I picked it up from eBay (Goodwill auction) for $82 shipped.

This awesome receiver replaced my highly rated Vincent Audio tube solid state int amp (both Stereophile and multiple TAS awards). I listen to mostly 2 ch audio and infrequent use to watch movies.

Wow - the 2-ch amp is one of the best I've heard! I have owned over 50 amps in last 25 yrs from tube, tube solid state hybrid, digital, vintage solid state and newer solid state from US, Japanese, European to Chinese (real bang for buck) with this unit being the cheapest to $5k.

One downside is that the sub out is not working but it just might be the issue with the receiver as-is since bought it used.

Size, fit, finish, versatility, quality of components, remote and feature laden.

Heavy.

I was looking to upgrade my main HT/Music receiver after getting an HD TV for the bedroom. I'd previously been using an Onkyo 787. While I had problems with that receiver, they weren't enough to put me off the entire Onkyo Brand. I examined all the models and felt that the Onkyo SM900 was the way to go. However I saw a used 898 Demo on Ebay for $750.00 and it was close enough for me to pick up. So I went that way instead. I don't need cable radio stations with I've HD cable that gives me 35 channels of commercial free music 24-7. Other than that feature... there's no difference between the 900 and 898. After a month I've no complaints, noticed no problems. I'm using Ohm Walsh F's Ver.2's as my mains and they're hard to drive but the Onkyo seems up to it. I love component switchin etc. Remotes, light, easy to use etc... Dolby Prologic II is a distinct improvement when watching dated material.

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Onkyo 787, Onkyo 474, Onkyo 494, JVC, Sony.

Excellent power, User friednly, Great remote.

It would be nice if all AV Receivers offered video conversion to a single component output.

I like the Onkyo receivers. I was a Sony addict until two years ago when I bought the Onkyo TX-DS797. I became addicted and have now purchased the TX-DS898 for the 7.1 amp and the extra power. ( TX-DS&(& on Ebay, very reasonable ) The 898 has all of the advanced features that you could possible want. I am a Home Theater enthusiast and I love the composite to S-VHS conversion. I only wish it went to compnent like the 989 ver 2. As far as 2 channel music, I think that this receiver is one of the best that I have used. The sound is enveloping but not over done. I think that several of the reviewers here could of benefitted from the use of an EQ unit and the notorius cure that some people seem to prefer. I like my music to sound the way that is was intended. With the 898 I can hear the production differences between different producers. Very clean, very flat response. The remote is a pleasure. For the first time in years I am able to operate my entire system easily with one remote. My wife and 11 year old son can even use it. The power reserves are very impressive even with the Paradigm S 100's. They are truely "driven". I have used the Anthem MC2 amp and the Onkyo compares favorably. This amp is a great deal for the money. If you can afford it get the 989 V2 or the 5800 but if you are on a budget try the Onkyo 898. Most of you will not be dissapointed.

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Denon 3802, Onkyo 797, Sony DA5

Rich and clean sound quality with new high tech features for home theatre environment and music. Excellent support/customer relation with Onkyo reps here in Brisbane

Base management. and an unknown problem with DSP chip (sound distorted on one of the DSP settings at high level)but not yet known. Onkyo happily replaced another one straight away. I am happy.

After many years of saving and intentionally waiting for the right time when home theatre is really in its mature stage (ie. high techs and reasonable price), I decided to invest in a HT system. Spending most of the time available on weekends listening to various brand (Amps), and impressed by them all, such as Denon, Yamaha and Sonny, I decided the Onkyo 898 would be the best investment for the next many years of late night movie entertainment. The Onkyo 898 surpasses all other amps (in the price bracket)that I have listened to with its nice, elegant and clean front panel, 7.1 channels of equal clean power, THX certified, good selection of DSPs, Pure audio, excellent remote control and a large number of inputs. The sound is clean, full and powerful both for movie and music reproduction. My system comprised of: Pioneer 633 DVD player, Jamo Classic 10 front, Jamo D5CEN (thinking of upgrade to D8CEN)centre, Jamo D8SUR surround and Bozak souround back speakers. I used to listen music through my H-K amps, Linn LP12 Ittok Accuphase and Dynaudio Profile 2. Now I mainly listen to DVD/CD through the Onkyo. May be I am converted??

Remarkable Sound Quality and Power in all the music and cinema sound modes in for DD PLII, DTS 5.1/6.1 ES, THX 7.1

Remote doesn''t have memory setup for AM/FM presets (minor problem)

I own this receiver for one month. I couldn''t be happier. This outstanding receiver plays lively music that is natural and warm sounding. It produces an impressive sound stage with a remakable separation of different sounds that sound realistic. This receiver is easy to setup in its Basic Menu mode and has an Advanced Menu mode with features for those that like to fiddle. It has enough inputs and outputs for the future expandibility of a growing Home Theatre system. For watching DVD movies, the excellent CINEMA sound modes for DD PL II 5.1, DTS 5.1/6.1 ES, and THX 7.1 all sound great. I have used all of them depending on the DVD source material. The sound separation of the special effects is very dynamic when sent in different directions to the front, surround, and surround back speakers. I have watched Jurassic Park and nearly jumped from my seat when the T-Rex snuck up growling out of nowhere in one scene. The sound effects were that believable. For 2 channel source material I like to use the DD PL II sound. I like listening to the Barbara Streisand IMPRESSIONS CD. It sounds so warm and real like she is in the room with you singing, what a voice, simply marvelous, the music sound too is very warm, natural, and remarkably reproduced, simply marvelous. The DSP sound modes are very interesting and sound good too, depending on the source material. You have to match them up with the source material to get the greatest benefit. I prefer to use the DD PLII music mode for everything musical. It makes it easier for me and sounds fantastic. The remote is easy to use. I like the center button. It is similar to a computer mouse for selecting the on screen display menu items. The front panel display is clear and precise showing the input component you have selected and the volume. It can be changed on-the-fly to display the sound mode that is currently selected. This receiver remembers the sound mode that you have selected separately for each component making it easier for you when you switch between different components. The sound modes can also be pre-configured depending on your taste. There are more great features about this receiver that I would need more room than is available here to describe. However, you can tell by my review that I am immensely satisfied with this receiver. This Onkyo TX-DS898 receiver''s build quality, its feat

