Onkyo Home
Which company is better for home theatre systems – Bose, Sony, Onkyo or any other?
I had my eyes on Bose lifestyle 38 and 48.
Of the three, they are:
1. Onkyo
2. Sony
99. Bose
I’ve owned Onkyo (I’m rocking a 905 right now), I’ve also owned Sony. I would never own Bose. Sony is alright if you buy the ES line – great interfaces and good sound/picture processing. Onkyo is superior in the upper models, but the interface on my 905 takes some getting used to (I spent $2500 on it, and refuse to say it sucks, but the interface really isn’t as good as it could have been).
My previous receiver was a Denon 3805 – a superb unit, but it didn’t have HDMI or HD upscaling/processing. My next receiver will be a Denon, but that will probably be in a couple of years. Don’t get me wrong, the sound and picture on the Onkyo 905 are great, and I love having a dedicated button for each input on the receiver itself (Denon uses a dial).
If you want a Sat/Sub/Receiver package, I strongly suggest you consider buying a sat/sub package separate from the receiver. Pick up a mid-range Denon or Onkyo, and pair it with mirage omnisats. For a media player, get a stand alone universal disc player for about $400, or pick up a PS3 for the same price.
[edit] Crutchfield doesn’t always have the best prices – I’ll leave it to you to shop around… here’s the package I’d recommend:
Mirage sat/sub package – http://www.crutchfield.com/S-5SYXOHVRS0J/p_653NANO51B/Mirage-Nanosat-5-1-Compact-Home-Theater-Speaker-System.html?tp=184
Denon 2809 receiver – http://www.crutchfield.com/S-5SYXOHVRS0J/p_033AV2809C/Denon-AVR-2809CI.html?showAll=N&tp=179
Don’t buy monster cables. You can pick up good interconnects at http://www.bluejeanscable.com and you can get lamp wire at home depot – in a double blind sound test it performs as good as the expensive speaker wire that salesmen will try to get you to buy.
[edit] 69 Mach 1 has a good suggestion about the Yamaha receivers… they make a good product, and you should give them a listen. I’ve got nothing against Infinity, but I prefer the sound of Mirage and Athena (both are/were API companies)
Multiple valid answers just show you how subjective this really is. The best advice is to audition the speakers yourself – take your favorite CDs and DVDs to a home theater store and spend the day listening to different systems. You may find a pairing we haven’t even mentioned – like a Marantz with a set of NHT speakers, or a Pioneer with B&W… I think you get the point. Personally, I enjoy testing the systems, others may find it a chore, or might not be confident in their own tastes. Don’t worry too much about what receiver you’re testing with… the differences between speakers will be the most noticable. Find a set of speakers you like using a receiver that has the functions you want. Then test different receivers with the pair of speakers you’ve picked. You may not hear any difference.
In any event, stay away from Bose. There speakers have “gaps” in the frequency response and a response curve that “spikes” in other areas to make up for it – the result is a psychoacoustic effect that dazzles people who don’t know any better. They refuse to put out any data on their systems because they know that the data is damning.
Onkyo TX-SR606B 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver – JR.com
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ONKYO SKC-530C CENTER SPEAKER 110W HOME THEATER SYSTEM TESTED NICE SHAPE! $39.99 |
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PAIR ONKYO SKM-530S BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS 110W HOME THEATER SYSTEM TESTED NICE COND $64.99 |
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ONKYO TX-SR607 7.2 HOME THEATER RECIEVER , Fix or Parts , AS-IS $99.99 |
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ONKYO HOME AUDIO RECEIVER REMOTE CONTROL RC-390M TX-DS989 TX-DS787 TXDS989-2 $134.99 |
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ONKYO TX-SR313 5.1-CHANNEL 3D HOME THEATER A/V RECEIVER TXSR313 NEW $239.99 |
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Onkyo SKC-200 8 ohms 100 watts center channel Speaker home theatre $19.99 |
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Onkyo SKF-200 8 ohms 100 watts Front Speaker home theatre $24.99 |
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Onkyo 7.1 Channel Home Theater Speakers $102.50 |
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ONKYO HOME THEATRE SYSTEM S5400 FREE 3D BLU-RAY DVD PLAYER $350.00 |
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ONKYO 7.1 HOME THEATER SYSTEM – EUC!!!!! $99.99 |
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Onkyo HT-S3400 5.1-Channel Home audio speaker subwoofer Theater System black $16.50 |
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Onkyo SKS-HT540 7.1-Channel Home Theater Speaker System $149.99 |
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Onkyo Home theater receiver $251.03 |
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6FT HDMI 1.4 cable for Onkyo Home Theater A/V Receiver – 3D[Newest Standard] $10.79 |
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Onkyo TX-SR505 7.1 Channel Black Surround Sound 4.9A Home Theater A/V Receiver $76.00 |
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Onkyo HT-S3400 5.1 Channel Home Theater System (z1 ss4) $76.00 |
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Onkyo TX NR807 7.2 Channel 945 Watt Home Theater Receiver $499.99 |
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Onkyo TX-SR602 Home Theater Receiver $149.99 |
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Onkyo HT-RC260 7.2-Channel Home Theater Receiver BLACK $194.95 |
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Onkyo Ht-s9400thx Home Theater System $850.00 |
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HAT PINS MTX CAR AUDIO SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO ONKYO HOME STEREO 3 PINS COOL!!! $9.99 |
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pioneer,onkyo,klipsch,vizio,alpine,myryad,samsung,sony,kef home theater sign $13.95 |
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Onkyo Powerd Monster Subwoofer SKW530 SKW-530 Home Theater Sub SKW-530 $59.99 |
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ONKYO TX-SR307 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver $38.00 |
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Onkyo HT-S3400 5.1-Channel Home Theater System $22.50 |
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Onkyo Powered Subwoofer SKW-200 Home Theater Sub $34.99 |
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Onkyo Integra DTR-7.4 Home Theater Receiver 0525 $170.00 |
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Onkyo Ht-sp904 5.1 Channel 1080p 780 Watt Home Theater System htsp904 ht sp904 $250.00 |
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Integra Onkyo DTR-9.9 THX Ultra2 Plus Dolby DTS HD Home Theater AV Receiver $649.95 |
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Onkyo TX-NR1009 – Home Theater Receiver – $850.00 |
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Onkyo HT S5100 Home Theater System HDMI Video Switching and iPod Dock $344.35 |
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5.1 Surround Sound Home Theater in a Box (Onkyo HT-370) $400.00 |
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Onkyo HT-S7409 5.1-Channel 3D Ready Home Theater Speaker System $694.00 |
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Onkyo HT-S7400 5.1-Channel Network Home Theater Package w/ dock for iPod/iP $349.99 |
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Onkyo TX 8255 Stereo Receiver Ampli-Tuner Home Theater AS-IS $72.99 |
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ONKYO TX-NR609 7.2 3D THX HOME THEATER RECEIVER TXNR609 $205.42 |
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ONKYO TX-NR609 7.2 3D THX HOME THEATER RECEIVER TXNR609 $202.50 |
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Onkyo Home Theater Receiver TX-DS696 Dolby Digital DTS 5.1 Channel Pro Logic II $99.99 |
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Onkyo TX-SR309 5.1-Channel 3-D Home Theater Receiver $144.99 |