Which reciever Onkyo TX-SR875 or Denon 3808ci

[jakewash]

From what I have read recently the latest firmware update for the Onkyo was supposed to fix the audio issue but many are reporting it didn't help.

[shokhead]

And how does the Onkyo get the FW updates vs how the 3808 does?

[kjgarrison]

tonyvdb wrote:

Yes it makes a difference, HQV is better particularly if you are upscailing 480 or 720 video sources for straight through 1080 video it really doesn't matter.

It depends if you have a desire to listen to mp3's from your pc or stream other media. I have no need for it myself.

any of the receivers in this price range have complex setups but this is necessary if you want the flexibility.


I am fairly sure that any of the big 3 (Onkyo, Denon, Yamaha) will be easy to get support and firmware updates.
Seriously regarding Onkyo I know of several owners on here and none of us have had any of the issues mentioned. The audio delay you mention is an issue with some sat. receivers connected to the Onkyos and there is an adjustment to fix this in the menu.

Thanks!

[kjgarrison]

shokhead wrote:

And how does the Onkyo get the FW updates vs how the 3808 does?

That is the question I am most interested in. This is really a two part issue. First, how are fw's made available and distributed. Second, how is the fw actually installed (i.e., USB?)

My understanding is that leaked Onkyo fw's have been distributed online, not by Onkyo however. It would be reassuring to know that any fw was "official" and that future fw's would also be available, and neither condition appears to be met. Shlepping and driving this 50 pound beast to a service center and leaving it there for who knows how long is most undesirable for all of us, especially those of us that live an hour away from the nearest center.

I don't know if these service center interactions are included in the warranty, but I assume they would be. It's hard to understand why a company would be willing to increase it's cost of service and make service and support a negative selling point for their product.

My understanding is that Denon support is better with distribution of official fw upgrades (and maybe not even needed as much?)

[Plasmaman]

jakewash wrote:

From what I have read recently the latest firmware update for the Onkyo was supposed to fix the audio issue but many are reporting it didn't help.

Onkyo had to create a fix (which has not been officially released by Onkyo) for what was known as the "DTS bomb", certain DVD's mastered with DTS would emit a very loud sound and if playback levels were high enough, could damage speakers. Some optimistic people thought Onkyo would have included a fix for the audio delay too. From emails other people have received from Onkyo tech support, they stated the audio delay is a result of "using high quality cascaded DSP chips". Each one adds a small audio delay. Normally this is not an issue but the way Onkyo has implemented them creates a fixed delay of around 30ms. This is fixed in hardware and can't be adjusted by the user although you can trick the delay to be less by setting your speaker distance parameter to 30ft.

The firmware can be downloaded and burned to an audio CD. Using a CD player or DVD player with a digital optical connection to the receiver, you can upload the firmware to the Onkyo. Some people have reported problems doing this with certain hardware. With the Denon (asuming your ethernet connection is setup) you just go into the GUI menu and tell the receiver to check for an update.

[shokhead]

Now i thought i had read the Onkyo didn't work with a FW burnt to a disc that you had to take the receiver in to an authorized dealer. I hope i'm wrong on what i think i read.

[tonyvdb]

Yes, The Onkyo will update using a standard CDr played on a CD player.

[shokhead]

That's good.

[Nurn]

I was torn between the two receivers when I shopped around, but got worried about alleged lip synch and heat issues with the Onkyo. I know many Onkyo users have not had any problems, but it was reported enough to cause me to worry. I ended up going with the Denon 3808, and I must say that I am impressed (and to an extent also overwhelmed) by its features and capabilities. Adding it to your home network and streaming audio files (WAV, MP3 and FLAC) from your PC is a feature I didn't really consider too important at first, but now I use it as my main source for listening to music. I have no regrets.

[intelonetwo]

MatrixDweller wrote:

-Does anyone know if the quality of Dolby True HD or DTS Master HD differs from either receiver?

Trust me, your not going to be able to tell with this class of receiver.

MatrixDweller wrote:

-Does anyone know if THX labs tests for quality overall (does THX Ultra2 mean this unit is top notch all around)? Or is it just audio and video tests they do?

Keep in mind, THX is mainly a quality assurance system. A receiver not labeled as THX may perform to THX specifications. Or it may not. I trust that many higher end receiver's starting with something like the Denon 2308ci would pass THX cert. without being labeled. This is pure speculation, but the idea is sound. THX is mainly a quality assurance system.

MatrixDweller wrote:

- Is Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry (VLSC) the same as or same quality as AL24+ processing?

Pretty much. Except as pointed out by others Onkyo applies it to all channels.

MatrixDweller wrote:

-Do the Onkyo TX-SR805 have the same sound quality as the 3808?

Similar. It's going to subjective thing.

I own a 3808ci, but I have owned many Onkyo's in the past. I like Onkyo very much actually, and had a VERY difficult time deciding between the 3808ci, and the 875 from Onkyo. In the end, I decided to go with the 905 instead, because the Network audio sitaution was a factor for me. In the end, of end's I ended up with a 3808ci and haven't looked back. It has been awesome.