Onkyo TX-SR501 Refurb Dolby 6.1 receiver $145 shipped @ Ecost

[Giscardo]

Originally posted by: jburnham
Got mine today - plugged it in and....


rocking my Casbah!

I'm going from a really old (but nice at the time) Yamaha. Relative to that, the Onkyo puts the sounds where they really belong and there is plenty o' power. I'm enjoying the video switching, but I'm running mostly on composite video now. I wonder how well the video conversion works.

BTW - I was pretty sure I was in for a bad night when I saw the box. It had a big water stain that was still wet on one side and all of the corners were crunched. When I opened it the styrofoam was crunched but no signs of damage (or even wear) to the unit, and so far it's running smoothly.

oh woe is me.

 

[billywiggins]

Ive had mine for a week now. The shipping was super fast but the actual packaging was really sucky, I though mine was going to be broke when I first picked up the box at the front door, but everything was ok when I opened the box, the styrofoam was all broken up and the box didnt look very promising, but it has worked great ever since I first plugged it in. This is my first reciever and it has performed good so far, Ive got some cheap speakers on it right now, i was waiting to make sure it worked good before buying a fairly nice set of HT speakers and sub, which will probably happen this weekend. Ive played DVDs, PS2 and used the FM tuner and everything has been good. just trying to give some useful info.

 

[vijseema]

Originally posted by: jburnham
Got mine today - plugged it in and....


rocking my Casbah!

I'm going from a really old (but nice at the time) Yamaha. Relative to that, the Onkyo puts the sounds where they really belong and there is plenty o' power. I'm enjoying the video switching, but I'm running mostly on composite video now. I wonder how well the video conversion works.

BTW - I was pretty sure I was in for a bad night when I saw the box. It had a big water stain that was still wet on one side and all of the corners were crunched. When I opened it the styrofoam was crunched but no signs of damage (or even wear) to the unit, and so far it's running smoothly.

Got mine yesterday evening as well. Was really apprehensive after Giscardo's bad luck and so, I started first with the tuner .. worked..
hooked the DVD with composite video - dts 5.1 and dolby 5.1 ...worked.. DVDs tested - Matrix reloaded and LOTR - Two Towers..
Plugged in the subwoofer ..worked..
MP3 disc with prologic...

One comment - the manual says that there is no video conversion.. so that means if there is an S-video input ..u can only get an S-video output...

I am really happy with my first home theater - Onkyo receiver and JBL speakers.. this system rocks so far...
By the way, I am using 18 gage radioshack speaker cables... any suggestions ?

Best of luck..Giscardo

 

[heat23]

The only device I am hooking up to the receiver is my DVD player (and my TV?), should I hook up the component connector from DVD to the receiver, or just do DVD to TV?

 

[ConnCarl]

Vijseema, unless you're pushing your system to the limit very regularly, or have runs over 25 feet or so, there really is no good reason to use anything more expensive than 18 gauge zipcord.

Years ago when I was running a killer sound system with 8 (yes, eight) liquid-cooled Realistic Mach Ones (with 15" woofers and 27 lb magnet structures), I wired those beasts with 14 gauge zipcord because, well, I was 15 years old and pretty certain at the time that I could melt anything lighter than that with Bohemian Rhapsody.

These days I'm down to four Mach Ones (I don't subscribe to the current "smaller is better" school of thought for loudspeakers...there's a reason that there was no such thing as a "subwoofer" 25 years ago - we didn't need them) and they're wired with 18 gauge zipcord.

If it will make you feel better, or if the runs are long, go ahead and pick up some 16 or 14 gauge zipcord (not at Radio Shack). It can't hurt!

If someone else is paying for it, preferably someone you don't like, pick up the original "spoiled brat" audio accessory, "Monster" cables.

YMMV! Carl

 

[vijseema]

Thanks a lot ConnCarl
I will keep that in mind.. It seems to work beautifully so far...
I do not think I am going to buy new speaker wires pretty soon..
One more question, what is the ideal distance of the various speakers from the listening position...

Vijseema

 

[Ruined]

Looks like the Giscardo isn't the only one with problems. Recieved mine earlier this week and it looks like i will have to return it as well. For some reason the bass on the left front A channel comes out horribly distorted. At first i thought i'd blown the speaker but i switched left and right speakers and the left channel still was distorted. Then i moved them to front channel B and they work perfectly. I'm guessing something in the switching circuits has gone out since A and B should be running off the same amp section internally. Definately a nice sounding Receiver i'm looking forward to having it fully functional, though as has been said before the remote is pretty bad.

-TRO

 

[nightanole]

Eh onkyo is still good about there ratings. Its there new "anti rap" clipping thats got every one going. Take my 696 (100x5) it got 150watts outa one channel on the test. But (yes i started a sentence with but) durring the 5 channel It half the rated output down to 50 watts. JL audio amps do the same thing and i dont here people complaining. In the real world your more likely to over drive one speaker (center) or 2 speakers (stereo). How the Hell can you max out all 5 channels exc running in like 5 channel stereo.

 

[Giscardo]

Update: They will only do one replacement, so I have to ship both units back. I paid 60 for fedex overnight on the original order, so I'm losing that money. I had to argue for a while to get them to pay for the UPS pickup of the two broken ones, and once they get those I'll get refunded for them on my CC.

received no goods
lost 60$.

Can anyone recommend a place to buy this unit brand new?

 

[huesmann]

If they don't refund your $$$ right away just call your CC and file a chargeback.