The "Official" Onkyo TX-SR705 Thread [Text View] - Page 7

woots

09-23-07, 12:48 PM

Interesting. All four CCs within a 30 mile radius of here have the 705 in stock. I just got back from the nearest one with a page printout of the price over at BH Photo.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com
Heres how the conversation went:

SM: Can I help you?
Me: Yes. I am very interested in this rv. Can you price match to this? (I hand him my printout)
SM: Let me ask my manager.
MNGR: (asking the salesman) Is this a local store?
SM: No. But it is a brick & mortar company in New York and they are an authorized dealer.
MNGR: Quickly glances at me with a smear and hands the printout back to the salesman. "Nope". Then quickly walks off without any further acknowledgement.

The manager did absolutely nothing to get the sale -didn't even try to negotiate with me. And now I hear about the deal CC had last month -and it was significantly cheaper than the pm I was asking for! It seems like he could have easily done the PM for me. He certainly didn't have to be so stand-offish. Do I have a right to be upset here?

Don't get so discouraged buddy. You cant win them all, but don't stop trying to get price matches and get things done your way with retailers.

You need to do your homework 1st, on their website they say they cant match other online retailers. However, I know there have been people here on the forums to get a amazon.com pricematch from CC earlier in this thread.. so its a matter of luck and finesse. Next time you do this.. don't let the salesmen run off to the manager (thats a car sales trick), get the manager to come to you so he cant say no and run away like a wimp.

Also try this stuff:

There are ways to manipulate people do what your want. However, if the situation is stressful to you, you may not take all the proper steps (without practice).

I try my best to get into a dominant but mellow mind state and lock in on that. The whole time remember to remain very very persistent (don't leave until you get what you want) and talk in circles until they crack mentally (this is totally the opposite of logic.. but for use as a manipulation tool it does wonders.. cause it makes them get stressful and they make foolish decisions and give you what they don't want to give you.. then they can go home that night and have regrets instead of you.)

Its just very important to never start shouting and get into the red zone.. that makes people want to hate you and want to fight, once you trigger that fight mode in them, they will not budge, you need to stay calm and persistent (people with skill in these techniques can use comedy even to soothe the tension and make people loosen up.. I myself have not mastered the use of comedy yet.. but working on it... maybe when I make it to 80 years old I will be there. :) )

Also, be willing in the back of your mind to be flexible in the worse case scenario (if you know you lost the test of wills, don't leave empty handed, get something). They may not really want to drop the price to what you want, but maybe they can get close (If your gonna lose, do it with grace).

If you remember to stay relaxed the entire time it will help you not to be stressed out, which in turn makes all these techniques work smoother. Also, remember to sit aside a full day worth of time when you are prepared to ever negotiate. If you are not ready to go the extra mile you may fail (unless you get lucky.. which happens too). Walk in and walk out happens sometimes.(only when you get lucky enough to get a weak willed person behind the counter or someone who has contempt for their job and cares less if they lose the companies money.)

binister

09-23-07, 03:27 PM

lad578

09-23-07, 03:53 PM

When I change channels on my Comcast cable box I notice my 705 displays "Dialog normali +/- N" where sometimes it is +4 and other times it is -2.

Does anyone know where this can be disabled or how it works? I can't find any information on how it determines which level differential to use.
I am also interested to find out what eactly it is ; I think I read a while ago in this thread ( think mrgribbles mentioned what it means- could be someone else); but can't seem to remember exactly what it is. This thread is so long now it's not easy to find anything easily, and keyword search didn't help either.

Anyhow, if I remember right it's the receiver's way to normalize dialog so that you don't get blasted by different audio settings from different channels (you know how some channels have their audio higher than others). Sometimes it even works for certain obnoxious commercials that are like a few dBs higher than normal programming.

I don't know if there is a way to turn it off or what criteria the receiver uses to determine to increase or decrease the dB. I am sure one of the smart guys we have on here will know the answer :) . For all I know it could be one of the numerous features of HDMI specs, don't think it happened when I had the cable audio via TosLink.

garypen

09-23-07, 04:11 PM

garypen

09-23-07, 04:18 PM

Also, remember to sit aside a full day worth of time when you are prepared to ever negotiate. Perhaps it's worth a full day of my time for the savings I may encounter when purchasing a big ticket item, like a car. But, I am not spending more than an hour or two trying to negotiate a hundred or two dollars of the price of a CE item.

In fact, if one spends that hour or two on the Internet, they are bound to find a better price, without having to pay the local sales tax they would at the local store. (A reason I generally avoid the CC and BB web sites, as well their mostly terrible prices.) Even if I knew about and got the $550 price from CC, it would have been $595 with tax, and only $35 cheaper than what I paid via the Web. Not worth my time to spend arguing with a store manager.

The best electronic prices from authorized dealers without paying sales tax are generally found at Amazon, Vann's, JandR, and One Call. And, each will normally match the others' prices, if need be. (Amazon doesn't price-match, tho.)

Rolls-Royce

09-23-07, 04:20 PM

Dialogue normalization is set by a flag in the Dolby Digital stream (and maybe DTS as well), and there is no way to turn it off.

arbitrage000

09-23-07, 04:32 PM

Dialogue normalization is set by a flag in the Dolby Digital stream (and maybe DTS as well), and there is no way to turn it off.

Thanks, I was just about to ask this same question and surprise someone just asked it. Weird:cool:

afrotropic

09-23-07, 04:51 PM

domingos1965

09-23-07, 07:28 PM

I Noticed that on the onkyo u can 't set he speakers to "small".
i have ascend acoustics 340SE'S .which crossover is considered "small" ?

lad578

09-23-07, 08:48 PM

It happens via SPDIF as well. (I have my Comcast DCH3416 connected via optical to the 705)

It seems to me like the auto balance of center channel, or whatever it is, should only happen in certain enhanced surround format settings. I'm not sure why it happens in DD5.1.

At the very least, there should be a way to disable it. (There probably is somewhere.)
If it's happening via optical then it has to be a DD specification; it's just strange that I have never seen that on my old receiver (Kenwood VR-716) via DD or DTS. It may also be that Onkyo reports this event whereas other receivers just do it without giving any indication to the user/viewer.

lad578

09-23-07, 08:56 PM

I am successfully using my new '705 by switching HDMI from my Comcast 8300HD STB to a Sony TV with DVI input. HDMI-DVI cable from the '705 to the TV.

However, when I try to switch a HDMI ready Panasonic DVD/VCR combo (DMREZ47K) with the '705, I get no video on the Sony. If I connect the HDMI-DVI cable directly from the Panny to the TV, I get video.

I tried two different (Monster & Acoustic Research)HDMI-HDMI cables from the Panny to the '705 w/o luck. I do not have the HDMI cable that came with the Panny but have asked the seller on Ebay to send it to me. The Panny switches and works just fine when I use the componnent input to the '705.

Is there any chance I just need to get the correct HDMI cable or am I SOL?
There has been a few reported issues between STB and HDMI repeaters. I have seen this first hand with my DCT3416 going to a 705; the STB will reset itself to the factory default (in my case 720P) which my TV doesn't support so I will have sound on the receiver but no video. Only affects HD channels, SD (480i/p) is never affected in my case. Didn't have this issue when I didn't have the 705 in the equation.

You can go into the the STP menu (power off + menu) to see if your output resolution is being reset. Good luck :)

namenotinuse

09-23-07, 09:15 PM

I don't know if this helps you but I am taking the OUT HDMI from the Onkyo into a cheap manual switch and running it to two different TVs and that works fine. So you can use a switch for the video after the complete signal with audio goes to the Onkyo.

Thanks, this is interesting. Silly question - is your switch specifically for 1 to 2 or are you using a 2 to 1 in reverse (is this possible)? Can it be used both ways?

OhioLefty

09-23-07, 09:34 PM

There has been a few reported issues between STB and HDMI repeaters. I have seen this first hand with my DCT3416 going to a 705; the STB will reset itself to the factory default (in my case 720P) which my TV doesn't support so I will have sound on the receiver but no video. Only affects HD channels, SD (480i/p) is never affected in my case. Didn't have this issue when I didn't have the 705 in the equation.

You can go into the the STP menu (power off + menu) to see if your output resolution is being reset. Good luck :)

What??? I have an Onkyo TX-SR705 connected to a Motorola DCH-3416 DVR via HDMI and then connected to a Sony KDL-46XBR3 via HDMI as well and have absolutely no issues. I just tried it and my box stayed on 1080i. Not sure what the difference is other than my STB is a DCH-3416 and not a DCT-3416.

afrotropic

09-23-07, 10:27 PM

What??? I have an Onkyo TX-SR705 connected to a Motorola DCH-3416 DVR via HDMI and then connected to a Sony KDL-46XBR3 via HDMI as well and have absolutely no issues. I just tried it and my box stayed on 1080i. Not sure what the difference is other than my STB is a DCH-3416 and not a DCT-3416.

There has been a few reported issues between STB and HDMI repeaters. I have seen this first hand with my DCT3416 going to a 705; the STB will reset itself to the factory default (in my case 720P) which my TV doesn't support so I will have sound on the receiver but no video. Only affects HD channels, SD (480i/p) is never affected in my case. Didn't have this issue when I didn't have the 705 in the equation.

You can go into the the STP menu (power off + menu) to see if your output resolution is being reset. Good luck :)

lad578,

Are you saying that resetting my STB will have an effect on the Panasonic Combo connected to the '705?
The signal from my STB through the '705 to the Sony TV is OK (HDMI-HDMI from the STB to the '705 & HDMI-DVI from the '705 to the TV). The Panny VCR/DVD connected to the '705 HDMI2 input is the one that does not come through to the TV (HDMI-HDMI from the Combo to the '705 & [same] HDMI-DVI from the '705 to the TV).

As I posted earlier, I was able to go direct from the Panasonic Combo to the TV. I have my STB set to 1080i.

warlord260

09-23-07, 11:05 PM

I Noticed that on the onkyo u can 't set he speakers to "small".
i have ascend acoustics 340SE'S .which crossover is considered "small" ?

i also have the 340ses. at first i crossed them at 80, which is considered small. i am now trying the fronts set at 60. i think i like the 60 better, seems to blend with the subs. it all depends on your set-up, subs,. by the way the ascends are an awesome speaker. i love mine. enjoy!

warlord260

09-23-07, 11:11 PM

domingo1965, dont you have the ed a5-350? also the 705, and now the ascends. our set-ups are very similar. let me know how you like the sub. i opted for a pair of a2-300s, different school of thought but very similar.

woots

09-23-07, 11:18 PM

Perhaps it's worth a full day of my time for the savings I may encounter when purchasing a big ticket item, like a car. But, I am not spending more than an hour or two trying to negotiate a hundred or two dollars of the price of a CE item.

In fact, if one spends that hour or two on the Internet, they are bound to find a better price, without having to pay the local sales tax they would at the local store. (A reason I generally avoid the CC and BB web sites, as well their mostly terrible prices.) Even if I knew about and got the $550 price from CC, it would have been $595 with tax, and only $35 cheaper than what I paid via the Web. Not worth my time to spend arguing with a store manager.

The best electronic prices from authorized dealers without paying sales tax are generally found at Amazon, Vann's, JandR, and One Call. And, each will normally match the others' prices, if need be. (Amazon doesn't price-match, tho.)

I do agree spending 8 hours for 150 bucks is nuts and something like a 8 hour negotiation is better left up to things large purchases like buying cars. At the same time if you are a froogle shopper looking to negotiate with brick and mortar establishments you have to be willing to back it up with the sticktoitiveness to go that extra mile no matter how long it takes. If you are in middle of trying to get a lower price and realize you need to get back to work and your lunch break is over... prolly was a bad time to try to negotiate... better to save it for the weekend. Time is money though.. just remember not everyones time is worth the same amount of money!

I also agree an ounce of price shopping research can save you a ton of time.

I myself bought this unit for 675 from cc (with discount coupons) the 1st week it came out. Which was a good price at the time compared to online retailers. I already knew a few days before people managed to buy it for 494 from CC with 4 hour sales plus lots of discounts stacking up. Even knowing that fact 175 bucks wasn't not worth me haggling over all day or running around time, I was comfortable with that price and willing to pay it.

It wasn't until they had another 4 hour sale and a forum member posted a print out of the 550 deal to all the members here who requested it. I got lucky and walked in got my 550 price match and got back my money with very little need of arguing. In the end I am happy I bought locally cause of that. Not to mention I hate buying pricier electronics online. When things fail its a pain in the neck to re-box things buy postage and then back wait until a new item gets back to me.

lad578

09-24-07, 02:03 AM

garypen

09-24-07, 02:21 AM

My DCH has never reset. It stays where I set it. But, I don't have it connected to the 705 via HDMI. I connect it directly to my HDTV via HDMI, and to the 705 via component and optical, then on to the projector.

GlenH

09-24-07, 03:25 AM

Don't get so discouraged buddy. You cant win them all, but don't stop trying to get price matches and get things done your way with retailers.

You need to do your homework 1st, on their website they say they cant match other online retailers. However, I know there have been people here on the forums to get a amazon.com pricematch from CC earlier in this thread.. so its a matter of luck and finesse. Next time you do this.. don't let the salesmen run off to the manager (thats a car sales trick), get the manager to come to you so he cant say no and run away like a wimp.

Also try this stuff:

There are ways to manipulate people do what your want. However, if the situation is stressful to you, you may not take all the proper steps (without practice).

I try my best to get into a dominant but mellow mind state and lock in on that. The whole time remember to remain very very persistent (don't leave until you get what you want) and talk in circles until they crack mentally (this is totally the opposite of logic.. but for use as a manipulation tool it does wonders.. cause it makes them get stressful and they make foolish decisions and give you what they don't want to give you.. then they can go home that night and have regrets instead of you.)

Its just very important to never start shouting and get into the red zone.. that makes people want to hate you and want to fight, once you trigger that fight mode in them, they will not budge, you need to stay calm and persistent (people with skill in these techniques can use comedy even to soothe the tension and make people loosen up.. I myself have not mastered the use of comedy yet.. but working on it... maybe when I make it to 80 years old I will be there. :) )

Also, be willing in the back of your mind to be flexible in the worse case scenario (if you know you lost the test of wills, don't leave empty handed, get something). They may not really want to drop the price to what you want, but maybe they can get close (If your gonna lose, do it with grace).

If you remember to stay relaxed the entire time it will help you not to be stressed out, which in turn makes all these techniques work smoother. Also, remember to sit aside a full day worth of time when you are prepared to ever negotiate. If you are not ready to go the extra mile you may fail (unless you get lucky.. which happens too). Walk in and walk out happens sometimes.(only when you get lucky enough to get a weak willed person behind the counter or someone who has contempt for their job and cares less if they lose the companies money.)

GREAT post woots! I'm saving this to share w/ some of my employees (art of persuasion). Any good books you can recommend on this topic?

kmeleon

09-24-07, 07:19 AM

I played some music for the first time on the 705 yesterday off of my Sonos system. I am using B&W 603's and they sound very tinny:( My old Onkyo 702 sounded better in my opinion. The Audessey EQ settings seems to cause a lot of it, once I set it to Manual and tuned it a bit it seemed better. Is there a way to only use the Audessey EQ settings when using the HDMI inputs? It seems its all or nothing, as far as the EQ settings go. Any ideas, because at this point if I can't make it sound more to my liking I very well might give a Pioneer 92 a shot before the return period is up.

price3

09-24-07, 10:35 AM

I Noticed that on the onkyo u can 't set he speakers to "small".
i have ascend acoustics 340SE'S .which crossover is considered "small" ?

