AVS Forum banner

Onkyo acknowledges failed units and extending warrranties until 2018

648K views 3K replies 699 participants last post by  aletras 
#1 ·
Onkyo USA Support Information


08/19/2014 Loss of Audio/Network Connection Customer Care Program


As part of our commitment to quality and customer service we have determined that a limited number of Onkyo Brand receivers manufactured between 2009 and 2012 may experience loss of audio or loss of network connection. This malfunction has been traced back to a defective network chip.
We deeply regret any frustration or inconvenience this situation may have caused.
To address the problem and help people who may have an impacted receiver, Onkyo is launching a special Customer Care Program to remedy this issue for those receivers that may be affected by this loss of audio/network connection issue. This program has three steps:
1. Verify if your Onkyo receiver is impacted
2. Decide how you prefer to address the issue
3. Send us your receiver in a prepaid box and label that we will provide at no cost to you
As part of this program we are also extending our standard limited warranty period to cover this issue for affected receivers through December 31, 2018. All other terms, conditions and limitations of the original limited warranty shall continue to apply for the duration of the original standard limited warranty.
Importantly, please note that the loss of audio/network connection issue will not result in harm to any connected components or speakers since the issue is contained to a single element within the affected receivers.
To determine if your receiver is eligible under this Customer Care Program please click here
Loss of Audio/Network Connection Customer Care Program for US and Canada customers
We thank you for your loyalty!
Onkyo again apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause and will provide this repair as expeditiously as possible.

This is great news for all Onkyo owners with failed HDMI/No Sound issues.
 
See less See more
#2,087 · (Edited)
Without any warning or any sign of anything diminishing, I turned on my TX-NR646 as usual one day but had no audio. I went through all the unplugging and factory resets etc. Video was still fine on all the inputs/outputs but not a peep of sound from anything. Network settings were also greyed out now.


Thinking google might help me, I began searching and came across this thread. The shear number of failed units scouring the web screamed RECALL as did the reason why they all fail at some point. Apparently there is an excessive half volt sent to the DTS chip on the HDMI board and that silly Band-Aid fan in the unit does not cool the chip down now that it's being overheated from too much voltage. After enough time goes by the chip deteriorates as does the connection on the board. I'm going out on a limb. I'll bet if your unit has a fan, that disqualifies you from getting a real repair since that is the 'Fix'. I can assure you, that 25 cent fan didn't fix anything although it probably prolonged certain death...... just about enough time until the warranty runs out.


So, I called Onkyo and explained the symptoms, no audio and no network settings access. After asking for my serial, I was told the unit is out of warranty and my only recourse was to take it to a repair center and pay to have it fixed myself. I asked the rep if he was aware of the Loss of Audio/Network Connection Customer Program extended until 2018. The reply was he is very aware of it. I was told this program only applies for units still under warranty and I should have read that in the fine print (although nothing of the sort is on that page). I said why would you have a special program that only applies to units still under warranty? I said if anything breaks while still under warranty you are responsible to honor your warranty including no audio or network settings. What makes this program special aside from a normal warranty? He repeated the program is only for units still under warranty and since my unit isn't, it does not apply and to take my unit to a repair facility if I want to fix it myself.


I hung up, went to Best Buy that morning, and purchased a Denon AVR-S720W on sale, the comparable replacement to an Onkyo 646. Never been happier. Performance, features, and warranty surpass my expectations and certainly that of my dead Onkyo.


Call me naïve but my question is, if your unit is in warranty, what is so special about this program? Wouldn't loss of audio and network settings qualify for a regular ol' warranty return? Why would you have to jump through this hoop?
 
#2,089 ·
I don't believe that the 646 (released in 2015?) is covered by this program, it covers a range of devices that were built with a specific DSP chip sourced from TI, not all Onkyo AVR's have this chip and Onkyo stopped using the affected DSP chip after September 2012.

How that answers your question?
 
