Very Kool. I work in Crackworth also. And I know what you're sayin about by the time you get home. I usually don't even get to warm up the 990 til Friday nights for my wife and I to enjoy movie night together. Where do you work at btw?

Kingway, on Northpoint, just off exit 277. And you?

I drive for Averitt Express. So yeah, I know kingway real well. Are you sick of that construction they got on 92 yet? PITA is all I got to say about that. Luckily northpoint has a back entrance, ya know what I'm sayin?

I love the suicide merge onto 75 South from 92 @ 4:30pm. Not for the timid, although they're the ones in front of me on the ramp.

Lol, that is for sure. I've been using main st. to get back to Kennesaw because that ramp is just flat out dangerous. Plus I've seen some ugly wrecks down at the end of it. I'll try to post those pics tonight.

Hey ippo,

I have this problem and its very annoying!!! I know of atleast one other person who has posted on the subject. I home theater room is very queit and if I ever want to just read a book while relaxing in a power recline seat I have to listen to the buzzing. What you are describing is when the sub is not active (red light on front) there is a buzzing still coming from the sub (and I also assume its from the amp!). Interrestingly I don't think I notice it when the light is green (the sub is powered on and active). I have yet to call Onkyo. I should call soon because I also have something rattling inside during low rumbling bass sections of a movie (it even happens during the speaker test feature of the receiver).
I posted about my new Onkyo 990 sub making hum noise last November. I took my sub to a local Onkyo-authorized repair shop and they found that it was the transformer inside making the noise. Onkyo did not have the parts but agreed to replace it with a new one. The first replacement arrived with a dent, apparently NOT from the shipping. The 2nd one looked ok initially but the noise has so far gone up to the same level as my original one. The whole process took 4 months!!!

The noise can only be heard when it is extremely quite (say at midnight when you are alone in the room). But then I can hear it 10 feet away. I thought it was not acceptable and one of their customer service reps said there should not be any noise from the sub. That was why I decided to do the repair/exchange. It seems to me that the subs are all pretty much the same, i.e., noise from the cheap transformers used by Onkyo trying to save a buck. I am very disappointed but also tired of another exchange. I will just live with it. Bad experience!

I posted about my new Onkyo 990 sub making hum noise last November. I took my sub to a local Onkyo-authorized repair shop and they found that it was the transformer inside making the noise. Onkyo did not have the parts but agreed to replace it with a new one. The first replacement arrived with a dent, apparently NOT from the shipping. The 2nd one looked ok initially but the noise has so far gone up to the same level as my original one. The whole process took 4 months!!!

The noise can only be heard when it is extremely quite (say at midnight when you are alone in the room). But then I can hear it 10 feet away. I thought it was not acceptable and one of their customer service reps said there should not be any noise from the sub. That was why I decided to do the repair/exchange. It seems to me that the subs are all pretty much the same, i.e., noise from the cheap transformers used by Onkyo trying to save a buck. I am very disappointed but also tired of another exchange. I will just live with it. Bad experience!
That really stinks. I still am not getting any noise from the sub. Seriously though, They've got to have a new 990 sub that doesn't have anything wrong with it. I would get them to send you another one. There's noway I could live with a faulty sub. I do understand your frustration though, but you paid money to get something that's not broke. There for, onkyo should send you a sub that is not broke. Keep trying!

I've been changing receivers around and if I don't turn off the sub on my S790 system and pull the pre-out cable and if the cable end is near another cable or 120 v line the sub hums, probably similar to what you're hearing. So, its possible your getting cable noise. If you're so inclined, try changing out your cable. This is a line level signal and any old audio cable will work but a 75 ohm shielded cable may work better, it will certainly be less affected by interference.

Like Leftey says, keep at it. Good luck.

It seems to me that the subs are all pretty much the same, i.e., noise from the cheap transformers used by Onkyo trying to save a buck. I am very disappointed but also tired of another exchange. I will just live with it. Bad experience!
hmmmnnn....if switching cables doesn't work, you might consider selling it on ebay/craigslist and using the proceeds towards buying an inexpensive sub like the Bic H-100 or the AV123 X-sub, or maybe even the new elemental design A2-300. all of these guys are < $350 and offer great bang for the buck.

hmmmnnn....if switching cables doesn't work, you might consider selling it on ebay/craigslist and using the proceeds towards buying an inexpensive sub like the Bic H-100 or the AV123 X-sub, or maybe even the new elemental design A2-300. all of these guys are < $350 and offer great bang for the buck.
Come on now, your telling him he should ebay/craiglist a faulty sub. Well I guess if he disclaims in the description that it's broke (not working properly) then that would be ethical. But it probably wouldn't sell except for pennies. Whatever, the bottom line is it's not working properly and onkyo should send him a brand new sub that works plus a subwoofer cable.