Basically the "small" setting that some receivers use sends all the bass below a certain point to the subwoofer. In the 705, anything other than "FULL" would work like the small setting. If your speakers can go pretty low, you may want to try something other than 80 like 60 or so. My axioms roll off pretty smoothly down low so the Audessey sets them to full range even though they are bookshelves. I went in and manually changed the setting to 80hz, but may experiment with 60.

grubavs

09-24-07, 10:53 AM

I do agree spending 8 hours for 150 bucks is nuts and something like a 8 hour negotiation is better left up to things large purchases like buying cars.--snip--
Off topic, but when buying a new car I don't waste more than about 15-minutes per dealer. I research the price on line, go to a dealer, offer the salesman my price, allow him one trip to "the manager", inform him that for every subsequent trip my price drops by $200, and say PUT UP OR SHUT UP. Any balking and I walk out never to return unless the salesmen stops me to accept my price (once the saleman called me later in the day to accept my offer, but I had already purchased from another dealer). There's a million car dealers...

mrgribbles

09-24-07, 11:02 AM

OT also, but personally, I enjoy the "squatting on the floor with beads and blankets" routine. Nothing like a good old fashioned red-faced offer!!. If they don't like the deal, they're not going to kill you and eat you, I think?

grubavs

09-24-07, 11:05 AM

dropzone7

09-24-07, 11:18 AM

Basically the "small" setting that some receivers use sends all the bass below a certain point to the subwoofer. In the 705, anything other than "FULL" would work like the small setting. If your speakers can go pretty low, you may want to try something other than 80 like 60 or so. My axioms roll off pretty smoothly down low so the Audessey sets them to full range even though they are bookshelves. I went in and manually changed the setting to 80hz, but may experiment with 60.

Just curious but is "Price" your last name?

shrake

09-24-07, 11:49 AM

mrgribbles

09-24-07, 11:52 AM

In setup --> hardware --> HDMI : Set Audio Out to NO. Page 95 in the manual.

krotchy

09-24-07, 11:54 AM

I have a TX-SR705 receiver, a Sharp 52" Aquos (92u), a Hi-def DVR cablebox, and a Phillips 1080p (compatible) DVD player, all hooked up via HDMI (v1.3 certified) cables. I went through the auto speaker calibration and set the "Monitor Out" to "Yes" (so I see onscreen menus), and set the input/outputs to point to the HDMI jacks. I get video with no problem from both cable box and DVD player, but THERE IS NO SOUND! I spent about 2 hours looking through all the settings on the receiver, tv, cablebox and DVD player, but nothing worked. I finally plugged in a standard stere RCA cable from the "Audio Out" jacks on the cablebox to the "CBL/SAT" audio in jacks on the receiver and sound came through! I thought HDMI was supposed to carry video AND audio! Is there something I'm missing?? Please help!

You have to set the audio to the correct HDMI port, it is not enabled by default if I remember correctly. IIRC it was one of the "Digital Input" selections in the control panel of the reciever. Make sure you setup the Video to HDMI first and then HDMI audio should appear as a digital input.

shrake

09-24-07, 12:06 PM

You have to set the audio to the correct HDMI port, it is not enabled by default if I remember correctly. IIRC it was one of the "Digital Input" selections in the control panel of the reciever. Make sure you setup the Video to HDMI first and then HDMI audio should appear as a digital input.

I can see "HDMI -> IN2" (I plugged cable box in HDMI2) when I press the "Digital Input" button. It flashes "HDMI" for a few seconds then settles into "PCM" audio. The manual says to hold the "Digital Input" button for 3 seconds to set it to "Auto" (and other options), but I don't see that. Any other suggestions? Is there a support phone number for Onkyo (US)?

shrake

09-24-07, 12:07 PM

In setup --> hardware --> HDMI : Set Audio Out to NO. Page 95 in the manual.

Hmm. I don't recall seeing that when I was trying everything I could think of. I'll give it a shot tonight when I get home. Thank you.

woots

09-24-07, 01:45 PM

GREAT post woots! I'm saving this to share w/ some of my employees (art of persuasion). Any good books you can recommend on this topic?

TY and I am glad this was helpful to someone. I remember earlier in this post some others saying they didn't feel comfortable enough go in and get that discount. My commentary was aimed at anyone on the fence about going back and getting that discount.

Here are some books I have read over the last 10+ years that I respect quite a bit.

Dale Carnegie: Win Friends and Influence People
This is older book but transcends generations on the topic he speaks about. It is very practical, level minded, common sense kinda book... great read for anyone looking to learn the subtle arts of persuasion. It is also a book aimed at learning how to be an effective leader and or manager.)

Zig Ziglar: The Secrets of Closing the Sale
Obviously this is directed at salesmen, but this book can educate non salesmen on salesmen techniques. This also is a book teaching the arts of persuasion. Car salesmen are sometimes given this book to learn the art of selling cars. For non salesmen to know these tricks can put you back into control of a situation by being able to spot forceful and passive persuasion tactics.

Stephen Covey: Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People
This one teaches you 7 habit mind set to succeed in all things in life (sales too). You may have heard the terms, "Sharpen the saw" or "Synergize" this is the book those expressions came from.

I could list books all day here. I will cap this list off to just these 3, they are classics in the topics of sales, management, and self help. They are all amazing reads. Dale Carnegie is by far my favorite since its such an open ended book on how to persuade people and make friends. Just mentioning these books again makes me want to dig them out of my bookshelf and give them a read again.

Hope this helps.

Nobby74

09-24-07, 01:50 PM

kmeleon

09-24-07, 01:58 PM

woots

09-24-07, 02:01 PM

Off topic, but when buying a new car I don't waste more than about 15-minutes per dealer. I research the price on line, go to a dealer, offer the salesman my price, allow him one trip to "the manager", inform him that for every subsequent trip my price drops by $200, and say PUT UP OR SHUT UP. Any balking and I walk out never to return unless the salesmen stops me to accept my price (once the saleman called me later in the day to accept my offer, but I had already purchased from another dealer). There's a million car dealers...

I agree we are getting way off topic, my original post was to hopefully give some tools to anyone on the fence about getting that 705 discount from CC or trying to get the managers to budge.

Yes being rigid and hard knuckled can be an extremely effective persuasion tool. It only works though when you have lots of options to bounce around all day. If there is only 1-2 dealerships in town that has the car you want with all the options you desire you have to try other techniques. Also, if you buy a luxury car like that you may only have 1-3 dealers in your whole city selling that kind of car you have to try other things too.

To stop the focus of this thread from going any further off topic.

I did not mean imply that my comments work for all scenarios or are applicable to all scenarios. We are all grown folk here, apply them as your wisdom tells you (or not at all). There is also plenty of things I didn't mention that will work just as effective, possibly more, given each unique situation.

Sorry about drifting this post off topic... back to the 705!

dropzone7

09-24-07, 02:08 PM

Man this sucks looking at my unplugged 705 on the floor and no speakers. Everything is ordered and hopefully I will have sound by the weekend.

woots

09-24-07, 02:11 PM

I've been running these speakers with 5 ohms for about 3 weeks now. My question is I saw somewhere in the speaker setup of a ohm switch. Either 4 or 6 ohms, currently I have it set to 6 ohms. The receiver doesn't seem to run any hotter than my old TX-SR600.

Would 4 ohms make the unit run cooler?

Also, I am debating to place a fan unit ontop of the receiver preferably the volume side blowing into the unit just to run things a little cooler.

What are your thoughts experts?

Ohm question:
Rigging a 4 ohm receiver to run 8 ohm speakers can actually cause it to run cooler by reducing the amount of amperage the speakers effectively get. Going the other way I do not believe will create the same effect.

Fan question:
I use a 120 mm fan on the back right top of my onkyo 705. I do not blow air into the electronics. I vent them out. Blowing air "into" electronics is only ever a good idea if you know the air can flow unobstructed to a vent on the other side. Otherwise all blowing air into a unit does is holds down a blanket of hot air from escaping and creates a higher ambient heat temp internally and can effect other components that previously may not have been at such risk. Its better to vent the hot air away from the unit when you do not have a air flow path from one side to the other. (I have mine sucking air up and out away from the 705). Doing this I get close to a 20 degree temp drop.

woots

09-24-07, 02:11 PM

Man this sucks looking at my unplugged 705 on the floor and no speakers. Everything is ordered and hopefully I will have sound by the weekend.

I feel your pain I had my speakers and 705 setup for an entire week before my cables came. :D

Rygar

09-24-07, 02:22 PM

Nobby74

09-24-07, 02:29 PM

Ohm question:
Rigging a 4 ohm receiver to run 8 ohm speakers can actually cause it to run cooler by reducing the amount of amperage the speakers effectively get. Going the other way I do not believe will create the same effect.

Fan question:
I use a 120 mm fan on the back right top of my onkyo 705. I do not blow air into the electronics. I vent them out. Blowing air "into" electronics is only ever a good idea if you know the air can flow unobstructed to a vent on the other side. Otherwise all blowing air into a unit does is holds down a blanket of hot air from escaping and creates a higher ambient heat temp internally and can effect other components that previously may not have been at such risk. Its better to vent the hot air away from the unit when you do not have a air flow path from one side to the other. (I have mine sucking air up and out away from the 705). Doing this I get close to a 20 degree temp drop.
so you're saying I should run it at 4 instead of 6 ohms?

woots

09-24-07, 02:32 PM

Hey guys I just got an A20 toshiba for an insane cheap price (open box) after asking in the HDDVD forum i was told to setup the player as PCM. I have the 705 what that should be set at?

multichannel pcm is what the onkyo is displaying 96hz? is that correct?

Is it using all 7 speakers i have or i have to switch to to DD EX or THX 7.1?

Also I understand the a20 is not going to be able to pass the HBR sounds as the A3 series, will there be a significant improvement in sound between the 2?

Am sorry for the dump questions am a nub :)

thank you

On that series of player its better to keep your player on PCM so that the high bit rate audio formats decode in the player and get sent to your receiver. You do get some more control by switching to bitstream on some discs. I typically just keep it on PCM and occasionally flip it over to bitstream every now and then to see if I am missing something.

That model of hd dvd player will never do the Ture HD/DTS HD MA to the receiver like your said. However, the XA2 of series 2 will get a firmware update allow this function when the series 3 comes out too. Something to think about if you were looking at spending a lil more for the XA2 model instead.

The question about does it sound better when your receiver decodes it vs the player... from what I have read on the Blu Ray side with the latest players.. True HD sounds about the same... however, DTS HD MA sounds considerably better. I am not sure if this applies to HD DVD's too... I am just going to guess yes for now.

Rygar

09-24-07, 02:37 PM

On that series of player its better to keep your player on PCM so that the high bit rate audio formats decode in the player and get sent to your receiver. You do get some more control by switching to bitstream on some discs. I typically just keep it on PCM and occasionally flip it over to bitstream every now and then to see if I am missing something.

That model of hd dvd player will never do the Ture HD/DTS HD MA to the receiver like your said. However, the XA2 of series 2 will get a firmware update allow this function when the series 3 comes out too. Something to think about if you were looking at spending a lil more for the XA2 model instead.

The question about does it sound better when your receiver decodes it vs the player... from what I have read on the Blu Ray side with the latest players.. True HD sounds about the same... however, DTS HD MA sounds considerably better. I am not sure if this applies to HD DVD's too... I am just going to guess yes for now.

thank you woots... man i always loved how DTS sounds I guess i jsut have to wait till holiday season to use it as an excuse to upgrade to the 3 series...

thx again :)

warlord260

09-24-07, 03:17 PM

Man this sucks looking at my unplugged 705 on the floor and no speakers. Everything is ordered and hopefully I will have sound by the weekend.

i feel your pain. not long ago i had rec. bdp, and tv stand all sitting in boxes, taunting me for a full 12 days while i awaited my plasma. it was ugly, i was having issues. on the bright side your waiting for the ascends. when i got my ascends delivered to my work they showed up 2 hrs. before i got off. without a doubt the longest 2 hrs. of my life.

woots

09-24-07, 03:59 PM

so you're saying I should run it at 4 instead of 6 ohms?

No I'm saying running them at 4 isn't going to cool the amp (i think that only works the other way around). Home stereo equipment is traditionally 8 ohm. I would set your speakers up to run at 8ohm. On the Onyko receiver set it to greater then 6 ohm and it will auto select 8 ohm.

goksucats

09-24-07, 06:20 PM

Hmm... I see alot of stuff on here about matrix 7.1, etc. Unfortunately, in my current space situation I only have a 5.1 setup, and really only have room for that. I have Paradigm Titan mains, Paradigm Atom surrounds, and a Paradigm CC-170 center channel. With this receiver, if I only want to run a 5.1 setup, how will that work exactly? Can I tell the receiver only 5 speakers are hooked up, and it will know to combine the surround info for what would be the back 4 speakers into just the back 2?

Someday I intend to get some Paradigm towers, so I would like to think this receiver will last me for a while. I've kept my current Kenwood VR-507 for 5 years, so I like to let 'em stick around for a while. I can't wait to hear once I get the 705 how it'll make my speakers come to life. I'm sure it'll be a big difference.

grubavs

09-24-07, 07:30 PM

eagleze

09-25-07, 04:39 AM

mrgribbles

09-25-07, 06:47 AM

mrgribbles

09-25-07, 08:31 AM

woots

09-25-07, 10:44 AM

OK woots, here's the story. I had emailed and called Samsung on the 5 free disc offer and got a big "probably not", which means that they didn't know and didn't want to check. However, this person http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=11710343&postcount=295 called Disney and they said they would accept it and to write the BD-p1400 on the promo form and submit it. Amazon has it for under $440. If we conservatively estimate the value of the disks at $120, I'm at $320. I have a $100 or so of rebate coupons, no sales tax, free shipping, 30 day price guarantee and a very weak will. i do wonder if the pre-order price will work in the time frame? Hmmmm.

Toshiba has a new promo for free disks starting on 10/1. Can Blu-ray be far behind? The BD-p2400 is due out in early October or thereabouts so will that put price pressure on the 1400? Will the 4TH qtr releases of the Sharp, Daewoo, etc also put price pressure on the 1400 and will they be better, more featured units?

Hep me man. Its 8:35 am and I think I'm going to have to have a drink or three. This conspicuous consumption stuff is killing me.

Don't do it.. lol.. if you need help with OCD just look at all the better models coming out in october-november. Those blu ray movies they give you on that list of 5 freebies, frankly, suck anyway. I wouldn't buy one single disc off that list.....and if I got any of them for as a present I would probably say... "Ohhhhh...look you got me a blu ray movie... nice...:("

Also, you do not know if that disc player will work on that deal or not, its just speculation. That deal also goes to the end of october.. and the mailer just has to have the receipt postmarked before end of october if I recall correctly. I really want a hd dvd player.. but outside a few movies I am not really missing a whole lot (grass is always greener). If you got univsersal, HBO, encore, Showtime, Starz, (on demand)... HD channels.. you can pretty much watch every single HD movie on the market anyway.

If you are wealthy and 300-500 bucks doesn't mean anything to you and you would be willing to spend that same amount 2-3 more times this month and not think twice about it... then go for it. If 300-500 bucks means a lot to you for even more then a 1 month period.. I would advise you to be patient and make a smart purchase. This is your 2nd HD player.. you already own a high end Tosh... so for the next one get something that will own. I am sure this sammy 1400 will get cheaper and cheaper anyway if it turns out to be the right choice. I also saw that sammy 1400 for 425 bucks a few days ago on Amazon.com.. so 440 is pricier.

I want that Sammy 5000 to be serious dude.. dual format+ reon+ raw bistream... if it works it will be worth the cash. No more worries of format wars.. ever... and 1 machine to rule them all.

