# AVR that is reasonible price and very good sounding or use my Onkyo for audio only?



## davidki (Mar 12, 2012)

I have an old Onkyo SR-TX 602 AVR that I have had for years in storage... Now that I pulled it out I see it's not going to really work in our situation .. there are now new HDMI inputs, or the newer audio options of today... I want to replace it but I don't want to break the bank. 

my set up is easy, I have a LG TV 4K 55" To that I have a Nvidia Shield TV pro connected to the HDMI input of the TV and a second media player (minix U1)) I use for a variety of Android applications. My TV does have an optical audio out.

Here is my choice from what I am looking at... a new AVR and plug all the devices via HDMI to it and then connect the HDMI out to the TV. 

Or just take the Optical audio out of the TV in to a receiver and only run the audio and Possibly other devices through that.

I don't need a Wiz Bang System, this is in a bonus room, we have Center, Left and right monitors and left and right surround speakers already wired up. I don't even need a AM-FM receiver since I use the Nvidia to play music off line or using plex on my network with lots of stored material on my NAS system. 

I may at one point get a Blue-ray but honestly HD video streaming is so good and available I haven't bought a DVD in years... so I am not sure I even need a Blue-ray.... All of our DVDS were converted to .mkv on my NAS drives.

One other last ditch efforts anyone think that taking the audio from my Nvideo or Minix would just pass thru to my Onkyo and just use the Onkyo are audio output only? I'm fine with switching video on the TV...I just want to use my Onkyo with my speakers ( I also have a powered Sub I want to use and the Onkyo does have Pre out to the sub.)

Any suggestions is appreciated... is under $500 a reasonible price for a new AVR.... if that is the way I decided to go and get rid of the Onkyo...

Thanks in advance... if you need more info let me know.


----------



## Wardog555 (11 mo ago)

You can go to Costco and get a denon av receiver for in the 500 dollar budget. It will have all the formats you want even Dolby atmos which is gaining popularity and content each and every week!

Also you want to keep blu-ray and use that over streaming where possible for maximum picture and audio quality. Streaming is compressed and isn't as great as quality.

Did you get confused over blu-ray and dvd as they are two separate types of disks and I also haven't bought a DVD in years as they are 20 year old technology and dull and blurry image compared to blu-ray and uhd blu-ray!


----------



## davidki (Mar 12, 2012)

Wardog555 said:


> You can go to Costco and get a denon av receiver for in the 500 dollar budget. It will have all the formats you want even Dolby atmos which is gaining popularity and content each and every week!
> 
> Also you want to keep blu-ray and use that over streaming where possible for maximum picture and audio quality. Streaming is compressed and isn't as great as quality.
> 
> Did you get confused over blu-ray and dvd as they are two separate types of disks and I also haven't bought a DVD in years as they are 20 year old technology and dull and blurry image compared to blu-ray and uhd blu-ray!


Thanks Wardog for the suggestion, I just checked it out and it's really packed with lots of great stuff... I will be going to Costco next week and will check it out ... No doubt it has all the new technology... I'm not sure if 7.1 or even Atmos is past what I was looking at... I'm already wired up and have speakers for 5.1 which for as much as I use it... but I"M sure there are options...I'll pull the manual. What really surprised me is that Costco isn't really discounting it, every other store that is around is selling it at the same price it seems. 

I have not bought a DVD in years, I use to have a Sony 400 dvd player with 400 DVD's in it.... Over Covid I took the time and ripped all my DVD and my CDs and have them on a NAS with Plex... Life is so much simpler now  

Thanks again for your suggestion. 
Dave


----------



## Tech Geek (Apr 1, 2015)

Don't overlook Onkyo or Yamaha offerings as well. Personally, Id get a 7.1 or 7.2 Atmos capable AVR for futureproofing!


----------



## davidki (Mar 12, 2012)

Tech Geek said:


> Don't overlook Onkyo or Yamaha offerings as well. Personally, Id get a 7.1 or 7.2 Atmos capable AVR for futureproofing!


So, if I did pick up a new AVR can I run it in 5.1 for the current set up and when I get the time set it up for 7.1? That's an excellent suggestion. I've been happy with my current Onkyo but it's 15 years old and no HDMI or other technology advances..... I guess, it's something to consider....


----------



## Wardog555 (11 mo ago)

Of cause! The master bedroom at my property has a 7 channel receiver and only running 2 channels. The living room running 4 channels also with 7 channel receiver. 