The noise can only be heard when it is extremely quite (say at midnight when you are alone in the room).
some people might be able to live with this if they could get a "THX certified" sub used....

Come on now, your telling him he should ebay/craiglist a faulty sub. Well I guess if he disclaims in the description that it's broke (not working properly) then that would be ethical
i never advocating deceiving anyone. clearly, the sub is not working as it should after several attempts at resolution, and is in the OP's estimation made of "cheap transformers". why not salvage whatever small amount of $$$ he can by selling it off to someone who can live with the hum, or use it for parts?

I plan on getting Samsung HL-T6756W tv, and I'm wonder which dvd player to get. I'm not ready for hddvd or blueray, so I'm thinking something that upconverts. Do I need something that is THX to benefit the 990, will any dvd player work.
Thanks
First post

Just about any DVD player will work as long as it has a digital out of some sort (optical or coaxial). They pretty much all have at least a coaxial output anymore. Even cheapo Durabrand models do, though you might want to spring for something a bit higher up.

I've got the sony nc-85h, which is a 5 disc upconvert through hdmi. It does a pretty good job. It is also the carousel version of the nc-75h which there is a big thread on in the dvd forum, if you want to read up on it.

Hello! I may be wrong on this, but I don't believe current HDMI technology supports more than 2 channel stereo audio, which is why Onkyo is holding on going crazy putting HDMI on all their systems. Currently HDMI cannot yet carry 5.1 or above surround, which is why with an Onkyo receiver with HDMI you still need to use coax/optical for Surround decoding. Why then buy 2 HDMI cables at $50+ to go from DVD to Receiver To TV when you can use one HDMI for video to TV and your optical/coax for sound to receiver? But If I'm wrong let me know!
By they way this is a great system, best in a HTIB I've owned, the quality of sound is amazing for the price. I'm sure you can spend more money and "louder" system, but louder doesn't mean quality and that's the difference on this system, the quality is far above the price.
Owners of the HT-S990THX, question? I upgraded speakers wires from the 22 awg that comes with the sytem to 16 and noticed I now have to increase the decibels to get about the same volume output as with the 22 awg. Has anyone done that and what is the usual decibels you play your system on. Before I upgraded wires I played at -30 decibels, now I play at -12 or so. Onkyo says it's normal. I can only think of this analogy of a water hose. The wider the hose the less water pressure you get at the end, the thiner the hose the more pressure, so to compensate you have to increase water flow at the faucet. Thanks!

Hello! I may be wrong on this, but I don't believe current HDMI technology supports more than 2 channel stereo audio, which is why Onkyo is holding on going crazy putting HDMI on all their systems. Currently HDMI cannot yet carry 5.1 or above surround, which is why with an Onkyo receiver with HDMI you still need to use coax/optical for Surround decoding. Why then buy 2 HDMI cables at $50+ to go from DVD to Receiver To TV when you can use one HDMI for video to TV and your optical/coax for sound to receiver? But If I'm wrong let me know!
By they way this is a great system, best in a HTIB I've owned, the quality of sound is amazing for the price. I'm sure you can spend more money and "louder" system, but louder doesn't mean quality and that's the difference on this system, the quality is far above the price.
Owners of the HT-S990THX, question? I upgraded speakers wires from the 22 awg that comes with the sytem to 16 and noticed I now have to increase the decibels to get about the same volume output as with the 22 awg. Has anyone done that and what is the usual decibels you play your system on. Before I upgraded wires I played at -30 decibels, now I play at -12 or so. Onkyo says it's normal. I can only think of this analogy of a water hose. The wider the hose the less water pressure you get at the end, the thiner the hose the more pressure, so to compensate you have to increase water flow at the faucet. Thanks!
Many around here will tell you to calibrate your system with an spl meter. As for me I haven't yet, But I have the db setting for the sub at +1 (with the knob turned at halfway), l/c/r set at +2, back rears set at -1, left surround at +1, and right surround at 0. It all really depends on how you have you speakers placed and where you listening position is.

I also have 16-gage wire and my regular audio is set around -40 to -30 for regular TV viewing and gaming, and -25 for DVD and Blu-ray. I did calibrate with a SPL though, and most of my levels are +2-5 (though that will change based on layout and room acoustics).

Hello! I'm truly enjoying my 990. I recently got a Panasonic DMP-BD30K Blu-Ray to complement the Samsung LCD. Of course the 990 does not have HDMI, so I'm just running coax for the sound and can't really enjoy the Dolby or DTS HD sound, but I have noticed that the sound with this blu-ray through the coax is AMAZING compared with a regular DVD player. Sound is so much crispier, fuller and the rear speakers come so much cleaner. Even setting the volume on the reciever at low I can totally hear the rear/left/right so much clearer. The BD30K does not have an onboard decoder, so when I select raw DTS HD the receiver just plays 2.0, but if I select the regular DTS or on most blu-rays the Dolby TrueHD, there is an amazing noticeable difference from my previous player playing at Dolby DTS.

