Customer Reviews
Best Bang for the Buck in Next-Gen Home Theater Receivers 
2008-08-30
I'll start by saying I'm not an Audiophile. I just wanted a decent mid-range receiver that does all the latest lossless audio formats and has 7.1 channels so it's ready to take advantage of BluRay as that format evolves. So my primary focus is on a system that plays audio for movies and video games as it's primary function. Currently I have this receiver setup in a 5.1 configuration since that's the type of receiver it replaced. I have more speakers on order to expand it out but to be honest, right now if you're building a home theater from scratch, you only need 5.1 . The 7.1 specs aren't really supported yet and DVDs and Playstation/Xbox are all 5.1, so if you're starting from scratch save some money and setup for 5.1 first and expand as support grows.
I used the automated speaker calibration feature to setup all the channels. This is where you place the provided mic at ear level at three different listener positions. The receiver then sends out tones which will drive you and your dog nuts for about 15 minutes while the entire process goes on. Once it was done however, I was/am very pleased with the results.
I've heard some people ask about humming, i can detect no humming. I have some WiFi equipment close by which is 2.5 ghz and so far have not heard any humming. Some other people have said the Receiver runs hot to which I would ask those people, is this your first receiver? They do run hot ! This one runs no hotter than the old one i replaced from a different manufacturer so as far as I'm concerned, the heat issue is normal. I have it in a small component rack that's enclosed on the sides and back with a door on the front, it's got maybe half an inch space around the sides and 2 inches of space on top and so far everything is good.
The back has tons of inputs, but the primary reason I waited for the 606 over the previous model is the number of HDMI ports, the next generation audio/video cable which is a requirement for full resolution BluRay playback. They're rev 1.3a to support all the latest audio formats as well (none of which are currently supported by the discs themselves yet though). The receiver will pass through a 1080p signal from a BluRay or other high def video source. If you feed it a standard def 480i video source, it will upscale it to 1080i or 720p. It does a decent job but i would say upscaling isn't the receivers strong point, it does an acceptable job though. But lets face it, Onkyo doesn't build TV's, their bread and butter isn't video, it's audio.
I'm pleased with the performance and the styling of the receiver, it's just very basic and sleek. No built in graphical user interface and all that other nonsense that receivers 3x this price but no more times the performance come equipped with. This receiver for a mid end system for movies and video games just really can't be matched in terms of performance per dollar spent.
I have matched this receiver with some Polk Audio speakers. Specifically i have a Polk CSi3 center channel and six Polk RTi4 bookshelf speakers (all of which you can find at great prices here on Amazon where I ordered them from) and I am very very happy with the results. The Polk speakers like the Onkyo 606 receiver are over achievers for their price point, so they match together extremely well.
The only thing I have left to say is buy it, I wouldn't hesitate recommending this receiver to anyone looking for a solid movie/video game home theater experience.
Buzzing with HDMI 
2008-08-29
Happy with the feature set but there is a persistent problem with a buzzing sound coming from the speakers when connected to an HDMI input source with the Audyssey Equalizer on. Occurs with two different inputs (XBox 360 and PS3). An internet search revealed that this is a fairly common problem, however, Onkyo does not seem willing to acknowledge it. Will probably consider a Denon or Yamaha for my next purchage.
Not Bad 2008-08-27
I bought this receiver to replace a Sony, and it does a good job. I found the Sony easier to set up and a little easier to operate. I am still trying to figure out the surrounds sound modes but for the most part it sounds good. I really like the 4 HDMI inputs but had a little trouble programming the inputs and I am no amateur on such things. The sound is not as full as it was with my Sony but it may be because I have not tweaked things enough. The sound is weaker when on HD channels but this could be because I went cheap with the HDMI cable, should have gone MONSTER. All in all I think this is a good lower level AV receiver definitely worth the money. I haven't had it very long so not sure about its longevity, I hope longer than my Sony. One thing I read in my research before buying was that this receiver got hot, it does, so make sure it is well ventilated. I am hoping it will save me on my heating bill this winter. Oh, I haven't gotten my Dish Network remote to work with the receiver yet; I have looked everywhere and can not find a code that will work. So for now I have to adjust volume with receiver remote and everything else with Dish remote (kind of a pain). If you are looking for most bang for buck I think this is what your looking for.