For me.. I appease my OCD by swining by the mall today and pick up my copy of Halo 3 for the xbox like all the other lemmings today. (With as much as this game is over hyped.. I am tempted to not bother just to fight the system!)

garypen

09-25-07, 11:43 AM

I just purchased a 705 and I have a few questions:
I used audyssey to set up my 7.1 speaker arrangement (ran it a few times) and it always makes the front speakers much more dominate than the side and rear - almost washing out any speaker separation I am getting. Is this normal? Should I increase the volume or decrease the speaker distance of the side and back speakers to compensate?
What is the difference between adjusting the speaker distance and individual speaker volume?Distance is exactly that. The distance of the individual speaker from the listener. The receiver will use that to delay signal to indivdual speakers, so that the listener hears all of the speakers in sync with each other. The formula is approx 1ms per foot.

As for level, that is merely the volume of each speaker. You may want to raise certain channels based upon your preference and experience. Audessey seems to do some wacky things with crossover points and volume levels, especially the sub. And, for my taste, it does some wacky things with EQ, as well.

So, I don't use Audessey at all. I set EQ to Manual, and made some fine adustments. I set the speaker distances manually, based on actual distance. I set all of the crossover points based on the specs of the speakers. And, I set the levels using two very reliable acoustic sensing devices, one located on each side of my head.

I do not like Audessey. I will not use it on a train. I will not use it on a plane. I will not use it in a boat. I will not use it in a moat. I do not like this Audessey, man. I do not like it, Sam I Am.

dropzone7

09-25-07, 12:13 PM

Too funny! :D

arbitrage000

09-25-07, 12:25 PM

I set all of the crossover points based on the specs of the speakers.

How do you determine these points, I also don't trust Audessy fully but I'm not very knowledgeable with sound. My front three speakers specs are 70-20Hz and my satellites are 80-20Hz. Do you set the crossover from these specs? My speakers don't give a frequency at a certain dB point in the specs as some higher quality ones do. Right now Audessy has them all at 150Hz and the sub at 80Hz. My sub specs say 36-150Hz and I had it at 150Hz and 1/2 volume while running Audessy. Is the sub setting what is affecting the speaker settings?? Are the Hz settings the crossover settings anyways, I really don't know much about sound!!

garypen

09-25-07, 12:41 PM

Someone on this forum has said he likes to set them about 20Hz higher than the rating. I think that is a safe bet. 10 Hz above or even the actual rating might be good, depending on how accurate and/or honest the speaker manufacturer is.

If your speakers are rated down to 70/80, and Audessey set them at 150Hz (150???), I'd set them at 100Hz. I would probably set the receiver's sub crossover at 100-120Hz. (Keep the crossover on the sub itself set to its highest point, though, to let through everything the receiver sends it. You want the receiver to regulate that, not the sub.)

And, starting with the sub's own level control at 50% is a good way to start. If you still find the sub level weak even when boosted to +3db on the receiver, you may want to nudge it up, a hair at a time, on the sub itself. But, be careful, cheaper sub amps can be noisy when cranked up too high, so I would turn a sub's internal amp up to more than 60 or 70%. (Unless you have a crappy sub, I can't imagine it not being loud enough at 70% at the sub, and +3db at the receiver.)

Don't forget to turn Audessey to OFF in the EQ settings, if you want to avoid it altogether. Otherwise, you can leave it on, even though you've made the manual changes to crossover and level and stuff.

RandyHF

09-25-07, 01:41 PM

Anyone know what crossover point gets used in the 705 (for the subwoofer) with the Double Bass setting when the front right and left are set to Full Band? I don't think the manual addresses this issue.

Rolls-Royce

09-25-07, 02:12 PM

And, I set the levels using two very reliable acoustic sensing devices, one located on each side of my head.

As ObiWan told Luke, "...Your eyes can be fooled. Don't trust them...". The same goes for your ears. Although, I'm going to stop short of advising you to use the Force here. ;) Instead, I recommend using a sound level meter when manually setting levels. Ears-only is fine if you're doing a temporary change: boosting center-channel volume in a particular scene, for instance. But for determining levels that will be saved as the permanent setting for each channel, a meter is the way to go. For the record, that's what I've done on my 705 after Audyssey finished the autocal routine. It did get my speaker distances right on for the left, right, and rear surrounds and within half a foot for the mains. The only big difference was the sub, which was roughly twice the physical distance, but I figured that this was for phase matching, and I didn't change it.

shrake

09-25-07, 04:33 PM

I have a TX-SR705 receiver, a Sharp 52" Aquos (92u), a Hi-def DVR cablebox, and a Phillips 1080p (compatible) DVD player, all hooked up via HDMI (v1.3 certified) cables. I went through the auto speaker calibration and set the "Monitor Out" to "Yes" (so I see onscreen menus), and set the input/outputs to point to the HDMI jacks. I get video with no problem from both cable box and DVD player, but THERE IS NO SOUND! I spent about 2 hours looking through all the settings on the receiver, tv, cablebox and DVD player, but nothing worked. I finally plugged in a standard stere RCA cable from the "Audio Out" jacks on the cablebox to the "CBL/SAT" audio in jacks on the receiver and sound came through! I thought HDMI was supposed to carry video AND audio! Is there something I'm missing?? Please help!

I'm sorry to stay on this thread, but I'm still having problems getting sound strictly through my HDMI cable (I have to use a set of RCA cables connected to "Audio Out" jacks in ADDITION to the HDMI). I tried both of the options mentioned ("setting HDMI->Audio Out->No" [? Not sure what this option does] and "pushing the Digital Output button"). I put the original speaker bar back on the TV also and I get sound through there (another clue, if that helps). It seems to be something with the HDMI as I get sound from Tuner and attached Phono. I really appreciate the help. Thank you!

Rolls-Royce

09-25-07, 04:59 PM

I'm sorry to stay on this thread, but I'm still having problems getting sound strictly through my HDMI cable (I have to use a set of RCA cables connected to "Audio Out" jacks in ADDITION to the HDMI). I tried both of the options mentioned ("setting HDMI->Audio Out->No" [? Not sure what this option does] and "pushing the Digital Output button"). I put the original speaker bar back on the TV also and I get sound through there (another clue, if that helps). It seems to be something with the HDMI as I get sound from Tuner and attached Phono. I really appreciate the help. Thank you!

Turn off HDMI Out, but it sounds like you may have done that already. Also the Digital Input setting for that input needs to be the same as the HDMI video input if it isn't already (such as "HDMI 1" for both).

grubavs

09-25-07, 06:14 PM

--snip--
I want that Sammy 5000 to be serious dude.. dual format+ reon+ raw bistream... if it works it will be worth the cash. No more worries of format wars.. ever... and 1 machine to rule them all.
--snip--

agh burzum-ishi krimpatul! ;)

jeremyf0923

09-25-07, 06:32 PM

Hello everyone,

This is an amazing thread - I have been reading it now for about a month and have seen it grow from a few pages to over 50!

I need some help from the experts that are posting in this thread. I am in the pre-drywall phase of finishing my basement, which will include my home theater room. I have what seems to be a simple question, but I can't get a definitive answer. I am about to purchase the Onkyo TX-SR705. I will be running Polk RM series speakers and the Polk PSW-505 powered subwoofer. Polk recommends connecting the powered sub through the speaker level inputs and not the line level input. I am going to run powered sub connectivity in a few places in the room so I have some placement options.

With all of that said, I need your opinion...quickly. Should I run speaker wire (a lot of it!) for speaker level inputs or just a single subwoofer RCA cable for the line level input? I ask this question from the perspective of the 705's bass management capabilities. I assume that a single subwoofer RCA cable would be just fine based on what I have read about the 705 and all of its technology, but wanted to know what you guys did and how effective it was.

Drywall is going up at the end of the week so I am running out of time to make a decision. I guess I also have the option of running both and choosing after the fact which sounds better, but I really don't want to run all of that speaker wire if I can avoid it.

Thanks in advance for any guidance that you can provide!

Jeremy

lad578

09-25-07, 06:54 PM

cmf

09-25-07, 08:13 PM

Drywall is going up at the end of the week so I am running out of time to make a decision. I guess I also have the option of running both and choosing after the fact which sounds better, but I really don't want to run all of that speaker wire if I can avoid it.

Good grief...run everything now that you think you might need in the next 5 years, because redoing it once the drywall is up is way worse. Seriously.

garypen

09-25-07, 08:17 PM

As ObiWan told Luke, "...Your eyes can be fooled. Don't trust them...". The same goes for your ears. Wrong.

Rolls-Royce

09-25-07, 10:01 PM

garypen

09-25-07, 11:15 PM

Sorry, but it isn't wrong. Differences in tone between speakers caused by location can adversely influence your perception of relative volume. I haven't encountered a by-ear speaker balance job that couldn't be improved by the use of a sound level meter.I was just referring to my ears. I can't speak for others. (I've set up more audio equipment in one day, than most people will in a lifetime, btw.)

But, even in general, since it is the owner of the ears that will be doing the listening, they can easily tell what sounds right from their primary listening position. If they are being fooled, it doesn't matter, as they will be doing the listening, and will always hear it that way.

Also, one person may like a lot of dialog, and will want to have his center speaker louder than the left and right all of the time. Or, maybe they like a thundering sound, and in that case, would have the sub louder than you or I, all of the time. Or, perhaps, like me, they want a little more surround and back, al of the time, because they feel it really adds to the total sensory experience. In those cases, the meter serves no real purpose.

But, db meters are OK too, if they make people feel better about their setups.

DavidHir

09-25-07, 11:43 PM

I haven't read through this entire thread, but has anyone compared the 705 to the 805? Is the 805 worth the extra money?

R_Willis

09-26-07, 01:05 AM

john19

09-26-07, 01:09 AM

scarecrow420

09-26-07, 01:30 AM

Im sure this has already been discussed. I just got the 705 and set it up should I use my current optical cable for audio or hdmi? If I use the hdmi what do I set my dvd player to? My dvd player is a denon 2910. I am guessing that I use multi pcm but not sure. Any suggestions?
you wont need the optical cable if you use HDMI. HDMI should do anything that optical can, plus more, since it has thebandwidth for multiple uncompressed channels, whereas i think optical only has enough for 2 channel uncompressed PCM?

Setting it to multichannel PCM will cause the denon to decode the soundtrack and send multi channel uncompressed PCM to the onkyo. If you set it to bitstream it will send the encoded Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks to the onkyo as a "bitstream", and decoding will happen in the onkyo. Typically people like their receiver to do the decoding if they can, to make the most of the processing and bass management in the receiver but in the case of a high-end Denon DVD player you would probably want to try both and see which one sounds better to you (try multi channel analog audio as well).

Your DVD player also does SACD playback... if you use this, you might want to see whether the Denon can send the encoded SACD stuff as DSD (the onkyo can accept this over HDMI). Otherwise i think you would need to use the multi channel analog connections

garypen

09-26-07, 01:57 AM

Couple quick questions, which I'm sure are buried somewhere in this thread:

1.) does this receiver have any lip-sync audio delay settings?
2.) are the RS232 codes available to the general public
3.) are HDMI and component both active (out) at the same time?
4.) best prices currently at an AUTHORIZED dealer (feel free to PM me...)

Thanks.

1.Yes
2.Yes
3.Yes (iirc)
4. It's been around $629 for a number of weeks at a few authorized online dealers, such as Amazon, Vann's, J&R, and One Call. (I got mine from One Call.)

Mithan

09-26-07, 03:02 AM

I am seriously considering buying this receiver next week, to be used primarily for movies and gaming.

However, I hear there are some lynch synching/sound delay issues with this receiver.

Can anybody comment on these please?

mrgribbles

09-26-07, 08:39 AM

Mithan, this is a repost of what I put in another thread:

First, the 705 shares the same DSP platform as the 805, 3 DSP chips, same DSP firmware. The 605 has one DSP chip and its own version of DSP firmware.

2ND, in another thread, Onkyo has given a technical reason for the audio lag issues that some, you could say many, 805 owners are wrestling with and that is the inherent processing time to go through the various steps in the audio processing process. If I recollect, it was a statement of fact not an admission of something being wrong (typical Onkyo response). The majority of 805 users, in a poll, either have no perceived problem or its minor. However, in my book, any measurable percentage, is a problem. The subject of audio delay in the 605 is typically limited to and usually fixed in the AVR audio delay setup routine. The 705 likewise. Personally, with the exception of a lousy TNT broadcast, what delay issues I had with my 605 & 705 were solved in setup.

MonkeyGod has put a lot of good science toward this issue and as a result I'm convinced that there is a problem, certainly in the 805. The numbers in the poll mean to me that a prospective owner needs to be aware of this and that it may well be a crapshoot as to whether or not the user will get a unit that has a bad case of it or that the user may not have a high degree of sensitivity to lag/delay.

I have no explanation as to why the apparent lack of 705 complaints on this, especially in light of the supposed similarity in signal process. The 605 is different and that could explain why there are fewer complaints there.
__________________

jdhubbard

09-26-07, 10:18 AM

woots

09-26-07, 10:40 AM

I am definately having sync issues with the 705. I've tried all of the steps suggested on this and other boards. I've been able to lessen the sync issue to a point where it isn't quite noticable but it is still there.a

I've contacted Onkyo about the audio sync issues and this is thier answer

"Sorry, about the problem you are haveing we do not have any problems with the TX-SR705, suggest haveing the unit checked by a service center"

My question to this board is this, has anyone had luck solving this issue with taking the reciever into a service center or by getting the reciever replaced?

The 705 is not defective.. lip sync was been a common problem of hdmi sources since the day it came out (Its the reason they added new lip sync delay settings in 1.3 spec). This is more of an hdmi issue then anything. However, my only complaint is that the delay settings on the onkyo do not have a greater range of attenuation it makes it hard to get some sources perfect. (like you said, close but not perfect)

I do not really understand the root of the lag it could be perhaps the way the video is being processed introduces lag over the audio. Some sources may require more or less video processing which creates a shift in the delay from one HDTV channel to another. I know when I switch from an SD network show (via hdmi) which has no lag.. to the HD version of that same network show (via hdmi) it all of a sudden gets laggy... but then I could walk up the channels to something like Food Network HD channel and viola... hdtv with no lip sync issues. Some HDTV channels look worse then others.. sometimes its just the show.. sometimes its ALWAYS that channel. On the video game side via HDMI its hard to get the delay right if you use the video game console as both the blu/hd dvd player and the game console.. cause I have learned even on the same units each of those functions gives you unique effects.

mrgribbles

09-26-07, 10:54 AM

MonkeyGoD

09-26-07, 11:06 AM

The 705 is not defective.. lip sync was been a common problem of hdmi sources since the day it came out (Its the reason they added new lip sync delay settings in 1.3 spec). This is more of an hdmi issue then anything.

The delay has nothing to do with video signals or HDMI. I have tested this delay on every type of input on the receiver (analog RCA, optical, sp/dif, hdmi, multich inputs). Out of those, the only input that does not suffer from the delay are the multichannel inputs.

woots

09-26-07, 11:55 AM

The delay has nothing to do with video signals or HDMI. I have tested this delay on every type of input on the receiver (analog RCA, optical, sp/dif, hdmi, multich inputs). Out of those, the only input that does not suffer from the delay are the multichannel inputs.

Lip Sync is a known HDMI issue... I know cause I was jacked straight from cable box into my TV and had lip sync lag (no receiver involved). I got 4 friends all with hdmi tv's some going through receivers, and some going direct to the tv via hdmi. We all agree HDTV channels via HDMI creates lag of varying degrees. Where as HDTV component and RCA will not. Its also the reason they added the lip sync correction on 1.3 spec.

This receiver does make things worse on all inputs (agreed). It also makes the hdmi issue worse too. this could be due to the fact they built in that universal A/V sync adjustment and if you don't take the time to adjust it properly for all your various input types it will always be off.

