Onkyo TX-DS787 A/V Receivers

Onkyo TX-DS787 A/V Receivers 

DESCRIPTION

Newest AV receiver 100 W/CH for 6 channels THX surround EX reciever 6.1 channel amplifier Preouts for 7.1 channels

USER REVIEWS

Showing 111-120 of 140  
[Feb 20, 2001]
Michael Scholfield
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Very powerful, musical, and phenomenal on movies. Running @ a 6 ohm load, these babies bring it on home!

Weakness:

Not great for backs, as it does have some heft to it. I thought it ran a little warm, so I adjusted the Bell'O rack to accomodate this.

Overall, this is one puppy I'd definetly recommend. The ability to change dsp's in DTS mode is a real pleaser. And we won't even go into all channel stereo - no more 2 channel for me - I'm hooked. The remote took a little getting used to, but if you're patient, it is well worth the time. This is what I'm running with it:

Sony 48 in rear projection tv
Sony S560 dvd player
Carver (Yes, Carver) cd changer
RCA Directv
NHT VT 2.4's and VS 2.4 center
Klipsch 10.5's as rears
BIC VR1200 powered sub
Monster Cable interconnects/speaker cable


Similar Products Used:

None - this kicks my Pioneer Elite's a**!

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 10, 2001]
Raj
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Much Everything

Weakness:

None so far

This is a great receiver for the price. For anyone that says THX is a gimmick or a marketing ploy is wrong! THX is wonderful and I felt I was closer to the action. Apart from THX, DD & DTS absolutely rock on this unit. The EX and DTS-ES decoding is wonderful.
Before I tweaked this unit, I thought it was a bit harsh on music. Upon turning the treble down slightly and the RE-EQ to "ON", the music started sounding a whole lot warmer. HT is, needless to say packs a gigantic punch. The 787 is built rock solid and is a pretty handsome unit.
Making a choice between the Denon 3801 and the 787 was tough until I got this awesome demo at a local shop in the THX mode which made my decision much much easy. This thing just keeps on growing on me and everytime I turn it on, I feel the sound just keeps getting better and better.
If you are in the market shopping for a receiver, you can't do better than this unit. DD.DTS, THX-EX, DTS-ES, 6 channel amp, 7.1 inputs, component video at 50Hz and a whole plethora of features under $900, you can't go wrong.

Similar Products Used:

Denon,Sony,Yamaha

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 16, 2001]
John
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Great sound, But most of all you don't need a degree in amp configuration..

Weakness:

Still Looking

First, I did a lot of research on getting a new receiver It's been years since I
Have bought anything new.
The last Stereo equipment I bought was an Adcom 545 Amp and pre-amp..
I have had no problem at all with this unit but now I wanted to upgrade to
Surround sound , DD, and DTS. Adcom is up there in price – too much for me (I have 5 kids)..

Anyway, A friend of mine had been researching receivers for about a year, and I
Started with his knowledge and kept going.

The three Amps I thought about were the H/K, Denon 3801, and Onkyo 787..
I didn’t care much for the H/K and I always loved Denon (I own a Denon CD player
and cassette player) So I was leaning very heavily towards the Denon - in fact
I went out and bought one..

I took it home and spent the next 2hrs hooking it up and the next three days
Trying to figure it out.. The manual is a joke - written in very broken
English. The remote very weak - not a good design at all. The Setup Menu is hard to
Understand and if you are relying on the broken English Manual you are out
Of luck. Also if you are trying to set up two rooms for music - don't bother
with the Denon.

I Took the Denon back and bought the Onkyo 787. 1hr to hook it up, 1 hr to set
it up - playing around with the menu and 1 hr to program the remote. What a
Great manual. So easy to use and understand.

I was able to setup the receiver for two zones no problem.. And the sound! CD
Sounds great, Movies.. I put in The Patriot turned up the Sub and kicked back
for a great movie. Better sound than in the theater.
And I can run everything from the remote no problem.

Well Done Onkyo...

Also If you live in the DC area go to Audio Buys and ask for David Strong.. Great guy very helpful.. Not your typical sales man.

Similar Products Used:

Denon 3801

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 16, 2001]
Andrew
Audiophile

Strength:

AmazingAmazing clarity, glass shattering highs and smooth powerful lows.

Weakness:

Not enough Optical inputs.

I purchased the Onkyo TXDS676 back in September. I absolutely loved it. I became really attached to the macros and wonderful sound effects it created. However just a few months later, I noticed that Onkyo released the TXDS787. I knew I had to have it. I wasn’t going to be stuck with a 5.1 Channel receiver when a 6.1 was just a few hundred more. Luckily for me, I work at a local electronics store and I traded in my 4-month-old 676 for the 787, for only 95 dollars more (With my member discount).

