always fumbling for the volume when I was watching a show and the commercials came on since they were so much louder. I don't have to do that any more. I have the Dynamic Volume feature set to Light. It makes soft passages loud enough to hear and tones down loud passages, and when the commercials come on they aren't any louder than the tv show I was watching. I do have one quibble with it. There doesn't seem to be a feature to turn it off/on based on the source you've selected. Having this feature on when listening to music is a not a good thing. This isn't a problem with Audyssey, rather an oversight on Onkyo's part.
THX Loudness - I've never really used the THX audio modes of my previous receivers much. Primarly because in order to get the sound approaching that in a theater THX recommends listening at reference volume. There are two problems with that. I live in an apartment and I like not to bleed from my ears. The THX Loudness feature works kinda like the Audyssey Dynamic volume. I find that on some movies the THX method sounds better to me than the Audyssey Dynamic Volume.
Internet radio, Pandora and streaming - The interface for this could use some work (it looks like something from the 90's) but I really like the network features. Streaming audio from my PC in the office is more convenient with this than firing up the Xbox or PS3 and it's one less peice of electronics I have to have running. I also like that the Onkyo will wake up my office pc if it is sleeping when I go to stream audio. I don't know if this is something with my pc that allows this or not but it is convenient.
Things I don't like - I thought my TX-SR705 was loud when it did audio or HDMI switching. This is louder. I'm hoping it's due to beefier switching components. Fortunately this is only an issue at the beginning of movies where they show previews and don't steal me warnings. Also on cable when watching non-movie channels and the commercials have been broadcast in different audio then the show.
One time issue with zero audio. I was watching a tv show and changed channels. After changing the channel I had zero audio. I thought it was the channel but changing the channel back or selecting a different source (tuner) didn't fix it. I was able to fix it by unplugging the receiver for about 5 seconds and plugging it back in. This was disturbing but it hasn't happened since then. If it does I'll have to call Onkyo and find out what they can do.
Overall I love this receiver even with the odd audio issue I had.

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Onkyo TX-NR3007 140 Watts 9.2-Channel AV Surround Home Network Receiver (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I researched my AVR choice for months, read plenty of reviews, both pro and consumer, and settled on this one. There are several home theater forums as well that were very helpful- although realize that on any internet forum you tend to concentrate those who are having problems with the unit. People who don't have problems don't tend to say as much- and that goes for any product.
For me, this thing works like a champ. I chose this over the 1007 for 1)better video processing (Reon chip), 2) independant power supplies (video/aduio/etc), and at the time, I found it for a great price, only a bit more than the 1007. It also has Dolby Dynamic volume, which the 1007 doesn't have- but I use the audyssey dynamic volume anyways. The backlit remote is nice too- although not a reason to buy this over the 1007. At first, I wasn't sure if the Reon chip was worth it, my projector suppossedly has the same chip, but I can tell a big difference upconverting my Dish 720p. The image looks much better when I let the Onkyo do the upconversion as oppossed to my projector. Likewise, it does a better job with DVD material compared to my BR which also upconverts DVDs, just not as well as the Onkyo.
There are plenty of comprehensive reviews about all the many, many features this unit has. I'll let you research those. Compared to other brands, this seemed to have the most bang for the buck. No other 9.2 recievers in this price range. Few THX Ultra certified recievers in this price range. More HDMI inputs than anyone else. I currently have a 5.1 setup with high quality quadrapolar surrounds, and to be honest, I don't think I'll be getting rear surrounds any time soon. I will probably add height next. From everything I've read height makes more of an impact than rear surrounds.
Plenty loud, plenty of headroom. Customizations out the wazoo. Audyssey microphone automatically sets up the unit for you. Mine runs warm, but after a full length movie with the sound cranked up it's not hot by any stretch.
I don't use the net features, can't comment.
So far I use it with my dish 622 box (HDMI), panasonic BR (HDMI), sanyo DVD (component), macbook (HDMI), airport express (optical) and hooked up to a samsung plasma (HDMI) and epson projector (HDMI) without any problems.

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Onkyo TX-NR5007 145 Watts 9.2-Channel AV Surround Home Network Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased the Onkyo TX-NR5007 in February 2010 to replace my Onkyo TX-SR806. Going from the 806 to the 5007 was like day and night. The sound from the 5007 is easily the best I've heard from any receiver. I work in an electronics store and I hear many units daily from the Denon AVR-4810CI and the Pioneer Elite SC-27 and they, in my opinion, can't match the Onkyo in terms of sound and features.
The new TX-NR5007 have 192kHz/32bit Burr-Brown DACs, and 4 independent power supplies for better sound. Along with those features for sound, this receiver includes the HQV Reon 1080p upscaling that even makes my HD inputs look better when compared to the Faroudja chip that was in the TX-SR806. For those interested in making the picture look even better, it's ISF certified and you can use this feature to professionally calibrate day and night picture modes for each input.
The networking features also great. I use Pandora radio a few times a week and am very happy with the quality. I had a problem setting it up though. None of the stations showed up on my internet radio until after I reset the entire receiver. This receiver can also stream music from media servers such as your PC, and it can also play music off of a USB hard drive or thumb drive.
I'm powering Klipsch XF-48's as the left and right channel, and three Klipsch XL-23's as a center channel, and left and right surrounds, along with a Definitive Technology Supercube Reference subwoofer (5.1 setup). What's surprising is that there is still room for four more speakers and one more subwoofer (9.2 setup). If you don't need a receiver that's capable of passing through 3D signals (HDMI 1.4), I would recommend that you get this receiver because I've never heard one that sounded better especially at this price point. Please make sure you can fit and carry this beast before purchasing though. It is gigantic and it weighs near 60lbs.


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The Onkyo TX-NR5007 offers a mouthwatering feature set designed to satisfy even the most demanding home theater purist. The expanded 9.2-channel configuration allows you to enjoy multi-zone playback as well as the latest surround formats by Dolby, DTS, and Audyssey. Advanced networking capability, meanwhile, enables you to incorporate PC-based audio and internet radio into your home theater set-up.
The Onkyo TX-NR5007 home theater receiver with 9.2-channel configuration (see larger image).

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Logitech Z-5450 Digital 5.1 Speaker System ( 970181-0403 ) Review

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(More customer reviews)These speakers work well, they produce good sound, and the controls and optical inputs work great too. However, if you or your neighbors have a WiFi (IEEE 802.11b or 802.11g) 2.4GHz wireless ethernet network, the wireless rear surround speakers in this speaker system will step all over the 802.11 WiFi network. I used a spectrum analyzer to see what was going on, and this speaker system appears to use frequency-hopping spread spectrum indiscriminately.
Wireless speakers are a great idea, particularly for situations when running the wires would be impractical or ugly, but this particular implementation is incompatible with 802.11b/g WiFi networks. If this is not a concern to you (you *and* your neighbors are not using other 2.4GHz wireless products), then this speaker system may work well for you.

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Eliminate the hassle of hiding speaker wires! Immerse yourself in clutter-free, high-fidelity digital surround sound with Logitechs THX-certified, 315-watt Z-5450 Digital 5.1 speaker system with digital hardware decoder and dual wireless rear speakers. The Digital SoundTouch Control Center supports Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks and includes digital and analog inputs for connecting DVD players, PCs, video game consoles, MP3 players, and more. Fine-tune your listening experience with a convenient wireless remote. Wall-mountable satellites help make installation easy in any room. The patented dual-chamber subwoofer enhances your games, music, and movies with thundering distortion-free bass.

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