#2,093 ·
Hello everyone, this will be my first post on this wonderful forum and unfortunately, one about an issue with my Onkyo TX-NR708. Sometime around 2010/2011 I bought a TX-NR708 and.until a month or so ago when I started having issues with the audio/network dropout it had been fantastic. I have Direct TV as my provider and the first thing I found going to the web was that on some units, you have to turn off the Dolby on the DTV box, which I did and that seemed to solve the issue for me, for about a week. After that, hard resets (unplugging the unit) for 5 min or so seemed to fix the problem, but it only became more and more of an issue. That's when I found this forum and the legs length of members with the same issue. Upon contacting Onkyo, I found out my unit WAS elegable for the free fix. Filled out the form on a Thur, got my return box that next Tues and had it picked up the next day. I am in central Indiana and the unit was shipped to I believe Dalewood Il. They got it last Thur. and upon checking on the progress today, I see a note that the unit requires "further repair" nothing else. I tried to get in contact with them today but was only able to leave a msg which was not returned by close of business today. I am really curious as to what else they may have found as the unit has been great until the HDMI board issue. When I initially spoke to one of their reps, I was told the repair would be covered unless they found another issue and he mentioned an additional $28.00 fee. If it truly is another issue and is only $28.00 I will be happy, but I am wary of this at this point until I can actually speak with someone.
After reading through most of this thread, several members have mentioned a software they use to control their unit through their network, could someone point me in the direction of this software, if it is usable with the NR708 series receivers?
Thanks much in advance and I will keep you all updated on the "further repair" issue.

Thanks much!
Greg
 
#2,094 ·
In case you have to pay it out of your own pocket, how much would an HDMI board approximately cost?
 
#2,096 ·
Hello all!

I got ahold of the Onkyo service center concerning the other "needed" repair on my 709 this morning. I was told they replaced the HDMI board but there was a video cable that was damaged and needed to be replaced. The woman I spoke with said the tech had not included any further notes and she would check on it and get back with me in an hr or so.
I asked about the $28.00 flat fee for "other" repairs and she was not sure where he got that figure but anything else would be taken care of for a flat $75.00
I think I know which of the cables they are talking about, its a small ribbon able, 5 conductor if I am remembering correctly on the front of the HDMI board, maybe 6"-8" long. If this is the cable they are refering to, I can hardly see it running $75.00!!
The woman was veryolite and helpful, I am just not why, since they have known this since Tues, and I had called and left a msg asking for a call back and further info, I had not received anything.
AS before, I will keep you updated on the process and look forward to getting my unit back!!

Greg
 
#2,097 ·
Well, its taken care of! I got a call back and along with the HDMI board, which was replaced at no charge, they said I had an issue with the analogue AV board which needed to be replaced, so. $75.00 later, I should be getting my TX708 back by the end of next week I was told! I was really hoping that I would not be out of pocket at all, but I have to consider myself fortunate after looking up the prices of some of the boards to do it myself. Now I get to go through and set it all up again, but I just got another set of speakers, so I will be going from 5.1 to 7.1, I am really excited to hear the difference in sound!
 
#2,098 ·
I had forgot to ask in my last post, a quick question for the gurus. I have read about people adding heat sinks to the HDMI chip in question, fans, etc. This is something I was thinking about today while looking through some of my parts pile. I found a fan.heat sink/heat pipe from an old laptop I parted out, its a small, quiet 5v fan with a Cu, fluid filled tube going to a heat sink that is just about the perfect size for the problem chip. I was told that the HDMI board I am getting back has been redesigned, new chip, etc so that this should never be an issue again. I also keep the Onkyo unit on the top of my rack so it gets plenty of fresh air, do those of you in the know think it would be worth putting this fan/heat pipe unit on when I get it back? I have lots of old power supplies laying around and the design/shape of this unit would let it exhaust right out the back. Any thought or comments are appreciated!

Thanks!
Greg
 
#2,100 ·
I think if you keep it on the top of the rack you'll be fine. Some have reported problems even when they've installed fans on their receivers. Enjoy it and try not to worry about it. Unfortunately for us, these Onkyo's receivers can die for other reasons beside the HDMI boards. Inadequate or faulty capacitors is another problem. I have a 876 that I've babied for years. I keep mine outside of my TV cabinet so it never gets too hot. It'll die eventually. I know it's only a matter of time and I won't loose sleep worrying about it. But when it does die, I doubt I'll buy another Onkyo receiver.
 
