Seriously looking at a Sony DG720...

[DutchBoy]

...instead of an Onkyo 605. I can get one at the store right across the street from me, and save about 100 bucks to boot.

Yes, I know Sony audio isn't as good as a lot of others, but from what I'm reading most people that have them are pretty happy with them.

I'm not trying to cut cost just for the sake of doing so, but I figure 100 saved here, is 100 I have towards the end of the year to do my speaker upgrades, and maybe keep my wife from having a stroke at the same time.

It pretty much does most of what the 605 does it looks like, short of having onboard HD processing, but it will do PCM no problems, and since I use a PS3...

Upconverting/upscaling not an issue either (don't need it - just pass the signal and I'm fine).

Mainly what I'm looking for is a decent, well-priced receiver that will allow me to listen to all my BDs in their glory. Everything else is just gravy. And it will pass 1080p signals, and whatever the signal coming in is via HDMI...

Thoughts? Any reason to go with a 605 over this due to the reasons I've listed above? Anyone here have one?

[Erman_94]

im in the exact same situation as you...need a reason to justify not getting the 605 since i am using the ps3 and dont need all the bells and whistles since ps3 internally decodes to pcm anyway

people have suggested yamaha/pioneer/sony

[DutchBoy]

Originally Posted by Erman_94

im in the exact same situation as you...need a reason to justify not getting the 605 since i am using the ps3 and dont need all the bells and whistles since ps3 internally decodes to pcm anyway

people have suggested yamaha/pioneer/sony

Yeah, honestly, right now with my finances being what they are (aka not where I want them to be) I'm looking for a cheap, simple upgrade (but of decent quality) so I can begin to hear my BDs for what they're worth. I have them, might as well get all I can from them, but I don't want to break the bank to do so.

Later (2-3 years) I'll be much better able to upgrade in the way I'd really like to. Right now, need a budget solution to keep everyone happy.

I'm reading like mad, but so far see no reason not to get this; it seems to do everything I need it to right now. I had been looking at a Sony DG810 (older model - pre 820) and it was only 6.1. This one seems to be newer AND its 7.1. Does the same thing as the 810 it appears...

[hagar852]

Or you can get a DG910.. I have one of those in a 6.1 setup. Worked fine so far.

I have thought about upgrading myself but I would have to spend 700 bucks to make the upgrade worth it.

[DutchBoy]

Originally Posted by hagar852

Or you can get a DG910.. I have one of those in a 6.1 setup. Worked fine so far.

I have thought about upgrading myself but I would have to spend 700 bucks to make the upgrade worth it.

Thanks.

The price is really what's making me consider things right now. If I had the 400 bucks, I'd still go with the Onkyo. But saving 100 bucks to get one that will do all I need it to right now, is making me rethink and begin to lean the other way.

[hagar852]

If you don't care about upscaling video to 720p then you don't need the onkyo..

I didn't get it for the same reason.. Cause it will downscale 1080i to 720p..

the dg910 will upconvert component to hdmi.. all I wanted it to do.. and it passes 1080/24p for movies just fine..

[Rabidhunter]

Yeah, I'm considering the 720 as well. The price isn't that bad, and it will do eveything I want it to. I have an older Sony Receiver that works great. The sound is pretty impressive. I might get it soon. I'm doing a speaker upgrade right now though.

[DutchBoy]

Originally Posted by hagar852

If you don't care about upscaling video to 720p then you don't need the onkyo..

I didn't get it for the same reason.. Cause it will downscale 1080i to 720p..

the dg910 will upconvert component to hdmi.. all I wanted it to do.. and it passes 1080/24p for movies just fine..

Yeah -- the upscaling is just not a deal-breaker. I really just want to be able to hear my lossless audio.

[hagar852]

Then I guess the Sony will be just fine.

I had an older Yamaha receiver and upgraded to the Sony for HMDI lossless audio and in general I thought the Sony sounded just as good if not better.

I bet you be hard pressed to tell a difference in sound between the onkyo and sony anyway..

[bkbluray]

Originally Posted by Rabidhunter

Yeah, I'm considering the 720 as well. The price isn't that bad, and it will do eveything I want it to. I have an older Sony Receiver that works great. The sound is pretty impressive. I might get it soon. I'm doing a speaker upgrade right now though.

I'm debating between the 720 and the 820. I'm trying to decide if I NEED the fourth HDMI input and internal TrueHD and DTS-HD decoding or not. A hundred dollars is quite a bit right now.

I'm using the PS3 as a Blu-ray player, so as long as it does PCM, I would be fine.

[DutchBoy]

Originally Posted by bkbluray

I'm debating between the 720 and the 820. I'm trying to decide if I NEED the fourth HDMI input and internal TrueHD and DTS-HD decoding or not. A hundred dollars is quite a bit right now.

I'm using the PS3 as a Blu-ray player, so as long as it does PCM, I would be fine.

Exactly. I know I don't need a fourth HDMI input -- I only have one HDMI thing now anyways, and that's my PS3. It will do HD over component (xbox 360), the Wii's component, and that's about it.

[hagar852]

Originally Posted by SMUJeremy

I picked up the 720 tonight at Circuit City for $300. I am ugrading from an Onkyo 5xx (non-hdmi). I must say the upgrade to PCM audio is totally worth the money. I am very impressed at how full the PCM audio sounds compared to DD. To me the DD sounds very flat and quiet, while the PCM sounds very full and rich.

When I first thought about it I said, Gee how much difference can there be? So I upgraded to the dg910 and learned right away the difference is night and day..

+1

[DutchBoy]

Originally Posted by SMUJeremy

I picked up the 720 tonight at Circuit City for $300. I am ugrading from an Onkyo 5xx (non-hdmi). I must say the upgrade to PCM audio is totally worth the money. I am very impressed at how full the PCM audio sounds compared to DD. To me the DD sounds very flat and quiet, while the PCM sounds very full and rich.

How funny -- I decide to pull it and went to Circuit City and got mine yesterday as well.

I agree -- the upgrade for PCM audio is amazing. While I knew there was something missing in DD 5.1, without a frame of reference it was impossible to know what. But like you, when I heard PCM, it was incredible. I had Cars in and started it out on DD 5.1, which sounded pretty good on it, and switched to PCM 5.1 on the fly, and it blew my eyeballs out of their sockets. Not only did the volume itself seem to triple, but the sound was just so much crisper and fuller than standard. It just made lossy sound dull.

I also watched I Am Legend last night to listen to the TrueHD. I'm not sure how impressed/not impressed I am yet. It was better than DD 5.1, don't get me wrong, but nowhere in the same ballpark as PCM (volume wise - now granted, I had the volume down low since it was midnight. However, when the creatures attacked I kept having to lower the volume to keep the kids asleep). The bitrates I think were somewhere around 1.7 for TrueHD and 6.9 for PCM. It made a huge difference. So although it wasn't quite what I expected (never heard a real TrueHD before), it was still much nicer than before.

So far I'm very happy with my buy.

[TENSE]

go for the pioneer elite 92.

[TENSE]

Originally Posted by bkbluray

I'm debating between the 720 and the 820. I'm trying to decide if I NEED the fourth HDMI input and internal TrueHD and DTS-HD decoding or not. A hundred dollars is quite a bit right now.

I'm using the PS3 as a Blu-ray player, so as long as it does PCM, I would be fine.

why not the 920?

[hagar852]

Originally Posted by TENSE

why not the 920?

It isn't out until June I believe..