If it is this sliding sync adjustment thats causing the problem.. they need to make a firmware that:
A: increase the slide scale
B: gives a "auto" option for analog input sources so there is no need to tweak it.

mrgribbles

09-26-07, 12:09 PM

I think it may be better put that lip sync between components has been a recognized phenomena, enough so that HDMI Org and CE manufacturers are continuing to develop correction methods. I think it may be better to say that lip sync correction is a feature of HDMI 1.3 rather than HDMI <1.3 is a cause, although it well may contribute simply because we are talking some wicked bandrates and potential disparities. Whatever causes any lip sync issue may be reparable if you have an HDMI 1.3 signal path and components that support lip sync correction. My TV doesn't support so I can't say one way or another if HDMI 1.3 lip sync correction works.

No argument on increasing the sliding scale or having an auto compensation of some sort built into the AVR if possible but thats what could be, not what is.

goksucats

09-26-07, 12:56 PM

When (if?) you run Audyssey, it will find the speaker set up, or it should.
Oh, okay. I hadn't even thought of that, but I'll bet it will catch that. And I assume it will be able to compensate for only being a 5.1 setup instead of 7.1. Someday I'll get the two Paradigm towers to add to my setup, but for now there's just no point as my room really isn't big enough.

Thanks.

zoro

09-26-07, 03:17 PM

It is $566 plus shipping on one call!

RandyHF

09-26-07, 03:22 PM

FWIW, I've noticed no audio sync issues using my 705 via HDMI from a Motorola Comcast box and to a pioneer 5010FD.

garypen

09-26-07, 04:20 PM

Something that is annoying is the delay between the sound from the 705, and the sound from the TV, when you have a playback device also connected directly to the TV. I didn't have that issue with my Denon AVR

outlanderbz

09-26-07, 05:12 PM

FWIW, I've noticed no audio sync issues using my 705 via HDMI from a Motorola Comcast box and to a pioneer 5010FD.

I havent noticed any lag either except a few times on TNTHD. It seems to be pretty dead on. I am scared to "notice" it if i am in fact getting any delay!

I have
samsung 1080p dlp
comcast dct-3416
Xbox 360 w/HD-DVD add-on(component/optical) - component direct to tv
Samsung 1200 Blu-Ray

Mithan

09-26-07, 07:15 PM

Another question then:

I am assuming that if I run my Blu-Ray through this via HDMI, it will not screw up the picture at all? It acts as a pass through?

I am aware of the 360's Component to HDMI being downgraded from 1080i to 720p but I am willing to plug component cables in to bypass that.

arbitrage000

09-26-07, 07:16 PM

I haven't noticed delay but maybe I'm just not overly sensitive to the amount through the 705. I mean I have noticed delay on individual channels before I had a reciever, but I usually thought it was just the source. I will keep trying not to notice, because I also fear if I go looking it will become a problem on its own!!

I run a Sony 50A2000 TV, PS3 and Motorola HDPVR 6416 III, all HDMI to reciever then HDMI to the TV.

arbitrage000

09-26-07, 07:16 PM

rare-air

09-26-07, 08:13 PM

afrotropic

09-26-07, 11:29 PM

Help I am very confused about zone2 on my 705. I have comcast,HDA1,PS3 connected through HDMI to the 705 then to my SXRD A2000. I am then taking analog audio out to cab/sat analog port on the reciever. This is so that I can listen to music in zone 2 from any of my devices. Comcast works fine on HDMI1 but HDMI 2&3 don't seem to pass audio through to the TV. So with comcast I can get audio to the TV thus out the analog out port to my zone2 input. But the HDA1 and PS3 I can listen to on the receiver but it doesn't pass it to the TV thus nothing out on the analog out port.

-Craig

You will have to connect analog connections for all your HDMI devices for them to work in Zone2 (dual connections). Even if you use component + optical, analog L/R connections must be made in addition to the optical. If one exists and is <$2500, I'll trade my 3wk old '705 in tomorrow and buy it.

The other little drawback is that the '705 will not control the volume in Zone2 if you use the preamp output.

This is the dirty little secret about HDMI that I discovered while researching AV's. If there is an HDMI receiver out there that will pump out Z2 audio from a preamp output just from the HDMI input, I sure haven't found it and I looked at every AV with HDMI w/o regard to price.

afrotropic

09-26-07, 11:37 PM

I posted before and will try again.

I successfully switch my HDMI Comcast HD signal to my Sony TV using an HDMI-DVI cable. I cannot switch my new fancy Panasonic '47vk combo. However, the Panny does play over the HDMI-DVI cable connected directly to the TV.

I talked to a Circuit City guy and he said there is something with the v.1.3 from the Panny that causes problems w/the '705 and won't output to the TV since I'm using DVI.

The Comcast box HDMI version is 1.0 or 1.1. Is there a widget out there that I can put inline betweent the Panny Combo that will downconvert to 1.0?

Or, does anyone have any ideas? My STB is fine and the Panny switches fine using component cables but I loose the resolution upconvert.

warlord260

09-27-07, 12:35 AM

i have 705. its connected to sammy bdp 1200 via hdmi. hdmi audio off selected on the 705. bitstream selected bdp. when i select dts off of disk i get audio hdmi not supported. to get audio i must either select pcm on bdp, or hdmi audio on, on the 705. with either option, doesnt it mean audio has to be processed in the bdp? if this is true 1200 will not pass dts for decodeing in the receiver. not just the advanced codecs, but even plain dts. same for st.dvd, or blu-ray. anyone else same set-up, anyone have answers, reinforcement of theories?

mrgribbles

09-27-07, 05:53 AM

mrgribbles

09-27-07, 05:58 AM

FWIW, I've noticed no audio sync issues using my 705 via HDMI from a Motorola Comcast box and to a pioneer 5010FD.

Watch more TNT on cable. Someone could say something, leave the room and come back in time to catch up with the audio. No fault of the 705, blame Ted T. Its the only station that has a problem with me, sometimes just unwatchable.

bori

09-27-07, 06:08 AM

Watch more TNT on cable. Someone could say something, leave the room and come back in time to catch up with the audio. No fault of the 705, blame Ted T. Its the only station that has a problem with me, sometimes just unwatchable.

I dont know what going on with TNT but I am having the same exact problem. I had an old Pioneer receiver and it did the same thing. Now I have the Onkyo 805 and delay in audio is terrible with TNT. I am glad to hear I am not the only one with this issue.

mrgribbles

09-27-07, 06:29 AM

I dont know what going on with TNT but I am having the same exact problem. I had an old Pioneer receiver and it did the same thing. Now I have the Onkyo 805 and delay in audio is terrible with TNT. I am glad to hear I am not the only one with this issue.

Believe me you're not alone. I liken it to a really poorly dubbed foreign film. Absolutely awful. Its so bad it has to be by design. Presently, my favorite hot button.

EDIT: Here's an interesting article on the subject: http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0082/t.8587.html

bori

09-27-07, 06:51 AM

dropzone7

09-27-07, 08:03 AM

Believe me you're not alone. I liken it to a really poorly dubbed foreign film. Absolutely awful. Its so bad it has to be by design. Presently, my favorite hot button.

EDIT: Here's an interesting article on the subject: http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0082/t.8587.html

Oh yeah, it's really bad on TNT! Pretty much makes this station unwatchable for me. Their HD does not look so hot either but the audio is just trash. :mad:

warlord260

09-27-07, 09:12 AM

Look up in the p1200 thread. This doesn't sound right, pun unintentional. Have you connected with a digital connection? Does this apply to DD as well? Are you talking about plain old DTS on SD or DTS HD?MA on BD?

all dolby works fine. and its any dts on standard or bluray. pretty much better just to watch dd, so i can get processing in the receiver.

cliffvb

09-27-07, 11:13 AM

I'm looking at upgrading my HT with the new Onkyo 705 and a Toshiba gen 3 HDDVD player. I have 7 channels and want to keep it that way. Will the 705 give me both side and rear surround sound with Toshiba's HD-A3 player or should I spend the extra for the HD-A35 player? I have a 720p/ 1080i LCD projector which I plan to keep.

Thanks, Cliff

rare-air

09-27-07, 11:28 AM

You will have to connect analog connections for all your HDMI devices for them to work in Zone2 (dual connections). Even if you use component + optical, analog L/R connections must be made in addition to the optical. If one exists and is <$2500, I'll trade my 3wk old '705 in tomorrow and buy it.

The other little drawback is that the '705 will not control the volume in Zone2 if you use the preamp output.

This is the dirty little secret about HDMI that I discovered while researching AV's. If there is an HDMI receiver out there that will pump out Z2 audio from a preamp output just from the HDMI input, I sure haven't found it and I looked at every AV with HDMI w/o regard to price.

Arrg, So basically the 705 rendered my PS3 fairly useless as I wanted to use it as a multi zone music media server and BD movie player. It cannot have both analog/hdmi active at the same time. I do have it somewhat cobbled together. I am using the preamp output into an analog input on the 705 for the ps3 and for cable just using the analog out from tv into the analog in on 705.

I was hoping it would just pass through the all audio to the TV so that anything pumped through the TV could be feed into the analog input on the 705. I still don't understand why the audio from the ps3 will not be passed through to the tv when HDMI1 comcasts will. If it did pass ps3 audio through then my scheme would work. What if I just wanted to listen to the ps3 on the TV and not the reciever? Could it be it is feeding the 705 bitstream thus not passing it onto the tv?

Using the preamp the zone 2 volume does control volume in zone 2 but it works 'on top of' the main zone. Both are always active, the zone 2 volume is just a +- offset from the main zone. You can turn zone2 all the way up and turn the main volume down to a minimal level. You can still hear it in the main zone but at least it is not blasting.

The PS3 sucks as a media extender anyway maybe I should look for another. Any suggestions for a inexpensive hard drive or USB non streaming type of MP3/WMA player with Analog out of course.

The zone 2 support was the main reason I got the new receiver past the finance committee.
-Craig

Uncle_Joe

09-27-07, 12:04 PM

I dont know what going on with TNT but I am having the same exact problem. I had an old Pioneer receiver and it did the same thing. Now I have the Onkyo 805 and delay in audio is terrible with TNT. I am glad to hear I am not the only one with this issue.
TNT is a bit whacked -- something they've done in the past few weeks . . . it changes modes from whatever I've selected (wide-zoom, for example) and the next one on my menu. It only does this when the the DVD recorder is on -- if it's powered down, the signal's all right . . . makes it a bad channel to record. . . . .

erikhustad

09-27-07, 12:52 PM

Hey woots:

Saw this in an article on highdefdigest this morning:

"Although the current cost of a high-end receiver capable of decoding the tracks via bitstream is likely to keep DTS-HD Master Audio out of the hands of all but the most dedicated home theater enthusiasts, word on the street is that DTS is working with Sony to add internal DTS-MA decoding to the PS3 before Christmas."

Full article here (http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Firmware_Upgrades/New_Samsung_Blu-ray_Player_Unlocks_DTS-HD_Master_Audio/1012).

Awesome! Now I can wait a bit longer on copping a BDP-1400 or 2400.

xxxxxx

09-27-07, 12:56 PM

This is from a post of mine in the 805 thread. Several users there thought it would be useful to post this in the other Onkyo threads (note that I don't typically follow anything but the 805 thread and a couple of Oppo threads so if you have any questions, OR ANY ANSWERS, please PM me in addition to posting here so that I'll be aware of that fact - thanks). I've also added some other info from some other posts in the 805 thread that I felt would be relevent to the subject matter.

Firmware and Heat - Part 1
====================

Did some testing today. I have lots of observations and questions:

As stated earlier, I have an older unit (CC, mid-June, Japan, MAIN=8 1.01/07523B).

First of all, I'd like to detail my testing steps since I found some of the previous testing directions to be confusing.

Steps to get to the temperature info:

1) Turn on receiver
2) Press and hold "Display" button and then immediately press "Standby" button
3) Release both buttons (MAIN page of firmware info will be displayed) and then quickly press "Tone" button (if you wait too long, the display will revert back to what it was before the "Display" and "Standby" buttons were pressed). Temperature info will stay on until a function change is initiated.

Steps to get firmware info:

1) Turn on receiver
2) Press and hold "Display" button and then immediately press "Standby" button
3) Release both buttons (MAIN page of firmware info will be displayed) and then quickly press either the ">" or "<" button below the "Tone" button in order to display the second page (">" button) or the last page ("<" button) of firmware info. Continue to press either the ">" or "<" button in order to step forward or backward through the six pages of firmware info (note that once the MAIN page of the firmware info is displayed, if you wait too long between button presses, the display will revert back to what it was before the "Display" and "Standby" buttons were pressed). If you subsequently press the "Display" button while viewing any of the firmware pages (other than the "MAIN" firmware page), further info is displayed pertaining to that firmware page. Continue to press the display button in order to step through several pages of additional info (no additional info for MAIN page, four additional pages for each DSP page, one additional page for HDMI page, and three additional pages for VIDEO page). Once this additional info is accessed, the display will NOT revert back if you wait too long between button presses. Also, the third page of addtional info for the VIDEO firmware page displays the OSD level. This level will not be shown on the display itself but will show up on attached TV (via monitor out jack).

At this point, I'm not sure what most of this additional info is. Hopefully, someone else can shed some light on this info. I did notice that this info changed depending on whether there was any activity on the selected input and whether the device connected to the selected input was turned on or not.

With respect to the temperature display, this is what it looked like right after I turned the receiver on with no input activity (please note that my receiver runs very hot so I have an external fan sitting on top of the rear-right quadrant sucking air out). All testing was done with this external fan running. The top of my receiver never gets more than warm when this fan is running. Without the fan, under heavy usage, it will get hot enough that I cannont keep my hand on top of it (by the way, I have plenty of space around the receiver).

T:24/24 FAN: -
V 0.00 SEC:H

After some very heavy usage, it looked like this:

T:61/64 FAN:M
V: 2.09 SEC:M

Some observations and questions:

1) Why are there two temperature readings?

2) The M for FAN came on when the unit got hotter. Before it came on, I'm fairly sure that the Onkyo fans were not running. After it came on, I'm fairly sure that they were running. Do the fans have several settings (possibly -, L, M, H)? If they do, I'm not sure why I never saw an "L" unless it jumped right past that speed. I'm going to do more testing (tomorrow hopefully) with my external fan turned off in order to get the internal temperature to a higher lever (much higher level) so that I can see if the "M" changes to an "H." Also, the "M" blinked on and off sometimes.

3) Is it possible that the newer firmware levels turn the Onkyo's internal fans on sooner (i.e., at a lower temperature)? This could explain the cooler running newer units.

4) The "V" value changed constantly when there was activity on the selected input. It generally increased in value, the louder the music was played. Is this some measure of voltage associated with the level of the sound being produced?

5) The "SEC" value changed from "H" to "M" as the unit heated up. Does anyone know what this value represents?

Thanks.

Firmware and Heat - Part 2
====================

Well, I did further testing today WITHOUT my external fan. I managed to get the following temperature display:

T:70/73 FAN:H

At this level, the top of the unit was definitely too hot for me to leave my hand on. When I finished testing, and turned it down, the "H" changed to an "L" so I've now seen all of the following at different times as part of the fan display:

"-" "L" "M" "H"

This sure looks like fan speeds of "Off", "Low", "Medium" and "High" to me. I have to admit that I had to play music (the third track of Particle's Launchpad CD) at EXCRUCIATINGLY loud levels for about 45 minutes to achieve these temperatures (I only went in the room for the last minute or two - I LOVE loud, undistorted music but this was even too loud for me - it was still totally clean at these levels though). No one with normal hearing would be able to listen at these levels for very long without some hearing problems developing. [Just F.Y.I. - I have Athena F2's, B1's and a C1 along with an SVS dual 12" sub in a 3500 cubic foot room driven by the 805 which is being fed by an Oppo 970.] My purpose in this testing was just to try to determine a "top end" for the fan readings for my set up and to see if I could get the "M" to change to an "H" for the "FAN" value. I have to say that, in my current setup, the output from this receiver is quite extraordinary. I previously had a Pioneer 1015 preamped out to two Marantz 700 mono amps for the front speakers (Pioneer still driving everything else) and I can truthfully say that the 805 plays louder and clearer than my previous setup ever did.

