Customer Reviews
you'd be harded pressed to buy a better receiver 
2008-10-01
This is one bad dude! The weight along should let the user know they just bought a top quality product. It handles all the current and even the newest audio formants. Set up is a breeze, just plug in the microphone and follow the on-screen instructions. The packaging from JRs was top notch as well. This unit is a little big, so make sure you take some measurement before you order. Also, it runs hot so youll want to make sure it has plenty of room so air can circulate (it has two fans as well) and keeping it away from toddlers is a must too; it could certain burn their skin. This is my first Onkyo, but it will not be my last! Absolutely the BEST bang for the buck out there
Loud & Clear! 2008-09-23
I've owned this unit for about 6 months now, and I've made a few observations. I hope you find them helpful.
1. The amp drives my 4 KEF iQ9s, an KEF IQ6C, and 2 iQ8DS(s) with authority. Add the ground shaking sub channel coming through an unimposing KEF HTB2 Subwoofer and the sound becomes ridiculously impressive at both low and high volumes for an amp in this price range. Highs sizzle, mids are extremely present and clear, and lows are almost visceral at low volumes and literally visceral at high volumes.
2. You can get hooked up to all your components just about any way you want with this unit. I won't bother listing all the types of inputs & outputs since that info is already available elsewhere on this page, but suffice it to say that this baby leaves very little to be desired in that department. Versatile and nicely complete.
3. The user menus are not very frilly, but I like them that way. Menus aren't part of the entertainment, they should be purely functional and efficient, and these are certainly that. They're also quite versatile, allowing you to tweak your video and audio in quite a few ways. This unit also has automatic room compensation - just plug in a small mic that comes with the amp, run a brief diagnostic during which white noise is played through each speaker, and the amp automatically adjusts equalization and the level of each speaker in the room to provide an optimal listening experience. If you're like me, you'll try that and then reset everything to your own personal preferences, and the menus make that reasonably simple.
4. Being more audiophile than videophile, I don't feel qualified to say much about the video quality, but I will say this: Nothing has ever looked this good on my television screen. Movies I'd watched dozens of times before getting this unit look better than they did (and that wasn't bad to start). Um... yup.
5. As has been noted by many other reviewers, this unit runs very hot, but not unmanageably so. Good ventilation is the key. I situated mine on a round cast iron table with a weave style surface (see my customer images), and although areas of the unit still become quite warm bordering on downright HOT, the unit has never overheated or given me a single problem of any kind.
6. As has also been noted frequently, this piece of equipment is quite heavy. It strikes me as being very well built, very solid and substantial. I actually bought this one to replace my TX-SR 803 that lost the center channel when you listened to multi-channel audio like SACDs or THX audio after I had owned it for a year and a half, so I'm hoping for better longetivity with this one. I've never had an amp go bad on me before, so I was really disappointed about the 803. In all fairness though, I never ran an amp 24/7 like I did that one either. I work from home now, so I have music on all the time.
Conclusion: This is a great sounding, great looking, powerful A/V receiver, especially when you consider the price. You'd expect to pay a good deal more for something with so many features that produces sound of this quality with so much authority. For the money (and they've come down by more than half since they were first introduced), you can't go wrong! Check out those KEF speakers too! Amazon's price is substantially lower than I paid elsewhere (dang it), and those speakers plus this A/V system deliver way more than you think you can get for that kind of money!
Receiver is Excellent, Onkyo Support is not 2008-09-18
I relearned a lesson with this receiver. Any time you buy electronics, the very first thing you want to do is to perform a factory settings reset if the equipment supports it. This receiver has a factory reset. Don't configure anything, reset, and then start going through the configuration. I had an issue where it had very poor sound quality and the subwoofer out would not work. After hours of troubleshooting and talking to an Onkyo service rep for about five minutes (he obviously had more important things to do than to assist the customer) I was told and convinced that my unit was just a lemon unit and would have to get it serviced. Stumbling on the reset mechanism I gave it a try, and since then the functionality has been superb. I don't know the science behind electronics that sit unpowered or travel distances and why they loose settings or begin to corrupt memory settings, I do know that most products should typically be reset to factory config when you pull them new out of the package. That applies to this receiver and most every other piece of electronic equipment.
With that said, the sound quality rivals those in the same price range from brands like sony, pioneer and jvc, etc... I spent almost a year reading reviews and listening to demo units at the local store before I finally bought this one. The sound is excellent. The upscaling seems to improve the picture some, but the pass through to my plasma at 1080p is what I knew would give me a better picture, and no complaints there. It also comes with a microphone and a feature where it auto configures the speaker settings based on the room it is in, it compensates for distance, echo, interference, I believe it actually figures out how to makes lesser speakers sound better.
The other thing I liked was the units ability to upscale audio. It takes 5.1 signals and upscales them to 7.1, it even takes your non discrete sound options and upscales them to a 5.1 that then upscales to a 7.1
To sum it up, based on audio quality, hdmi upscaling, 1080p throughput, and the thx ultra2 functionality as well as other hi def audio functionality, and the fact that it is very future proof, this is the receiver I would buy again, I truly love the audio performance of this receiver.
