Buying a new AVR - Sony or Onkyo? (1 Viewer)

emphatic

Design Group
  • Team MediaPortal
  • August 25, 2006
    3,717
    1,178
    Alingsås
    Home Country
    Sweden Sweden
    Today my Pioneer VSX-921 AVR has gotten the equivalent of the XBox 360's RRD problem (UE22 error).
    icon_pubjoe_sad.gif
    This is very common after about 3 years of use apparently, and home consumer electronics aren't covered by Swedish consumer protection after 2 years so as I don't feel like repairing it myself, I'm just gonna pick up a cheap AVR to replace it quickly (mostly for family use) and we live in an apartment building.

    Which would you choose of these two:

    Onkyo TX-NR535 (slightly more expensive, has 6 HDMI inputs but also a load of ugly buttons on the front)

    or

    Sony STR-DH550 (has 4 HDMI, but is much better looking and is "a Sony" after all)

    I'm never buying a Pioneer again, so don't even go there. I'm leaning towards the Onkyo, but I'm gonna read some reviews now.

    Thanks for looking. Bigger thanks if you can advice.
    Emph
     

    The_Stig

    Retired Team Member
  • Premium Supporter
  • April 5, 2005
    2,176
    428
    Hey emph,

    I recently bought a Onkyo TX-NR636 and am pretty satisfied with (but no expert in this area). But I cannot compare with the Sony. I replaced an old AVR without hdmi. HTPC-related I am running in some troubles with HDMI-Handshake, but as far as I understand this is a windows issue, not a AVR-problem. Maybe ask what you want to know about the Onkyo and I'll try my best...
     

    emphatic

    Design Group
  • Team MediaPortal
  • August 25, 2006
    3,717
    1,178
    Alingsås
    Home Country
    Sweden Sweden
    • Thread starter
    • Moderator
    • #3
    Went with a more expensive Sony model in the end. 6 HDMI in, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. And the promise if HQ components.

    Emph
     

    kilik360

    MP Donator
  • Premium Supporter
  • September 3, 2010
    576
    235
    Home Country
    Canada Canada
    I'm an Audyssey lover so I would go with a DENON or ONKYO personnaly. But you already buy the SONY.[DOUBLEPOST=1425986197][/DOUBLEPOST]
    HTPC-related I am running in some troubles with HDMI-Handshake, but as far as I understand this is a windows issue, not a AVR-problem.
    Hi The_Stig, does the handshake issue means that you lost your audio renderer in windows and have to reboot windows? I Have this issue as well!
     
    Last edited:

    The_Stig

    Retired Team Member
  • Premium Supporter
  • April 5, 2005
    2,176
    428
    Hi The_Stig, does the handshake issue means that you lost your audio renderer in windows and have to reboot windows? I Have this issue as well!
    Nope, this is solved via MP-Config setting "Don't stop playback on audio renderer" and @Sebastiii patch for standby issues. What I still face from time to time is a muted audio device. And I don't find a way to get this properly going. Currently I am running from one problem to the other. I now even restart MP after resume and use a tool call Nircmd to unmute the sound. But still not reliable...

    Are you two using "HDMI-standby-passthrough" or something similar?
    Nope, deactivated this on the Onkyo since I am not wanting audio via TV.
     

    MrTechno

    Retired Team Member
  • Premium Supporter
  • February 27, 2011
    1,256
    511
    London
    Home Country
    United Kingdom United Kingdom

    The_Stig

    Retired Team Member
  • Premium Supporter
  • April 5, 2005
    2,176
    428
    and supports DLNA (to use as a renderer for FLAC files on MP2 server)
    Not quite sure if I understood you correct, but if you want to use a new AVR as a mediaplayer for DLNA-hosted files (sorry I am really no expert in this stuff), don't buy an Onkyo. The GUI ist just horrible, slow, ugly. Don't know how this is on other AVR's...
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Top Bottom