I had to purchase another rear but, hey it’s worth it. This thing sounds amazing. I don’t use the THX since my speakers are not THX certified, but DD and DTS sounds wonderful. You’re going to do yourself a great justice if you buy this receiver.


Similar Products Used:

Onkyo TXDS676

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 13, 2001]
Jeff M
Audiophile

Strength:

See previous JEFF M review below.

Weakness:

See previous JEFF M review below.

This is an update to my previous review to include some info for those of you who do not understand what the issues are with eq's and the direct mode.

First off, this receiver is still performing flawlessly, as it was in my first review. To back up some of what I had mentioned in that review, the Yamaha RX-V 1000 is now reviewed in the Feb/Mar issue of Sound and Vision. There in black and white it states that the it only puts out 78 watts per channel when all channels are driven. Just like the Denon, they mislead you to believe that it is 100 or 105 watts per channel in home theater when at reference volume. If you look at that in the numbers, 20 less watts per channel with 6 channels driven is 120 less watts of dynamics that the Denon and Yamaha will not be able to reproduce. The Onkyo does this.... WITH EASE.

Now, for those of you who are talking about eq's and dsp's. If you need and eq or dsp to make your music sound better than you must enjoy distorting the musics frequency ranges from where they were origanaly intended to be heard.

An eq is simply a collection of filters that will take certain frequency ranges and allow you to distort them from their recorded positions,kind of like taking your TV screen and bending it, resulting in a warped image (or sound). In some instances you can benefit from an eq with bad recordings, but you would want to do this with a quality eq.
To hook up and eq to the Onkyo, you could use the pre-outs for the left and right channels into the eq and then out of the eq into a seperate amp. This way you are not sending an enhanced/filtered/warped frequency range through the internal processors of your receiver.

The direct mode on the Onkyo allows you to bypass all of the internal filters (like bass and treble settings) and dsp modes (which basically digitally delay or enhance certain frequency ranges) to get the purist signal possible. The signal comes in either digital or analog, is converted with DAC's or ADC's and sent to the terminals and sent to your speakers as directly as possible. This bypasses the subwoofer,dsp,and tone controls to allow the cleanest signal. If you don't like what you are hearing it could be that your speakers are the problem (your highs sound like tin and your lows are not there) or you are so accustomed to listening to artficial sound environments that you don't know any better (you're probably a Trekkie to!!)

I owned one of the best dsp processors there is in the below $2000 catergory(Yamaha 2095)but I must say it is nice to hear great sounding movies and music on my Onkyo without having to digially alter the signal.

For those of you who bought the Yamaha RX-V 1000 or the Denon 3801, while those receivers are trying to keep up with the dynamics of the Onkyo, you'll be running out of gas (I'm sorry....watts) while us 787 owners will effortlessly running to the bank with the money we saved buying a better engineered and performing product.

Similar Products Used:

See previous Jeff M review below.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 12, 2001]
Red
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Clean high power, THX Select, 6.1DD/DTS, multisource output

Weakness:

too few optical inputs

First off, those who need EQ's in direct mode must have crappy speakers that need adjusting in a major way(previous reviewers. The direct mode on this receiver is great, and truly lets you see how well your speakers perform without tweaking them. Save your money, return the EQ and get better speakers.

Back to the point:

This receiver is fantastic. Classic Onkyo looks, quality internal components combined with all the goodies needed to really make your system kick. Extremely easy to set up, with lots of functions to toy with(I like the OSD particulary). I got a sweet deal and couldn't pass it up, I would have paid full price for it anyway, lucky me.

It has good DSP's, a terrific remote that can actually control everything I want it to.

It sounds so good to me that I don't have to adjust anything, I leave them flat.

Best receiver out there in that price range.


My System:

Onkyo TX-DS787
Onkyo DV-M301
M&K 750THX Front,Center,Right
M&K Surround 55 - Tripole surrounds
M&K MX-105 sub

Similar Products Used:

Denon 3300

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 12, 2001]
Khanh
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Everything good others have mentioned below. Very powerful. Very quiet, even when the fan is on. No hum for sure. I love listening to acoustic music with this receiver. Awesome for the money.

Weakness:

Hmm...this is hard to say. More inputs? I don't want that phono input thing, waste of space IMO.

This is my second receiver. I bought this for the extra channel. I think this receiver is one heck of a deal. Very nicely built, and sounds wonderfully. I have no complains what so ever about this receiver. It mates nicely with my ACI Saphires, another excellent product from ACI. Hometheater sound is awesome. In stereo, it comes quite close to my tube amp, which cost quite a bit more; but it is much more powerful. I will give this receiver my highest recommandation. You won't regret buying this one, for sure. Oh, another thing: the remote is very nice. It like it!