Used to buy Denon, got tired of overcomplexity 2008-08-26
This product is great. Out of the box, labels are intuitive, defaults are set for everything and clearly shown, ... I usually get Denon because i thought they were the best. But I always had problems that were hard to debug. This one simply works. I'm selling my other Denon on eBay and getting another Onkyo, truly.
Great value. Consider this Receiver before buying anything else. 2008-08-22
Very simple to hook-up, easy to do adjustments and most of all is more equipped than receivers twice the price. Some reviewers here complain about the REMOTE. I don't, I use a LOGITECH HARMONY 550 which works great with the TX-SR606 & other components. I hooked up to the 606 my HD-DVD player (Toshiba HD-A2), a PS3 (GT5 is unbelievable with this receiver) and cable box. The picture and sound are SUPERB. Using Monster Cable HDMI and optical. The speakers I'm using are the Klipsch Synergy Quintet II Speaker System & Klipsch Synergy SUB-12 Subwoofer (also an outstanding value). At the moment this receiver for it's price is THE BEST IN THE MARKET. Hands down.
Best Bang for you Buck 2008-08-20
90 watts x 7 into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.08% THD * Dolby® True HD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby® Digital Plus, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, Dolby Digital EX, DTS-ES®, Pro Logic® IIx, and DTS Neo:6 decoding * SIRIUS satellite radio capable (requires SIRIUS subscription and optional SiriusConnect home tuner kit) * 1080p-compatible HDMI digital video switching (4 in, 1 out) * analog-to-HDMI video upconversion with scaling up to 1080i *
no phono input *
Awesome receiver ! 2008-08-19
Whoever said this Onkyo 606 is subpar or not 5 star, I think they have some problems connecting or adjusting to work with their components. I have to say this is the best receiver @ $377.80 with 4 HDMI inputs and 1 output, it performs superbly, you get the taste of true hometheater sound & video. Everything works as advertised or reviewed by earlier buyers, I have no problems hooking up or adjusting to my upconverting 1080p HDMI DVD recorder, VCR, DVD players and Samsung 52" LCD 60hz HDTV, hooking up via HDMI. Running on 2 floor Paradigms, 1 Paradigm center, JBL sub, Insignia rear L/R surrounds and Sony bookshelf as L/R surrounds (mix and match as budget allowed years gone by), this 606 delivers very clean and clear, powerful sound and beautiful video on DVDs from blockbuster, even music off FM local stations turns into beautiful music. The bass delivered with beauty, soft, deep and low. My old Pioneer barely wakes my JBL sub except big movies, coming from 5.1 old pioneer Dolby prologic surround to 7.1 all channel True HD & DTS-HD MA is a big trip and well worth, for those who hesitate to upgrade to 7.1 channel, GO FOR IT ! Onkyo 606 is worth every penny bought from Amazon.com. (I am waiting till thanksgiving to get a hand on Blu-ray Sony S350, and that will top off the system) sweet!
PS: make sure you read thorough manual cause that will make setup a smooth and enjoyable ride, especially those who upgrade from older several years old A/V receiver that have no HDMI. read it first, everything is digital now not much of fidgeting like old day, no more analog cord red, blue or yellow, green stuff...just HDMI and volla!
Exceptional value and performance. Just one minor irritation 2008-08-14
I was running out of high-bandwidth audio connections on my old home theater receiver, so I started looking around for an affordable replacement. For the sake of simplicity, I wanted something with at least (4) HDMI connections that also processed audio. For $400 or less, there was this Onkyo or the Sony STRDG820, but the Onkyo has more features and has received better reviews.
