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Entered CNET Catalog: 12/03/2002
SKU: TXSR800
Manufacturer: Onkyo USA
Manufacturer description
Whether you're a newcomer to home theater or serious about your A/V experience, prepare to be impressed by the Onkyo TX-SR800. The latest formats, Dolby Digital EX, DTS -ES, DTS 96/24 and THX Surround EX, are brought to you from 7.1-channels to give you the full 360º cinema experience. Power and build - some may say Onkyo has a fanatical devotion to bringing you the best-built receivers on the market, and Onkyo proves it with high quality, audiophile-grade parts and a rugged chassis to hold vibration down to an absolute minimum. And of course there's sound. You get Onkyo's exclusive WRAT (Wide Range Amplifier Technology), which provides the smoothest sound signal possible. Linear PCM 192 kHz/24-bit D/A converters for each channel, along with pure audio mode, reduce interference to almost nothing; you can enjoy every sound, from subtle to symphonic, whether on DVD-Audio, SACD, music CD or on a movie soundtrack. This receiver further becomes the envy of competitively priced products by offering you one of the highest guarantees in home theater quality: THX Select certification. The cumulative result? A receiver that delivers high-end performance, without the high-end price. Now how's that for impressive?CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 12/19/2002
We found the SR800's setup procedure and day-to-day ergonomics delightfully easy to fathom; everything worked just like we thought that it would. Thanks to the extensive setup-menu selections, you can customize the SR800 to suit your preferences and get the best out of your system. The big, comfortable remote is partially backlit, and its array of differently shaped buttons is nicely laid out. The SR800 delivers 100 watts to each of its seven channels and offers a full bounty of processing modes: THX/Dolby Digital EX, Pro Logic II, and DTS-ES Matrix and Discrete, as well as DTS Neo:6. And if that's not enough, the SR800 is one of the first receivers to deliver DTS's newest surround format: DTS 96/24 (see Performance for more).
Like its megabuck competitors, the SR800 proudly wears a THX Select logo, proof that this design has passed a series of THX-devised performance tests and offers proprietary processing of movie soundtracks.
Audio- and video-connectivity options are unusually complete. There are four optical and three coaxial digital inputs, a phono input, and a 7.1 multichannel DVD-Audio (DVD-A)/Super Audio CD input. The line-level preamp outputs for all eight channels offer power-hungry SR800 owners an upgrade path by allowing them to connect a separate power amplifier. There's also a set of Zone 2 outputs that can deliver stereo sound to another room. Video circuitry includes composite-to-S-Video conversion, as well as component-video switching for HDTV-equipped systems.
The SR800 is jam-packed with features and power, so if you're looking to spend a little less cash, check out Onkyo's TX-SR600--it's almost as amply endowed for half the cost. We mated the SR800 with our reference Dynaudio Contour speakers and our Integra DPS-7.2 DVD-A player. Even when we ran all the speakers on the Large setting--where they soak up more power than in the Small setting--the SR800 didn't flinch. After hours of high-decibel listening, the receiver was never more than warm to the touch.
We were curious about how the new DTS 96/24 format would stack up against regular DVD-A discs, but we had only one title, Queen's A Night at the Opera. The disc is encoded with both DTS 96/24 and regular DVD-A tracks, and the two formats sounded very different over the SR800. The DTS tunes were much brighter and bassier, while the DVD-A versions sounded more natural to our ears. But the cool thing about the DTS 96/24 format is that it plays on any DTS-capable DVD unit--and most every deck can play DTS. On the other hand, a straight DVD-A disc requires a higher-end DVD-A player.
Our music trials concluded with Linda Ronstadt's honeyed pipes cavorting on her new DVD-A release, What's New. The receiver's sound was luscious and true.
We tested the SR800's home-theater stamina with The Sum of All Fears. The sound had the breadth and the open quality that lesser receivers never quite achieve. And the Onkyo dredged up oodles of details on the atmospheric soundtrack running through Insomnia. The final climactic scene between Al Pacino and Robin Williams sounded scarily real.
Just before we completed this review, we compared the SR800 to our long-term reference receiver, the Pioneer VSX-27TX, and felt that the Pioneer's tonal balance was more solid and natural. The SR800 was leaner and more forward sounding, so we don't recommend that you pair it with bright speakers.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 User Rating: 
10/10
best buy for the buck
Pros: incredible sound for the price
Cons: some people may think the speakers are bulky
User Rating: 
3/10
Big mistake...
Pros: ...if you don't get get an HK 7200 or 525. You could do worse than this unit, but like its DS898 and 727 predecessors it doesn't measure up to the HK line.
Cons: read my comments in the pros section. Onkyo ain't bad. The bottom line is that you can do better with a Harmon Kardon AVR. I owned an Onkyo DS898 and love my HK AVR7200 much more---by FAR.
User Rating: 
8/10
More than happy
Pros: 7.1, not too pricey, more than enough power.... currently running 7 bw 600 series speakers with ease.
Cons: non really
User Rating: 
9/10
Just a great receiver at a great price!
Pros: This product is just plain excellent. I've had it for 6 months - not 1 problem. The amp is very powerful - I can get to ear-bleeding volume, with no distortion. The remote is excellent, but only 2 macros :( Plenty of hookups, including on the fron
Cons: Tuner is pretty weak, and its sounds is pretty flat, but put in a cd or dvd, even good cassette recordings - watch out! They explode! Remote has only 2 macros, but works very well. No On screen display via component outputs, and no up-conversion to com
User Rating: 8/10
Excellent System Driver
Pros: Unless you?re an electrical engineer, the SR800 has everything (settings, connections and source detection modes) you need and more for less than $1k. It has taken me a couple weeks of fiddling, but think I?ve figured out most of the bells and whistles.
Cons: There are so many settings and modes that it has taken a few weeks to understand and test them all. Bass and treble settings adjust in 2dB increments, not 1dB.
User Rating: 8/10
Great Sound, Features, and THX!!
Pros: The sound is rich and full with plenty of power. The front is much more stylish than the 601 or 701. Includes all surround formats (exception Ultra) and plenty of hookups. If you like optical digital outputs there are plenty (four). For a great price r
Cons: I wish the receiver had a set of B-speakers so i could run another pair. You only can run only 7.1 or 5.1 with a pair in another room.
User Rating: 8/10
Simply Put...The very best product for the money!!
Pros: 100 watts X 7 channels Every new sound mode available! Strong, brilliant, balanced, and reliable performance!
Cons: Difficult Setup Dated Styling
User Rating: 8/10
After set up-sounds awesome
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4/10
Onkyo TX-SR 800 SUCKS!!!
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User Rating: 10/10
many good features
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User Rating: 9/10
Simply an amazing value
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User Rating: 9/10
One of the top $1000 Receivers
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User Rating: 9/10
I was talking about the TX-SR800
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User Rating: 9/10
All the Bells and Whistles!
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User Rating: 9/10
A little tough to figure out for a novice.
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User Rating: 9/10
best thx/reciever for the buck
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User Rating: 9/10
Great Sound, Countless Features all at a Good Price!
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User Rating: 9/10
THX receiver at a great price
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User Rating: 8/10
Great Amp for the money!
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User Rating: 8/10
Good entry-level, high-end receiver
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