Welcome to the Invelos forums. Please read the forum rules before posting.

Read access to our public forums is open to everyone. To post messages, a free registration is required.

If you have an Invelos account, sign in to post.

    Invelos Forums->General: General Home Theater Discussion Page: 1 2 3 4 5  Previous   Next
My a/v Receiver Saga - Onkyo TX-NR3008
Author Message
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 6,396
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
Are you sitting down? Amazing story follows ...

The other day I contacted "Approved Audio Service, Inc.," an authorized Onkyo warranty repair shop, about 1.5 hour drive away. Larry asked "so what's the problem?". I told him, and he goes ... "oh, I know what that is - and oh, yeah I have the parts, bring it in - it'll take about an hour."     

Took off at noon amd returned at about 4:30PM - now listening to the silky strings of Beethoven's 2nd on Blu-ray. Appears to be all fixed.

Watching Larry was poetry in motion. His shop was like a 747 cockpit. Instruments, screens, tools, wires, etc. in a huge semi-circle, with my sick puppy in the middle.

Now I will definitely buy that 2-year warranty extension, because I know I can get a quality repair if needed. A small insurance to pay for my $1400 investment.

And yes, the whole thing was covered. I spent only my time and some gas to drive there. They unloaded the unit from my car, unboxed it, fixed it, then re-boxed and reloaded into my car. Bim-bam-boom!

Anybody in this neck of the woods with any kind of electronics to fix - I would highly recommend these guys. 
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributordee1959jay
Registered: March 19, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
Netherlands Posts: 6,014
Posted:
PM this userView this user's DVD collectionDirect link to this postReply with quote
Good on you!

So I reckon you will be sticking to your current machine then.

Good service, indeed. 
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 6,396
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
Oh noooo .... stay tuned, but my baby is sick again. This time it is also a well-known problem. No audio. There is a redesigned HDMI board available. The problem is so pervasive that I have heard that Onkyo will even repair an off-warranty unit. But mine is thankfully still on warranty. It only shows up after a couple of years, I guess. Brought my son's TX-NR509 downstairs to substitute. Same silky sound as its big brother.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorParsec
Registered: June 15, 2012
Australia Posts: 428
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
Stealing from the kids!!!   

Go one step further and tell your son it's his one that is broken and he has to make the 1.5hr drive to get it fixed (then just swap them back when he gets back)
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 6,396
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting Parsec:
Quote:
Stealing from the kids!!!   

Go one step further and tell your son it's his one that is broken and he has to make the 1.5hr drive to get it fixed (then just swap them back when he gets back)

   

Sadly this repair will not be done in a day. Onkyo strictly controls the fix, probably because it is so expensive. So, once I drop off the unit, the problem will need to be validated before they ship the board out.

But don't worry, the kids are now in thier 30s and married, and only visit every few months. They don't cry so much any more. 
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 6,396
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting mediadogg:
Quote:
Oh noooo .... stay tuned, but my baby is sick again. This time it is also a well-known problem. No audio. There is a redesigned HDMI board available. The problem is so pervasive that I have heard that Onkyo will even repair an off-warranty unit. But mine is thankfully still on warranty. It only shows up after a couple of years, I guess. Brought my son's TX-NR509 downstairs to substitute. Same silky sound as its big brother.

Ok, got my baby back. Oh yeah, 11.3 channels of roof blowing, heart pounding, bone rattling sound. Finally the iconic Tyrannosaurus howl from Jurassic Park sounds like it should.

Thanks again to Larry at Approved Audio Service in CT. And to the Onkyo Warranty Service Manager, who has a "the buck stops here" attitude. There had been a snafu in setting up my extended warranty. I thought I had it - Onkyo's computers didn't. He figured out what went wrong, fixed it and also fixed my machine. So I do now actually have that extended warranty, and fully functional beast of an A/V receiver.

It seems that Onkyo finally figured out the design flaw that caused overheating and premature failure of a chip on the HDMI board. Even so, I am paying better attention to ventilation of the beast, and a relatively cheap and totally quiet cabinet fan now has the beast running cool as a cucumber, even while blasting. Probably a wise move, regardless of what brand or model of machine you own.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 6,396
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting mediadogg:
Quote:
...11.3 channels ...