Future Onkyo 805 Firmware Thread
==========================

I hope to do this soon, when time permits (probably wouldn't be limited to just the 805).

Other Undocumented Functions
=======================

One more function we've become aware of:

Hold down just the display button (on the front panel) for about 2 seconds, and the input and output resolution is shown

Audio Delay
========

The audio delay in the 805 has finally been explained (and it's existence can no longer be debated). See post 56 here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...0#post11692940

It has been noted in the 805 thread that the 605 (and maybe others in the line) have only one DSP chip which would result in them having much less delay (most likely to the point of not being detectable).

Also, here is a response from Audyssey regarding a question concerning a method of minimizing the delay which may be of interest:

> There's an audio delay issue with the Onkyo 805 (which I believe
> you are aware of) that can be somewhat mitigated by basing all of
> one's speaker measurements off of the 30-foot speaker distance
> limit for Audyssey.
>
> For example:
>
> True distances to speakers -> sub=17, FR=14, FL=14, C=13, RR=8, RL=8
>
> Distances I would use after running Audyssey (i.e., I would reset Audyssey-
> derived distances to these distances) in order to minimize delay -> sub=30
> (17+13), FR=14+13=27, FL=14+13=27, C=13+13=26, RR=8+13=21, RL=8+13=21
>
> Would changing the total distance while keeping the relative distances between
> the speakers the same screw up Audyssey's settings in some way? Someone
> mentioned that the filters Audyssey uses may use distance as one of their input
> parameters and therefore doing something like this might negate some of the
> benefit of running Audyssey.

As long as the relative distances remain the same you are fine. So
adding the same number to all speakers is OK. The filters are not
affected by the distance/delay settings as these come after the
filters are calculated.

manpete

09-27-07, 01:07 PM

Any suggestions for a inexpensive hard drive or USB non streaming type of MP3/WMA player with Analog out of course.

I use a Diskstation as streaming server and have several streaming clients in the house. The Dreambox sat receiver in the living room, the Showcenter in the bedroom and my kid is either using a PC as streaming client or his old Xbox (non-360). (I got the Squeezebox really cheap when I bought the Diskstation - It's convenient for listening to my MP3 collection or for streaming internet radio)

My relevant streaming equipment: Onkyo TX-SR705, DM600PVR, Squeezebox, ShowCenter 200, Disk Station DS207.

garypen

09-27-07, 01:07 PM

mrgribbles

09-27-07, 01:13 PM

XXXXXX, thank you for sharing the info. Excellent piece of work. Very informative.

garypen

09-27-07, 01:13 PM

> There's an audio delay issue with the Onkyo 805 (which I believe
> you are aware of) that can be somewhat mitigated by basing all of
> one's speaker measurements off of the 30-foot speaker distance
> limit for Audyssey.Has anybody tried this with the 705? It does makes sense. The receiver would have to provide less audio delay, if the speakers were further away. (Or, it would have to provide more video delay.)

woots

09-27-07, 02:23 PM

Below I did some math to see how much reduction in delay we get (in milliseconds) per each 10 feet of distance we add to our onkyo speaker distance settings.

The Math:

1st we need to get our feet (distance) since Onkyo speaker distance
is measured in feet. We also need to get our (speed) in order to figure out (time)

The speed of sound is 769 mph and there are 5,280 feet per mile

Therefore, our (speed) of sound is 4,060,320 feet per hour
(I converted to feet since thats the distance measurement I want to work in.)

Now for the formula using 10 feet as my speaker (distance):
Equation: time = distance ÷ speed
[10 feet (speaker distance)] ÷ [4,060,320 (ft. per hour)] = 0.000002463 (of 1 hour)
(approx., I had to round up a tiny bit my calculator stopped working number was to big)

Now to convert this to milliseconds since thats what our onkyo does on the A/V delay window....
1 hour = 60 minutes = 3600 seconds = 3,600,000 milliseconds

0.000002463 X 3,600,000 = 8.86 milliseconds

So for every 10 feet you add to the onkyo speaker distance you get about about 8.86 milliseconds of reduced delay

A loose rule of thumb then can be for every 1 foot of distance you get 1 millisecond of delay.

For 10 feet distance thats -10 ms below zero ms of delay if you already set your receiver to 0ms. (20feet = -20ms below 0) .. it may just be enough to give that lil extra added delay shift you need.

*Experiment Update*
Only do this if your KNOW the delay has to be set lower then 0ms .. otherwise just play very carefully with your settings to get things right and no need to do this trick. Most people say they are happy within 30-80ms delay range. However, I do have one source that needs to be lower then 0ms.. and for that source this works like a charm... so 1st be sure you set your receiver to 0ms delay 1st for that source.

You can get it to be lower then 0ms by adding distance to your speaker distance settings. I experimented with this for a long period of time and even though it does bring most things back into sync overall I do no like the audio quality I get when I added 20 feet to all my speakers (things got quieter and less punchy).. so be sure to experiment to your liking when doing this. Also, this will effect ALL of your other source delay settings so if you have a source that worked perfectly at 65ms for example... go back after this distance tweak as you will likely have to tweak it again (just write down all your old settings before doing any of this so its easy to revert back)

Good luck!

lad578

09-27-07, 03:25 PM

Watch more TNT on cable. Someone could say something, leave the room and come back in time to catch up with the audio. No fault of the 705, blame Ted T. Its the only station that has a problem with me, sometimes just unwatchable.
Hmm, interesting about TNT audio delays; i have heard many members complaining about this, but I must admit that I have not experienced this on my setup going through 705. Wonder if this issue affects different cable systems or some systems know it's an issue and somehow compensates for it while others don't; just a wild guess :).

I watch TNT HD all the time, no issues at all, maybe I am just lucky :).

woots

09-27-07, 03:28 PM

Hmm, interesting about TNT audio delays; i have heard many members complaining about this, but I must admit that I have not experienced this on my setup going through 705. Wonder if this issue affects different cable systems or some systems know it's an issue and somehow compensates for it while others don't; just a wild guess :).

I watch TNT HD all the time, no issues at all, maybe I am just lucky :).

mr gribbles lives very close to me.. and I can agree TNT HD down here is horrible. It is by far the worst network for HD lag we have... or at least one of the worst.

It would be interesting to do a poll elsewhere on the forums and get people to vote TNT HD lags yes vs no... and ask them to post there location too.

Here is whats ironic about that. Turner Broadcasting is based out of atlanta.. lol.... if there is anywhere in the country that should get no lag it should be us! I know, I know it doesn't work like that.. I am just saying its ironic... especially being that you live on the other side of the country and get no lag from a television station produced where we live. I think comcast needs to fix their equipment out here... they probably got an onkyo plugged in to and they just never fixed the audio delay. (noobs!) :D

lad578

09-27-07, 03:56 PM

mr gribbles lives very close to me.. and I can agree TNT HD down here is horrible. It is by far the worst network for HD lag we have... or at least one of the worst.

It would be interesting to do a poll elsewhere on the forums and get people to vote TNT HD lags yes vs no... and ask them to post there location too.

Here is whats ironic about that. Turner Broadcasting is based out of atlanta.. lol.... if there is anywhere in the country that should get no lag it should be us! I know, I know it doesn't work like that.. I am just saying its ironic... especially being that you live on the other side of the country and get no lag from a television station produced where we live. I think comcast needs to fix their equipment out here... they probably got an onkyo plugged in to and they just never fixed the audio delay. (noobs!) :D
Yeah, it's quite an irony for you guys in Atlanta and TNT; maybe you guys should all walk down to their station and tell them to put their sh** together :). For what it's worth, I also have Comcast here (Seattle suburb), but just because we both have Comcast doesn't say much.

Good luck!

JoeFigueiredo

09-27-07, 04:07 PM

woots

09-27-07, 04:18 PM

Will the 705 matrix in the rear centre channel in a 6.1 speaker system like it can for a 7.1?

What limitations are there for DolbyTrueHD if you only have a 6.1 system? Are you still able to get DolbyTrueHD at least in 5.1?

All the "x" or "ex" flavored DSP's calculate for the "extra" rear channels whether it be 6.1 or 7.1 (ex: Dolby Digital EX, Pro Logic IIx, etc)

Most True HD is encoded at 5.1, so ya thats the minimum. Infact speaking from my own experience, its rare to find a Blu Ray movie with native 6.1 and 7.1 in True HD or DTS HD MA. I only own one movie with 6.1 and its DTS HD MA format (Xmen 3)... I heard some Avengers Blu ray cartoon is a 7.1 encoded movie (which could be the only one?? on blue ray side)

Rolls-Royce

09-27-07, 06:06 PM

I notice in the manual that European models come with a cover for the unsightly AUX input panel. These receivers are ugly enough without visible jacks. So, I was wondering if there is a way to get one of these covers for my 705. (Every little bit helps.)

Does anybody have any ideas?

Also, wth didn't they include this cover with NA models?

Gary, it's probably for the same reason that Euro models have caps installed in the speaker connectors so that banana plugs can't be inserted. Some sort of European product safety commission BS....;)

I'd check with parts houses or maybe Onkyo in Europe directly. Seems to me that a removable cover could get lost and need to be replaced sometimes!

woots

09-27-07, 06:36 PM

Ya that was an interesting post "xxxxxx" made. I will try this later tonight. Since the distance is greater the audio has to play sooner to get to the same location in time.

Below I did some math to see how much reduction in delay we get (in milliseconds) per each 10 feet of distance we add to our onkyo speaker distance settings.

The Math:

1st we need to get our feet (distance) since Onkyo speaker distance
is measured in feet. We also need to get our (speed) in order to figure out (time)

The speed of sound is 769 mph and there are 5,280 feet per mile

Therefore, our (speed) of sound is 4,060,320 feet per hour
(I converted to feet since thats the distance measurement I want to work in.)

Now for the formula using 10 feet as my speaker (distance):
Equation: time = distance ÷ speed
[10 feet (speaker distance)] ÷ [4,060,320 (ft. per hour)] = 0.000002463 (of 1 hour)
(approx., I had to round up a tiny bit my calculator stopped working number was to big)

Now to convert this to milliseconds since thats what our onkyo does on the A/V delay window....
1 hour = 60 minutes = 3600 seconds = 3,600,000 milliseconds

0.000002463 X 3,600,000 = 8.86 milliseconds

So for every 10 feet you add to the onkyo speaker distance you get about about 8.86 milliseconds of reduced delay

(Its ironic thats its very nearly 1 millisecond per 1 foot.)
So thats approximately 1 more tick on the extreme end of the slider bar on our Onkyo, per every extra 10 feet you add of speaker distance (every tick on AV delay setting menu is 10 ms, so this is close to 1 tick).. it may just be enough to give that lil extra added delay shift we need.

I will have to see how it plays out. One device I need it set to 0 to work properly another device I need it set to 250 to work properly. So only one of these will benefit by reducing delay. The other is going to suffer even further. However, knowing that changing the speaker distance can have an effect on my delay times... it just gives me one more setting to play around with and tweak.

I think there is something else at play here other then just reducing delay. I added about 15 feet to all my speakers (bumping them all close to 30ft) and without having to go into delay settings and tweak (like i thought I was going to have to) the delay seemed to fix itself... even on pain in the butt channels like TNT HD... very weird.. just letting you all know adding distance helps the delay issues.

Perhaps those with large speaker distance settings to begin with never noticed this problem cause the distance was negating the issue for them. I have this setup installed in a bedroom.. so the distances I had set were not very far.. so by bumping up the distance it helped me a lot.

afrotropic

09-27-07, 07:49 PM

Arrg, So basically the 705 rendered my PS3 fairly useless as I wanted to use it as a multi zone music media server and BD movie player. It cannot have both analog/hdmi active at the same time. I do have it somewhat cobbled together. I am using the preamp output into an analog input on the 705 for the ps3 and for cable just using the analog out from tv into the analog in on 705.

I was hoping it would just pass through the all audio to the TV so that anything pumped through the TV could be feed into the analog input on the 705. I still don't understand why the audio from the ps3 will not be passed through to the tv when HDMI1 comcasts will. If it did pass ps3 audio through then my scheme would work. What if I just wanted to listen to the ps3 on the TV and not the reciever? Could it be it is feeding the 705 bitstream thus not passing it onto the tv?

Using the preamp the zone 2 volume does control volume in zone 2 but it works 'on top of' the main zone. Both are always active, the zone 2 volume is just a +- offset from the main zone. You can turn zone2 all the way up and turn the main volume down to a minimal level. You can still hear it in the main zone but at least it is not blasting.

The PS3 sucks as a media extender anyway maybe I should look for another. Any suggestions for a inexpensive hard drive or USB non streaming type of MP3/WMA player with Analog out of course.

The zone 2 support was the main reason I got the new receiver past the finance committee.
-Craig

Well, it does not sound (no pun intended) that not controlling the volume in Zone2 is big issue with you so it really centers on the PS3 being a POS for your needs. Does the PS3 not have a composite video out? I know it looks like crap, but it would allow you to see and hear it in the Main and Zone2. I too got the fancy '705 receiver to listen to different sources in Zone2. I bought a $40 XM MiniTuner and $60 iPOD dock and can pump those types of sources around. It is nice that I can watch football on the CAB/SAT input, select the Tuner or Tape (iPOD) inputs and listen to music instead of Howie and those other talking heads. I have called watching TV this way "College TV" for a long time and truly love it.

You brought up the Zone2 volume control on the preamp outputs...can you adjust the Zone2 preamp output up with the Zone2 Volume up/dn buttons and affect the volume? I think you mean that the Zone2 preamp volume is a +- off the main volume - is that correct? I was wondering why I had my amp way up one day and my Zone2 did not seem as loud as is once was. If you can explain it better, please, 'cause sometimes I am a little slow.:)

garypen

09-27-07, 08:11 PM

(Its ironic thats its very nearly 1 millisecond per 1 foot.)Not really. That is the standard measurement soundmen use when setting the delay time for the speakers that are set further back in the house at arenas and stadiums. (also called "delay towers"). 1ms for each foot from the main speakers.

garypen

09-27-07, 08:16 PM

Gary, it's probably for the same reason that Euro models have caps installed in the speaker connectors so that banana plugs can't be inserted. Some sort of European product safety commission BS....;)

I'd check with parts houses or maybe Onkyo in Europe directly. Seems to me that a removable cover could get lost and need to be replaced sometimes!Good idea. Thanks.

My Denon 2805 had one. It made the facia look much smoother. I do miss the physical beauty and incredible sound of the Denon. But, alas, I didn't want to spend hundreds more for a new Denon with the same features as the 705. The 705 sounds pretty darn good too. It's just so ugly.

That tiny little display with the huge metal panel under it. It looks like one of those ugly new Dodge cars. All that's missing are 20" chrome wheels.

garypen

09-27-07, 08:19 PM

the delay seemed to fix itself... .. just letting you all know adding distance helps the delay issues.
.. so by bumping up the distance it helped me a lot.Sweet!!! I'm hitting "setup" as soon as I get home.

rare-air

09-27-07, 08:47 PM

Well, it does not sound (no pun intended) that not controlling the volume in Zone2 is big issue with you so it really centers on the PS3 being a POS for your needs. Does the PS3 not have a composite video out? I know it looks like crap, but it would allow you to see and hear it in the Main and Zone2. I too got the fancy '705 receiver to listen to different sources in Zone2. I bought a $40 XM MiniTuner and $60 iPOD dock and can pump those types of sources around. It is nice that I can watch football on the CAB/SAT input, select the Tuner or Tape (iPOD) inputs and listen to music instead of Howie and those other talking heads. I have called watching TV this way "College TV" for a long time and truly love it.