My bedroom 9 channel receiver but only running 5.1.2 Dolby atmos.


----------



## BP1Fanatic (Mar 28, 2011)

I use my 2009 Onkyo HT-R570 for audio only! The Yamaha HTR-5730 powers the Yamaha 18" bass bin on the center channel output on the LARGE setting.


----------



## eddiedes66 (Oct 14, 2021)

davidki said:


> I have an old Onkyo SR-TX 602 AVR that I have had for years in storage... Now that I pulled it out I see it's not going to really work in our situation .. there are now new HDMI inputs, or the newer audio options of today... I want to replace it but I don't want to break the bank.
> 
> my set up is easy, I have a LG TV 4K 55" To that I have a Nvidia Shield TV pro connected to the HDMI input of the TV and a second media player (minix U1)) I use for a variety of Android applications. My TV does have an optical audio out.
> 
> ...


Make yourself a Denon account and get a refurbished=Cheaper or a a new Denon S750 $399 or S760 $449 the difference is the S760 can do 8K, the both have the latest sound options such as Dolby Atmos and DTSX, once on Denon site look under Specials...https://www.denon.com/en-us/


----------



## Da Wiz (May 8, 2019)

FYI: HDMI is 20 years old. Calling it "new" tells me there's a lot you need to learn about the current state of home theater\. That you personally haven't used HDMI connections for the last 20 years isn't terribly surprising, but it also indicates that you have a lot of catching up to do. Things like: ARC and eARC; Atmos; DTS:X; Auro-3D/Auro-2D; HDMI CABLES (high speed HDMI cables, are, for example, the "slowest" HDMI cables you can buy today, you need to understand the differences between 10 GHz, 18 GHz, and 48 GHz HDMI cables so you don't buy HDMI cables that are too slow for what you are doing. You also need to understand active HDMI cables vs. passive HDMI cables. And the cheapest AVRs will NOT TOLERATE speakers that are even a little difficult to drive--they will only work on very simple loudspeakers that do not need a lot of power. Also, when you see an AVR that says the amplifiers are 100 watts per channel... that's a lie in real life. The only way to get that much power from an AVR amplifier is to use a SINGLE FREQUENCY of sound as a sine wave into ONE channel only. 2 channels will have a very different (and lower, output wattage because the amount of power allocated to each channel depends on how loud the sound is in ONE channel). So a 100 w/ch AVR might do that into a simple speaker with a single frequency of sound. By the time you are driving 5 speakers with an AVR, that 100 w/ch might be only 40 watts per channel with all 5 channels playing at the same volume level. Prices of AVRs start at around $200 for stereo. 7.1 channels starts closer to $400. And 11-channels start at $700 ish. But those are the LEAST expensive models with sound quality that's not as good as mid-range AVRs that cost closer to $1200-$1500. The most expensive AVRs (at least the Asian brands) are costing close to $2300 to $3000 now. If you buy an 11-channel AVR, you can use it for 5.1 sound until you have a budget to make the system 7.4.1 (seven regular channels, 4 height channels, and 1 subwoofer (many "better" AVRs have 2 subwoofer outputs. An 11-channel AVR can be used for Stereo sound, 5.1 sound, 7.1 sound or if it supports Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D it can be used for 11 channels of sound and even more if you add more external amplifier channels. 

In short, having been out of the AVR market for so long, you should do a lot of reading before deciding what things you would use and what you would NOT use. That's the only way to figure out if a very basic AVR will work for you or whether an AVR with premium features and amplifier performance is worth the additional cost. I would recommend reading AVR reviews on RTINGS.com to find out things a sales person or product description will never tell you. There are online forums you can read like AVForums, Home Theater Shack, and more.


----------



## davidki (Mar 12, 2012)

So, I took a little time last week, sat down and read the manual (Imaging that)... and took the Optical Out of our LG TV via light pipe to the Optical in 1 on the Onkyo.... Took the Subwoofer PreOut to my M+K VX7 powered sub... I had just sent the Sub amps out and had them completely tested, re capped and brought up to spec...it's like new... then, I had the woofer cone replaced locally by a speaker guy and it is sounding great. I've watched a movie (original Top TopGun) 5.1 My 5 speakers are MK S7 satellite's . I then listened to several CD's and music we have recorded in our studio and honestly it all sounds great ... Not as fancy, not all the new codex but, at this point I think I"m just fine with it... I'll give it a chance. If I really want to listen to music... I go out to the recording studio!

