I recently aquired the much hyped Onkyo 605. It boasted the first reciever with the new HD codecs, DolbyTrueHD, and DTS HD Master.
I was feeling the upgrade bug as of late. Sure I loved the sound out of my LMC-1, but I was hoping the Onkyo would be a little easier as far as the user controls. Also, the HDMI 1.3 was an attractive feature. I could get rid of 3 sets of component cables, and two optical cables. The price was a bargain at $399 so what the heck.
I have been using the LMC-1 since inception. I was given the dynamic duo of amp and processor during its original beta stages. I have not ever returned it for an upgrade dreading the thought of parting with it.
I have been living with the Onkyo for about a month now. Setup was a snap with the included microphone and Audessey setup software. You place the microphone at three listening positions. It then sends out tones which it uses to measure the distances of your speakers in relation to the seating positions. So you run the auto calibration and it takes about 10 minutes to go through all the channels.
I have a Toshiba XA-2 HDDVD player, as well as the Playstation 3 for BLU-RAY. You connect one HDMI from each player into the Onkyo and thats that. I am using an Optoma projector the HD70 for my display. So again one HDMI from the Onkyo to the Optoma. The Onkyo also has the ability to upconvert whatever else you have connected whether it be by s-video or composite or component and send it out through the HDMI. Something I thought was going to be quite useful with my cable, XBOX360, and WII.
Now to be fair, the LMC-1 is capable with the switcher of using HDMI for picture only. So I could have gotten rid of some wires using the switcher. But no sound as it was only a switcher so you would have to get TrueHD or DTS Master through analog which was more cables.
So I recalibrated my LMC-1 for the sake of comparison. I got out my old Rat Shack SPL meter and went through the tests on Avia. I have the HDDVD of V.E. but that menu is sooo annoying. How hard is it to make it easy like Avia.
First disk I used was a reference disk for me. It is Diana Krall Live In Paris. I am very familiar with the disk setting it up in the audio menu for DTS. I go to song selection and choose The Look Of Love. My LMC-1 has always had a bass adjustment issue. I would calibrate it but it would still sound like to much bass. I would have to physically turn the sub down to get the desired effect. That being said the track is just beautiful, her voice is wispy as if you can feel her breath. She is there in the room with us, completely immersive. This was the track I used when I compared the LMC-1 to the Outlaw 990. There was just no comparison when it came to immersiveness. It gives you that being there feeling.
I quickly swapped out the speaker cables and switched the HDMI cables and started the track over. I just did not get it. Suddenly I was in last row of the auditorium. I heard her breath but I did not feel it anymore. Of course the bass was perfect because of the Audessey. When I asked my partner in crime Brian what he thought he said the difference was slight if any. But when I talked about a lack of being there feeling he quickly agreed. Maybe he was trying to make me feel better on my new purchase.
Every DVD from Eric Clapton to Elton John to The Doobie Brothers, they all sound good, but they do not have that being there feeling. That immersiveness that the LMC-1 gives you. It blew away the 990 for sound and it blew away my cheapie Onkyo 605. But in fairness it is apples to oranges and I know that. The LMC-1 with amp is $999 as opposed to the Onkyo 605 which I got for $399. It has built in codecs of the new HD sound formats. It has great features such as the Audessey EQ. And the user menu is easy and staight forward which I appreciate.
But when all that is said and done, it comes to what sounds the best. That prize goes to the LMC-1 still the champ in my house. To bad I promised it to my brother who has been raving about since he set it up.
I was feeling the upgrade bug as of late. Sure I loved the sound out of my LMC-1, but I was hoping the Onkyo would be a little easier as far as the user controls. Also, the HDMI 1.3 was an attractive feature. I could get rid of 3 sets of component cables, and two optical cables. The price was a bargain at $399 so what the heck.
I have been using the LMC-1 since inception. I was given the dynamic duo of amp and processor during its original beta stages. I have not ever returned it for an upgrade dreading the thought of parting with it.
I have been living with the Onkyo for about a month now. Setup was a snap with the included microphone and Audessey setup software. You place the microphone at three listening positions. It then sends out tones which it uses to measure the distances of your speakers in relation to the seating positions. So you run the auto calibration and it takes about 10 minutes to go through all the channels.
I have a Toshiba XA-2 HDDVD player, as well as the Playstation 3 for BLU-RAY. You connect one HDMI from each player into the Onkyo and thats that. I am using an Optoma projector the HD70 for my display. So again one HDMI from the Onkyo to the Optoma. The Onkyo also has the ability to upconvert whatever else you have connected whether it be by s-video or composite or component and send it out through the HDMI. Something I thought was going to be quite useful with my cable, XBOX360, and WII.
Now to be fair, the LMC-1 is capable with the switcher of using HDMI for picture only. So I could have gotten rid of some wires using the switcher. But no sound as it was only a switcher so you would have to get TrueHD or DTS Master through analog which was more cables.
So I recalibrated my LMC-1 for the sake of comparison. I got out my old Rat Shack SPL meter and went through the tests on Avia. I have the HDDVD of V.E. but that menu is sooo annoying. How hard is it to make it easy like Avia.
First disk I used was a reference disk for me. It is Diana Krall Live In Paris. I am very familiar with the disk setting it up in the audio menu for DTS. I go to song selection and choose The Look Of Love. My LMC-1 has always had a bass adjustment issue. I would calibrate it but it would still sound like to much bass. I would have to physically turn the sub down to get the desired effect. That being said the track is just beautiful, her voice is wispy as if you can feel her breath. She is there in the room with us, completely immersive. This was the track I used when I compared the LMC-1 to the Outlaw 990. There was just no comparison when it came to immersiveness. It gives you that being there feeling.
I quickly swapped out the speaker cables and switched the HDMI cables and started the track over. I just did not get it. Suddenly I was in last row of the auditorium. I heard her breath but I did not feel it anymore. Of course the bass was perfect because of the Audessey. When I asked my partner in crime Brian what he thought he said the difference was slight if any. But when I talked about a lack of being there feeling he quickly agreed. Maybe he was trying to make me feel better on my new purchase.
Every DVD from Eric Clapton to Elton John to The Doobie Brothers, they all sound good, but they do not have that being there feeling. That immersiveness that the LMC-1 gives you. It blew away the 990 for sound and it blew away my cheapie Onkyo 605. But in fairness it is apples to oranges and I know that. The LMC-1 with amp is $999 as opposed to the Onkyo 605 which I got for $399. It has built in codecs of the new HD sound formats. It has great features such as the Audessey EQ. And the user menu is easy and staight forward which I appreciate.
But when all that is said and done, it comes to what sounds the best. That prize goes to the LMC-1 still the champ in my house. To bad I promised it to my brother who has been raving about since he set it up.