You brought up the Zone2 volume control on the preamp outputs...can you adjust the Zone2 preamp output up with the Zone2 Volume up/dn buttons and affect the volume? I think you mean that the Zone2 preamp volume is a +- off the main volume - is that correct? I was wondering why I had my amp way up one day and my Zone2 did not seem as loud as is once was. If you can explain it better, please, 'cause sometimes I am a little slow.:)

Well the PS3 was purchased for instant access to all my CD's and BluRay playing in all 1080p glory so composite isnt' going to cut it and analog is not active when the HDMI is on. I don't often listen to two different sources, a simple A+B setup like my previous $200 Pioneer had would be perfect.

The preamp output is probably not controlled by zone 2 volume control but when you input into an analog port you can turn that port up in relation to the main volume. So I can turn up zone2 high enough to blast it on the patio and have it at a low enough volume in the family room not to blast it there.
I had my XM set through 1 analog port that works fine my three other digital sources I was hoping to route through the TV and output analog from that to one analog input on the 705.

woots

09-27-07, 09:01 PM

Not really. That is the standard measurement soundmen use when setting the delay time for the speakers that are set further back in the house at arenas and stadiums. (also called "delay towers"). 1ms for each foot from the main speakers.

interesting :)

rveras

09-27-07, 10:28 PM

scarecrow420

09-27-07, 11:39 PM

garypen

09-28-07, 01:35 AM

Just a funny point on this, our australian model doesnt come with the AUX cover, but it DOES have the plastic plugs in the speaker posts that you have to get rid of before you can insert banana plugs... weird!Do the volume controls spin to the left down there?

afrotropic

09-28-07, 08:41 AM

Well the PS3 was purchased for instant access to all my CD's and BluRay playing in all 1080p glory so composite isnt' going to cut it and analog is not active when the HDMI is on. I don't often listen to two different sources, a simple A+B setup like my previous $200 Pioneer had would be perfect.

The preamp output is probably not controlled by zone 2 volume control but when you input into an analog port you can turn that port up in relation to the main volume. So I can turn up zone2 high enough to blast it on the patio and have it at a low enough volume in the family room not to blast it there.
I had my XM set through 1 analog port that works fine my three other digital sources I was hoping to route through the TV and output analog from that to one analog input on the 705.

Too bad about the PS3...How much do you really need it to play different in Zone2 than in main - it doesn't seem like all is lost. In relation to volume control, I guess you are describing increasing the volume of each source. If that is not what your are saying, how do I turn up each the source analog port?

I looked at routing stuff throught the TV, but not all DAC circuits are created equal.

musicmaniac

09-28-07, 09:01 AM

mrgribbles

09-28-07, 09:15 AM

Last night I was watching a movie (for about an hour) that was being upconverted from 480p to 720p through my receiver when the screen turned to orange vertical lines. I changed the tv to the input from the cable box directly and everything was fine but in 480p. Anybody know why?

First post I've read with orange vert lines. I assume you were coming into the 705 with component and out HDMI? When you changed to go direct to TV from the STB did you go to the TV with the same or different cabling? Off hand it sounds like a cable issue but we need info.

dejoriti

09-28-07, 09:25 AM

I’m the proud new owner of a 705. I have very little A/V experience or knowledge, so I thought I’d ask some of the experience folks for advice. This forum has been very helpful so far, especially when deciding which receiver to purchase.

I have an older DVD for now. For outputs, it has video component capability, optical audio, and digital coax audio, and analog white/red/yellow A/V.

My digital cable box is a Motorola, and only has analog out white/red/yellow A/V in addition to coax cable.

I will probably upgrade to an HD capable box soon, but for now I want to hook up the cable box and DVD player such that I optimize the A/V potential of the 705, given the equipment I have.

Assuming I use one HDMI cable to my TV (a new Samsung HLT 5687), my thinking is:

· Use video component from the DVD, this should provide 720p to the TV.
· Use the analog A/V from the cable box, basically only option

My first question is related to the audio source from the DVD: which source will provide the best input and maximizes the potential of the 705? Optical or digital or analog? With this audio input, am I leaving anything on the table, i.e., if I upgraded to an HDMI capable DVD player would the audio be better?

Second question: I am getting 720p DVD video if I use the component video from the DVD, right (HDMI to TV)?

Third question: Does the 705 upscale the cable box analog video (yellow cable) to 720p (HDMI to TV)?

Fourth question: How much am I leaving on the table relavite to audio from my cable source (Charter)? Does the 705 take the analog audio from the cable box and work its magic on it, or would a newer HD cablable box (I’m assuming they have HDMI out) provide better audio in addition to HD video?

Thanks for the advice/answers!

musicmaniac

09-28-07, 02:00 PM

First post I've read with orange vert lines. I assume you were coming into the 705 with component and out HDMI? When you changed to go direct to TV from the STB did you go to the TV with the same or different cabling? Off hand it sounds like a cable issue but we need info.

Yes, component to hdmi and then component to component.

woots

09-28-07, 05:15 PM

I feel a lil better about my 705 decision over the 805 yet... "again". Sadly, someone from the onkyo 805 camp just suffered a loss of their receiver. During a long usage session it overheated and blew out. Ironically, the heat factor was one of the reason I chose this model over the 805.

I still think these 805's are getting considerably hotter then our units. Even still, this incident once again validates my 'safety precaution' purchase of a fan for the top of my Onkyo.

Thought I'd share this for those of you who do not follow the other onkyo threads.

afrotropic

09-28-07, 05:39 PM

Dan Kinsella

09-28-07, 06:05 PM

Has anyone else experienced a delay problem when using zone 2 speakers connected to the zone 2 speaker outputs. I'm getting a delay in the main room speakers, a fraction of a second, but it sounds like an echo when listening to the same source in main and zone 2. I have it set-up with HDMI video and analog audio.

dropzone7

09-29-07, 12:15 AM

That would be component-to-component. Sorry I wasn't more clear!
Last night after my post, I noticed on the Curt Palme forum that others had had the same issue with HDMI receivers and the HD Fury (and solved them the same way I was considering). It seems that many receivers don't recognize DVI-D/HDCP connections like the Fury has, only HDMI/HDCP. However, the switchers do work with them. I picked up another HDMI cable today so I could route signals from the 705 through my switcher, and it does work. Woo-hoo!

Hey Rolls, I'm trying to use the HD Fury with the 705 and seem to be having the same problem. Every source works fine connected directly to the Fury but when I try to route them through the receiver and have HDMI out of the receiver to the Fury I get nothing. I'm trying to use 1080i for everything. Is buying a switcher the only fix for this? Does that not just add another weak link in the signal chain? What switch do you recommend?

musicmaniac

09-29-07, 08:25 AM

Peyote?

:cool:Schrooms;)

I watched World Trade Center last night without issue. I think it may have to do with the on command movies from Comcast. The one that went orange was on command and may have an issue with starting and stoping the movie while watching it. Any other thoughts or drugs I could be using to experience this phenomena?:o

walrus271

09-29-07, 11:38 AM

Rolls-Royce

09-29-07, 01:21 PM

Hey Rolls, I'm trying to use the HD Fury with the 705 and seem to be having the same problem. Every source works fine connected directly to the Fury but when I try to route them through the receiver and have HDMI out of the receiver to the Fury I get nothing. I'm trying to use 1080i for everything. Is buying a switcher the only fix for this? Does that not just add another weak link in the signal chain? What switch do you recommend?

I believe that short of a firmware update from Onkyo (not likely, at least at a user-installed level), the only fix(es) would be to: (a) use a switcher, (b) change to an RGB converter with true HDMI input like the upcoming Moome EXT-HD box, or (c) hope that the current push to reprogram the Fury's EDID extended section bears fruit (check the Curt Palme forum for more info).

I'm using the Monoprice HDX-401 4-into-1 HDMI switcher. It works fine and gives me expanded input capability. :)

mrgribbles

09-29-07, 02:29 PM

Hi all-

Posted a couple weeks after aquiring my 705 and just wanted to state I love this thing.
Had a very nice HK 630 but this thing is phenomenal (again I'm no audiophile).

I wanted to thank everyone for their informative input and helping me make this decision especially mrgribbles.

By the way mrgribbles how are you enjoying your setup which I believe is very similar to mine?

Onkyo 705
Mirage 550's front L&R
Mirage c-150 center
Old 12" Polk pwrd Sub
Mirage Omnisat V1's L&R Surrounds
PS3 Bluray (not much of a gamer)

I love the way...at least in my acoustic setup... these Mirage's envelop you in the surround sound but yet give you some distinctive location.

Anyway thanks for these forums.

PS also just got a Harmony 720 to replace my 659 and it works great....I may never leave the house!!!!!!

Thanks for asking. I recently acquired the Mirage front and centers that you have and in my oddball room environment I don't think any combo could be better. Definitely, enveloping sound, a sweet area as opposed to a sweet spot. Excellent lower extension and great dialog out of the center. I don't usually get into the speaker rant or rave thing as many around here seem to want to do, especially the rant part. Talk about some opinion. Yowch. I have read your reviews in other threads on these and I agree with your assessment on this setup. Couldn't be more pleased. They are well powered by the 705 and my listening volume is typically in the -20dB +- range. Plenty on tap. I have wicked them up a couple of times and there's plenty of head room in this system with no detectable distortion, but then again I've been accused of not knowing any better!!

In times past I've had quite a few different speaker setups, even built some with mixed results years ago, and based on my personal experience these puppies rate very highly on my short list. Really hard to beat for the new pricing. I didn't go for the omni surrounds because in my weird layout I need to throw the sound from some distance so more directional types I feel are working best for me. Good luck with yours I know you're enjoying them as much as I am.

mrgribbles

09-29-07, 02:32 PM

:cool:Schrooms;)

I watched World Trade Center last night without issue. I think it may have to do with the on command movies from Comcast. The one that went orange was on command and may have an issue with starting and stoping the movie while watching it. Any other thoughts or drugs I could be using to experience this phenomena?:o

I think you're right in your assessment. Give it some time to see if you get a repeat performance. Comcast & Motorola can team up and give you some pretty psychedelic light shows on occasion.

mrgribbles

09-29-07, 03:14 PM

OhioLefty

09-29-07, 04:03 PM

For anyone that wants a silver 705 CC has it for under $650. If you go to this link you will find a 20% off receivers coupon that will redirect you to CC, I think the 20% comes off at checkout. Note: web only, but you can pick it up locally. BTW this nets out to something like $520, before tax.

Black 705 is the same price but I can't see how the 20% comes off. I went through checkout just short of entering a credit card number but it was still the same price.

What "link" are you referring to mrgribbles?

mrgribbles

09-29-07, 04:46 PM

Black 705 is the same price but I can't see how the 20% comes off. I went through checkout just short of entering a credit card number but it was still the same price.

What "link" are you referring to mrgribbles?

What a schmuck I be. Look here:http://www.couponcabin.com/coupons/circuit-city/

dropzone7

09-29-07, 04:53 PM

I believe that short of a firmware update from Onkyo (not likely, at least at a user-installed level), the only fix(es) would be to: (a) use a switcher, (b) change to an RGB converter with true HDMI input like the upcoming Moome EXT-HD box, or (c) hope that the current push to reprogram the Fury's EDID extended section bears fruit (check the Curt Palme forum for more info).

I'm using the Monoprice HDX-401 4-into-1 HDMI switcher. It works fine and gives me expanded input capability. :)

Great, thanks for the info! Do you think the little 2 into 1 $18 switch by Monoprice would work okay? This would actually be less expensive than the power supply sold for the HD Fury. I am a little confused about where the switcher fits in the chain. Do you use all sources HDMI-IN to the 4-input switcher and then HDMI-out of the switcher into a single HDMI-IN on the 705 and then HDMI-OUT of the 705 and into the HD-FURY?

AcidGhost

09-29-07, 05:03 PM

Black 705 is the same price but I can't see how the 20% comes off. I went through checkout just short of entering a credit card number but it was still the same price.

I think CC's price of 650 is WITH the 20% discount. So after the discount it has come down to 650 and that is all the help you are going to get from CC on the 705 today. I could be wrong but I also tried everything just short of submitting an order and could not get it down below 650.

scarecrow420

09-29-07, 07:53 PM

djap2

09-29-07, 09:11 PM

R_Willis

09-29-07, 09:41 PM

Anyone have the file/sheet for the RS232 codeset/protocol?

..and for that matter, any of the discrete IR commands...

Rolls-Royce

09-29-07, 09:44 PM

Great, thanks for the info! Do you think the little 2 into 1 $18 switch by Monoprice would work okay? This would actually be less expensive than the power supply sold for the HD Fury. I am a little confused about where the switcher fits in the chain. Do you use all sources HDMI-IN to the 4-input switcher and then HDMI-out of the switcher into a single HDMI-IN on the 705 and then HDMI-OUT of the 705 and into the HD-FURY?

I actually bought the switcher before I got the 705 so I could run both my HD DVD player and HD sat receiver (and any other future HD components I might get) through the Fury without swapping cables. Once I bought the 705, I was planning to put the switcher into storage and use the Onkyo for all switching. Until I discovered the receiver-to-Fury problem, that is. I tried several things and finally put the switch back in after reading a post by another Fury owner who solved a similar issue by using a switch between the receiver and the Fury. That's how I have mine. I chose a switch that would give me enough inputs for limited future expansion plus a remote control.:D

warlord260

09-29-07, 11:03 PM

Just a question to those of you who have calibrated your channel levels to 75db using an SPL meter... what did the channel levels actually end up being? I realise this is different for different speakers and setups etc but I would like to know a few examples of just what trims were required. Thanks

audessy set all speakers level, but about 3 db too low. the sub is a different story, but it did adjust phase quite well. it plays with subs phase by playing with the distance. from experience with the audessy, it does quite well with the delays, filters, phase, and general room set-up. just level to 75db using test tones and go from there. just enjoy, good luck..

enonimos

09-29-07, 11:11 PM

I just purchased the 705 and am currently outputting all my audio via HDMI and hence as multichannel PCM (from HD DVD player and Cable Box). My question is what surround modes do people prefer applying to the multichannel PCM? Would you suggest matching the original codec e.g. HD DVD player decodes DD 5.1 or DTS 5.1 and SR705 is set to the respective surround mode (DD or DTS). Would you recommend the same for multichannel PCM coming from DD+ or TrueHD sources? Or should I just set the receiver to Pure Audio mode regardless of original codec? There are just so many surround modes to pick from!!!

jonabbey

09-29-07, 11:52 PM

Hi SR705 Owners!

I want to take the plunge and buy an SR705 (thinking it might be better than the SR605 for power).

I have a Panny 50" Plasma and Boston Acoustic Lynnfield series Front, Rear and Center Speakers and an SVS Sub.
I'm using a Yamaha RX992 and a dedicated amp for my front speakers.
I have a Motorola HD DVR via HDMI, Oppo Digital DV-981HD via HDMI, Replay via Component and Wii via Component - All video runs direct to TV, Audio is to receiver (except wii).

Would you SR705 owners recommend the upgrade to that Onkyo?

The SR705 is the first model in Onkyo's current line that includes pre-outs for all channels, so if you want to continue with that dedicated amp, you'd need to be looking at the 705 above the 605.

I'm not sure what I would gain as I don't plan on going more than 5.1 speakers. I am interested in better quality sound. Possibly using HDMI inputs to simplify connections. Would the upconversion help video quality on non HDMI sources? The yahama is about 10 years old and I'm really looking for improved sound quality - but I really don't know if my speakers need to be updated or if I can just get away with (if I need it) upgrading the receiver only...

Thanks for anyone's input!

Al

The extra HDMI port on the 705 is nice, as is the boost in DSP power (three DSP chips, rather than just one), as it provides more sophisticated Audyssey setup, and DSP modes for full multichannel linear PCM.

