Packed with features, October 27, 2010

I bought the ONKYO TXNR808 to replace my aging 10 year old Lexicon DC-2 pre-amp and Carver Professional amps. The Onkyo powering Miller and Kreisel THX 750 5.1 speaker system.
I figured that after 10 years I could use a audio update even though the Lexicon is still a amazing piece of equipment but I didn't want to spend $6500 this time around.

I wanted a receiver that had all of the newer DTS and Dolby surround formats and could power the 4 ohm M&K speakers (8 vs 4 ohm setting in the setup menus).

It sounds great I love the video switching and the great on screen display of settings.

I have a Netgear 9150 Digital entertainer Elite hooked to it with only one HDMI cable. Being able to use the HDMI really cleans up the cabling since it can also send the audio over the same cable. Same thing goes for my HD cable box, HDMI no seperate audio cable needed.

I haven't had any problems with the Ethernet not connecting, even though I did let it update via the internet. The streaming off connected networked computer is nice also, without any problems. Pandora works flawlessly.

For the price and features it cannot be beat.

Also Amazon has it for the lowest price.

UPDATE: 07-02-11
Still no problems. I now have a HTPC hooked up running WMC and Boxee.

Awesome product for the money.

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Excellent Receiver at this price range, November 4, 2010

I previously bought a 1120k receiver and returned it for this one. Please see my companion 1120k review and the LSI15 review (right speaker even though I bought both) if you're curious.

I used this amplifier to drive 4 ohms speakers. Most audiophiles will tell you to get external amplification to drive them. I am usually skeptical of these claims.

Myth: You will need external amplifiers to drive 4 ohm speakers. False. I pushed these with an Onkyo 808 135 watts at 8ohms, not sure about the 4 ohms spec as Onkyo doesn't advertise it. There was absolutely no clipping at ear blistering level. No harshness whatsoever from the LSI15 that I heard from the C-5. At high volume, the Energy C-5 gave me a headache. However, the LSI were still extremely smooth. Those speakers (LSI15) are 89db efficiency at 1 watt, so if I push it to 110db, it would require only 128 watts to push. 110db is far louder than comfortable for most living rooms. I guess if you like listen to it louder, then external amplification would be needed. Most normal people wouldn't. Tip: Don't set the receiver to 4 ohm mode. Leave it at 8 ohms. The 4 ohm mode only serve to cut the power output to protect the receiver. My receiver has two fans that I never noticed turning on. Onkyo got smart by inserting fans. Previously, they were hot enough to cook eggs. Would external amplification improve sound quality? I have my doubts. I am a firm believer in amplifiers used for extreme volume only. Normal listening level does not require an amplifier to improve quality (relative to this receiver, lesser receiver may have issues). However, if anyone has an amplifier and wants to prove me wrong, I'm ready to be a believer.

The Onkyo 808 is a huge beast with a very hefty heat sink with dual fans. It has every single high-end adjustable settings you can think of. The only thing I discovered is that the noise correction caused my Netflix stream to ghost. However, that may be due to the noise correction algorithm coupled with the 120hz mode on my TV. Turning off the noise correction fixed the ghosting for me. The quality of the up conversion is good but perhaps a little soft for SD. I do not have an A to B comparison with the Pioneer so I can't be sure which is better. If the Marvell is better, I didn't notice it. However, I would not suggest buying an audio receiver for the video processing chip. Most SD look bad regardless of up conversion, and most high def source look best at native resolution of your TV. I've been reading on the Internet that the Marvell chip is so much better than the Faroudja. There is definitely an improvement on up conversion for either chips, but you can't make SD look HD no matter how hard you try. At least for me, DVD's looked like crap (in comparison to HD) on both the Pioneer and the Onkyo receivers. Therefore, I chalk up conversion as tie for both = equally crappy.

The HDMI is good. My PC picked up the receiver as an output source quickly.

