Rcvr upgrade/Master and TrueHD ??'s

[gadgtfreek]

Right now Im running a Sony 810 which is a great rcvr and had hdmi switching which I needed.

Im looking at upgrading to a rcvr(turkey day) that handles the new audio formats(will prob go onkyo) but am a little curious.

Im generally not an audio guy at all and my setup consists of a polk sub, polk center and polk r and l floors which I enjoy. Am I going to experience a difference in audio SQ by being able to output the better audio formats on this speaker setup? Basically, is it worth the $500 to upgrade just for those two audio formats?

Thanks.

 

[stimpson]

I have the 705. My speakers are Polk wall mounts with a powerd sub. They sound amazing through the 705. I would do the upgrade.

 

[bhelms]

The new SR606 will have the latest audio capabilities for about $500, as well as the Faroudja DCDi "Edge" chip which should do a great/better job on the upconverts. It should be available at CC very soon, if not already...

Onkyo TX-SR606 - 7.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver | Model Information | Onkyo USA Home Theater Products

Assuming you have DVDs (HD DVD or BD) that provide it, the new DD and DTS technologies will allow you the "lossless" SS capabilities/experience. I haven't played around with them enough yet to declare an audible difference vs. DD5.1, but the "price of entry" is becoming a lot lower with likes of the 606. Of course you will need at least surround speakers for that, and preferrably add the surround rears as well for the whole 7.1 capability. Do you have any of those, or will you be adding them as well? Otherwise I don't think you'll notice much audio difference vs. what you have now...

 

[gadgtfreek]

Very nice. Ill keep an eye on that one, should be able to get a decent deal on it in Nov.

 

[bhelms]

I'm guessing the 606 is the first of the Onkyo '08/09 models and there will be more in that line-up with the same basic capabilities. In the same timeframe you could get a great deal on the "leftovers" like the 805 that will have the same audio capabilities but be behind a year (?) on the upconversion...

 

[gadgtfreek]

cool, since upconversion is not the priority, maybe ill just keep and eye on the 805 and go ahead and pick it up.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Dang, the 605 is $397 right now.

 

[bhelms]

805 is still hanging in there at around $1,100 now, but it will surely drop. Check on-line prices as well, but stick with an authorized dealer wherever you buy...

 

[bhelms]

Dang, the 605 is $397 right now.

My local CC didn't have the 605 any longer and it was showing as no longer available as it is apparently being replaced by the 606...

 

[gadgtfreek]

Yeah, been looking at Amazon. 606 is only $399 at CCity. May just hold out, its almost too hard to pass up though. For some reason I thought they Master and TrueHD rcvr's were much more.

 

[rcbridge]

Look at the 805 pricing at 6th ave, Amazon or J&R.

I would also advise to read some of the comments about it, search AVS forums.

 

[bhelms]

...For some reason I thought they Master and TrueHD rcvr's were much more.

Certainly were for the early adopters. Like anything else tho', those features will become mainstream, widely available, and priced accordingly

 

[griz_fan]

I got my Onkyo 605 in December for $305, including shipping from the Onkyo factory outlet. It is a factory refurb with a 1 year warranty instead of two. I've even seen it dip below $300. There have also been great deals on the 705 and 805, too. Just be sure to keep checking back and create an account on their website to get the best deal. It seems like every two weeks they run a 10% discount deal on refurbs. Also, free UPS ground shipping, too!

Shop Onkyo

 

[gadgtfreek]

Thanks for the heads up, Ill keep an eye on their outlet too.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Thanks guys, with your input and some help from duckydan I'm going to pull the trigger on a 605 at a great price. No sense in waiting

 

[Dirtydan]

Thanks guys, with your input and some help from duckydan I'm going to pull the trigger on a 605 at a great price. No sense in waiting

I resent this aspirsion.. lol

 

[charper1]

You quack! LOL

 

[gadgtfreek]

LOL. Sorry, when I posted, for some reason I thought of duckydan instead of dirtydan. All these damn dan's and their strange names

 

[gadgtfreek]

Well, itll be delivered tomorrow. Cant wait to try out the new formats this weekend.

 

[bhelms]

Congrats! I have spent a week with new toys and am very impressed with the upgraded capabilities. If you'll be bitstreaming from your BD player in the TrueHD mode, don't forget that you'll need a 1.3 compliant HDMI cable to interconnect the two units, and you will have to activate the TrueHD feature in the movie settings themselves.

(I'm not sure how the DTS HD MA works as far as the movie settings go, but probably the same...)

Enjoy...!