New receiver advice

[pellegrino]

I've heard that Onkyo receivers run hot, so hot that if you forget to turn it off overnight they could cause the hdmi board to fail. Anyone ever heard of this?

[Coach McGuirk]

I've heard that Onkyo receivers run hot, so hot that if you forget to turn it off overnight they could cause the hdmi board to fail. Anyone ever heard of this?

this is not true in my case. I have left my Onkyo running for multiple nights (multiple times. I tend to forget to shut it off) with no problems whatsoever. Going on 4 years with this one.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I bought an Onkyo 10-12 years ago and loved it. But I bought it just prior to the HDMI era so I decided to swap it out last fall with a new one. In doing my research I noticed all the threads on the problems with recent models so decided to go with a Yamaha instead. I loved the remote and the simplicity of the interface, but was very disappointed with the sound so I returned it after a week or so. Then I took my chances and ordered the Onkyo 414 because it was dirt cheap. After a few days I realized I had made a big mistake because it didn't have enough HDMI connections and the on-screen interface was terrible. So I returned it and got the 515. Fantastic sound, nice interface, and the Dude is happy. Also, at about this same time Onkyo came out with a new firmware update that the company claimed had fixed the HDMI video problem. Sure enough, the price on Amazon quickly went up (as long as the problem was unsolved, the prices were very low). So I figured that I had timed it just right. However, a 2-3 months later I started getting the HDMI problem. I turn the machine on and I have audio and no video. I have to powercyle the unit to get video back. At first it was rare but now it happens at least once a week. It only takes 10-20 seconds to cycle, but it is still a PITA.

I suspect it might have something to do with where you put it. I have inside a shelf with not a lot of air movement and my kids often leave it on overnight. My theory is that it is an issue with overheating. I love everything about the receiver but that.

[Pelado]

I'm leaning towards this Pioneer VSX-1022-K. It looks pretty good at $269.99:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Pioneer-...665#vi-content

Anyone have any comments for or against?

[Pelado]

I bought an Onkyo 10-12 years ago and loved it. But I bought it just prior to the HDMI era so I decided to swap it out last fall with a new one. In doing my research I noticed all the threads on the problems with recent models so decided to go with a Yamaha instead. I loved the remote and the simplicity of the interface, but was very disappointed with the sound so I returned it after a week or so. Then I took my chances and ordered the Onkyo 414 because it was dirt cheap. After a few days I realized I had made a big mistake because it didn't have enough HDMI connections and the on-screen interface was terrible. So I returned it and got the 515. Fantastic sound, nice interface, and the Dude is happy. Also, at about this same time Onkyo came out with a new firmware update that the company claimed had fixed the HDMI video problem. Sure enough, the price on Amazon quickly went up (as long as the problem was unsolved, the prices were very low). So I figured that I had timed it just right. However, a 2-3 months later I started getting the HDMI problem. I turn the machine on and I have audio and no video. I have to powercyle the unit to get video back. At first it was rare but now it happens at least once a week. It only takes 10-20 seconds to cycle, but it is still a PITA.

I suspect it might have something to do with where you put it. I have inside a shelf with not a lot of air movement and my kids often leave it on overnight. My theory is that it is an issue with overheating. I love everything about the receiver but that.

I would not want get calls from my wife during the day asking me to troubleshoot those issues. Thanks for the anecdotal confirmation of my decision to avoid that model.

[pellegrino]

I bought an Onkyo 10-12 years ago and loved it. But I bought it just prior to the HDMI era so I decided to swap it out last fall with a new one. In doing my research I noticed all the threads on the problems with recent models so decided to go with a Yamaha instead. I loved the remote and the simplicity of the interface, but was very disappointed with the sound so I returned it after a week or so. Then I took my chances and ordered the Onkyo 414 because it was dirt cheap. After a few days I realized I had made a big mistake because it didn't have enough HDMI connections and the on-screen interface was terrible. So I returned it and got the 515. Fantastic sound, nice interface, and the Dude is happy. Also, at about this same time Onkyo came out with a new firmware update that the company claimed had fixed the HDMI video problem. Sure enough, the price on Amazon quickly went up (as long as the problem was unsolved, the prices were very low). So I figured that I had timed it just right. However, a 2-3 months later I started getting the HDMI problem. I turn the machine on and I have audio and no video. I have to powercyle the unit to get video back. At first it was rare but now it happens at least once a week. It only takes 10-20 seconds to cycle, but it is still a PITA.

