haven't heard long enough to determine

15 minutes after I powered it up it started popping resulting in smoke and burning smell. In shop now!

I couldn't believe it! I had the unit on for 15 minutes and was in the process of setting parameters when the unit started popping and crackling resulting in smoke and burning smell. I purchased the unit 60 days ago, but just completed an addition to my home and had it setting in the box during that time period. That took me out of my 30 day warranty to exchange unit and now it is in the closest Onkyo authorized repair and service facility in Lubbock (120 miles away) I don't know when I'll get it back. I just hope that when I do, I will not have any additional problems. I read all of the reviews on this unit and though most of them are positive, some referenced initial electrical problems. I thought they could have been prank reviews, but not now. I still can't believe it. I reserve my final opinion on the unit until after I get it back and have a chance to hear it. If anyone else has had this experience, let me know. Thanks!

Similar Products Used:

None

" ONMOUSEOVER="window.status='http://www.etronicsonline.com';return true;" ONMOUSEOUT="window.status='';return true;" target="_blank">Onkyo TX-DS989 Digital Surround Receiver $2299.00
Offers Dolby Digital & DTS Decoding, THX Surround EX 7.1 Decoding, 4 MB Flash Memory. IntelliVolume Input Calibration System. Power Output - 130 W/channel.
Features
IntelliVolume Input Calibration System
Dual Subwoofer Outputs
Multi-Room / Multi-Source Capability
Back-lit Learning Macro Remote with LC Display
THX Ultra Certified
THX Surround EX 7.1 Decoding
The Only True 7.1 Receiver
Dolby Digital & DTS Decoding
Open Architecture for Updates & Upgrades
Linear PCM 192 kHz / 24bit DACs for all channels
RS-232C Port for Control, Communication, & Upgrades
4 MB Flash Memory
Optimum Gain Volume Circuitry
WRAT Wide Range Amplifier Design
Professional Grade Component Video Switching
IEEE 1394 Upgradable
Digital Upsampling Mode
MultiChannel Inputs (DB25) with supplied adapter
High Definition DSP
7.1ch Inputs/Outputs
Non-Scaling Configuration
7 x 160W/CH at 6 ohms
7 x 130W/CH at 8 ohms
9 Digital Inputs / 8 Assignable
2 Digital Outputs (1 Coax & 1 Optical)
Get it for $2299.00! Click Here!

Sound quality, upgradeability.

Shuts down at very high sound levels.

I really like this receiver's sound quality for home theater and music. Everything sounds more open compared with the Pioneer. I was thinking about getting separates and actually called Oade Brothers to buy the Sony ES separates but they recommended that I get the Onkyo(which costs less than the Sony separates).
Because the sound quality is so good and clean, I sometimes get carried away with the volume. I played some discs at reference level(something I could not stand to do with the Pioneer because it distorted before reference level was reached) and the receiver went into shutdown mode. The discs that it happened on were the demo dolby digital disc on the Train trailer(the other trailers played fine on that disc). The other disc that caused it to shut down was the DTS demo of the Haunting. These were very loud levels and I think it may have to do with my large(>7000 cu. ft.)room and my main speakers(PSB Gold i).
To resolve this, I have bought a 200w/ch 3 channel amplifier to power the front 3 channels. I have not received the amplifier so I cannot report on that as yet.
As to the fan, even when I play music with wide dynamic range loudly, it doesn't seem to turn on and if it does, I certainly cannot hear it during the soft passages.
Minus 1 star for shutting down, still a fabulous value because it is cheaper than the Denon 5800.

Reference level: 75dB as measured on a sound pressure meter when the volume readout says "REF"

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer Elite VSX-27TX

130 Watts X 6, Integra name, Future upgradable, 7.1 channels,

TBD

ONKYO INTEGRA DTR-9.1

Since Audio Review does not yet have a review slot for the DTR-9.1, I thought I would briefly mention it here. Since the DTR-9.1 is so new, it is quite possible that many of you have not heard of it yet. Allow me to help you educate yourselves by enclosing the link for Onkyo's Integra website (still partially under construction) at the end of this partial review.

Let me begin by saying I am and have always been a fan of Integra products. I bought the TXDS-939 a couple of years ago and was, to say the least, very pleased with an awesome box filled with technology and innovation. Although it had a few short-comings, such as the lack of DTS, it had a lot of qualities that other AV receiver manufacturers only dreamed of matching.

