ONKYO 806 advice and opinions wanted

**nigelcwm** · **01-03-09, 07:37 PM**

I have just purchased an Onkyo 806 for £442 ($720) which was a bit of an impulse buy as I was really thinking of the Yamaha 863 (out of stock).
Any way since returning home I did some surfing and a few thngs concern me.

1) The DACs are Cirrus Logic 24bit/192kHz DACs not BUrr Brown .. are Cirrus as good?
2) found this comment on another site .......The 806 is NOT capable of unaltered HDMI repeating! At the very least it drops below black (even if the source is component analogue video).
Is this a problem to be concerned about or a perfectionists issue?
Any replies especially from owners of the 806 is appreciated.
Nigelcwm

Since my last post I cam a cross a thread in AVForums.com where members are experiencing Blue dots when playing 1080p DVDs through the 806. Any one come across this ? Could it be related to item 2 above? Some are suggesting a heat problem.

**JCD** · **01-04-09, 12:49 AM**

1) yes -- I may not get everyone agreeing with this one, but I think any modern day DAC is quite capable.
2) not sure about that one. It does seem to me that MAYBE someone mentioned that the signal WHEN upconverted comes through as 1080i.. but I thought a pure 1080p signal passed through unaltered. I don't know enough to really answer that one.. so I'm hoping someone else can chime in.

That being said, I haven't heard anyone complain about the blue dot thing.. but then again,I don't read much over at AVForums..

**eugovector** · **01-04-09, 01:10 PM**

Secrets of Home Theater were the ones who said that the signal didn't pass through unaltered, and I'd trust them that this is true. I believe it has something to do with the implementation of the Faroudja processing, and may not be a problem with the HQV processing in the 876 on up.

Of the concerns you mentioned, I wouldn't lose any sleep on your recent purchase and instead, focus on the fact that you got one of the best value receivers on the market (Performance to $$).

Ditto on the DACs by the way, any difference is negligible unless you have super human hearing. Read this thread: http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...tml#post136426

Also, heat is not a problem. Amps run hot, and the few folks who have had one go toast on them are in the vast minority. Sure you hear about the problems more often, because onkyo sell A LOT of AVRs. Same reason you hear about problems with Vizio TVs, more of them made means more problems, though the percentage of good units to bad is probably the same or better than Sony, Yamaha, or most other major brands.

**nigelcwm** · **01-04-09, 04:44 PM**

Thanks for the replies to date.
I connected up the 806 today and have to say that I am impressed and I have not installed the rear speakers yet.
The setup was easy using the auto setup procedure althigh I will probably mess around to see if I can get a better sound.
It is linked to a PS3 as my BlurRay player a Panasonic 42PZ81B. Currently I have not seen the blue dot problem but some comments say it can take up to a week to develop, lets hope not.
I intend to play my CDs and mp3 recordings from the PS3, I currently have the PS3 audio set to automatic and I only use the HDMI connectio.
Any one have a similar setup with suggetsed configuartion?
Just one more thing I have the 806 n the bottom shelf of a table with air all around but only about 2.5" top clearence. Is this OK?
cheers

**eugovector** · **01-04-09, 10:12 PM**

Clearance should be fine. If you plan on using audyssey setup, make sure the room is dead quiet. Turn off you air/heating fan, refrigerator, tv (some emit a high pitched squeal) and anything else that makes noise.

**nigelcwm** · **01-05-09, 03:40 AM**

I used the Audysey setup last night and it worked a dream. Of course at present only front, cemtre and sub present but the sound was very rewarding. I look forward to getting my rears and re-calibrating and getting even better sound.
On the blue dot issue I had a thought.
I use a PS3 for DVD play and as the PS3 upscales anyway if I use the pass through option the problem should not arise.
It had not appeared last night but I am not sure whjt the PS3 is set to. I will have a fiddel and report back.

**hdlvr** · **01-08-09, 05:43 PM**

I just bought an 806 and had only about 2" above the receiver.

I noticed that during Satellite viewing (up converted) the screen would go black and then come back, sometimes with different resolution. It seemed to occur more often when the receiver was WARM....so I installed a cooling fan from http://www.buyextras.com/evavcoblfanf.html .

The case is much cooler and the intermittent problem is gone.....so far...

FYI.