I suspect it might have something to do with where you put it. I have inside a shelf with not a lot of air movement and my kids often leave it on overnight. My theory is that it is an issue with overheating. I love everything about the receiver but that.

From everything I read, it looks like Onkyo had a bad stretch from about 2010-2012 where some of their models had this issue.

[BigFatMeanie]

I've heard that Onkyo receivers run hot, so hot that if you forget to turn it off overnight they could cause the hdmi board to fail. Anyone ever heard of this?

I have mine inside a cabinet, along with a DVR and and XBox360 and stuff. The first time my kids left all the equipment on overnight with the doors closed. The 360 got the Red Ring of Death. I decided to install a thermostat/fan on the side of the cabinet. I also drilled a bunch of ventilation holes under the kick plate where they can't be seen from the outside so the fan could actually produce air flow with the doors closed. Since I did that, everything has been working great for several years.

Obviously the Onkyo wasn't the exclusive source of the heat, and I never bothered to try and figure out the heat output of each component in the cabinet, but I think no matter what kinds of equipment you get you'll need to think about heat if you keep it all in a small or enclosed space.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I have mine inside a cabinet, along with a DVR and and XBox360 and stuff. The first time my kids left all the equipment on overnight with the doors closed. The 360 got the Red Ring of Death. I decided to install a thermostat/fan on the side of the cabinet. I also drilled a bunch of ventilation holes under the kick plate where they can't be seen from the outside so the fan could actually produce air flow with the doors closed. Since I did that, everything has been working great for several years.

Obviously the Onkyo wasn't the exclusive source of the heat, and I never bothered to try and figure out the heat output of each component in the cabinet, but I think no matter what kinds of equipment you get you'll need to think about heat if you keep it all in a small or enclosed space.

BFM you make my nipples hard.

Can you give me some details on the devices you used to do this? I am definitely interested. How is the noise level?

[Surfah]

BFM you make my nipples hard.

Can you give me some details on the devices you used to do this? I am definitely interested. How is the noise level?

If you search for AV or home theater cabinet cooling you will find all kinds of options. They're as quiet as the fan you buy. Many are USB powered too so they plug right into your receiver, cable box, Xbox, etc.

[Jeff Lebowski]

If you search for AV or home theater cabinet cooling you will find all kinds of options. They're as quiet as the fan you buy. Many are USB powered too so they plug right into your receiver, cable box, Xbox, etc.

Will do. Thanks.

[wuapinmon]

But what % of Onkyo TX-NR414/515/616 users who haven't had problems with their receiver actually searched out a problems thread online?

I wonder if Amazon would consider a statistic of customer comments/total units sold. That would be more helpful than the current system.

[wuapinmon]

BFM you make my nipples hard.

That belongs in BFM's signature.

[Jeff Lebowski]

That belongs in BFM's signature.

He has my permission.

He told me once he developed a webpage in PHP to optimize his drive home. That is my kind of geek.

[Pelado]

So this is the receiver I ended up buying for $258:

Pioneer VSX-1022-K



Here are some of its features:
- HDMI - 6 inputs, 1 output
- Network ready (Pandora, Internet radio stations, etc.)
- 560W
- AirPlay compatible (play content from my phone onto the system)
- DLNA compatible (access music files on my network)
- iPhone control app
- 1080p upconversion
- HDMI passthrough while on standby

This is my first receiver, and in general, I really like it. I have it paired with some used Polk speakers that I picked up locally. It sounds great. It expands my HDMI input pool. And I'm listening to a lot more music at home than I used to. The one negative that I've noticed so far is that the on-screen guides are somewhat cumbersome with seemingly prehistoric graphics.

I still need to expand the system, though. The Polks I'm employing include R15's as the fronts, a CSI40 in the center, and a PSW303 as the sub. The receiver supports 7.1, but I really only want to go to 5.1. So I'm in the market for either a pair of satellites or a pair of fronts (and then convert the R15's to satellites). Any suggestions that would go well with what I've already got?

[Pelado]

I was getting really frustrated that I couldn't get the Audio Return Channel (ARC) to work with my HDMI connection. ARC allows the receiver to play the audio derived from the TV's tuner or TV apps. I turned on the functionality on both the receiver and the TV, and was able to "Control" either device with either remote, so I knew the connection was enabled. But I still couldn't get the audio to come through.

I then switched the receiver from the "HDMI 1" input to the "HDMI 2" input on the TV. Success! Apparently, the Panasonic plasma only supports ARC on the one input.