I lied. It is actually 9.3. 
Still sounds pretty awesome. Someday maybe I will add the back surounds.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorParsec
Registered: June 15, 2012
Australia Posts: 428
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
9.3 without back surrounds? (hmm.. thinking...)

upper front pairs and upper side pairs???

Odd that you would do them before adding rear speakers. I'll have to think about that. Btw, which upper pair is better, front or side? Assuming I was only going to add one pair. I already have back pair (standard 7.1)

And where did you put the other subwoofers?
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 6,396
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
Oh, thanks for asking. Now I get some feedback on what I did. 

OK, left + right Front (wide range speakers), fed through subwoofers. After room calibration, manually reset the cutoff HZ to "full range". Fronts are just above ear height, on either side of the screen, as you would expect. [Tally = 2.2]

Also have left + right Front High, set above and wider spaced than Fronts. Center is placed just below the screen. It is wide range speaker, identical to fronts. The amp is able to use the Highs to make voices appear to come from the middle of the screen - that's the claim anyway. [Tally = 5.2]

Then I put left + right Front Wide on side walls well ahead of sweet spot listening area. [Tally = 7.2]

Then I have left + right Surround on side walls, just forward of the corners (so that places them just behind the sweet spot). These are effectively Rear surrounds, except they are probably spaced too wide of the sweet spot. [Tally = 9.2]

Finally, the third SW is in a back corner, connected as SW1. After calibration, I tweak the setting a bit to blend with the front SWs, while sitting in the sweet spot. [Final tally = 9.3]

My placement is similar to one of the Onkyo diagrams, and I realize there are more options.

How does that setup strike you? (I call it 9.3, as I have 9 speakers + 3 SWs)

The amp claims to be able to drive Back surrounds as well, sacrificing the Zone outputs. If I do that, I will probably bring the Surrounds forward a bit, to be exactly on either side of the sweet spot. But things already sound pretty good. The room isn't all that big anyways.

My wife and I watched The Day After Tomorrow last night, and man - in the opening scene where the ice starts cracking - you are there in the middle of it. Almost scary.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorParsec
Registered: June 15, 2012
Australia Posts: 428
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
Damm.. now you really got me thinking. My Denon is only 7.2, but it does have outputs for 9channel (front, front wide, front high etc), I assume this is for how it's processing works out. It does have pre-outs for extra channels though.

But it's an interesting idea, move one's speakers to positions more appropriate rather then following the "standard" layouts. I'm really going to have to think about this now as I believe surround back speakers are pretty much a waste - well they are in my room anyway. You only really notice them when they include specific sound effects to make it sound like something is going around full circle. I like your idea of having them more towards the corners and just a little back. Sound doesn't really travel well from directly behind (through the furniture).

None of my speakers are on the floor (except the sub of course), and that's an interesting idea of putting some front high speakers up as well to get the sound to appear it's coming from the screen (theoretically).

It's good hearing how other people set out their speakers with an idea of what they are expecting from it. I will definitely think about moving mine around to see if I can produce better results.

Thanks for the description mediadogg, it has given me some ideas.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 6,396
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting Parsec:
Quote:
Thanks for the description mediadogg, it has given me some ideas.

Well, it's fun for me also, to have some kind of interaction. 

(Now that I got some validation from you, I went ahead and added some more annotation in case some others come along and want to understand and comment on our discussion.)
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 6,396
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
An update on my subwoofer setup. I forgot about this and described it incorrectly. Remember I connect my front speakers off two front subwoofers. This has the downside of cheating the subwoofers out of the LFE and the lowest frequencies if you tell Onkyo that you have a subwoofer. So the trick they recommend is to fake out the room calibration by saying you have no subwoofer. Then, the fronts get sent everything, as true full range speakers, and the subwoofer filters work properly for the upper end that is sent to the fronts. Sounds great.

But there is another catch: now I get no output at all from the SW1 and SW2 jacks. Bummer. If I go and manually turn subwoofer back on, even after calibration, there is a noticeable drop in low bass from the front - Onkyo is now sending all that to SW1 / SW2 jacks instead.

So, my third subwoofer is actually connected to one of the pre-out jacks, and the volume and cutoff manually adjusted by ear. And when I get it right, it does not overpower the fronts - just adds a subtle extra ooph that I like. I actually have another one for the other back corner I plan to hook up someday  . Bass frequencies seem non-directional due to the long wavelengths, but I found that the sound is a lot more balanced on loud LFE, when the explosions are spread across the sound field instead of coming from a distinct corner.