Tom

**nigelcwm** · **01-09-09, 05:00 PM**

I have now isntalled my surround speakers Mordaunt-Short mezzo 1 and have to sya that after playing Balck Hawck Down (dolby digital) and Batman The Dark Knight (bd dolby true) I ma impressed with the setup.
I played Black Hawk Down with the PS3 set to bitstream and the sound was amazing. The helicopter scnes sounded as if they were flying through the room. I was hearing ricochets that I did not hear on my old Sony system (big difference in speakers mind and amp so not surprising).
I played Batman with the PS3 set to LPCM, and the amp set to Multich and that was astounding. I tried THX also but preferred Mutlich.
It is well documented elswhere that the PS3 has to be set to LPCM to get the true dolby digital output via the HDMI interface. I hope, like others that a firmware upgrade might correct this.
I am currently listening to a CD of guitar music and whilst it is not high end HiFi qualioty it is very good and I have not really tweaked the amo yet.
The only problem I have now is stopping my wife asking to turn the volume down.

**JimP** · **01-09-09, 05:41 PM**

nigelcwm,

I was helping my brother setup his new 806 last week and came across a couple of things that might help you.

With its audessey setup, his 5.1 channel system sounded a tad anemic. We only used 3 test points with the calibration microphone. Turning off equalization and level setting with an SPL meter definatly was better. Since thin, I've read that you should use at least 6 test points with the calibration microphone and Audessey. I'll try that next time I'm in Florida, but even then, I'll compare it to manual settings.

**chadci** · **01-12-09, 01:27 PM**

Hey guys, I'm am going to pick up an 806 in the next few weeks. I do have a few questions.

With the on screen display. Are you able to see things like volume or output while watching a movie, game etc? All of my gear is tucked away in a closet and I can't see their faces. I would like to be able to see this sort of info.

With my current Onkyo receiver, I am able to use the 2 rear channels even if no signal is present, it just mixes it in and does it by default now. Will the 806 do this?

Does the 806 have all channel stereo? I use this mode most often for background music listening.

Anybody use the phono inuput on the 806? I have a MM cartridge, will I still need a pre-amp?

Thanks

**tonyvdb** · **01-12-09, 01:40 PM**

Quote:

chadci wrote:

With the on screen display. Are you able to see things like volume or output while watching a movie, game etc? All of my gear is tucked away in a closet and I can't see their faces. I would like to be able to see this sort of info.

It is not likely that the 806 will have volume information over HDMI (very uncommon) it will work over the component output. The menu however does work over HDMI.

Quote:

With my current Onkyo receiver, I am able to use the 2 rear channels even if no signal is present, it just mixes it in and does it by default now. Will the 806 do this?

Yes, and much more.

Quote:

Does the 806 have all channel stereo? I use this mode most often for background music listening.

Yes

Quote:

Anybody use the phono inuput on the 806? I have a MM cartridge, will I still need a pre-amp

Not sure about that one.
Are you planing on passing 1080p through the receiver from BluRay?
If so your better off getting the 805 (last years model) as the 806 dose not pass through 1080p unaltered.

**nigelcwm** · **01-12-09, 01:43 PM**

Chadci
Yes the volume is on screen whiklst playing movies, I assume it is with games but I am not a gamer so not certain. No idea about your second question. Yes it does have all ch stereo. I use it.
Don't use phono

**chadci** · **01-12-09, 02:16 PM**

Thanks guys. Everything will be 720p ( for now) I have somewhat of a unique system. I'll be running my PS3, HD A2, Dish box and Oppo machines to my monoprice 4x2 HDMI splitter just as they are right now. 1 of the outputs will continue running to my 50" plasma, while the other output ( which currently runs to my projector) will run to the 806 and then the HDMI out from the 806 to my projector. If the machine had 2 HDMI outputs and the machine would still pass a signal while turned off or even in standby I would run everything through it, but, we don't really use the audio system for the tv.

You guys lost and confused yet? I usually get that way too.

Currently I just use digital coax and tos for audio.

**Lordoftherings** · **02-08-09, 10:44 AM**

Quote:

chadci wrote:

Thanks guys. Everything will be 720p ( for now) I have somewhat of a unique system. I'll be running my PS3, HD A2, Dish box and Oppo machines to my monoprice 4x2 HDMI splitter just as they are right now. 1 of the outputs will continue running to my 50" plasma, while the other output ( which currently runs to my projector) will run to the 806 and then the HDMI out from the 806 to my projector. If the machine had 2 HDMI outputs and the machine would still pass a signal while turned off or even in standby I would run everything through it, but, we don't really use the audio system for the tv.

You guys lost and confused yet? I usually get that way too.

Currently I just use digital coax and tos for audio.

Lost and confused? Look, what you are saying is that you luv your 806, right?

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