"Onkyo TX SR805 AV Receiver"

Onkyo TX SR805 AV Receiver

The AV receiver market seems to be overcrowded nowadays. Quality products from of Denon, Yamaha, Integra, Sony and Onkyo are slowly saturating the market for AV receivers. However, the race is still on in providing cost efficient AV receiver technology that would directly competes with the more expensive home theater systems.

One of Onkyo’s latest is the TX-SR805 series that sells at merely $999. Because of the release of this unit, Onkyo had to released a new flagship model in the guise of TX-NR905. This model sells for $2,099. Onkyo also included a slightly better TX-SR875, which sells for $1,699.

The new TX-SR805 differs a lot from the TX-NR905 but the differences are not when compared to the much lower spec TX-SR605. If you’re looking to invest on an AV receiver, the TX-SR805 is not that half bad. In fact, all in all, it is a beau. The new 805 sports a sleek design, although, its kinda big measuring at 7.625 inches high, 17.125 inches wide, and 18.25 inches deep. This means you would need enough space for your AV and for ventilation at the back.

The unit heats up considerably. The design is pretty standard for an Onkyo receiver with upper-right-hand corner volume knob, large flip-down panels revealing the extra front buttons, and LCD display above the flip-down tray. Simple, yet effective.

Connections at the back include for component video, composite and S-video inputs, as well as analog and digital audio inputs. A major feature of the TX-SR805 is the three HDMI 1.3 inputs and one HDMI 1.3 monitor output. The HDMI inputs can carry 1080p video, and multi-channel audio signals including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD.

Also found behind the TX-SR805’s are five-way binding posts, seven of which can be used for a 7.1 surround sound system, and analog audio outs for two zones which makes the TX-SR805 a three-zone receiver and can provide inputs for both XM and Sirius satellite radio antenna.

Being an exceptional AV receiver doesn’t mean that it has no flaws. The new Onkyo TX-SR805 heats up really fast and really hot. You could fry an egg on it, or maybe not. Although I haven’t really tried it but the surface can be too hot for you to touch. Ventilation and cooling system is a big issue.

Onkyo has been producing various audio products for both the high end and the popular market. And the TX-SR805 at $999 is a great achievement for the company. With the TX-SR805, the company was able to deliver a high-tech equipment that provides total entertainment with emphasis on simplicity and ease of operation.