Thrilled with my new TX-NR5008!!!, January 8, 2011

Like many "gear heads" a great deal of research online and in various A/V mags went into the prep for purchasing a new receiver for my dedicated home theater. I had been a pretty loyal Denon owner in the past with my last one being the 3808ci. It was a great unit but I wanted a new receiver with the Audissey x32 that could better calibrate for new front high and wide speakers. I also wanted the newest HQV Reon processor for enhanced upscaling of video. Frankly, this Onkyo was much more price efficient than the current Denon equivalent. I took the leap and purchased thru Amazon...one of my best decisions of 2010! It did take me a couple of shots with Audissey, playing around with the microphone positioning; but, the end results were fantastic. My Paradigm speakers never sounded so full and brilliant. The depth and soundstage this receiver creates blows away any receiver I have ever had. A couple of key features for me...1) a full rich soundstage even at lower volumes; 2) the THX Ultra2 Cinema settings... Hats off to Mr. Lucas!... I have never been a fan of using "enhanced" preset sound settings but this is absolutely amazing. If you have at least a 7.1 speaker setup this setting will transform your typical hohum cable TV 5.1 Dolby into a 7.1 aural soundfest! I have found that when I have guests over to watch a blu-ray in 5.1 DTS Master HD, and the back row seating is occupied, near the back surround speakers, I will use the THX to bring the back surrounds to life for them. They love it, and IMHO there doesn't seem to be much, if any, loss in sound integrity. A similar setting, THX Cinema, will even make the inherent 2.0 sound from sources such as Netflix or Amazon VOD come to life. Of course, this is all just my opinion but for this home theater junkie it's like heaven. Oh, and BTW the video upconversion is excellent too. In this price and category, I believe you are unlikely to find a better A/V Receiver; the equivalent...maybe; better... I don't think so... Do your own due diligence and enjoy whatever your purchase may be!

9.2, THX, 3D, Internet connected. Sweet package at a great price, November 26, 2010

This is the 3rd Onkyo receiver I have purchased. The other 2 didn't die, they just became outdated. I was originally looking for a couple models below this level, but the Amazon virtually half-price made this lower priced than than those, and an absolute bargain. My only negative is that using Zone 2 or Zone 3 doesn't allow you to use the full 9.2 channels, but being able to pump out internet or computer tunes to the pool for the kids while still being able to watch Bluray movies in 7.2 THX definitely outweighs the negative. The receiver was very easy to set up and it's filled with the latest technology. If you plan to use the internet and network connectivity I highly recommend purchasing the Netgear XAVB5004 Internet Adapter. It streams at up to 500Mps, works off of an electical outlet, and allows you to connect up to 4 devices to it. I never experience any speed degradation with this combination.

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OUTSTANDING!, March 3, 2011

I have had the Onkyo TX-NR5008 for about 4 months now. My past experiences have been with a high end Yammie, a mid level Pioneer, Sony's, Akai, Teac, others. This is by far the highest end receiver I have had. I have yet to fully explore the potential of this receiver as I have not hooked it up to my network. I am still discovering which sound processing (or none) I prefer for music, movies, games, etc. With the choices available it's a lot of fun.

1st off this thing is a TANK. Really it has a firing rate of... well O.K. it's not actually a tank but it is very heavy and pretty big. You'll need a good space for it to fit and breath. I have never had any heat problems but some people complain about the heat of this unit. My only complaint is how cumbersome it is. And that might not be a bad thing as it has a toroid transformer which I do not know if I would notice the audio difference from a standard transformer. But on paper it is apparently better.

One of the major reasons I purchased this receiver aside from the build quality was video capability. It has plenty of HDMI ins and outs (I only need 1 out and three ins) but there are more if needed. The 5008 also has video upconversion or the ability to do a straight pass through. This is great if your source is clean and has the resolution you want. You can also adjust the white balance and video noise of the signal on a PER SOURCE BASIS. Very cool.

A friend of mine challenged me to run a little volume test. I couldn't run from the challenge. So we cranked up some Rush to ear pearceing levels and neither the 5008 nor my Axiom M-60's broke a sweat. We were bombarded with a wall of blazing drums, screeching guitar, and of course funky bass. It was like front row in a rock concert! The TX-NR5008 will deliver, just make sure you have speakers that can take it.

What about low levels? I can get very tight and defined bass at low volume levels. This could be a combination of the speakers and the receiver, but whatever it is it is working.

As the centerpiece of my home theater I am very confident in the quality and performance of the Onkyo TX-NR5008. It is a receiver that I chose over other brands for many reasons. Build is one of them, along with features, power, and reputation. I did a lot of research and listened to a few good receivers. The Onkyo won by a large margin. I'm happy with the purchase and have not been let down one bit. Do your own research, don't just take my word for it. You may choose another product. However if you choose the Onkyo I'm sure you'll be completely satisfied with it's capabilities and performance. I highly recommend this receiver.


***update***

A few points to add as I have been combing through the manual. The TX- NR 5008 also features some very advanced volume correction utilities: Dolby Volume control and Audyssey Volume control. Both are basically regulating volume fluctuations. For example when a commercial comes on and it is way too loud so you turn the volume down. Then of course your program dialogue gets lost and you turn the volume back up, etc. They aid in controlling that dynamic.

Additionally they moderate tonal fidelity at various levels. What this means is that when you turn the volume up or down these process the signal at various bandwith frequencies so that you do not miss various sounds at low volume.

Other notes: You can utilize a 2nd and 3rd zone on the TX- NR 5008. The zones allow you to use a set of speakers in another room or patio etc. The speakers can be directly wired to this Onkyo or a set of RCA cables can be used from the 5008 to an external amp. Your choice!

I had previously forgot to mention one other major part of the video upscaling: the 5008 uses the HQV Reon-VX processor. One of the highest regarded video processors currently available. There are other video processors in other receivers. The preference is really up to the user. The HQV Reon-VX takes any video source from any video connection and allows you to upscale to 1080p (or lesser or none). I absolutely based my purchase on the video upscaling as the key to my home theater needs. Also the white balance control was vital (many t.v.'s lack white balance adjustment). BTW all 8 HDMI inputs are 1.4 for people that are interested in 3D.

As mentioned around the internet in reviews, etc. This receiver is a powerhouse at 145Watts into 8ohms. It is NOT for the feint of heart. Also, it is rich in very advanced features. But along with all that muscle and brains it is balanced with definitive quality and form. I have no hesitation recommending the Onkyo TX-NR5008 as the director of any mid to lower high-end home theater system where separates would be the only step forward.