Thanks for the suggestions and once I decide to upgrade I'll probably come back for the latest updates...


----------



## davidki (Mar 12, 2012)

Da Wiz said:


> FYI: HDMI is 20 years old. Calling it "new" tells me there's a lot you need to learn about the current state of home theater\. That you personally haven't used HDMI connections for the last 20 years isn't terribly surprising, but it also indicates that you have a lot of catching up to do. Things like


DaWiz, I'm not sure who you directed that comment at ... if were me then perhaps I need to explain. The Onkyo was purchased in 2004 and pretty much sitting on a shelf since then... Yes 17 years ago... up until a few years ago I still had a 50" lCD Sony TV in it.. .Yes, that did have HDMI and I used that with a Minix Media device. I have not focused on my music in that room, we have a full professional recording studio and when I really want to listen to music I just to there. As for TV's Most of the TV's in the last 10 years have had HDMI beginning with HDMI 1.2 and by the way, I still have older devices that still use Component connections... I use Optical connections when available but, saying that honestly watching TVs and movies are not a #1 focus for my wife or I... it's background entertainment... Saying that I have 4 NAS with 64TB of storage, hooked up to a Plex Server and everything is run on Cat 6 1gb networking in and out of the house...... I tend to spend a lot more money on Microphones in the studio than I do Home theater I guess....


----------



## Da Wiz (May 8, 2019)

The optical connection is the worst-sounding option for connecting a TV to an AVR. If it sounds good to you... fine. But you can do better with HDMI. The optical connection limits audio to no more than 16 bits and 48KHz sample rate. Any higher resolution is down-converted. HDMI can transmit the 24-bit 96KHz audio on most Blu-ray discs.


----------



## BP1Fanatic (Mar 28, 2011)

The problem is the 2009 Onkyo HT-R570 will not pass audio from TV to AVR via HDMI. You have to use a fiber optic or coaxial cable for sound.

That's how I was connected at my previous house...work laptop > docking station > HDMI > Onkyo > HDMI > TV > fiber optic cable > Onkyo.

Now, I'm connected work laptop > docking station > 3.5mm to RCA cable > Onkyo.

I'm not using the 55" TCL for a WFH monitor anymore.


----------



## BP1Fanatic (Mar 28, 2011)

Previous house.


----------



## davidki (Mar 12, 2012)

Da Wiz said:


> The optical connection is the worst-sounding option for connecting a TV to an AVR. If it sounds good to you... fine. But you can do better with HDMI. The optical connection limits audio to no more than 16 bits and 48KHz sample rate. Any higher resolution is down-converted. HDMI can transmit the 24-bit 96KHz audio on most Blu-ray discs.


DaWiz... there seems to be a confusion (perhaps on my end) you seem to be mentioning different equipment as to my equipment My unit is the Onkyo TX SR 602 from 2004. No HDMI... Just using the optical out of my LG TV your probably right on the bandwidth... but that's what I have at the moment as yep sounds better than just using the TV speakers. At least I get 5.1 with powered Sub. As far as I can see, the audio is just a pass through to the AV receiver... At some point I may upgrade but honestly, at this point I don't see a reason to do that.. .we probably use that room maybe 1 night a week at most. 

I"ve seen several studio's and folks I know moving in to Atmos audio design to mix... for my work I don't see that will find it way to my studio... Our Console is a Sony DMXR 100 digital console Top of the line in 1995


----------



## BP1Fanatic (Mar 28, 2011)

2004 Onkyo TX SR 602 manual.


----------



## BP1Fanatic (Mar 28, 2011)

2009 Onkyo HT-R570 manual.


----------



## davidki (Mar 12, 2012)

BP1Fanatic said:


> 2004 Onkyo TX SR 602 manual.
> 
> View attachment 175774


Yep that is what I'm dealing with on the Onkyo 602 .... Notice that there is no mention of the specs on the Optical Digital Audio Cable on the chart. I'm just fine with the sound I"m getting with the set up... Now I'd have to go back and see what the Nvidia Shield Pro actually decodes and my TV.... either way, I"m not inclined to go out and change everything out.... Thanks for the chart BP1Fanatic


----------



## davidki (Mar 12, 2012)

davidki said:


> Yep that is what I'm dealing with on the Onkyo 602 .... Notice that there is no mention of the specs on the Optical Digital Audio Cable on the chart. I'm just fine with the sound I"m getting with the set up... Now I'd have to go back and see what the Nvidia Shield Pro actually decodes and my TV.... either way, I"m not inclined to go out and change everything out.... Thanks for the chart BP1Fanatic