Fantastic Reciever 2008-09-10
This is an upgrade from and old pioneer receiver and this reciever is amazing. I did a lot of research on different recievers like Denon, Yamah, Pioneer, Sony and this was by far the best bang for your buck. It came on time in a perfectly package box that weighed a ton because this is a heavy reciever. I know a little bit about setting up electronics but this was easy. I have HD sat, HD DVD player, PS2, CD player, VCR and 7.1 surround set-up and running under 1.5 hour. The coolest thing is everything connects to the reciever and you just connect the reciever to the TV with one HDMI cable. The only thing you need to assign the HDMI inputs to what you have hooked up to them. This is easy to do with the on screen menu. Another cool feature that is extremely easy to use is the self-calibrating sound for your speakers. All you have to do is plug in the microphone that is given to you and the reciever will walk you through the rest. If you are looking for a reciever this is a must buy.
Very Pleased with TX-SR805 2008-09-06
Thirty days in, I can report full satisfaction with this receiver. This is one solid piece of equipment with superb performance which doesn't skimp on inputs (I was once surpised to discover that another highly respected brand didn't even have phono inputs). I highly recommed it.
Awesome Receiver 2008-09-04
Home-theater is a perfect companion to new HDTV sets. It's a formidable progression when considering 1080p high-definition video and broadcasts; studio-quality, lossless surround sound; spectacular gaming with stunning motion and graphics; and the emergence of portable satellite radio. Bundling all this potential, the TX-SR805 A/V surround receiver has been built to provide comprehensive control over all movies, music, broadcasts and gaming. Augmented by its THX Ultra2 certification, this receiver goes even further by bringing you sophisticated room-correction technology, multi-zone capabilities, powerful bi-amping and ?dual push-pull? amplification. Got an iPod? There's an optopnal dock available to play it through this receiver. Heard about XM and Sirius satellite radio? You can play them through the TX-SR805 as well. For the expanding world of TV, Video, and home-theater entertainment, this up to 7.1 channel receiver is ready to deliver the best sound. Response Bandwidth - 20 - 20000 Hz / THD - 0.05% Amplifier Output - 130 Watt, 8 Ohm, 20 - 20000 Hz, THD 0.05% per channel up to 7 channels for outstanding surround sound Coaxial Digital Input / Optical Digital Input / Optical Digital Output Connector Type - 4 x HDMI (19 pin HDMI Type A) ¦ 3 x component video input (RCA phono x 3) ¦ 1 x component video output (RCA phono x 3) ¦ 1 x serial (9 pin D-Sub) ¦ Remote control ¦ 3 x SPDIF input (RCA phono) ¦ 3 x SPDIF input (TOS Link) ¦ 1 x SPDIF output (TOS Link) ¦ 1 x 7.1 channel audio line-out ¦ 6 x S-Video input (4 pin mini-DIN) ¦ 2 x S-Video output (4 pin mini-DIN) Tuner Section - Digitally-tuned AM/FM with up to 40 programmable station presets Unit Dimensions (WxHxD) - 17 1/8 x 7 5/8 x 18 1/16 inches (435 x 194 x 458.5 mm) / Weight - 50.9 lbs. (23.1 kg) Onkyo USA 2 Year Warranty
Great Sound, runs hot. 2008-09-04
I Had an Onkyo TX-SR803 that was destroyed by a lightning strike to our house. I upgraded to the TX-SR805. I am very please with the additional power of the 805. The sound quality is great and it brings an HD movie to life. I like the on screen display for the setup menu. This unit is much heaver then the 803 but that is expected with the larger amp for the added power. Only two small complaints are that with the extra power of the 805 produces a lot more heat then the 803. Not really a problem unless you use an enclosed entertainment cabinet. I have since removed the glass front door and installed a fan to the back of the cabinet to move air around this unit. The other small inconvenience is the remote. This may only apply to someone like me who upgraded from a previous model, and is used to using the old remote. The button location for "guide" and "exit" are reversed from the 803s remote to the 805s remote. Why not just keep them in the same place. The additional HDMI input is nice. Now I use only the HDMI inputs and output and it really allows the cable clutter to be kept to a minimum. The 7 sets of speaker wires can still be a pain unless wrapped and tied up neatly. For the price I paid ($690 shipping included), this was a GREAT purchase and I would recomend this to anyone who wants great sound. In a nut shell, This is an outstanding receiver.
Worth the money!! 
2008-08-31
I have only had it for 3 weeks, but it was well worth the money! With my (Blu-Ray) Sony BDP-350 and Optima HD65 projector hooked to Onkyo SKS-HT750B speakers it is unbeleaveable! This receiver can make cheap speakers sound good! Set up is a snap with the included microphone and on screen menu. The new SR806 has component video upconverting and more HDMI ports, but with three in and one out it is plenty for me. The family really enjoys the new home theater, you won't be disapointed.
Best AV gear I have bought in a long time 2008-08-30
This by far is the most bang for the buck AV receiver I have looked at,the sound is amazing along with the video upscaling,and you get the new Dolby True HD and DTS-Master audio formats.I have this hooked up to my Samsung 1080p 46 inch tv along side my PS3.Awesome is the word I can say.I look forward to more Onkyo products in the future.
Money well spent 2008-08-27
This was an upgrade from an older Onkyo 505 series (no HDMI support. I can't say enough good things about it. Setup was simple and straight forward. Took less than 30 minutes. Came with mic so that I could auto-calibrate surround sound. No problems as of this writing. It is connected to Polk Monitor7 series speakers, PS3 and Sony Bravia. Great and vital addition. Highly recommend this product.