I have to say, the PS3 sounds much better when you can play PCM and Dolby True HD tracks through a direct HDMI connection, rather than down-rezzing to SPDIF.

The 705 also has a bit better heat management (a couple of fans) and a considerably better (and illuminated) remote control, relative to the 605.

The extra 10 watts of power may not be that significant, given the logarithmic nature of Db's, but the THX Select 2 certification speaks well to the whole system as it is put together.

Martin Orrick

09-29-07, 11:58 PM

I think CC's price of 650 is WITH the 20% discount. So after the discount it has come down to 650 and that is all the help you are going to get from CC on the 705 today. I could be wrong but I also tried everything just short of submitting an order and could not get it down below 650.

I applied a 10% AAA coupon that I got a couple of weeks ago and was able to pickup the 705 yesterday for $584.99. ( I'm in OR so there's no sales tax ). If you are a AAA member you can create an online account and then apply for a 10% CC coupon via the "savings" link. Here's the link from the Oregon / Idaho AAA site ( I'm sure that other regions will be similar ) http://www.aaaorid.com/savings/savings_partners.asp

I didn't get an instant response once I requested the coupon - in fact I had to ping the AAA folks and they emailed the coupon to me. None the less, it saved me $65 !

woots

09-30-07, 05:59 AM

djap2

09-30-07, 07:34 AM

The SR705 is the first model in Onkyo's current line that includes pre-outs for all channels, so if you want to continue with that dedicated amp, you'd need to be looking at the 705 above the 605.

The extra HDMI port on the 705 is nice, as is the boost in DSP power (three DSP chips, rather than just one), as it provides more sophisticated Audyssey setup, and DSP modes for full multichannel linear PCM.

I have to say, the PS3 sounds much better when you can play PCM and Dolby True HD tracks through a direct HDMI connection, rather than down-rezzing to SPDIF.

The 705 also has a bit better heat management (a couple of fans) and a considerably better (and illuminated) remote control, relative to the 605.

The extra 10 watts of power may not be that significant, given the logarithmic nature of Db's, but the THX Select 2 certification speaks well to the whole system as it is put together.

Thanks, jonabbey, for the informative response!

I failed to mention my amp is a Luxman M-113 Class A/B 50wx2.
Do you or anyone think the SR705 would be an improvement for my fronts or should I keep the Luxman powering the fronts with the SR705?
This is an area I'm no expert on and may be wasting power/electricity using the Luxman if the SR705 can handle powering the fronts (looks like I would be doubling power output, if it is as clean or cleaner).

Thanks!

Al

scarecrow420

09-30-07, 07:44 AM

Thanks, jonabbey, for the informative response!

I failed to mention my amp is a Luxman M-113 Class A/B 50wx2.
Do you or anyone think the SR705 would be an improvement for my fronts or should I keep the Luxman powering the fronts with the SR705?
This is an area I'm no expert on and may be wasting power/electricity using the Luxman if the SR705 can handle powering the fronts (looks like I would be doubling power output, if it is as clean or cleaner).

Thanks!

Allooks like that's a pretty old model amp, and at 50w x 2 its not overly powerful really. One would expect the 705 could probably handle things just as well on it's own, but why not hook it up with and without the external amp, and let your ears decide!

pclement

09-30-07, 11:27 AM

Elton Noway

09-30-07, 02:24 PM

The coupon is not there today (September 30, 2007). Maybe the $549.99 price will magically apear again as it has three times before. Good luck.

I'm sure we'll see the price again. Their doing similar pricing movements on the Samsung HP-T5054 plasma. For the last two months its gone back and forth between $1699.00 and $1899.00 at least three times.

I'll keep checking... once the $549 price re-appears I'll have my local CC store match the web price then apply my discount coupons for additional savings.

jonabbey

09-30-07, 03:06 PM

looks like that's a pretty old model amp, and at 50w x 2 its not overly powerful really. One would expect the 705 could probably handle things just as well on it's own, but why not hook it up with and without the external amp, and let your ears decide!

Remember as well that the 705 (and the 605 as well, I believe) allow you to use the back center surround channels (the ones that distinguish a 7.1 setup from a 5.1 setup) for bi-amping. Meaning that if you're willing to give up the back center surrounds, you can put two 100 watt amp channels on both of your two front mains, resulting in 200 watts per channel.

The only thing is, your speakers have to support that. But if they do, and if you don't absolutely need 7.1 surround, you can get the 705 to drive 200 watts to your mains.

clskinsfan

09-30-07, 04:11 PM

Anyone using this receiver as a pre/pro. If so would like some feedback on how you like it. My Denon 3805 just took a dump. Component switch went bad and rather then paying to have it repaired I thought about replacing it with this unit. Any feed back would be apprecitated.

mrgribbles

09-30-07, 04:14 PM

Actually, 20% off of regular price of $799.99 is $639.99 not 649.99. However, I couldn't get the 20% to work either. The coupon is not there today (September 30, 2007). Maybe the $549.99 price will magically apear again as it has three times before. Good luck.

It was a 9/29 expiration and having used these type coupons/partner promos in the past it should have been 20% off of the listed net price. The link redirected you to circuit city and the CC page said 20% off receivers and speakers. It should show up in the last stage of checkout. Keep an eye on the coupon re-direction websites, every so often something shows up.

djap2

09-30-07, 06:51 PM

Remember as well that the 705 (and the 605 as well, I believe) allow you to use the back center surround channels (the ones that distinguish a 7.1 setup from a 5.1 setup) for bi-amping. Meaning that if you're willing to give up the back center surrounds, you can put two 100 watt amp channels on both of your two front mains, resulting in 200 watts per channel.

The only thing is, your speakers have to support that. But if they do, and if you don't absolutely need 7.1 surround, you can get the 705 to drive 200 watts to your mains.

OK, so I bit the bullet and ordered from CC today with semi-good deal (better than 6th Ave and amazon, but not as good as others mentioned).

I am now (as soon as I pick it up, hopefully tonight as I am an instant gratification kind of guy) the proud owner of a SR705!!!

And wow, what a great suggestion and I think I understand that :)

I have two BA Lynnfield VR40 front speakers. They are bi-amp capable but right now I have the 'connection' posts using one cable as they are run from the Luxman 50x2 amp.
So, I have no need for more than 5.1 as I only have two rear BA VRS sorruonds, so I think the bi-amp sounds great.

I imagine the receiver would need to know to send only front information in the bi-amp configuration you suggest? I would also need an extra set of speak cable (I happen to have some extra).

I hope that wouldn't off balance the fronts with the other speakers...Should I set the fronts to 'large' or 'smal', if it has a setting like that?

Center is a BA VRS series, as well.

I assume I should use the auto setup?

Thanks!

Al

scarecrow420

09-30-07, 08:28 PM

OK, so I bit the bullet and ordered from CC today with semi-good deal (better than 6th Ave and amazon, but not as good as others mentioned).

I am now (as soon as I pick it up, hopefully tonight as I am an instant gratification kind of guy) the proud owner of a SR705!!!

And wow, what a great suggestion and I think I understand that :)

I have two BA Lynnfield VR40 front speakers. They are bi-amp capable but right now I have the 'connection' posts using one cable as they are run from the Luxman 50x2 amp.
So, I have no need for more than 5.1 as I only have two rear BA VRS sorruonds, so I think the bi-amp sounds great.

I imagine the receiver would need to know to send only front information in the bi-amp configuration you suggest? I would also need an extra set of speak cable (I happen to have some extra).

I hope that wouldn't off balance the fronts with the other speakers...Should I set the fronts to 'large' or 'smal', if it has a setting like that?

Center is a BA VRS series, as well.

I assume I should use the auto setup?

Thanks!

AlIn the speaker setup menu you can tell the 705 you want to use Bi-Amping

And rather than small/large you actually specify the crossover frequency... I suggest to run Audyssey first and see what it comes up with for crossovers... it will also set the speaker distances (and seems quite accurate at doing this). I found audyssey correctly detected my big front floorstanders as full range, and came up with reasonable crossover popints for my center and surrounds. You can always tweak that afterwards if you want. I also pushed the channel levels up closer to 0db as Audyssey had set them all to -3db or more

One piece of advice from others which i found useful is to use a camera tripod for the audyssey microphone, and to do a number of seating possitions. To begin with i simply placed the microphone on the headrest of the couch and only did the central listening position plus 2 seating positions on the couch. I wasnt too impressed with the audyssey results... the surround speakers were very obviuos and the sound stage was pulled back so to speak. I then got hold of a camera tripod and set the microphone to exactly where my ears would be, and got myself out of the room so i wasnt causing an obstruction to the soundstage :) I also did listening positions where we normally sit on the couch and also a bit infront of that... this gave much better results as the soundstage is more central, rather than being pulled back, and it also came up with better speaker distances.

That said, i do actually prefer to set the equaliser to "off" rather than "audyssey" as i find that to sound more grunty/bassy.

But anyway you should definately run audyssey first, then tweak from there.

lhhf

09-30-07, 09:14 PM

I just bought the 705 and want to use its optical out to feed my speaker system (Yamaha YSP-800 Sound Projector). Is there any special setup I need to do in the 705 to bypass the speakers and feed all audio to the optical out?

Thanks!

-- Andy

djap2

09-30-07, 09:54 PM

In the speaker setup menu you can tell the 705 you want to use Bi-Amping

And rather than small/large you actually specify the crossover frequency... I suggest to run Audyssey first and see what it comes up with for crossovers... it will also set the speaker distances (and seems quite accurate at doing this). I found audyssey correctly detected my big front floorstanders as full range, and came up with reasonable crossover popints for my center and surrounds. You can always tweak that afterwards if you want. I also pushed the channel levels up closer to 0db as Audyssey had set them all to -3db or more

One piece of advice from others which i found useful is to use a camera tripod for the audyssey microphone, and to do a number of seating possitions. To begin with i simply placed the microphone on the headrest of the couch and only did the central listening position plus 2 seating positions on the couch. I wasnt too impressed with the audyssey results... the surround speakers were very obviuos and the sound stage was pulled back so to speak. I then got hold of a camera tripod and set the microphone to exactly where my ears would be, and got myself out of the room so i wasnt causing an obstruction to the soundstage :) I also did listening positions where we normally sit on the couch and also a bit infront of that... this gave much better results as the soundstage is more central, rather than being pulled back, and it also came up with better speaker distances.

That said, i do actually prefer to set the equaliser to "off" rather than "audyssey" as i find that to sound more grunty/bassy.

But anyway you should definately run audyssey first, then tweak from there.

Thanks very much!

I picked it up now have to unbox it tomorrow and start playing :)

Al

woots

09-30-07, 09:55 PM

A lot of people in the 805 camp are experiencing "flames" inside there units after 1 or so month of ownership. I know those units are very different from ours internally and are prone to get much hotter then the 705, but its still got me a lil concerned for all the new Onkyo receivers.

Has anyone here experienced burn out or any failure with their 705 yet? Hopefully, with the fan I run ontop, I will never experience this with my unit.

cmf

09-30-07, 10:02 PM

A lot of people in the 805 camp are experiencing "flames" inside there units after 1 or so month of ownership.

:eek:

Maybe there's a Sony battery in there somewhere. ;)

dropzone7

09-30-07, 10:10 PM

garypen

09-30-07, 11:41 PM

Just from touch, I can say that the 705 is the hottest solid-state consumer receiver/amp I have ever felt.

Sabretooth

10-01-07, 02:47 AM

woots

10-01-07, 05:40 AM

After reading this entire thread, I have realized my knowledge on speakers is grossly inadequate to make a sound purchase. I have decided to get the 705, and eventually will have the 360 elite. Now I have VIP 622 Dish, and a SD DVD. My new home is pre-wired for 5 speakers. I may try to set up 7 by adding on the 2 rear if I decide it is worth it. The room is medium-to-large sized.

I have seen a box set of Onkyo speakers/sub (HT 540/740), but I figure these are not considered great. Since I know nothing about speakers, what are your suggestions for a decent set for moderate price. It would be best to not have to have to much of a grab bag, since speakers are my weak point. I realize that there is a speaker forum for this, but I wanted the advice of some "705 junkies" since I have been keeping up with this thread for some time. All help would be incredibly appreciated, especially since I am waiting to get the 705 until I have my speaker set in hand.
Thank you in advance.

Circuit City sells a KEF 2005.2 5.1 speaker setup that would pair up nicely with the Onlyo for only 500 bucks. This is about a 800 bucks (typical price) set of speakers on a nice sale price at CC .. check them out here (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/KEF-Home-Theater-Speaker-System-KHT2005IIMP/sem/rpsm/oid/159523/catOid/-16881/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do) Later an extra 2 speakers can can be bought for another 200 bucks or so if you decided you want the 7.1 experience. Also here is a lil Cnet review on these speakers .. CNET rates em high.. click here (http://reviews.cnet.com/surround-speaker-systems/kef-kht-2005-2/4505-7868_7-31232148.html) I myself own the KEF 3005 package and bought 2 extra 3001 sats to get it up to 7.1 surround. Even though these speakers look very small KEF has a unique construction of setting a tweeter down inside the center of the main cone. So even though these speakers satellites look unassuming they pack a big sound due to having 2 speakers within each cone. Also, these speakers pair up perfect with the Onkyo 705 power spec wise so you will be sure you are not under powering your speakers and forced to crank the volume up way high to get the speakers loud.

A lot people on forums like the SVS brand 7.1 package it costs around 1200.. check them out here (http://www.svsound.com/products-sys-sbs_black.cfm)

Another popular brand from AVS forums is HSU research.. a 5.1 setup costs around 1100.. you can find them here (http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/enthusiast2.html)

All of these are good quality. If you are on a budget those KEF 2005 are a great deal. If you have some spending room these other 2 brands are very nice. Obviously the more you spend the better its going to get for you (usually). These 3 brands however are just a nice starting place if you are getting into being an audiophile there is better speakers to be had. However I think since 705 is a nice quality middle of the road amp for the budget conscious audiophile ... these speakers would be a great starting place to pair it up with.

scarecrow420

10-01-07, 06:06 AM

while you can always get pointers as to some starting points with speakers, and when you're totally clueless, some guidance as to what brands or what type of setups you can get for what $$ is always helpful, but the bottom line is it's YOUR ears that are going to be listening to them, and you really do need to try and get out there and audition some of the options in your price range (with a similar or exact receiver you will be using) if at all possible.

warlord260

10-01-07, 08:18 AM

as for speakers for 705, i would get something that would last for a while. meaning if you want to upgrade in the future you will all ready be covered. i wouldnt go overboard, but i feel speakers should be roughly twice the cost of receiver, that is without the sub. that way in 5 years when you replace the receiver you wont be wondering about the speakers again. a number of 705, and 805 owners are running ascend acoustics and seem to love them. look on the speaker forum maybe even someone close to you that will let you listen. speaker tech. isnt going to advance as much as electronics, so a decent set of speakers should last you awhile. good luck, and good hunting.

dropzone7

10-01-07, 08:48 AM

price3

10-01-07, 09:06 AM

Circuit city called me and tried to re-sell the extended waranty, thus alerting the wife to the new receiver. Damn you circuit city!

dropzone7

10-01-07, 09:10 AM

Circuit city called me and tried to re-sell the extended waranty, thus alerting the wife to the new receiver. Damn you circuit city!

Busted!!! :eek:

woots

10-01-07, 10:10 AM

Circuit city called me and tried to re-sell the extended waranty, thus alerting the wife to the new receiver. Damn you circuit city!

LOL... dude how did she not know? Did you seal it away and lock the cabinet door to your equipment?

mrgribbles

10-01-07, 10:14 AM

Circuit city called me and tried to re-sell the extended waranty, thus alerting the wife to the new receiver. Damn you circuit city!

