I got this receiver free from my brother and it looks very solid and power yet my 1976 Sansui 7070 60Wx4 RMS Amp dwarfs it literally. When connected to my Pioneer CS-99a (100W) speakers i would go to MAX volume and be near the soft and powerful raw power of Sansui at 1/2 of volume - what a rip off!
Spend less money, forget about all this 5-6 channel nonsense and buy yourself a real amp - Sansui 7070,8080,9090 - it will blow you away! Connect it to your HDTV and you will realize that a pure stereo sound with right, but older equipment is just as good as a 6 channel rip off with curernt expensive eqipment made out of cheap components!
Cheers!

Great looking design and heavily constructed. Backlit learning remote is a big plus.

Low end kind of weak. Cannot use both A & B speaker outputs when in any surround mode -only A channels. This is one reason I like my old HK.

When I bought this unit, I was looking for something that was THX certified for my home theatre system. I got this at what I think was a great price on Ebay - $470 out the door, for what it does. It is a fantastic looking receiver with a great remote (although a little hard to hold onto and operate with the hand grooves in the back). This unit has adequate power to produce what I wanted from a home theatre system (105 per channel) however, it doesn't produce a deep enough low end for giving my windows an early spring cleaning (not quite anyway). I'm sure this probably would not have been a problem had I bought a subwoofer. I am currently running this unit with Kenwood KL-999S and KL-888X speakers which are fantastic. To solve my bass problem, I ran my pre out to my Yamaha M-65 (170 watts per channel) after routing through a DBX 3BX dynamic range expander. The bass in my house is now at the awesome level. This is a decent receiver for most part, but I must say that it is lacking in the low end for the standard A or B speaker outputs.

Similar Products Used:

HK AVR-70, AVR-20II Sony STR-d615

Versatility and Control, ease of use (once you figure out how the pushbutton/rotary knob works), User can name the inputs (i.e. you can type in 'Pioneer DVD' to show up on the receiver when you are in DVD source mode)

bass & treble controls are out of control- poor frequency points or something, center channel hiss in surround mode

After using this unit for two years, I am not ashmaed of what I have done! I started kicking myself when three months later, the NEW TXDS-787 came out, with an additional rear surround channel. The unit also had more digital inputs & outputs. But you have to look at what you DON'T get, too. You lose Speaker B output. For me, that's huge, because I use my receiver for HT in the den with 5-spkr system, and for music in the living room, with a set of Polk towers. I have a One-for-All RF remote (goes through walls) and I can operate it from anywhere in the house. The 787, and now 797 model, don't let you run a separate room system without an additional amplifier. Also, the 797 includes component video switching (777 only has S-Video) but if you are that concerned about video preservation, you should be running the shortest possible length of Component cabling directly from your DVD to your TV anyway! I feel a real need to tinker with my sound system- I have a 14 band-per-channel equilizer (tried AudioSource 10-band 100 series, and hated it) but was mildly upset to find it only tailors the Main Speaker A channels. It doesn't affect center, surrounds, or Speaker B (in the other room). After a while, I learned to use this to my advantage- extra flexability! I am able to tune my fronts differently from my surrounds (volume and frequency change) which is very nice, since I do not have matched speaker components. If you are the type who changes your car stereo bass & treble for almost every song that comes on, you are really going to want a separate EQ with this unit. The Bass control should be labeled a 'Muddiness' control, and Treble should be called 'Hiss' control. I don't think I would have opted for another unit under $1000 - the unit is very versitile and allows many components to be hooked up in a number of different ways. I have my DVD player hooked up for full digital only under DVD input, and the same DVD player is hooked up in analog for Karaoke under Video1 input, so I never have to mess with input/ouput adjustments. I even have my Computer audio and video running though this receiver- very nice for MP3 (over 4000 songs on random-play = heaven) and downloaded movies. HINT: Center channel hiss may be eliminated by turning off the lights- even lights in other parts of the house. Test this if you have the problem.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo TX-844, Onkyo A-SV620

NONE!!!!!! JUNK!!!!!!

JUST PLAIN GARBAGE!!!!! AND THAT''S WHERE IT WENT!!!!!

THIS HAS TO BE THE WORST INVESTMENT IN AUDIO EQUIPMENT I HAVE EVER MADE! I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS RECIEVER SINCE I HAVE OWNED IT! IT''S BEEN BACK TO ONKYO TWICE AND HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. I FINALLY JUST THREW IT IN THE TRASH!!! WHERE IT BELONGED IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!