I just pulled the spec of my Nvidia Sheild. I have the Shield on the network with plex getting content, I have my LG TV connected Via HDMI 2.2 In reading here is what I get with the Sheild:
Dolby Audio (Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos)
DTS-X surround sound (pass-through) over HDMI
High-resolution audio playback up to 24-bit/192 kHz over HDMI and USB
High-resolution audio up-sample to 24-bit/192 kHz over USB
Audio support: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, WAVE, AMR, OGG Vorbis, FLAC, PCM, WMA, WMA-Pro, WMA-Lossless, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD (pass-through), DTS-X (pass-through), and DTS-HD (pass-through) 

This is the TV LG 55UJ6540
Audio
Speaker System
2 Channel
Output Power
20W
DTS Decoder
DTS-HD
Surround Mode
Ultra Surround
Hi-Fi Audio

has the shield plugged in to it, then I take the Optical Digital Audio Cable to the back of the Onkyo receiver. 

Obviously I could upgrade all of this, but I"m not sure I'd spend any more time watching or listening to it. At least, I'm getting a little better surround sound with my set up than just using the TV ..


----------



## BP1Fanatic (Mar 28, 2011)




----------



## BP1Fanatic (Mar 28, 2011)

There is nothing special about optical cables. They pass a red light. I never had a problem with one.


----------



## davidki (Mar 12, 2012)

BP1Fanatic said:


> View attachment 175776


In the manual there are several options that are not valid in the "American" models which mine is , most of the above is related to the 702 that I don't have, I have the 602... many of the options shown are also based on using a 2nd room connection that I will not. 

When I listen to CD's and most mixes from our studio it is done in the "Stereo" mode as recorded and mixed in our studio. 

The 2 movies I have watched seem to have surround information, I am suspecting Dolby or DTS and for as much as I watch movies its OK. I've looked, there are several options in the $400 -500.00 range that provides lots of options including HDMI set ups, and more sound options and I'll continue to look... I'm not interested in AM fm receivers but most of them have it... I'm not sure how much streaming I'd do... the Shield allows me to have specific stations I listen to as an application which I now use just fine. I guess I just can't get as excited about a home theather these days like I did when I was younger  Like all the other Electronics, what is hot today will be on sale in 6 months because the new wizz-bang will be out... that is a never ending road down the rabbit hole.


----------



## BP1Fanatic (Mar 28, 2011)

I can see where you are coming from. I downgraded from 5.1.2 Atmos to 5.1 in our move last month. The wife won't let me have 7.1 in the living room. I have eight 8" 2 ways and seven 15" 2 ways. I ended up creacting three 5.1 systems. 2 systems have 15" LCR and 8" rear surrounds. The 3rd system has a 15" center channel, 8" front LR and rear surrounds. The wife wouldn't let me do an all 15" 5.1 system in the living room. The sub is a 15" too!


----------



## davidki (Mar 12, 2012)

BP1Fanatic said:


> I can see where you are coming from. I downgraded from 5.1.2 Atmos to 5.1 in our move last month. The wife won't let me have 7.1 in the living room. I have eight 8" 2 ways and seven 15" 2 ways. I ended up creacting three 5.1 systems. 2 systems have 15" LCR and 8" rear surrounds. The 3rd system has a 15" center channel, 8" front LR and rear surrounds. The wife wouldn't let me do an all 15" 5.1 system in the living room. The sub is a 15" too!


BP1Fanatic... I had purchased the new Onkyo back in proably 2006 when we moved in to our new home here in Tennessee and never got around to hooking it up... I guess we didn't spend enough time up in that room... life got busy and spent more time in our downstairs family room and bought a new TV for down here... I had a small Panasonic AV amp for a while but it died and never really replaced it. I had set up a 3 speaker bookshelf system but never put in the rear speakers... just got use to not having them.... just recently I decided to clean up, clean out and set up things in the bonus room and found the Onkyo and set it up.... I"m not sure that I'd need more that this, as long as I have my PLEX and the 5.1 I'm just fine with all that.... .Fun to look at all the new gadgets though! It sounds like you are set up in multiple locations LOL< that's what you get for continuing to purchase the new toys!


----------



## BP1Fanatic (Mar 28, 2011)

Exactly...LOL!


----------