Similar Products Used:

Harmon/Hardon

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 12, 2001]
Dan Dean
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

THX, Simple, ease of use, power, 7.1

Weakness:

To Few Digital inputs compared to other brands. To many DSP modes, I never use them.

This reciver I am very happy with. DD has never sounded so good before. Granted this is my first DD reciver, I previously had a H/K AVR25MII, and this reciver is a total improvement. Setup was easy, and have never had any trouble with it at all. I purchased it on November 22, as soon as they got it in stock. Took it home and watched Outbreak. Wow, the effects were so cool during the movie, watching that moive in full surround sound. I cant find any weekness at all with this reciver,besides those stupid DSP modes, but it is hard to buy a recvier without them. I would highly recomend this peice to anybody who is looking to buy a revicer. Excellent value!!!
My System
Reciver : TXDS787
Power amp: Onkyo 504
CD: Sony something (its old)
DVD: Sony DVP530
T.V.: Panasonic CT32SF36
Speakers: infinity Ovature 2, Polk RT/FX, Def Tech CC1 Paradigm ps 1000

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 11, 2001]
Kevin
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Excellent sound quality. Plenty of Power. Easy to use.

Weakness:

Number of digital inputs, upgradability.

I won't repeat what has already been said about this great unit. I found that no other unit in this price range can compare to the Onkyo. This is a fantastic receiver to build a high quality system around. The 5.1 and DTS performance is amazing. The added capability of 6.1 with a built in amp is incredible for the price.
My system includes Monitor Audio speakers and subs with Audioquest cables, so it is very sensitive to equipment quality. I was planning on using separates (Parasound amps), and thought I would use the DS787 as a preprocessor until I upgraded to a B&K or Lexicon. After trying the Onkyo's built in power, those plans changed. I know Onkyo makes fairly clean (and wide range) power, but I did not think 100W was going to cut it with the MA speakers. Let me tell you that if Onkyo rated this unit like JVC and Sony rate their receivers it would be advertised at 200Wx6. This is one of the cleanest and most powerful receivers I have heard. The Denon 3801 is a respectable unit with similar features, but I liked the looks and layout of the Onkyo. This unit has no red leds to distract you while you are watching a movie. The display can be dimmed to the point that you forget the receiver is there. The Remote beats the Philips Pronto in my opinion (the pronto is huge).
The sound is so clean and accurate from this unit, that you need to take a good look at your speakers and cables if you think you need an equalizer. The all channel stereo is nice if you want to fill the room with sound, but 2 channel direct mode is so perfect that you would be crazy to listen to music in any other mode. DSP fields are highly over rated, and are most often used by people who do not have quality components. I am happy to see Onkyo put the DSP fields on low priority when they designed this unit. Matt is absolutely correct about DSP.
The bottom line... You can't go wrong with this unit. It is clean, powerful, flexible, and should provide years of enjoyment. If you want more features, power, or upgrade-ability, you will need to pay at least 2x as much to beat this unit.

Similar Products Used:

JVC, Denon, Yamaha, Pioneer Elite

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 08, 2001]
Joe M.
Casual Listener

Strength:

DD, DTS-ES, and THX EX with 6.1 amplifier. Component video switching. Warm clean sound with power to burn. Nice back lit learning remote.

Weakness:

Some of the listening modes are not impressive (orchestra, unplugged, etc.)

This is my first "real" HT receiver so I admit that while I'm extremely impressed I may lack expertise. It is a powerful heavy beast that takes up quite a nice chunk of shelf space. I recommend this receiver to the casual or moderately serious HT fan who wants pure clean power and the latest innovations for under $1000. I guess over time I may appreciate the finer differences offered in the $2000+ range but right now I can't imagine a better value for DD, DTS, THX EX, 6.1 amplification for well under $1000.

Additionally, every salesman I spoke to marveled at the build quality and reliability of Onkyo. I actually started my search leaning towards Denon but the salesmen and friends that have extensive experience considered Onkyo a better quality brand.

Overall I'm extremely satisfied and look forward to years of service from this powerhouse receiver.

Here's the rest of my system:

Sony WEGA 36XBR400
Def Tech ProCinema 100 CC (will probably upgrade to a Paradigm CC370)
Sequerra L/R (impressive 8 year-old bookshelf speakers with rich base and easy 100w powerhandling that I just can't find better performer for under $800/pair so I'm sticking with them)
Paradigm ADP70 surrounds
Velodyne CT-100 Sub
Sony DVP-S530D DVD

Similar Products Used:

Denon 3801 & Onkyo 676

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 111-120 of 140  

(C) Copyright 1996-2018. All Rights Reserved.

audioreview.com and the ConsumerReview Network are business units of Invenda Corporation

Other Web Sites in the ConsumerReview Network:

mtbr.com | roadbikereview.com | carreview.com | photographyreview.com | audioreview.com