Rich, warm sound, excellent FM, feature set, build quality, value, connectivity

I got the dreaded HUM

I am heartbroken. After having owned an Onkyo cassette deck (TA-2600) for 10 (!) years, and the Onkyo 515-Pro DPL receiver for over 6 years, I lusted after the 777 as my upgrade to DD/DTS. I compared the Yamaha 995 and the Denon 3300, but certain features on the Onkyo and my history with their equipment pushed me to buy the Onkyo 777. I wanted the pre-in/outs and THX Select, plus the remote seemed better than the other brands' remotes. I can also control my Onkyo cassette deck with the 777's remote. I got a good deal from Sound City in NJ.

Hooked it up and initially was quite pleased. Very similar in sound to my older Onkyo, but a bit more powerful. My only complaint was with Bass management. It took me a week to get the balance right on the sub, and I still wasn't content; the bass seemed a bit weak (my sub is a Def Tech PF15, from 1994) relative to the old DPL setup.

And then IT happened. Out of the blue, I noticed a hum or buzz from the center channel whenever it was in use. This hum became apparent as soon as the volume clicked from "min" to "1", and was static regardless of the gain setting. In two-channel mode, the hum was still apparent, but not as much so. This hum was audible from my listening position 8 feet away. It was audible during very quite passages on movies. For the money I'd spent, I could not accept this. I called Joe at Sound City (ext. 708) and he authorized the return. I waited one extra day to try a few things. I disconnected each in/output one at a time to try and isolate the source of the hum. I discovered that the hum only occurs when the subwoofer out jack is connected. With the sub cable removed, no hum! So, maybe it's the sub, or the cable. I went to CC, bought a cheap Polk sub and Monster Subwoofer cable. Hooked them up and - still the hum. I tried changing outlets for the sub, which uses a two-pronge plug, and saw no improvement. I had to face it: the reviewers here with the hum problem are not hearing things!

I returned the Onkyo to the Sound City warehouse last night. They courteously accepted it and exchanged (no restocking fees) it for a Pioneer Elite 24, which I will review later this month. The techie at the warehouse thought I'd have the same problem with any receiver because I had too many grounded components on the same circuit, but I had to try it for myself. Guess what? So far, I have no hum on the Pioneer. I wanted so much to stick with Onkyo. Onkyo has broken my heart and lost my loyalty to their otherwise fine products. Kudos to Sound City in NJ, though. Joe is a prince!

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo 515 Pro DPL Receiver

Just a brief update to my previous post.

I had the dreaded hiss in my first '777 (ser. no. 29X00*****) so I exchanged it for a new one. That one (ser. no. 39700*****) had the dreaded hiss but also had a "sizzling" type of sound in the center channel in addition to the hiss. I am now on '777 number three (ser. no. 29Y00*****) and I still have a slight hiss (no sizzle). I was told by David at Onkyo to take it in to a service center and have a ground loop installed in the unit and all noise will be eliminated (actually he told me to do this when I was on number 2). This will be my next step. I am just a little upset that my brand new receiver needs to take a few day trip to the local service center (they told me they had a three day backlog).

Just as a point of reference, I have a 15 year old Fisher integrated amplifier that is actually quieter than my '777 is through the same spakers (although the 777 definatly has the Fisher beat as far as sound quality).

Other than the hiss, the '777 sounds fantastic. I have never heard quite this level of detail out of a piece of audio equipment before purchasing the '777. This unit definately is a powerhouse as well. My ears always give out before the volume control does.

If the ground loop mod fails to bring the hiss under control, I will more than likely end up trading my '777 in for a Pioneer Elite VSX-26TX (as much as I love Onkyo products!).

THX, DTS, All the right Connections

DSP modes limited.

I am very happy with this reciever. I did not experience any hum from any of the channels. Just clean powerful sound. 105wx5 channels fills the house with sound.

I feel like there is something missing from the DSP modes but not a big deal.

I think it is a great reciever for the money. If you want to wake the neihbors, buy it.

THX, Digital, Sound is great

This reciever is very strong. It puts out a lot of crisp sound. Everyone in the house keeps asking me to turn it down.

I am glad I went with the Onkyo. Heard some cases of a hum from the center channel, but I did not have that experience.

I couldn't be happier.