#2,099 ·
Well my TX-NR5008 is going bad again. I bought it in Dec. 2010 and in Sept. 2012 it had the famous HDMI board issue. I sent it for repair and they found defective HDMI board and IDE Connectors on the microprocessor & display boards. Now it is having a another issue where none of the speakers are on the display but appears to be related to the hdmi board. I tried the reset but of course nothing. I contacted Onkyo via the links in this thread and they gave me two options. A $250 credit towards another Onkyo (HA!) or they will repair it. I choose the repair it and they are sending out a box for me to ship it free of charge. Luckily this year, I replaced the Onkyo for a Marantz 8002a for my main system. The Onkyo resides as my bedroom receiver. The sad thing is once I get it repaired, the clock will start ticking knowing that in 2-4 years the Onkyo will breakdown again. I will post updates to share my experiences for you all.
 
#2,101 ·
So my relatively low end NR-509 has suddenly developed a no audio issue. Enter my serial number and Onkyo gives me the option of repair or purchase new NR646 from them for $199. Now I see recent posts here indicating the NR646 has issues too.

Questions: Is the NR646 a decent value for $199? It is a significant upgrade from the NR509. Has Onkyo resolved the board issues or is a "new" NR646 likely to have the same problems?
 
#2,105 ·
I went through this last year with my TX-709 and opted for the 199.00 rebate to upgrade and upgraded to the TX-NR646. The TX-NR646 is a great sounding receiver with lots of features, but is not without it's own sound issues. When I ffw my DVR I lose sound and have to power cycle the TX-NR646 or change input selection. In hindsight I would have had the TX 709 repaired and thoroughly researched a different brand of receiver. I'm done with Onkyo and going Yamaha next time. The TX-NR646 will be a great inexpensive upgrade from your NR-509 though.
 
#2,102 ·
Is there a list somewhere of the models this effects?:confused: I have a TX-SR308 I purchased back in March 2010 and it's had issues after a couple years of ownership with audio and video.

Audio/Video cuts out on one or more HDMI ports, such as my new PS4(same problem occured when I had my previous PS3 system hooked up to it).
It's almost like a static style artifact and it only lasts a split second.
However, it continues to occur every few seconds until I turn off my receiver and give it a couple minutes before turning it back on.
Once back on, the issue is still present, but less frequent and it doesn't always happen. If I keep my receiver off for a few hours at least and try using it again, the problem is gone most of the time.

Using the HDMI connections directly from my devices to my HD TV, I don't have the same issue. I also have a TV antenna and a Super Nintendo hooked up to the receiver with no issues, so it appears to only happen with the HDMI ports on the Onkyo receiver. I've tried multiple types of HDMI cables to no avail.

Also, if I've left my receiver on for a certain period of time, let's say a few days, I'll occasionally have this issue where when I turn on my PS4/TV, the audio signal goes crazy and starts making these loud staticy popping sounds until I reset the receiver.

I attempted to enter my serial number on the website listed by OP, but it said my model does not need this update. Maybe my SR308 doesn't have networking built in and the warranty extension only works for models with networking? I don't know. All I know is I've been living with this issue for quite a while and only recently have I been in the market for a new receiver. I found this thread by happenstance so I was curious to see if my model qualifies. Is their customer service dept helpful at all?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
 
#2,104 · (Edited)
Well, just over two years on the original HDMI board when it failed, (5008). Now just over two years after that, the second board has failed. Yes, I'm still within the extended warranty period, but I'm disappointed to say the least. You would have thought that after the first go around, they would have rectified the issue on the replacement pieces.

edit: Paying closer attention to the dates, it would appear I doubled the span between the first and this failure. I would suppose that might be a result of adding the fans I bought from Cooler Guys on top of the unit. So, I got 2 years before the first failure and 4 years until the second failure.

