Onkyo T-4555S Multi Platform Tuner (Silver) Review

OK, if you need a tuner and you don't want to be caught with your pants down, format-wise, then this is the one you want. AM, FM, RDS, Sirius, XM, and HD-Radio (which I LOVE!), this tuner can do them all! Operation has been flawless, with the added perk of remote control of pretty much every function. It seems well built for the money, as all Onkyo products are, in my experience. Sound quality is very good to my ears, but then again, I don't have a $3000 Magnum Dynalab tuner to compare it to! All in all, a very high value product.

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Onkyo HT-RC160 7.2-Channel A/V Surround Home Theater Receiver Review

I bought the Onkyo HT-RC 160 to replace a Yamaha that I liked very much but did not have HDMI inputs. This receivers 5 HDMI inputs should handle most applications and switches flawlessly between the various inputs. I chose the Onkyo primarily because the current Yamaha remotes are ridiculous - who can really navigate that many tiny buttons? I love that I could re-name the various inputs both on the receiver and on screen; now if only one could re-name the remote labels. One thing I don't like is that after selecting an input, you have to search for the receiver to control it including, turning it off. The receiver button should be in a prominent location. So should the mute button. Another problem is connecting speaker wires to the extremely closely spaced terminals. (Yes, banana plugs would take care of that, but I have not had success connecting the plugs to the speaker wires. Another minor problem occurred with the excellent speaker setup. I have an old surround sound setup. As such, I have two speakers mounted on the wall above the front main speakers, but no speakers on the side wall, and speakers on the back wall. The Onkyo set up did not recognize this until I reconnected the front wall speakers to the side surround terminals. Then the setup was very easy and produced great sound from my mix of speakers. Overall, I am very pleased with the Onkyo HT-RC 160.


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Onkyo TX-SR875S 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver Review

Excellent unit...excellent sound reproduction. The unit has a 1080p upconversion for your Plasma TV. I deem it a great buy, and very feature rich.

I am no amplifier geek, but I can tell you that I have connected a lot of equipment to this unit and it functions very well.

Disadvantages: 1) High heat output. 2) When connecting the video output to the TV, there is a time delay in getting the video signal to the TV when the system turns on. 3) The unit is heavy.

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Onkyo UWL1S Wireless USB Audio Transport (White) Review

It couldn't be easier to set up, just plug and play. Music sounds great and is uncompressed. Makes it so easy to listen to iTunes through your stereo without having to hook anything up. And it's small too so you can take it with you anywhere.

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Onkyo A-9555S Integrated Digital Stereo Amplifier (Silver) Review

See my full review posted at www.audioasylum.com for the complete descrition. Ths amp in my 20k system really shined. Onkyo is to be commended for building an amplifier of this qualit at this price level. I said it in my review. A new classic iis born.

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Onkyo A-5VL A-5VL Integrated Stereo Amplifier Review

Beneath the A-5VL's slim and elegant exterior lies a surprising amount of amplification muscle. You might wonder how Onkyo managed to incorporate the functionality of a pre- and power amp into such a slender integrated package. The key is the A-5VL's extremely energy-efficient design. Because it produces much less heat than a typical amplifier, the A-5VL requires only a small heat sink. This leaves ample space for a range of precision-crafted audiophile-grade parts, such as specially audio-tuned capacitors and thick, low-impedance copper bus plates. The A-5VL employs Onkyo's exclusive VLSC™ technology to ensure a smooth, pulse noise-free signal during conversion from digital to analog. You'll enjoy precise and faithful reproduction of any audio source, whether it's a CD, a tuner, or a turntable. As the A-5VL is also compatible with Onkyo's optional RI (remote interactive) Docks for the iPod, you also have the convenience of controlling playback of your iPod via the amplifier's remote controller.







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Onkyo TX-SR876 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Silver) Review

I've been an Onkyo owner for almost 20 years, and sadly, in a recent move, my original Onkyo receiver from around 1990 got dropped and totally destroyed. Turns out that was good for me, since it gave me the excuse to pick up the 876.

I won't repeat what all the other positive reviewers have said previously other than to summarize: this is an outstanding piece of equipment for audio and video applications at a really great price. That said, as many reviewers have noted, it sure does run hot (as pretty much every high-powered amp or receiver does), so it does pay to add external cooling to the unit if you plan on installing it in an enclosed cabinet. I found that the Antec Low Profile AV Component Cooler for Media PC Home Theater Products works particularly well with Onkyo receivers. My AV components are in a glass-front AV cabinet in full view in the living room, and the housing of the Antec Cooler has a very similar look to Onkyo AV components (all the way down to similar blue LEDs on the front) and fits in perfectly. The Antec unit is only a few inches tall and sits on top of the receiver; it has downward facing inlet ports and rear-facing fan ducts, so it sucks heat right away from the receiver and blows it out the back of the cabinet. Very nice addition.

Just an aside: I noticed some reviewers docked a few stars from this receiver for the heat issue. Everybody's got their own opinion, but if you're looking for an AVR that delivers 140W to 7 channels and has extremely sophisticated audio and video processing, well, you're going to get something that runs hot, whether it's from Denon, Marantz, Yamaha or whoever. I wish it were cooler myself, but I find it hard to rate this lower just because it obeys the laws of physics and gets a little warm. Therefore: 5 stars. Highly recommended.

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