Onkyo TX-SR706 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)

The TX-SR706 was ordered on a Friday and arrived the following Tuesday. It really opened up the sound on my speakers. Set-up was straight forward and simple. All components hooked up without a hitch. The sound quality and video quality are superb. Plenty of room for connections. The remote is laid out simply and the controls are fine. I am extemely satisfied with this purchase.

Let me start off by saying I'm not an audiophile. I've had this receiver hooked up for a couple of weeks now and my purpose was for home theater mostly and very occasional music. The components I have hooked up via HDMI is an HD Tivo and a BluRay player and then a Wii hooked up via component. Set up was easy and I didn't have any issues with the setup mic as some have talked about. I know some say that this receiver runs hot but it's not that bad in my opinion. It does run warmer than my[...] Sony receiver but I can't compare it to the newer models. I have it in an entertainment center cabinet which is enclosed on the sides and back and a door in the front. I did allow about 10" above it and it has a few inches behind but not much room on the sides. One quirk that is a slight annoyance is a few second audio delay using the Tivo when switching from fast forward to play. Also for you Tivo users the sounds seem to be muted such as the clicks for fast forward when playing back a program. When in the menus they return which is down right odd. Again I'm hooked via HDMI so maybe it goes away if you hook it up via component. The sound is good but unfortunately I can't say wow like some other reviewers but that doesn't have anything to do with the receiver.
I was expecting more from the new HD audio formats. I've read postings in forums where it's a night and day difference from Dolby Digital and it's like going from standard definition to HD but personally at this point I've only heard minor differences. The biggest difference I've heard is because of the additional speakers I've added for 7.1 and that's because for regular tv viewing I have it in All channel stereo mode so I hear the same sounds including voices from all speakers which is a step up from my old receiver. For comparison I've watched action scenes from BluRay's encoded in DTS MA 7.1 and then the same scenes from DVD's in Dolby Digital 5.1 and I'd be hard pressed to tell you the audio difference. Maybe the studios aren't fully utilizing the new formats yet and it will get better but for now I'd say if you're primary reason for updating is the new formats I'd say wait. This is just my opinion however and maybe your ears are better than mine. So to wrap up my only complaint at this point is the audio delay using Tivo and seems to be a good receiver thus far.

I am completely pleased w this receiver. Set up was easy with no surprises. I was a little concerned about the microphone problems reported in other reviews, but that did not happen to me. The manual is complete if very technical. Thankfully, the defaults are entirely what I expected. It easily accommodated my slightly odd configuration. I only made the 2 changes recommended in the manual and 1 for the volume (db) display. I doubt I'll ever fully understand it but it appears I don't have to.

It is hard to rate products like this. It is a super duper feature packed product. You get a lot of bells and whistles. Integrated amp has three main parts,

1) Power supply
2) Pre-amp, processor
3) AMP

1) Power Supply: 4/5 stars
It is quite noisy and doesn't have very good isolation. There is no easy way to connect a external ground. Also the power rating for the entire unit is very deceiving. 100+ W while driving only the main two. In 7.1 it is probably 20 W per channel. 80x and 90x have far better power supply than this puppy. That is the main reason they are so heavy. There is also no easy way to replace the fuse to a noise free one.

2) Pre-amp, processor: 5/5 stars
Number of input connections, hdmi control, all the DSP and format support. Wow Wow... there is no other receiver in this price range that handle it all. Dolby True HD, DTS, LPCM, TOS Link any thing you ever want is available here.

One minor complaint is input impedance. It is quite low for a active pre-amp. It will require a nice sturdy analog source to provide the full punch. Be careful if you plan to use IPOD as AUX source. IPOD wants 100 ohm+ at all frequency range to provide linear output. You are better off using Onkyo dock. Phono inputs are OK at best.

If you are looking for 4 HDMI inputs, DSD processing, 1080 up-scaling you wont find another one in the ~500 range. This one is feature packed.

3) Amplifier: 3/5 stars

Amp gain relies of a big negative feedback circuit. The dynamic slam is very meager with fast music. Especially when you play SACD driving all the 5 channels. It does fare well when i connect only my two fronts. To get the best power, i just connect my two fronts in bi-amp mode. The bass seems lot clear and music flows more naturally. It is easy to hear the difference in clarity when you just hook only the front two, rather than all 7 channels. 706 is strictly for speakers with 8 ohm+ rating. If you have speakers with odd phase shifts, every thing will sound mushy.

Similar to the pre-amp, the amp is not linear. There is a lot of coloration going on. The sound is not natural. I use my creek audio and neutral NAD as comparison, sounds come very different with Onkyo. It is pleasant but you do hear other artifacts that the Amp has introduced.

Also the bass seems to vary a lot. For movies I have to turn the bass down. For music I have to increase it. I never had this problem with NAD integrated and other amps. The sound is very rounded, you loose some of the low and high end. It probably has a 60-16K range.

Negative feedback loop also affects the bass extension. On a large explosion that lasts for few seconds the feedback just builds upon itself and makes it too loud. In music bass is fast and tight, feedback is not fast enough to provide the punch.

Another big complaint is the channel isolation. It is less than 20 db. So stereo image seems to float. Sound transition from speaker to speaker is never crisp and clear. Sound always seems to leak to rest of the speakers in the system. It is not ideal for SACD or DVD-Audio.

Over all rating for the entire unit: 4.5/5 stars

For this price, you cant ask for more. It is a good unit, you are getting lot more than you pay. This amp is clearly meant for HT Movies. Dont try to use it for 2 channel music.

If you have more money to spare, I would suggest getting a 90x with toroidal transformer. It has much more smooth sound. Dont get fooled by numbers. Music is art, not technology. You need a amp that can be fast, responsive and color less. 905/80x also uses draws more power and they run quite hot. They isolate more nose, if you have other noisy sources connected to the main line.

A simple analogy is a automobile, dump truck and corvette both have 500 Hp. Just power rating and numbers are not enough. Dynamic slam, agility are also important for a amplifier. 905/806 is a huge difference in performance. If you are looking for stereo only amp, look at Creek Audio 5350SE. But if you have a strict <600$ budget there is nothing better than 706.

I bet I read opinions for 3 weeks before I decided on the Onkyo TX-SR706. For 99% of home theater users, this will MORE than do. Coupled with my Harman/Kardon HKTS 18 speakers system w/powered subwoofer, it will seriously rattle the windows and provide good balance at the same time. Mesh that with the Panasonic TH-50PZ800U and a Panasonic DMP-BD30 Blu-ray player and we're talking serious home theater.

Currently, I have a 5.1 audio set-up (even though this product has the capability of 7.1). The Onkyo TX-SR706 has the very latest in audio technology with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD. If you want the very best performance, match it with a Blu-ray player that can also decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD....and you'll need a 7.1 speaker system for the very best sound reproduction.

Yes, the Onkyo TX-SR706 does heat up and get pretty warm, so allow for good ventilation and you should be fine. Some had complained about a loud fan. Mine has been virtually silent.

There are plenty of HDMI connections on this unit. More than I need. HDMI is the ONLY way to go these days. Ugrade to HDMI quality and do yourself a favor.

Some have complained the illuminated dial screen is green. If the product is excellent, I don't care what color the screen is.

In conclusion, unless you are investing half a year's salary in your home entertainment system with 8 rows of seats, and someone to take tickets, the Onkyo TX-SR706 is an outstanding choice.