The question! Has anybody upgraded their 990 receiver to the SR705 or SR805 to get the HDMI option? I understand these receivers have onboard decoding thus using the ability to process the bitstream sound and I'm wondering if there would any real benefit in sound listening to True or DTS HD.

I'm not sure why the big improvement in sound from this player. It does have something called "Advanced Virtual Surround Sound" so I'm not sure if this the reason for the big improvement in sound.

I thought the 990 was great in sound, but this player has taken my home theater experience to a bigger level with this player!

Thanks!

dcontto,
Try going to the 705 forum. I do not have the HTIB, but I have recently purchased the 705, and with my Tosh A-2 the DolbyTrue HD is awesome. Look in the other forums and see wha tthey have available, as the 705 has three HDMI and one HDMI output. Hooking
up your Panny BD30K, well you can then see what teh sound difference is!!!

I know I'm reviving a super old thread. I'm not normally into HTIB.. I'm pretty happy with my Denon 4806CI (yes, yes, I know but I use a PS3 for my decoder right now) and infinitys.

Recently, though, after CC's all liquidated out locally, one of the companies that bought up a bunch of their inventory had several of the 990THXs, still in the box they let go. For a small HT, I picked one up, still sealed in the box, nice, for $400. It just seemed like too good of a deal to pass.

I had to open the box up to unbox it and load it up into my car.. and was pleasantly surprised at the heft to it.

I'm generally one who downplays HTIB. And, I see the arguments against in this thread and the general snide attitude toward HTIB. Then again, I often think such commentary is kind of ridiculous... how many also run a HTPC, wihch is nowhere near audiophile standards by any means.. and how many spend time watching DiVX videos thrown out through their HTPC :)

Anyway, back to the 990THX.. for $400, I can't think of anything I could have assembled that would have come remotely close to the performance. Not even in the same league. This is easily a HTIB in a totally different category then the normal crap I've heard that I would out of hand dismiss. Would I put up $1,000, the original asking price for it? No. But at $400.. I don't know if there is a better value to be had.

For $400 thats a great deal. Radioshack in the caribbean has them still for the converted U$ MSRP (~$1000). The HT-S990THX has a close resembalance to the newer
HT-S9100THX speaker wise. I mistaken the two models. Same wattage, dimensions, material and acoustic suspension type design- except for the 990THX sub which states the Maximum Output Power: 230 watts (Dynamic Power) versus the 9100THX sub as 290W. No HDMI connects kind of turns me off, but it does sound really great and the BluRay player can handle HDMI and upconvert std DVDs. I'll have to decide tomorrow if it's really worth it.

This system sounds amazing. Hook up was a breeze, all the wires color coded, but toting the 143lbs package from store to car, and car to inside home was a challenge. Speaking of wires, the ones supplied really do need to be changed. They are very thin (21 awg). But for $1K, a pre-complied system out of the box....this is a great sounding system. The amp in the 990THX is better than that of the 9100THX. However, there is a point when increasing volume on the reciever past -13 db the loudness is no longer percieved. And the lack of HDMI is a bummer. However, popping in the THX Demo Disc II supplied shows off what a great speaker/ reciever package this is. A reciever upgrade in the future will cure the hdmi and HD audio formats deficiency.

I have recently got my hands on a used HT-S990THX system, picked it up for 200$ in craigslist . Speakers are not in the best condition, center left has tweeter cone damage and enclosure damage. Right now i am just using the system as a 2.1 with the surrounds connected to fronts (surrounds look to be in the best condition and also i noticed that the surrounds had a bigger woofer than the fronts). So any good replacement fronts suggestions for this receiver ?
The main application for me is to use the receiver as a headphone amp and listen to 96khz PCM FLAC from my PC S/PDIF out. I havent purchased the cans yet ( i left my HD595s with my sister and am planning to move to a HD 650). So i thought that ill just get a good pair of front speakers in the meantime and use it as a 2.1 setup for my computer ( fronts on both sides of the PC monitor 2/3 feet from me ). I was looking for small bookshelf speakers or passive studio monitors. So far i have looked at the following options

1. Behringer B2030P or 2031P
2. KRK R6 Passivs
3. Polk monitor 30
4. polk 105s
5. Infinity 152s
6. Klipsch b3s

(linearity and coloring is not an issue for me, but near field performance is . . as i am sitting very close to the speakers, )

I was looking for under 200$ per pair . . . dont wanna spend more cause i know the senns are gonna cost me around 400 soo . .kinda on a budget:(

Thanks

bump . . . and am i in the wrong area ?

Should this be in the speaker section ?

bump . . . and am i in the wrong area ?

Should this be in the speaker section ?

Sure, see speakers here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=89).