Friday, January 20, 2012

Onkyo TX-NR808 7.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver (Black)


Manufacturer : Onkyo
Model : TX-NR808
ASIN : B003N197EI
Price : 1099$
Last Price : 1169.99$(Discount -6.45950864422202%
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Product Description

Meet Onkyo's mid-range powerhouse. The TX-NR808 earns its prestigious THX Select2 Plus certification by blending the latest connectivity and processing technology with Onkyo's renowned amplification prowess. As a network-capable receiver, the TX-NR808 is your gateway to streaming audio from your PC or internet radio. Other connection highlights include seven HDMI 1.4a inputs with 3D and Audio Return Channel capability; 7.1-multichannel analog inputs for legacy components; a Universal port for Onkyo peripherals; a USB port for iPod models and flash memory devices; and an analog RGB video input for your PC. Employing two advanced 32-bit DSP chips and low-jitter 24-bit Burr-Brown DACs, the TX-NR808 effortlessly handles your audio-processing needs.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
Packed with features
  
This review is from: Onkyo TX-NR808 7.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
I bought the ONKYO TX-NR808 to replace my aging 10 year old Lexicon DC-2 pre-amp and Carver Professional amps. The Onkyo powering Miller and Kreisel THX 750 5.1 speaker system.
I figured that after 10 years I could use a audio update even though the Lexicon is still a amazing piece of equipment but I didn't want to spend $6500 this time around.

I wanted a receiver that had all of the newer DTS and Dolby surround formats and could power the 4 ohm M&K speakers (8 vs 4 ohm setting in the setup menus).

It sounds great I love the video switching and the great on screen display of settings.

I have a Netgear 9150 Digital entertainer Elite hooked to it with only one HDMI cable. Being able to use the HDMI really cleans up the cabling since it can also send the audio over the same cable. Same thing goes for my HD cable box, HDMI no seperate audio cable needed.

I haven't had any problems with the Ethernet not connecting, even though I did let it update via the internet. The streaming off connected networked computer is nice also, without any problems. Pandora works flawlessly.

For the price and features it cannot be beat.

Also Amazon has it for the lowest price.

UPDATE: 07-02-11
Still no problems. I now have a HTPC hooked up running WMC and Boxee.

Awesome product for the money.


49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent Receiver at this price range
This review is from: Onkyo TX-NR808 7.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
I previously bought a 1120k receiver and returned it for this one. Please see my companion 1120k review and the LSI15 review (right speaker even though I bought both) if you're curious.

I used this amplifier to drive 4 ohms speakers. Most audiophiles will tell you to get external amplification to drive them. I am usually skeptical of these claims.

Myth: You will need external amplifiers to drive 4 ohm speakers. False. I pushed these with an Onkyo 808 135 watts at 8ohms, not sure about the 4 ohms spec as Onkyo doesn't advertise it. There was absolutely no clipping at ear blistering level. No harshness whatsoever from the LSI15 that I heard from the C-5. At high volume, the Energy C-5 gave me a headache. However, the LSI were still extremely smooth. Those speakers (LSI15) are 89db efficiency at 1 watt, so if I push it to 110db, it would require only 128 watts to push. 110db is far louder than comfortable for most living rooms. I guess if you like listen to it louder, then external amplification would be needed. Most normal people wouldn't. Tip: Don't set the receiver to 4 ohm mode. Leave it at 8 ohms. The 4 ohm mode only serve to cut the power output to protect the receiver. My receiver has two fans that I never noticed turning on. Onkyo got smart by inserting fans. Previously, they were hot enough to cook eggs. Would external amplification improve sound quality? I have my doubts. I am a firm believer in amplifiers used for extreme volume only. Normal listening level does not require an amplifier to improve quality (relative to this receiver, lesser receiver may have issues). However, if anyone has an amplifier and wants to prove me wrong, I'm ready to be a believer.

The Onkyo 808 is a huge beast with a very hefty heat sink with dual fans. It has every single high-end adjustable settings you can think of. The only thing I discovered is that the noise correction caused my Netflix stream to ghost. However, that may be due to the noise correction algorithm coupled with the 120hz mode on my TV. Turning off the noise correction fixed the ghosting for me. The quality of the up conversion is good but perhaps a little soft for SD. I do not have an A to B comparison with the Pioneer so I can't be sure which is better. If the Marvell is better, I didn't notice it. However, I would not suggest buying an audio receiver for the video processing chip. Most SD look bad regardless of up conversion, and most high def source look best at native resolution of your TV. I've been reading on the Internet that the Marvell chip is so much better than the Faroudja. There is definitely an improvement on up conversion for either chips, but you can't make SD look HD no matter how hard you try. At least for me, DVD's looked like crap (in comparison to HD) on both the Pioneer and the Onkyo receivers. Therefore, I chalk up conversion as tie for both = equally crappy.

The HDMI is good. My PC picked up the receiver as an output source quickly.

PROS:
135 Watts
Drive 4ohms speakers well
OSD for volume
Excellent Internet radio functionality
Regular cable for IPOD
Dual fans to cool heat sink
Per input level gain
Per speakers cross-over
Dual subwoofer output
Trigger
Firmware upgradeable (make sure you update right away)

CONS:
Warmer than the Pioneer
Update 12/10/10: No dialogue enhancement
No Iphone App

This receiver is actually very good. I returned the Pioneer even though I got an extremely good deal for it. If you don't need the 135 watts, I recommend the 708 instead. However, at the current $70 online price difference between the 708 and 808, I would get the 808 for insurance. Who knows, you may want to buy 4ohm speakers later on =) and you'll save yourself the upgradeitis agony. The Pioneer 1120k is currently about $100 cheaper than the 708 street price. It's an excellent receiver if you only need 110 watts and no trigger. However, if you want Internet radio functionality, volume OSD, and per input volume gain, per speaker cross-over, pick the 708 or 808 instead.