I don't think you have the same issue if you are using the SW outputs directly. I probably should be doing that, but I'm too lazy to run the wires (they go under the floor into the basement).
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 6,396
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
I'm about 60% along on my saving for a new 4K receiver. Looking hard at the 9.2 versions of Denon, Onkyo and Marantz. Any opinions welcomed. In another thread, I got some advice on a low-end Onkyo to use as a front-end to the audio section of my venerable TX-NR3008. I'm still considering that option. It's mainly the weight and space issue of having two monster devices. But the Onkyo audio section delivers stupendous sound.

My setup now is using good quality HDMI switches front-ending the Onkyo, my 4K LG TV and my 4K Epson projector. Workable, but complex and sometimes the HDMI handshaking gets screwed up.

Again, any ideas are welcomed, and anybody who wants a good deal on the Onkyo (and I also have an Epson 5020Ube), send me a PM.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantspecise_8472
It wasn't me...
Registered: January 27, 2009
New Zealand Posts: 180
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting mediadogg:
Quote:
I'm about 60% along on my saving for a new 4K receiver. Looking hard at the 9.2 versions of Denon, Onkyo and Marantz. Any opinions welcomed. In another thread, I got some advice on a low-end Onkyo to use as a front-end to the audio section of my venerable TX-NR3008. I'm still considering that option. It's mainly the weight and space issue of having two monster devices. But the Onkyo audio section delivers stupendous sound.

My setup now is using good quality HDMI switches front-ending the Onkyo, my 4K LG TV and my 4K Epson projector. Workable, but complex and sometimes the HDMI handshaking gets screwed up.

Again, any ideas are welcomed, and anybody who wants a good deal on the Onkyo (and I also have an Epson 5020Ube), send me a PM.


I see you are looking at a 9.2. I think you are better to look at least for an Atmos / DTSX system (7.2.4).
Why not future proof to atmos?
Also do not count out Yamaha receivers in the mix. I have one and am very happy with it, plus it has the best on screen menu system I have found. Only draw back was for atmos the amp only drives one set of atmos ceilings, but I picked up a power-amp cheap for the other set (was $2000nz but got for $700nz as the shop was no longer a supplier, and was the shop floor model).
I used to always get Marantz, but now they are just Denon as they were brought out. And they are just not the same now.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantmediadogg
Aim high. Ride the wind.
Registered: March 18, 2007
Reputation: Highest Rating
United States Posts: 6,396
Posted:
PM this userVisit this user's homepageDirect link to this postReply with quote
Quoting specise_8472:
Quote:
...
I used to always get Marantz, but now they are just Denon as they were brought out. And they are just not the same now.

Thanks for those interesting points about the brands. And yes, I fully intend have Atmos support. In fact, even my old receiver supports enough channels for Atmos. I just tilt my Front-High speakers in such a way that the sound bounces off the top of the ceiling in front of the "sweet spot," and I jacked up the volume setting a couple of dB to compensate for the losses. So I am running essentially 7.2.2. (I actually have 4 sub woofers, but they are paired on each SW channel).

I agree about the 7.2.4 being preferred. Not sure I feel up to mounting two more speakers. If I can sell off some more old gear, I will go ahead and get a full 11.2 receiver (configurable to 7.2.4).

Here is idea I am thinking about:

Get this:

And use it as a front end (using HDMI out for audio) to my existing Onkyo audio section.
Thanks for your support.
Free Plugins available here.
Advanced plugins available here.
Hey, new product!!! BDPFrog.
 Last edited: by mediadogg
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorParsec
Registered: June 15, 2012
Australia Posts: 428
Posted:
PM this userDirect link to this postReply with quote
Is not a bad idea sometimes to get last years model ie: Marantz AV7703 You're saving 30% on the AV7704 price and there isn't a lot of difference. There's also the Marantz SR7011 (also last years model) on Amazon for similar price and that has 9 builtin amps (just buy a cheap $100 2 channel power amp if you want 7.2.4 - 7011 has all the pre-outs)
    Invelos Forums->General: General Home Theater Discussion Page: 1 2 3 4 5  Previous   Next