PROS:
135 Watts
Drive 4ohms speakers well
OSD for volume
Excellent Internet radio functionality
Regular cable for IPOD
Dual fans to cool heat sink
Per input level gain
Per speakers cross-over
Dual subwoofer output
Trigger
Firmware upgradeable (make sure you update right away)

CONS:
Warmer than the Pioneer
Update 12/10/10: No dialogue enhancement
No Iphone App

This receiver is actually very good. I returned the Pioneer even though I got an extremely good deal for it. If you don't need the 135 watts, I recommend the 708 instead. However, at the current $70 online price difference between the 708 and 808, I would get the 808 for insurance. Who knows, you may want to buy 4ohm speakers later on =) and you'll save yourself the upgradeitis agony. The Pioneer 1120k is currently about $100 cheaper than the 708 street price. It's an excellent receiver if you only need 110 watts and no trigger. However, if you want Internet radio functionality, volume OSD, and per input volume gain, per speaker cross-over, pick the 708 or 808 instead.

Update (11/15/10): After having used it a few weeks, I have not discovered anything wrong with it since I updated the firmware immediately when I received it. The firmware updated pretty easily over the Internet (make sure its in USB mode first or you'll get an error). The Internet radio is very cool and works flawlessly. You do not need conventional radio with this option since most radios networks have an Internet versions online. I found some online Internet radio with 256k quality as well as radios from around the world.

I had to adjust my input to +6db to my UVerse box and +3 to my HTPC to make it the same level as the PS3 (which is always louder for some reason). I don't suggest anyone purchase any receiver that lack this feature. My old Denon had it and this one has it. I missed it immediately when I bought the Pioneer. The online display shows both volume level as well as the input label as well so I don't have to look at the receiver through the glass door which is a plus. I have not heard the fan come on yet so I believe the dual fans may be installed as a precaution rather than a necessity (then again, it's not Summer right now).

All in all, I'm very happy with this receiver. I originally wanted a Denon 3111 as a replacement but Denon is not budging on MSRP right now which means it would have cost me almost twice as much as this one. There are currently no other receivers on the market that has the comparable features as this one at this price range.

Update 12/10/10: Added the two Cons. I do miss the dialogue enhancement and the Iphone app was very cool on the Pioneer.

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Blown away by the sound quality and features! Amazon was $300 cheaper then crutchfield!, October 7, 2010

So I purchased the TXNR808 to replace my Onkyo TX-SR800 mainly just for the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA decoding, but man was I blown away by the overall sound quality improvement with standard DD, DTS, and stereo as well! I am a very expianced home theater installer, and I am ashamed to say that I didn't realize how much of a difference 35 watts per channel would make. I have a 7.1 speaker setup featuring Polk Audio RTi10 tower speakers and a Velodyne 10" powered sub, which have always sounded great, but let me tell you that these speakers have never sounded so amazing as they do now with this receiver! WOW! Any source that i've run through it(CD, DVD, iPod, or Blu-ray) has resulted in a sonic explosion! Highs, mids and lows all are perfectly represented by the 808. So.... the real question most people want to know the answer to is.... "Does Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD sound better then standard DD and DTS?" The answer is ABSOLUTELY YES! I watched Kung Fu Panda to compare the difference and it was immediately obvious that the Dolby TrueHD trumped the DD track in every way. Then I put in "Crank 2" to hear what a DTS-MA HD 7.1 mix could do. Let me say that once the DTS logo started I was left absolutely speechless until the credits ended! Sonic power and clarity is all I can say. With either format you get improved ambiance, harder hitting bass, and amazing dynamic range which creates an unequalled movie watching experiance! No movie theater can even come close the the sound quality I now have in my home theater!

I will now list some of the other improvements that this receiver does that my old one didn't.
1. I now have the volume displayed on my screen via the HDMI out on the receiver. Very handy since my components are in the room behind my theater room!
2. I can connect it to my home network and play all my music from my computer instantly!
3. The receiver programs the remote for you after you tell it what components you have. Awesome!
4. It takes any video input whether it's composite, s-video, or component and sends it to your TV, upconverted to HD through the HDMI out!

To summarize. . . with all the features that this receiver has for the low price that I paid through Amazon I couldn't be happier with the TXNR808! This is bar none the best receiver that I have ever heard for under $1,500!