I ordered mine from Amazon and received it very quickly. Installation was very simple. (4) HDMI's in, (1) HDMI out, speaker connections, and the power cord. Setup takes a little bit of time but it's fairly simple as well. The unit is equipped with "Audyssey 2EQ and Audyssey Dynamic EQ". Basically, you plug in the supplied microphone, position it at the right end, left end, and center of the listening area and it automatically measures the distance to each speaker, acoustical properties of the room, etc., and sets each speaker level automatically. And it works very well. I wasn't really expecting much of a sound improvement over my Harmon-Kardon AVR-146 but I got one. Big time. Also, whereas the HK had enough power, this unit has more than enough.
In addition to the normal formats, this unit will also decode TrueHD and DTS-HD which some of the newer Blu-ray titles are equipped with.
In spite of the almost endless settings in the menu, there's one thing that the Onkyo won't do that is a minor source of irritation for me: You can't relabel the inputs. The HK that cost me about half as much as this could. Fortunately, it's not TOO big of a deal if you have a Harmony remote because they do all the work for you.
The unit will upconvert analog sources to 1080i though it doesn't get very good reviews in that department and I haven't tried it.
Some people claim to have a "humming" issue with this unit connected to a PS3 but I haven't experienced any.
Considering the (4) 1.3a HDMI's, sound processing abilities, and cost, it's a very affordable and fairly future proof unit.
I've always been a Harmon-Kardon fan so I didn't know what to expect from an Onkyo. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Great value for the price! 2008-08-13
This is my very first review of anything on Amazon and I told myself I would write one for the Onkyo 606. So, here I am.
First off, I'd like to say that this receiver is awesome! I wasn't expecting so much for what I paid for! I just love the fact that it was 4 HDMI inputs for various components. I have my upconverting DVD-player and my PS3 hooked up to via HDMI. They both look and sound great! The main reason I bought this receiver was to take advantage of its Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding capabilities. I know that the PS3 decodes both of these formats and sends it as LPCM sound but I'm going to eventually buy a stand-alone Blu-ray player in the future. Probably the Sony BDP-S350 once it goes down in price. Anyway, the sound on this thing is awesome! I have a JBL CS6100BG 5.1 system hooked up to it and sounds amazing! I've never heard sound so clear before! I'm so glad I bought those speakers along with these magnificent receiver! Probably one of the only negative things I have to say about the receiver is that it gets pretty hot. I use it an enclosed space because its so big. I plan on getting a better TV stand in the future but that will have to do for now. I only use it for about 3 or 4 hours max in one sitting and then allow it to cool for about 30 minutes or so. I've read that people have it turn itself off because it gets too hot, but that's yet to happen to me. So, just make sure you have plenty of ventilation space when you set it up!
Overall, I'm very pleased with this receiver. The Audessy speaker set up was painless and practical and gave me good results as well. This receiver is an excellent choice if you want to enjoy HD sound without breaking the bank. I was hesitant at first when looking at reviews but now, I absolutely love my Onkyo 606! Thank you, Onkyo for such a great product!
Great for ther money $$$ 2008-08-11
Fantastic for the money $$$ does everything you need
TX-SR606 is also has the ability to decode DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby TrueHD soundtracks on Blu-ray Discs and HD-DVDs via its HDMI 1.3a compatible inputs.& the Audyssey 2EQ process only takes 10 minutes to set up your surround sound & trust me the dolby HD audio is well worth it the sound is super ! To make using the subwoofer easier and more precise, there is a built-in adjustable crossover function for the Subwoofer LFE (Low Frequency Effects) pre-out channel.
In addition, the incorporation of Lip-Synch adjustment on the SR606 allows the user to compensate for audio/video time discrepancies that may be encountered from various sources. Only negatives is this baby runs hot !and has a mains cable you can't upgrade easily as it's built in
the model that has is the SR806 and that over $1000