Update (11/15/10): After having used it a few weeks, I have not discovered anything wrong with it since I updated the firmware immediately when I received it. The firmware updated pretty easily over the Internet (make sure its in USB mode first or you'll get an error). The Internet radio is very cool and works flawlessly. You do not need conventional radio with this option since most radios networks have an Internet versions online. I found some online Internet radio with 256k quality as well as radios from around the world.

I had to adjust my input to +6db to my UVerse box and +3 to my HTPC to make it the same level as the PS3 (which is always louder for some reason). I don't suggest anyone purchase any receiver that lack this feature. My old Denon had it and this one has it. I missed it immediately when I bought the Pioneer. The online display shows both volume level as well as the input label as well so I don't have to look at the receiver through the glass door which is a plus. I have not heard the fan come on yet so I believe the dual fans may be installed as a precaution rather than a necessity (then again, it's not Summer right now).

All in all, I'm very happy with this receiver. I originally wanted a Denon 3111 as a replacement but Denon is not budging on MSRP right now which means it would have cost me almost twice as much as this one. There are currently no other receivers on the market that has the comparable features as this one at this price range.

Update 12/10/10: Added the two Cons. I do miss the dialogue enhancement and the Iphone app was very cool on the Pioneer.


21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
Blown away by the sound quality and features! Amazon was $300 cheaper then crutchfield!
  
This review is from: Onkyo TX-NR808 7.2-Channel Network Home Theater Receiver (Black) (Electronics)
So I purchased the TX-NR808 to replace my Onkyo TX-SR800 mainly just for the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA decoding, but man was I blown away by the overall sound quality improvement with standard DD, DTS, and stereo as well! I am a very expianced home theater installer, and I am ashamed to say that I didn't realize how much of a difference 35 watts per channel would make. I have a 7.1 speaker setup featuring Polk Audio RTi10 tower speakers and a Velodyne 10" powered sub, which have always sounded great, but let me tell you that these speakers have never sounded so amazing as they do now with this receiver! WOW! Any source that i've run through it(CD, DVD, iPod, or Blu-ray) has resulted in a sonic explosion! Highs, mids and lows all are perfectly represented by the 808. So.... the real question most people want to know the answer to is.... "Does Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD sound better then standard DD and DTS?" The answer is ABSOLUTELY YES! I watched Kung Fu Panda to compare the difference and it was immediately obvious that the Dolby TrueHD trumped the DD track in every way. Then I put in "Crank 2" to hear what a DTS-MA HD 7.1 mix could do. Let me say that once the DTS logo started I was left absolutely speechless until the credits ended! Sonic power and clarity is all I can say. With either format you get improved ambiance, harder hitting bass, and amazing dynamic range which creates an unequalled movie watching experiance! No movie theater can even come close the the sound quality I now have in my home theater!

I will now list some of the other improvements that this receiver does that my old one didn't.
1. I now have the volume displayed on my screen via the HDMI out on the receiver. Very handy since my components are in the room behind my theater room!
2. I can connect it to my home network and play all my music from my computer instantly!
3. The receiver programs the remote for you after you tell it what components you have. Awesome!
4. It takes any video input whether it's composite, s-video, or component and sends it to your TV, upconverted to HD through the HDMI out!

To summarize. . . with all the features that this receiver has for the low price that I paid through Amazon I couldn't be happier with the TX-NR808! This is bar none the best receiver that I have ever heard for under $1,500!

Most Recent Customer Reviews

Onkyo FAIL
I bought the TX NR-808 in January of 2011. Nine months later, it's heading into the shop for the second time, and the third problem.
by deanit

Excellent product, Diappointing QA and Customer Service
I am sure many would agree Onkyo makes excellent Audio products. However, I tend to review this product a single star (or lower if I could) for a simple reason.
by bobby_fk

Do not buy any onkyo products
My first Onkyo 808 arrived and right off I had a problem with the sound. Everytime I turned up the volume, it would shut off. I contacted Amazon.
by tokenstew

Bad HDMI Processing Boards - Should be Recalled
I purchased this receiver in December of 2010 and it began having trouble 6 months later. The HDMI signal would not get recognized and it would simply sit at a black screen...
by Michael

Great sounding receiver but with a recall worthy flaw in manufacturing
All around great receiver for the money but it seems that all of them are falling prey to the problem that starts with an unresponsive remote and then cascades to the point of the...
by R. Schwenn

Worked great until the main board quit.
I had the unit for three months when in the middle of a movie we lost sound. After some troubleshooting I found that I could play the radio but could not redirect audio from any...
by Brian Kronberg

Onkyo NR808's are a NIGHTMARE
Onkyo is finally starting to admit the problem, but it seems that all 808 models are defective. They have a problem where the unit will randomly change inputs or turn itself on or...
by Special K

Awesome Receiver...
i am a certified dealer for onkyo...just wanted to say to all of those having problems with their amp not working, there is a reason for the ethernet port on the back of this...
by ECC

Roku HDMI sound Dropping
I have Onkyo-808 nearely one year, I had no problem till yesterday, today I bought one new Roku XDS player, when i connect roku to Onkyo through HDMI the sound is dropping every...
by Snow Man

Don't buy
Don't take a chance on this unit!

I bought an 808 despite reading warnings from other reviewers. I thought maybe these folks just got a rare bad unit.
by Brett

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