Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)

Amazon had a very good price, and delivered on time. Excellent service, as usual.
The receiver itself is great. The HDMI switching works well, and so do all the audio decoders. For the price, one of the best deals 'today'.

I purchased the TX-SR606 to take advantage of its "Zone-2" feature. Zone 2 allows you to power a second set of speakers in a separate room (e.g., patio or garage). Unfortunately, Zone-2 will only work with Analog sources (like the AM/FM radio or Cassette Deck). Zone-2 will not work with digital sources (optical or coax connected devices) like a Digital Cable box or a Blu-Ray player. I like to listen to my TV or CD's (played on Blu-Ray) in other rooms and the receiver won't do this. By the way, on page 85 of manual, there is a small footnote indicating the unit won't support digital inputs on Zone-2. I wish I read this up front. Too bad, this thing is constructed superbly (like all Onkyo gear) and sounds great. Had to send it back.

The receiver came, I noticed I was getting static with it that I never got from the TX-SR604 I had. It also had the PS3 buzz, but that wasn't a big deal for me. So I got the unit replaced and same static and buzz, but then after a few days the receiver blew out. The amp entirely went out. I sent for another replacement but Amazon sent me an email saying they are just going to refund me because this is a wider spread problem then they originally thought.

I replaced my ten year old Sony 5.1 receiver with the Onkyo 606. The Onkyo cost half as much as the Sony and the sound was much better. The surround sound on my old system was weak. I'm blown away about how much better it is with the Onkyo. I'm still not sure if it is the technology, settings, or improved system setup.

Since my TV doesn't have HDMI connections, I was disspointed that the Onkyo doesn't down-convert HDMI to component. This is a problem for me since all my devices are HDMI or component and there are only two component inputs. In addtion, S-video and composite are not upconverted to component. Because of this, I have to run addtional cables to my TV and can't use the video switching function of the Onkyo as I would like.

The biggest issue I have had so far, and a big part of the reason I gave this a three instead of a four is the quality. The first Onkyo I purchased had a bad board and couldn't display all colors through one of the component connections. Onkyo customer support quickly identified the problem. Amazon was excellent and sent a replacement before they even recieved my return. I was really impressed with the way they managed the return. All shipping was paid for by Amazon. Well, the second receiver has video problems as well, the picture goes in and out with some programs. I verified that it wasn't the satellite reciever. Onkyo customer support wasn't so great this time. They basically blamed it on the Directv receiver even though it works fine when hooked directly to the TV. Amazon initially offered a refund only. However, I explained to them that I feel like I just got a couple of bad systems and would like to try one last one. They agreed and the third one is in the mail. After all the research I did on this, and given how highly recommended it is, I just don't won't to go with another receiver. And you can't beat this price.

In short, I love the receiver but hope the quality is better with my third try.

Probably the best value out right now for any receiver. Has all the options and features of much more expensive units - a truly great buy.

7.1 sound along with 4 HDMI inputs make this hard to beat. And it sounds amazing.