Great value, excellent DSP decoder, plenty of power, easy to set up

nothing really - maybe the unit is a little heavy

I read some of the other reviews - my unit has non of the hiss or hum others have referred to - it is very quiet
I am playing the unit using a Pioneer 525 DVD player using the coax output into the Onkyo TX-DS777 and then into five B&W speakers. The Onkyo was easy to set up - you program into the unit how far away you are from each speaker and then use the unit's pink noise generator to set each speaker's level - for my setup I had to increase the center channel speaker by 2 db and the surrounds by 1 db. I was fortunate to have the use of a friends db meter.
The biggest surprise came when I played a CD through the Pioneer DVD player and the Onkyo's digital processor - The audio quality blew my Nakamichi CD player's own internal DA processor away - A much more open sound using the Onkyo processor and the Pioneer DVD payer. The Nakamichi also has a digital out so I bypassed ITS processor and played the same disc through the Onkyo - SAME THING - Whoa!! - much better sound. If any of you read this and your CD player has a digital out - TRY RUNNING THE CD PLAYER THROUGH YOUR RECEIVER'S D to A converter - you may be surprised at the increases in sound quality
As a final check I bought one DTS encoded disk - The Eagles concert "Hell Freezes Over" - What sound - jeez! - This disk blew away all the Dolby Digital disks I have for sound quality. I wish to hell more disks were DTS encoded ..

Well designed Ergonomical Remote Control.
THX certification.
Strong reputable name brand.
Incredible resolution & definition. Very musical.

Unimpressive output considering rating. Slips in to protection much to easily.
Dated cosmetics and front panel layout.
Lack of optical inputs & outputs.
What happened to the bass?

I have been in the consumer electronic trade for most of the last nine years (with a splash of university), and in that time have had the oppertunity to use, setup and own some of the nicer mid-fi product on the market. As a result I prefer to have the the higher end equipment and appreciate the value of such equipment.

For the last five years I have used a Nakamichi AV-1 Prologic reciever with no complaint. As good as it was, and still is, I felt it was time to upgrade to Dolby Digital. Wanting the best I naturally selected a Onkyo TXDS777. Even at employee cost this was an expensive piece of equipment, but the specs. were all there as well as the name.

Out of the box the build quality, sheer weight, and gold on the jack pack envoked confidence that I made the correct buying decision. This was solidly dashed once I put the TXDS777 into action. The setup can't possibly be intutive, but there aren't many Dolby Digital systems that are. While this reciever (connected optically to my CD player) was very musical with serious definition & resolution in the high end, the bottom end was the complete opposite. Where my older Nakamichi AV-1 delivered rich, deep bass that literally shook the walls, this reciver left my Paradigm Studio Monitors sounding like bookshelf speakers! No bass & NO presence. Much of the life completely disappeared from my music.

Trying to compensate for the loss of bass (compared to my Nakamichi AV-1) by increasing the bass levels caused this reciever to protect at less than half volume. This is a short comming that has been predominate in all Dolby Digital Onkyo recievers that I have had the opportunity to use this year.(TXDS575/676/777/939) Didn't experince this in last years models, nor the loss of bass. Not a reciever if your into the bar scene, or looking for great bass response. Also, why isn't there a bass boost on this model? There is on every model below it.

The Dolby Digital performance yielded the same short comming that I experienced in stereo mode. Total lack of bass, less pressence. Now I realize that a subwoofer is an integral part of DD & DTS, but that shouldn't result in a total loss of bass, and in other equipment, doesn't. Dolby Digital mode wasn't easily engaged too boot.

Final major short comming was an unusually hiss while there was no signal in the various sources. As well, there was slightly audible source bleed through. That is, tuner could be heard in CD mode, DVD mode, etc.. Not usually a postive sign on the engineering. Surprised that got by the THX guys.

Note on THX. Why care if it is THX certified if you don't have THX speakers to go along. Do you really belive the average consumer will notice the difference between THX certified and non THX equipment?

In the end I returned the TXDS777 concluding that I would either keep it and spend another $500 on a good subwoofer, or return it for a more satisfying reciever that better utilized my speakers. For the same price of the Onkyo TXDS777 I brought home a Sony STRDB930 & Sound Dynamics RTS1200 subwoofer with absolutely NO regrets.

Many of you will say Sony is inferior product not in the same catagory and disregard my review, and for the most part I would agree. Sony was the last choice for me. However, if you have the opportunity to A/B both recievers, especially considering the price difference, I am absolutly convinced, snobery aside, you will choose the Sony.

Similar Products Used:

Nakamichi AV-1, Sony STRDB930, Onkyo TXDS676, Kenwood VR-209