Now Onkyo's new Integra DTR-9.1 is again on top of a short list of receivers in the category of sonic superiority. I would like to tell you more of what this receiver has to offer but I have not yet received and tested it. So all of my hype and hoopla is a bit premature. But I know it's gonna be great. Look for my full review in the mid to end of September 2000. The following is a list of my home theater components some of which will be upgraded in the near future:

AV Receiver: Onkyo Integra DTR-9.1 (Upgrade for the TX-DS989)
Display 1: Sony VPH-1252Q CRT Front Projector (soon to arrive)
Display 2: Toshiba TW56f80 56" Theater Wide Rear projection TV (soon to be retired to another room)
Screen: DA-Lite Tensioned Executive Electrol Motorized 150" Diagonal (soon to be hung)
DSS: Sony dual LNB (soon to be upgraded to dolby digital)
Laser Disc Player: Pioneer with AC3
CD Player: Soon to be purchased
DVD Player: Soon to be purchased
VCR: Toshiba 6 head
Remote: Lexicon 700T touchscreen

Speakers:
Front- Mirage OM-6
Surround L+R- Mirage 590i
Rear L+R for 7.1 EX- To be purchased
Center: BIC Ventura (to be upgraded)

Cheers!

See Onkyo's new Integra link below:

http://www.integrahometheater.com/dtr9_1.htm

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo TX-DS939

Flexibility and with connections and surround formats galore

still looking

yes, there is fan noise... in my theater, my receiver is set inside a wall so the noise is minimal at worst. thats about as bad as it gets.

now the plus...

I heard people talk about the clarity and and separation and it is superb. if there's nothing going on in the movie, then i get complete silence - no hiss or background noise. That may sound like nothing special, but I assure you that many amps/receivers have background noise when the volume is turned up. background noise = distortion = bad sound. The 989 doesn't have that problem. If you want to check for background noise with other units, then try this test.

-select a source (ie cd player)
-place a disc in and press play
-press pause on the cd player
-turn your receiver way up
-do you have background noise?
Everytime Ive tried this with other units, I've heard hiss or artifacts. I am amazed at how clear this unit puts out sound. NO NOISE.

Everything else so far is exceptional. I purposely waited a while before placing this review... just in case I found a fault. Well, I haven't found a fault yet and I dont think I will... 5 stars

Similar Products Used:

hk signature set, hk avr85, some onkyo models

THX Ultra, 130 Watts X 7, Lots of Inputs, Component Video switching, Usefull DSP modes

Some audible fan noise

Just purchased a few weeks ago after glowing reviews from the magazines and the net. Was a hard decision between the Denon 5800 and the 989 but I am extremely happy with my decision. I auditioned both units and really would have been happy with either one but the firmware upgradability of the Onkyo for DPL2 and DTS-ES and the 1000.00 savings made this a no brainer for me. This reciever is a winner!

My Equipment

Mits 55805 16:9 HDTV
TX-DS989
Definitive Tech BP2002's, C2002, BPX and ProCinema 200
JVC XVD-723GD Progressive Scan DVD

Similar Products Used:

Denon 5800, Pioneer Elite-VX39TX, Yamaha RX-V1

Great, Clean powerful sound, Lots of inputs, Easy setup

Still looking

Before purchasing the 989 I had to do my home work and auditioned the Yamaha RXV1 and Denon AVR 5800, both more expensive than the Onkyo. My final decision, I had to go with the Onkyo 989. The Yamaha was no match at all, the Denon had a much more sophisticated remote and was at least equal to the Onkyo in performance. Dollar per dollar, I felt the Onkyo was a better buy. So far, I'm very happy with this receiver, love the "All Channel Stereo" mode for music and Dolby Digital as well as DTS are superb. I hear people complain about a noisy cooling fan, maybe I got lucky, because mine is totally quiet. After owning the Denon AVR 5700 for 3 years, the Onkyo is a clear improvement, I knew that from the first time I turned on the 989. I recommed this receiver to anyone who's looking for great performance and value.

Similar Products Used:

Denon AVR 5700

Open architecture, quality, technology, features

Intro
Epinions finally added the best receiver that is being sold in stores after I requested it be added multiple times. If I were to write an opinion on all of the features and functionality (with explanation) that this receiver engulfs, it would be a book rather than an opinion. I will instead give my opinion on the functionality and uses, with some links to explanations on some of the technical stuff.

You Paid How Much For That Thing?!?
My wife almost killed me four months ago when I lugged this monster through the door. Why? Because she asked what the damage to our checking account was. After telling her it was $2200, she stood there with her mouth slightly open before gaining her composure and commencing on ringing me from head to toe. $2200 is a lot to pay for any component; in fact it’s more than most spend on their entire home audio system. Then why did I buy it? Two reasons. One, it’s the best hands down. The second reason is that it will be a long time before I have to even think about looking at another receiver – much less purchasing one.

