Any thoughts on the Onkyo TX-NR709?

[Artie]

Originally Posted by antimatter

Yea me too. I love it so far. I've had mine since Thursday. You only listen to at 55? Tv for me is about 65ish and Blurays 82(THX ref.) and music about 72. Am I the only one who cranks it? I've heard alpt of people with low volume levels. As soon I get my amp it should sound awesome.

The Wifi option is also nice on this. I use it and was easy to setup.

55-60 id say is normal listening volume. I found this odd but since yours is the same I guess im good

[antimatter]

Originally Posted by Artie

55-60 id say is normal listening volume. I found this odd but since yours is the same I guess im good

Onkyo is the only recievers I've had so I wouldn't know how others are set up. But on my ht-r980 it was the same thing. As you start getting into the 70's like ever couple points you will hear a big increase in volume. I notice a big difference from like 77-78 is loud but when you go to 82 it is like you turned it up 10 points. I think that is just how they are set up and I guess I'm use to it.

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by nolfoc

haha where you've been man!!! haven't seen you around in forever!

Sorry; things have been crazy here...

[Hillside Trece]

To Artie and everyone else discussing low volumes on the Onkyo:

Consult the "IntelliVolume" on your receiver's setup menu; crank this to around "+10dB" for all inputs...

[antimatter]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

To Artie and everyone else discussing low volumes on the Onkyo:

Consult the "IntelliVolume" on your receiver's setup menu; crank this to around "+10dB" for all inputs...

I don't know I wouldn't think that is a good idea. It is safer to just use the master volume. Unless you are going to do a complete audio calibration. I'm pretty sure this is meant for when you listen to for instance your cd player at 65 vol. and you change to tv and it is significantly softer you go into intellivolume to adjust the tv volume to match the cd vol at 65. It is so that when you switch sources one is not significantly higher or lower at a specific master vol.

[rubystone356]

Originally Posted by antimatter

I don't know I wouldn't think that is a good idea. It is safer to just use the master volume. Unless you are going to do a complete audio calibration. I'm pretty sure this is meant for when you listen to for instance your cd player at 65 vol. and you change to tv and it is significantly softer you go into intellivolume to adjust the tv volume to match the cd vol at 65. It is so that when you switch sources one is not significantly higher or lower at a specific master vol.

you are correct.
however try the thx setting. its go in reverse. so I have it set at 16. works great.

Jacob

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by antimatter

I don't know I wouldn't think that is a good idea. It is safer to just use the master volume. Unless you are going to do a complete audio calibration. I'm pretty sure this is meant for when you listen to for instance your cd player at 65 vol. and you change to tv and it is significantly softer you go into intellivolume to adjust the tv volume to match the cd vol at 65. It is so that when you switch sources one is not significantly higher or lower at a specific master vol.

Yes, antimatter -- what you describe is specifically what Onkyo designed IntelliVolume for...to "even out" the sources and their volumes so when you switch from one to another, the change isn't that drastic...

However, that said, let me explain my detailed experience with this Onkyo function: Many of us who don't routinely switch sources every time we're in front of the receiver (like me) have been utilizing IntelliVolume as a sort of "input gain/sensitivity" adjustment like on power amplifiers of the past -- in using this, a given source's "sensitivity" or "gain volume" can be jacked up to seem like it's much louder at a lower volume number on the display screen...something that a power amp's sensitivity control would have taken care of. This is, of course, a complete "hack" and not what IntelliVolume was designed for, really, but many of us use it as a work-around to the Onkyo "low output" issue (seemingly) plaguing many of its models.

As an example -- I run IntelliVolume at "+10dB" for my Blu-ray player input on my 605 AVR (assigned to HDMI port 1, and the "DVD" input name) and that allows me to play back film soundtracks whether on DVD or Blu-ray so that I don't need to "crank" the receiver to, say, "60" or more on the display screen. Of course, this is all the exact same thing as just raising the master volume all the way up (IntelliVolume adjusts accordingly, so that the more you jack that level up, the receiver compensates by lowering the available maximum power to that value...same with running the calibration channel numbers in the "+dB" range) but I simply prefer having the receiver sitting on a much lower master volume number for satisfying volume; I don't know...just a mental thing I suppose...

The downside to all this, as mentioned, is that the Onkyo will now drop your available maximum volume according to how much you plugged in for IntelliVolume (or +dB channel calibration values) -- so it's not like you jacked up +10dB of IntelliVolume for a certain input and suddenly have, like, 10dB more of available headroom/volume from the AVR...I'm running all my channels in calibration hot (+dB) as well as IntelliVolume at +10dB for the Blu-ray (DVD) input, as I mentioned, but I am okay knowing the receiver simply won't go all the way up to "99" for maximum available volume...

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by antimatter

Onkyo is the only recievers I've had so I wouldn't know how others are set up. But on my ht-r980 it was the same thing. As you start getting into the 70's like ever couple points you will hear a big increase in volume. I notice a big difference from like 77-78 is loud but when you go to 82 it is like you turned it up 10 points. I think that is just how they are set up and I guess I'm use to it.

That is because Onkyo employs a "logarithmic" volume scale. As it gets higher, it gets louder and louder in a more aggressive nature.

[rubystone356]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

Yes, antimatter -- what you describe is specifically what Onkyo designed IntelliVolume for...to "even out" the sources and their volumes so when you switch from one to another, the change isn't that drastic...