LOL. Reminds of the old days when those thoughtful motels would send you a care package of things you left behind in the room after a business trip, I had to use Tabu in place of my after shave for a couple of months.

dropzone7

10-01-07, 10:25 AM

LOL... dude how did she not know? Did you seal it away and lock the cabinet door to your equipment?

Well, if it's like my house then once you get it unboxed and installed with the other stuff then they don't know the difference. I finally came clean about my new subwoofer which I thought was pretty hard to miss. I told my fiancee, "hey did you not see the new subwoofer?" She said, "oh, has that not always been there?" :rolleyes: Smoke and mirrors my friends...

Chuck_IV

10-01-07, 10:55 AM

Circuit city called me and tried to re-sell the extended waranty, thus alerting the wife to the new receiver. Damn you circuit city!

Oh boy.... <sweats profusely> I hope they don't do that in my case, cause I'm in the same boat as you. I decided to upgrade "quietly". Since I had an Onkyo TX-SR601 prior, the 705 "blended" in quite well and unnoticeable.... except for that blue light. Luckily, my cabinet has smoked glass(so the blue light isn;t all that obvious) and the cabinet itself, is in the opposite corner of the room, from the TV.

I better get on the horn and buy the extended warranty(something I was planning to do anyway) now, so they don't call me ;)

StPaulieGuy

10-01-07, 11:56 AM

I'm a newb to all this and I haven't set up my 705 yet because I have to finish the new room first. But I'm trying to figure out all the connections that I'm going to need, and I don't know how or if I can get the sound from OTA HD channels through the 705. Is there a way to pass the antenna signal through the 705 or would my TV have to send the sound down to it? I have a Pioneer 5010 and I was hoping to not connect the speaker that comes with it. I plan on sending all my other signals through HDMI (both in and out). Can some of you experienced people on this thread post some suggestions on how to get OTA sound out of this receiver? (If it's possible) Thanks!

rveras

10-01-07, 12:07 PM

woots

10-01-07, 01:10 PM

I'm looking forward to getting that Spider Man Trilogy at the end of the month.. for me its definitely gonna be a HD high light.

mrgribbles

10-01-07, 01:30 PM

I received my TX-SR705 receiver on Friday and so far I like the receiver a lot. I search but still a little bit confuse on what exactly the "THX Cinema" actually does and how would it benefit me. I have a 5.1 setup that consist of non-THX speakers. If I play a 5.1 source and select THX Cinema what changes does it make to the original soundtrack? Does it make the soundtrack more spacious? Perhaps more enveloping? Does it creates a virtual surround back speaker?

Don't worry about the non-THX speakers. Not a requirement. Quite a few people like the THX Cinema modes, they function a bit like the Re-Eq setting in that the highs are mitigated a bit based on the source material. Some have said that if you play a THX film soundtrack with it, it gets a bit drab. I think its a fine process, especially for flicks that utilize a lot of musical scores. For action films, I prefer PLIIx.

garypen

10-01-07, 01:46 PM

For some reason, it makes the movie THX-1138 sound better than any other movie ever made. I don't know why.

dropzone7

10-01-07, 02:25 PM

For some reason, it makes the movie THX-1138 sound better than any other movie ever made. I don't know why.

:D:D:D

woots

10-01-07, 06:56 PM

For some reason, it makes the movie THX-1138 sound better than any other movie ever made. I don't know why.

A lil George Lucas remastering love :) Skywalker Sound (http://www.skysound.com/) has probably among one of the best Foley Studios in the world.. I love their sound effect work. Even when they decide to properly bless a Lucas game you can hear the difference that is second to none. Its the difference between using Foley Effects in a can (stock effects) vs making them fresh using the best equipment and talent.

On the THX 1138 topic, I noticed they even made an updated flash site for the DVD release. On HD side of things, I only saw this movie on MOJO HD channel late one night so I didn't have a chance to hear the uncompressed audio format.

I checked amazon and I cant find this movie on HD DVD or Blu Ray.. which makes me wonder what HD version I was watching?!

woots

10-01-07, 07:31 PM

jbigboote

10-01-07, 07:38 PM

tmu77

10-02-07, 01:22 AM

Has anyone followed through with Onkyo regarding what the maximum temperature of the Onkyo 705 should be? I have seen quite a posts where people are installing external fans, and I know that people in the 805/905 threads have advised their machine has actually caught on fire.

My 705 regularly goes up to 52 Degrees (Celsius) / 125 Fahrenheit. I have the recommended 8 inches of free space on top and free air-flow from front/back of the cabinet.

What's the hottest you've seen your Onkyo reach?

FYI: I have requested information on this from my nearest support center but have received no reply yet. I also requested information regarding the firmware versions as I have noticed some people are pasting newer versions that mine (my 705 is approx 3weeks old now .. still loving it):

Firmware:
HDMI1.00/07517A
MAIN1.01/07618A
VD: 3.58/07609A
DSPS8051:07601A
DSPS8052:07518A
DSPS8052:07518A

"Traditionally Onkyo only release firmware upgrades to fix specific faults not for the upgrading of features. Most of the time these upgrades are not released to the end user & require upgrading through a service centre."

BTW:
I am located at Australia and realise firmware versions differ between the continents.

jazzyfromco

10-02-07, 01:50 AM

tmu77

10-02-07, 03:30 AM

Thanks Jazzyfromco..hoping you are right.

Of course I'm biased as I have the 705 but I originally looked at only having the 605 too. After reading the various threads on the differences between the two units, I couldn't be happier with my purchase. There are multiple reasons why you "should" choose the 705 over 605, but of course the final decision comes down to cost/money. I also recommend you check the "future-proofing" thread -> 705 is classified as a Lvl6 receiver and I believe 605 is a Lvl4 or Lvl5 receiver.

Most people here are experts, and will advise you with the exact reasons/details. All I can say is that you'll be very happy with the 705.

Regarding the fans on the 705 - I have read that it has two fans at the bottom, but because the 705 is so quiet, I cannot even tell the fans are running. ie: this is a very quiet unit (now that I wrote this, I'm wondering if they are actually running and/or how can I tell!).

I've read that the American model shows you the fan level when you monitor it via the undocumented menus. I haven't been able to confirm this - mine only shows the temperature.

BTW:
Just hit 54 Celsius / 129 Fahrenheit - my new record.

woots

10-02-07, 03:36 AM

I use an ultra quiet 120 mm fan on back right quadrant and keep my unit @ around 100-105 degrees F under prolonged load.

AV HAZE

10-02-07, 06:30 AM

scarecrow420

10-02-07, 06:50 AM

Hello All,
The 705 is on my radar but I am confused. Firstly, does the 705 have Burr-Brown DACs? Some of the Onkyo propaganda says yes. Their website says no. If it does not then am I paying extra money, over the 605, for a Pre-amp option and a little more power? Any help would be appreciated.
No the 705 doesnt use the burr browns, that is the 805 and higher

the extra features of the 705 over the 605 are mentioned in this thread although there are so many pages now its probably hard to dig them up (really the person who made the first post should have maintained an FAQ with this kind of info in it)... so to re-iterate you get slightly extra power, higher amperage, THX (select) certification, the better audyssey multi-EQ, pre-amp outputs, fully backlit and programmable learning remote, 3 HDMI inputs rather than 2, fans on the underside and less reported popping and heat issues than the other models, the BLUE light around the volume knob (hehe) and the 705 has 3 DSP chips vs the 605's 1 chip, which means it can do more post processing and listening modes etc, like creating 6.1 and 7.1 channel info from 5.1 PCM source (may not have this exact point correct, but it can do something extra with regards to post processing).

IMO, and probably everyone posting in this thread since we all opted for the 705, it's worth the extra money :) We are probably a little biased though! If it fits in your budget, you wont regret getting it over the 605...

mrgribbles

10-02-07, 07:30 AM

you have to break 65c on a modern pc CPU to do any damage (probably closer to 75-80c) so 52c seems reasonable, though certainly on the hot side for a modern receiver.

I'm still debating between the 605 and 705 myself, do you have any idea at what point (or temp) the fans on the 705 kick in?? I've just build a (mostly) passive HTPC and I'd rather not negate all the hard work by placing a noisy receiver next to it.

Actually I believe that the max on an Intel Mobile Core 2 is 90C, I'm sure that each CPU has a different spec. The hottest I've recorded on the upper case of my 705 is 137F / 58C. At that temp the fans weren't on that I could detect. Onkyo has stated that an 80 F increment over room ambient can be expected.

mrgribbles

10-02-07, 07:33 AM

mrgribbles

10-02-07, 07:42 AM

mrgribbles

10-02-07, 07:47 AM

Just an FYI:

It appears that Samsungs BDP 2400 Blu Ray player set to come out this month got canceled. Also... the Samsung BD-UP 5000 dual format player that was based on the 2400 got pushed back until December (which may not be a bad thing)

From what I read here on forums the owners of the 1400's have experienced a lot of random pauses and audio cut outs when using their receivers to decode HD formats. I am glad I didn't jump in on the BDP 1400 bandwagon.

Here is a link to my info above.
http://wesleytech.com/samsung-bdp-2400-blu-ray-player-canceled/380/

Thanks for the update. BTW the 5 disc promo has been resurrected and the 1400 is on it. I'm getting the fever again. The Sharp BD unit is imminent and in fact may be at one e-store. Its unclear about the bitstream HD audio out however and I can't find an online manual. The Sharp boasts a 10 second start up but isn't on the 5 disc promo.

iammongo

10-02-07, 10:53 AM

arbitrage000

10-02-07, 11:08 AM

No the 705 doesnt use the burr browns, that is the 805 and higher

the extra features of the 705 over the 605 are mentioned in this thread although there are so many pages now its probably hard to dig them up (really the person who made the first post should have maintained an FAQ with this kind of info in it)... so to re-iterate you get slightly extra power, higher amperage, THX (select) certification, the better audyssey multi-EQ, pre-amp outputs, fully backlit and programmable learning remote, 3 HDMI inputs rather than 2, fans on the underside and less reported popping and heat issues than the other models, the BLUE light around the volume knob (hehe) and the 705 has 3 DSP chips vs the 605's 1 chip, which means it can do more post processing and listening modes etc, like creating 6.1 and 7.1 channel info from 5.1 PCM source (may not have this exact point correct, but it can do something extra with regards to post processing).

IMO, and probably everyone posting in this thread since we all opted for the 705, it's worth the extra money :) We are probably a little biased though! If it fits in your budget, you wont regret getting it over the 605...

You are right about the 3DSPs and right about the matrixing to 6 and7.1. (Actually you're right about everything!) The 605 can't matrix PCM. The 705 is SOOO worth it over the 605 in my opinion. I love mine so far.

arbitrage000

10-02-07, 11:10 AM

I thought that bitstream would be better because it lets all the decoding happen inside the onkyo, but the PS3 always yells at me and says that all of the audio might not play back with this setting.

That's because the PS3 doesn't know if you have a brand new swanky 705, it just wants to be on the safe side;)

arbitrage000

10-02-07, 11:14 AM

Oh boy.... <sweats profusely> I hope they don't do that in my case, cause I'm in the same boat as you. I decided to upgrade "quietly". Since I had an Onkyo TX-SR601 prior, the 705 "blended" in quite well and unnoticeable.... except for that blue light. Luckily, my cabinet has smoked glass(so the blue light isn;t all that obvious) and the cabinet itself, is in the opposite corner of the room, from the TV.

I better get on the horn and buy the extended warranty(something I was planning to do anyway) now, so they don't call me ;)

Hey, you know the bluelight can be turned off, ck the manual, its just a button on the remote to press (Dimmer, i think).

Chuck_IV

10-02-07, 11:45 AM

Hey, you know the bluelight can be turned off, ck the manual, its just a button on the remote to press (Dimmer, i think).

Thanx for the tip. I'll look into that, although I think I'm safe. She's seen a couple times and hasn't said anything :)

clskinsfan

10-02-07, 12:42 PM

Just wanted to let everyone know I jumped on this today from CC got an online coupon for 10% off of sales price. I didnt get as good a deal as some of you who got it for $550. I feel I got a hell of a deal non the less. Heading down to set it up now will post some opinions when done. It is replacing a defective Denon 3805 which I loved the sound of by the way. More later.

iammongo

10-02-07, 03:09 PM

Thanx for the tip. I'll look into that, although I think I'm safe. She's seen a couple times and hasn't said anything :)

If she's anything like my wife she'll nail you about 3 months from now when you're relaxed and off guard.

You'll be sitting in your theater room drinking a beer and she'll walk up and say something like "SO, Nice blue light the stereo gives off all of a sudden...When were you going to tell me about THIS!!"

About 10 minutes later (in my house at least) She'll mumbles things about trust, divorce and you moving out and getting a bachelor pad again because you must be unhappy:D

Good luck :)

dropzone7

10-02-07, 03:28 PM

Chuck_IV

10-02-07, 03:33 PM

If she's anything like my wife she'll nail you about 3 months from now when you're relaxed and off guard.

You'll be sitting in your theater room drinking a beer and she'll walk up and say something like "SO, Nice blue light the stereo gives off all of a sudden...When were you going to tell me about THIS!!"

About 10 minutes later (in my house at least) She'll mumbles things about trust, divorce and you moving out and getting a bachelor pad again because you must be unhappy:D

Good luck :)

HAHA. :D Close. She would just tell me she is gonna spend the same amount I did on the receiver, on herself. :eek:

The funny part is, out of the blue, about a month ago, she was upset because she insisted I had just bought new speakers. :confused: I actually didn't. I had bought them a couple years ago, with her blessing, because she knocked one of the previous set's speakers off it's mounting bracket and cracked it's housing. I had a heck of a time getting her to remember this. :rolleyes:

It's all good tho :)

Just to get this back on topic a bit, I gotta say, I am absolutely thrilled with this receiver. I replaced a TX-SR601, so I cound get the decoding of the newer sound formats from my HiDef DVDs. About the only thing I don't like is it definitely gets hotter than my old receiver. I'm thinking of adding a fan to my cabinet(the 705 has about 3 in. of clearance all around, but is in a semi- enclosed cabinet.

jluzbet

10-02-07, 03:47 PM

I finally got mine... whoever is looking 4 one 6save has is for $575.00 free shipping

woots

10-02-07, 06:17 PM

Hey Woots - you're a PS3 / Bluray guy, Have you figured out yet if either Bitstream or PCM is the better audio output choice? I've played with both of them a bit and i have yet to notice a difference.

I thought that bitstream would be better because it lets all the decoding happen inside the onkyo, but the PS3 always yells at me and says that all of the audio might not play back with this setting.

I'm going to pickup fantastic4 BD today and wanted to know which output mode would sound best, If any.

and yes, i use HDMI for all connections.

Being that PS3 cant and will never output raw bitstream undecoded versions of true HD and DTS HD MA (to your receiver to decode)... its almost pointless to select bitstream on our PS3's. Even though our PS3's are version spec 1.3 I come to educate myself on the fact that in order for a device to officially call itself 1.3 it doesn't have to embody all of the 1.3 criteria. Ps3 was one of the 1st 1.3 hdmi spec peices of equipment on earth.. because of this its got the earliest version of the silicon image vastlane chipset... which is a cut down version of the same chipset line you see in the newest hi def players. (Basically, no uncompressed raw bitstream output to the receiver or deep color... but everything else) Theoretically, there may be a way for Sony to redesign its firmware or come up with a new OS software for PS3 that could do this... however, dont count on this to happen ever, its a long shot.

Its better to stay on PCM and let the ps3 do its job decoding the uncompressed audio formats internally(which currently is only uncompressed PCM streams and True HD). However, by december, the PS3 will get a firmware update that finally allows it to decode DTS HD MA inside the player.. so it will be a well rounded internal decoding blu ray player and be able to decode all the popular formats.