What Kind Of Surround Sound Does The 989 Sport?
THX Surround EX. Yes, this is the direction in which surround sound is heading. What is it? In short, it’s just another channel added to the back of your basic surround sound system. What this does is put you the viewer into even more of the middle of the movie by not only creating more of an impact from a sound perspective behind you, but also making sound transitioning throughout your speaker range/line-up much smoother - therefore more realistic. Believe me, not only is it more ‘real life’ like – it’s almost scary in terms of how realistic it makes the viewing experience – when watching the ‘Fight Club’ I thought I was the one getting the cr*p beat out of me.

The Downside To EX
The only downside to EX is that there aren’t very many DVDs out at this point that carry this functionality. The good news? This is changing fast – as more producers and directors are scrambling to make the viewer’s watching experience more and more realistic this won’t be a problem for much longer. Will the EX functionality affect 5.1 encoded DVD’s that you are beginning to get stockpiled? No. The 989 toggles from the 7.1 EX mode to the 5.1 (of course this renders your rear channel useless).

All Out Performance
There may be more powerful receivers on the market, but probably not many - and probably none that can carry this little distortion at higher volumes. Rated at 130 watts by 7 at 8ohm with less than .05% distortion with a frequency range of 20 to 20Hz, the 989 is sure to satisfy even the deafest of people. If you are really insane, you can drop it down to three ohms and crank out 300 watts per channel, although I don’t think anyone in their right mind would do this.

Although have never listened to it at this level, I can however vouch for it at lower level – it’s simply perfect – as it should be at this price. Even the dual fans that the 989 sports to keep the temps down at blistering levels are quiet.

Do you have a Sony receiver? Do you ever use your enhanced modes( a.k.a. cinema, theater, etc.)? Probably not since all of the modes are so extreme. The ds989’s enhancements are all subtle and are actually useful – the first time that I have ran into this confrontation when using a receiver – now it’s hard making a decision on which one actually sounds the best (yes, right out of the box - even before you make adjustments to each mode).

Integration
Onkyo threw so many I/O’s on this thing it could probably be integrated with NASA’s mainframe. Need visuals? Check this out:
http://www.onkyousa.com/show_model_better3.cfm?class=receivers&m=TX-DS989

If you are considering getting a receiver of this magnitude, I’m assuming that you know what all of this below described I/O’s are so I will just give an overview of some of them from the user’s manual to give you an idea:
* one digital coax and digit optical output
* 8 digital inputs – 5 coax, 3 optical
* 7.1 channel input
* 7.1 channel output preamp outputs
* 6 s video inputs (why I have no idea)

Will it ever get outdated?
It may not in my life-time. As are many computer and electronic manufacturers, Onkyo is heading into the realm of open architecture with the 989. Equipped with open slots for hardware upgrades/additions as well as 4mb of flash memory (they plan to eventually carry updates downloadable off of the web).

The good news about the open architecture is that you won’t have to use it for a while – possibly a long while since there is only one competitor on the 7.1 front.

Usability
The 989 comes with a remote that is well laid out ergonomically and will control all of the menu functions. It’s also backlit and has ‘learning’ technology. Although I don’t use it across components it would be suitable to do so.

The menus are easily navigated once you have read through your user manual and have a general idea of what all of the bell and whistles will do for you – otherwise you’re pretty much hosed.

Setup isn’t too bad, it does come with some of the cabling you need but will probably not come with all of it. If you are dropping this kind of money on a receiver I’m assuming that you will more than likely have all of this stuff already. One thing about the setup, and it’s really the only thing I can pick on about this component is that it’s very big (17 1/8 by 7 11/16 by 17 ¾) – meaning you may have to adjust some shelves around to get it to look right in your current setup. It weighs a ton also at about fifty pounds.

Obviously this component is for the select few and therefore I only recommend it for a select few. If your current receiver is about to fall out and you have the money, or if you are just set on having the best of the best like myself, then there is simply no substitute for the 989 – otherwise, wait until multiple manufactures head down the road of the 7.1 and open architecture realm and prices drop before you run out and buy one.

Surround EX is not supported!!!!!

I was thinking of buying the DS989 but after reading this article: http://www.theperfectvision.com/equip_receivers_05.htm I am not so sure anymore.
The article states that the 989 does NOT have the DSP algorithm to extract the Surround EX information from the existing Surround Left & Right signals. It simply sends the Surround Left & Right signals to the back channels. This is definitely not what Surround EX is all about!!!

The Denon receivers are looking a lot more attractive to me right now!!!

What the hell is going on Onkyo????

Too many to list

None yet

There is a world of difference in this receiver than any other I've ever auditioned. If it's possible to fall in love with a piece of machinerey as beautiful as this...well then I'm in love.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha DSP A-1