However, that said, let me explain my detailed experience with this Onkyo function: Many of us who don't routinely switch sources every time we're in front of the receiver (like me) have been utilizing IntelliVolume as a sort of "input gain/sensitivity" adjustment like on power amplifiers of the past -- in using this, a given source's "sensitivity" or "gain volume" can be jacked up to seem like it's much louder at a lower volume number on the display screen...something that a power amp's sensitivity control would have taken care of. This is, of course, a complete "hack" and not what IntelliVolume was designed for, really, but many of us use it as a work-around to the Onkyo "low output" issue (seemingly) plaguing many of its models.

As an example -- I run IntelliVolume at "+10dB" for my Blu-ray player input on my 605 AVR (assigned to HDMI port 1, and the "DVD" input name) and that allows me to play back film soundtracks whether on DVD or Blu-ray so that I don't need to "crank" the receiver to, say, "60" or more on the display screen. Of course, this is all the exact same thing as just raising the master volume all the way up (IntelliVolume adjusts accordingly, so that the more you jack that level up, the receiver compensates by lowering the available maximum power to that value...same with running the calibration channel numbers in the "+dB" range) but I simply prefer having the receiver sitting on a much lower master volume number for satisfying volume; I don't know...just a mental thing I suppose...

The downside to all this, as mentioned, is that the Onkyo will now drop your available maximum volume according to how much you plugged in for IntelliVolume (or +dB channel calibration values) -- so it's not like you jacked up +10dB of IntelliVolume for a certain input and suddenly have, like, 10dB more of available headroom/volume from the AVR...I'm running all my channels in calibration hot (+dB) as well as IntelliVolume at +10dB for the Blu-ray (DVD) input, as I mentioned, but I am okay knowing the receiver simply won't go all the way up to "99" for maximum available volume...

the newer models like the 270/709 have a better volume then say the 605. more settings options. like using thx etc. sound much more balanced as well.
when movies are loud its loud, when its quiet.. its quiet.
Jacob

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by rubystone356

the newer models like the 270/709 have a better volume then say the 605. more settings options. like using thx etc. sound much more balanced as well.
when movies are loud its loud, when its quiet.. its quiet.
Jacob

I don't know if that would satisfy the inherent desire to "not have to crank the receiver up" to high levels on the display, as we're discussing...

[rubystone356]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

I don't know if that would satisfy the inherent desire to "not have to crank the receiver up" to high levels on the display, as we're discussing...

no need for the intell thing that you are suggesting. that is what I mean.
I am just saying with the newer receiver. it has better options.
Jacob

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by rubystone356

no need for the intell thing that you are suggesting. that is what I mean.
I am just saying with the newer receiver. it has better options.
Jacob

I know what you're saying -- and I'm saying that for the matter at hand, which is getting what seems to be louder volumes at a lower screen display number, IntelliVolume is a good work-around...

[Remo]

After running audyssey calibration , reference volume is 0 (receiver Max is +18) , or in absolute volume reference level is 82 (receiver Max is 99.5)

Why do people care what number shows up on screen, turn it up or down untilled perceived volume is where you like it.

[Artie]

Originally Posted by Remo

After running audyssey calibration , reference volume is 0 (receiver Max is +18) , or in absolute volume reference level is 82 (receiver Max is 99.5)

Why do people care what number shows up on screen, turn it up or down untilled perceived volume is where you like it.

I don't care what number shows up on the screen. Just wanted to make sure this was the normal

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by Remo

After running audyssey calibration , reference volume is 0 (receiver Max is +18) , or in absolute volume reference level is 82 (receiver Max is 99.5)

Why do people care what number shows up on screen, turn it up or down untilled perceived volume is where you like it.

Some of us just do prefer not to "have" to crank the display number on that screen up to 60 plus just to "get things going" for lack of a better phrase; to me, I prefer when an amp or a receiver's amp "seems" to respond at a lower value on the volume scale...it's more than likely 100 percent psycho-sematic, but it's just what I prefer. IntelliVolume allows for this.

Further, I don't run Audyssey, so the "82" absolute value for reference (my 605 AVR doesn't have the relative scale) is worthless and arbitrary in my particular case.

[Remo]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

Some of us just do prefer not to "have" to crank the display number on that screen up to 60 plus just to "get things going" for lack of a better phrase; to me, I prefer when an amp or a receiver's amp "seems" to respond at a lower value on the volume scale...it's more than likely 100 percent psycho-sematic, but it's just what I prefer. IntelliVolume allows for this.

Further, I don't run Audyssey, so the "82" absolute value for reference (my 605 AVR doesn't have the relative scale) is worthless and arbitrary in my particular case.

Yeah I suppose everyone prefers different things.

How come you don't use calibration?

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by Remo

Yeah I suppose everyone prefers different things.

How come you don't use calibration?

Oh, I'm calibrated -- just not with Audyssey. I prefer my own speaker balances.

[Remo]

Originally Posted by Hillside Trece

Oh, I'm calibrated -- just not with Audyssey. I prefer my own speaker balances.

Ah I see. I tried that once.... didn't go so well.

[Hillside Trece]

Originally Posted by Remo

Ah I see. I tried that once.... didn't go so well.

What do you mean? Can you give me some more detail with regard to what went "wrong"? Did you leave each channel in the "+dB" range, compensating for center channel dialogue reproduction, thus bumping up the center calibration value a bit?

[Jbug]

I have an Oppo 103 being delivered. Will I be able to enjoy SACD and DVD-Audio via HDMI using the 709 instead of the multi-channel analog route?