Onkyo TX-NR709, thoughts? comments?
 

Hi all

I have been using an Onkyo TX-DS696 for about ten years now! It has taken everything I have thrown at it, has run very cool, survived 4 moves in a moving van, and never skipped a beat. Until yesterday, when it suddenly powered off, and wouldn't come back on until I unplugged it for a minute, at which point it also lost all its settings. While it seems to be running smoothly again, it got me thinking that maybe it's time for an upgrade!:D

Looking at the features of the 709, it seems to have everything I could want, most importantly being the Audyssey MultEQ XT.

So, long story short, does anyone have any experience with the 709? Does it seem to run hot, as I remember previous years models doing? Anyone notice any video issues with the HDMI pass-through or upscaling, or have any issues with the audio output? Any information would be much appreciated; I tried the search function and found very little.

(this is the receiver I am talking about: OnkyoUSA product page)

Thanks!

Keep in mind that after a few months, the remote control could not work, here is the link for it

http://www.onkyousa.com/press_releases.cfm?id=215

I am getting the 809 because of this plus the 809 has better sound than the 709 but the 709 is a great system from what I read from the reviews and from the reviews I read, the system runs warm since they added another fan to keep the cooling (At least Onkyo listened), hope it helps on 1 question you asked

Thanks for replying, I appreciate it! That press release sounded a bit ominous, I'm surprised my googling didn't bring that up; time for more research... The 809 looks great, but the 709 is already at my price limit :(

Thanks for the info on the fan, I couldn't seem to find confirmation on that.

Thanks again! Anyone else have thoughts on this receiver?

edit: ah, that press release was issued yesterday, no wonder I didn't find information on it.

I'm still -- after all this time -- having a real hard time stomaching that new look of their receiver faceplates...:eek::sick::unimpressed::eyebrow::thu mbsdown::cringe::covereyes::meh:

You can not wait until you save more money and get the 809? That is what I am doing right now, at least I have patient! I am hoping to get the 809 on Friday if I have enough funds and if not, I will wait until in 2 weeks to get it

They are not bad, I seen alot worse on other receivers!

Hah! Fair enough, to each his own! I thought it a fairly classy low key front of the system (I tend to prefer that, my computer case is similar, a Lian Lee case, the most unobtrusive i could find.) I found it pretty similar to my 10-year-old receiver I use right now. I'm a fan of the brushed metal look as well, personally.

Out of curiosity, what don't you like about it? Is there a problem with usability or accessibility that I should be aware of? I figure that I will be using the remote for most setup, then switching to my Harmony remote for regular use. Or is it a purely aesthetic issue?

Onkyo TX-NR709 front

Maybe I am overreacting, but seeing my receiver glitch out like that for the first time after a decade makes me worried, and I'd prefer to replace it as soon as possible, and 'demote' the old receiver to a bedroom system for as long as it decides to keep kicking. Honestly, I am truly impressed with my old receiver's longevity though. In terms of the $$ aspect, ~$750 dollars is my current limit; while HT is my hobby and I would love to spend more, I cannot see myself over-extending that by much.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you purchasing through? Any kind of special deals I should be aware of? ;)

I will be purchasing from Amazon.com but somebody told me to check Newegg on weekends since they have special sales like last week, the 809 was selling for $699 plus free shipping! I am hoping it will have that sale this weekend again!

Wow, thanks for the tip, that seems like an insane price for the 809!

Yeah it is!

Just to update, I checked today and the 809 is out of stock on newegg, but I just ordered the 709 for $649.00, free shipping! Thanks again for letting me know about their weekend sales, you just saved me over $100, thanks to the sales tax I get charged through amazon! :D:rock:

You are welcome, I am happy to help! Keep me/us updated when you get your receiver, I would like to hear your review! :rock:

It's my opinion; I just don't like the design compared to the previous generations (i.e. from the TX-SR600 all the way up to the 608, etc.).

To me, this new faceplate design looks a lot like Sony's -- and a lot of people have agreed with that -- and that's NOT a good thing.

Oh, don't get me wrong -- I LOVE the brushed aluminum faceplates on the Onkyo receivers, amps, processors, components, etc.; I am not too keen on the silver finishes, as that's just not my style, but I love the black faceplates of their gear. One of the things that has kept me a fan of this brand! I just don't like the design of the faceplate layout on these new models; the way the buttons fall and such...reminds me too much of Sony's AVRs, and believe me, that's not where Onkyo wants to be.

No, purely an aesthetic issue -- I don't think you should worry about usability or accessibility of any functions if you're considering one of these new models....I just don't like the look of the faceplate design...as I said, the button layouts remind me too much of Sony.

Thanks for your input! Now I understand where you're coming from. :) I'm VERY happy it wasn't a functionality concern! I can understand how you'd like to see them keep their style visually different from Sony.

Indeed. :)

I totally disagree with you!

But then, just like you it is my own personal opinion.

- For me the X09 series look much nicer than the X05 series. ...More classy, with that clean look.

Okay; you're of course entitled to your opinion.

I for one can't stand the new look, nor can others I have talked to about it -- way too "Sony" in design. ;)

Who cares about looks? The important thing is the sound!

Well, of course sound is the primary element -- but some of us do take asthetics into consideration, especially when the gear is out in the open and we like to glance at it every now and then as it sits in our racks/cabinets/stands etc. ;)