John
 
#2,108 ·
This post is probably redundant at this point but, just to be on record... I also have an HT-RC180 that they "Fixed" under their "Extended until 2018" warranty. It was the standard no sound and network settings being grayed out issue. That was about 2 years ago. Apparently, the warranty is a one time fix with the same defective HDMI board that it had in the first place.

It broke again with the exact same issue and they won't even talk to me about it. They gave me the insulting yet typical offer of a trade in for a newer receiver. I let the rep know as politely as I could muster that, after decades and many Onkyo products, I will be moving on and won't look back.

I just ordered a Pre-amp and amp from outlaw audio so we will see how that goes. I can't believe that there isn't a class action lawsuit about this. It seems like this issue is being experienced by nearly everyone who purchased an onkyo receiver with an HDMI board over the last 6 or 7 years.
 
#2,110 ·
I just sent my NR709 in for repair under the program. Audio kept dropping out. The repair shop is within a FedEx day from here so I hope that I might have it the weekend after this one. My other option was a $150 credit towards a new one but I am hesitant to buy another Onkyo. I haven't decided whether to keep the repaired unit or sell it and buy a Denon/Yamaha.
 
#2,113 ·
They did say my unit would be covered. In order for it to be repaired, it has to be sent to their extended warranty repair center. (There is an authorized place not to far from me but they said no.) Anyway, the empty box should show up today, so I'll get it out to them. They are covering shipping both ways. After that.................................................

John
 
#2,116 ·
Will Onkyo offer TX-NR656 for $199 after 3/31/17?

My Onkyo TX-NR616 no longer produces any audio. Onkyo is offering to repair my receiver for free or purchase a new TX-NR646 for $199 through 3/31/17. I am wondering if a different model will be offered for $199 after 1/31/17? Onkyo has extended the warrantee through 2018. Will they offer the TX-NR656 which replaced the TX-NR646 for $199? Is the TX-NR656 worth $199? Is it better quality? I'm wondering if I should wait two months to find out or should I send mine in for repair now? It seems the TX-NR646 has too many quality issues to consider it.
 
#2,117 ·
Having read through the posts on this thread, your receiver will be eligible for a one time repair under this extended warranty program. The way I see it, we are buying time until we either have a future failure no longer covered, or we spend money for something else.

Does the other receiver offer give you things you want but don't have in the receiver you already own? If so, go for it, if not, get yours fixed. I can tell you that my adding a cooling fan to the top of mine after the first HDMI board failed 2 years after it was new arguably doubled the life of the second board. (It took 4 years for this second one to fail, and no, it is not in a confined or enclosed space.) Point is, you can spring 60 bucks or so from Cooler Guys and double the life of your receiver if it is doing everything you desire.

Right now, my 5008 is being sent in for repair, but I am being seduced by some of the newer things available....................... We'll see.

edit: Perhaps after 3/31 there may be no carrot. Waiting on maybes might bite you.


Just my 2 cents.

John
 
#2,123 ·
Just to add to this thread. I have a pioneer sc-1227-k (essentially a sc-63) which I purchased from future shop a few years ago. Onkyo has apparently taken over the warrantee of pioneer. I called pioneer then was redirected to an Onkyo service tech. After going around a few times with this issue they honored the warrantee to fix the problem which is the same is what is posted in this thread. (no sound, UE22 error code). I shipped it off to be repaired yesterday. I should check into the online replacement option.
 
#2,125 ·
Just to add to this thread. I have a pioneer sc-1227-k (essentially a sc-63)... the problem which is the same is what is posted in this thread. (no sound, UE22 error code).
Another Pioneer SC-1227-K death (no pass-through, no sound, UE22 error code).
So now Pioneer has the same problem that Onkyo has been suffering from for years? That's great news. :(
 
#2,124 ·
Another Pioneer SC-1227-K death (no pass-through, no sound, UE22 error code). Followed previously outlined procedures (thanks for information) and 'replacement' unit of an SC-91 for $449 arrives this Friday. Fairly painless, although not without glitches in the process. However, Onkyo/Pioneer service department made it right.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top