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Very good sound and great value for price

Heats up a bit

I believe this is one of the best receivers available for the price. I auditioned Denon and Harman Kardon before I decided to go along with this. Ofcourse the snob faced people at hi-end equipment stores refused to admit the existence of the Onkyo brand. But thats probably cuz they dont sell it. It has all the features that you would pay atleast 1000 more for in other brands. As for the price of 999, dont ask me how I got it. Lets just say that I am a good price negotiator :) I do like the new Dolby PLII mode and it does breathe life into most TV programs and video tapes. But as for Dolby Digital and DTS, it just blows your mind. I am able to hear the slightest details with no problems. I have watched Gladiator, Fast and Furious on this and I think the sound quality is exceptional and is atleast as good if not better than Denon. I am using a pair of KEF Q90 speakers for the front Left and Right, Bose 301s for the rear, and a JBL center. (Yes, I need to get a matching center, but I cant find anyone who is selling a old center speaker that goes with this setup). The stereo mode is also very good and I am very pleased with the performance, ofcourse this is partly due to my KEF speakers which I could never justify getting rid of even though they are 7 years old. I would recommend this receiver to anyone without hesitation. And dont get fooled by salesmen from certain stores who say it is better to buy Denon. Atleast give this receiver a try and I am sure u will go for it. Hopefully soon I will hook my receiver with a pair of Martin Logans for the front and move the KEFs to the back so I can enjoy the all channel stereo during parties.

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Harman Kardon AVR 70 - I still like it but it isn''''t DTS compatible so use it in my bedroom and will never sell it. I dont think anything beats this old receiver in stereo mode.

neo modes, pro-logic II, wrat amplification

One well built a/v receiver. Much simpler to use than smost denon''s and Yamahas >great channel separation. Who needs an ac-3 input when you have pro-logic II

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A. Sound quality B. Ergonomics - menuing system & the remote C. All them there decoders D. No need for a flashlight with the backlit remote

A. For 2-channel PCM with sub=Yes and fronts=Large configured, the fronts only get 80Hz+ high-pass. (reference the Seth Lacy review below) No problem, just configure sub=No. Or live with the fact that your large front speakers don''t get full spectrum with sub=Yes in the Onkyo. B. All remote settings are lost when the batteries die/are switched. C. No RS-232 or FireWire port - waddya want for just over a grand street price?

NOTE - the above features and MSRP are for the 989, NOT the 898... Now that I''ve got 40-50 hours break-in time on the AVR and speakers, here goes... I was a 2-channel luddite until mid 2001 when I was hit with a 5.1 epiphany (The 5th Element on a good home theater). With sound/build quality being about equal among the competition, ergonomics were my primary deciding factor, with 7.1 channels, THX, and the DD & DTS ES decoders a secondary factor. I figure I''ll have to live with the remote and the menuing system long after the other stuff becomes mundane. Box to armchair took a couple hours to hook up and configure with an AVIA DVD, the 898''s internal pink noise generator and a Radio Shack digital dB meter. Add another hour to transfer the five other remotes'' functions to the Onkyo''s... I auditioned the Denon 3802 (lesser ergos), 4802 (too much coin), and the Yamaha V2200 and V3200 (chiclet key remotes and eleventy bazillion DSP modes I''ll never use) - but they couldn''t beat the TX-DS898''s overall value. I''m running an older Sony DVP-S550D player and a Sony 32" 4:3 tube via S-video & digital coax, plus a couple stereo VCRs, and a CD changer. Speakers are B&W DM604_S3s up front, an LCR600 in the center, four DM600_S3s around the back, and a NHT SubOnei for the LFE .1 channel. I''ll upgrade the DVD and monitor with the latest wiz-bangs in a few years. Other observations; A. Pure/Direct Audio mode lives up to it''s name when my 2-channel cravings re-appear. B. The 2 channel Dolby Digital sounds great with tapes and TV source. C. All channel stereo (1 of the DSP modes) is a pleasant suprise with CDs for background music. D. My ears couldn''t hear much difference between the other 6-7 DSP modes. E. DTS NEO:6 sounds fine splitting out 2-channel source. F. Thought I''d miss a variable low-pass crossover, knob-twister that I am. NOT! 80Hz is where I''d set it anyway (Those guys at THX really do have it figured out). G. Default audio mode choice per input is REALLY nice! This is THE 7.1 product at this price point! Buy it now. Make your wife''s ears go ''Hey there, handsome'' and give yourself an aural woody to boot! As far as J&R (Darrell @ x1056), factory warranty, shipping was fair and reasonable, packing was ''zero damage'' professional, and it was delivered when expected. And I sent a NY business my dollars... BTW, check out the N

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- Excellent sound quality and reproduction... powerfull and full. - Receiver saves sound settings for each input - More settings and sound type field control than many receivers out there - THX certifed

This is not really a weakness, but being use to the "eye-candy" look of Sony amps... with their usual array of indicator lights, displays and led''s, it was somewhat hard to get use to plain display, although I think the front panel display is nicer/cleaner than Denon.

I''ve been an audio/videophile for years and years... and have gone through the series of sound formats throughout the years like most of us... stereo, dolby prologic, dolby 5.1, etc. Just before Christmas, I wanted to get into a 6.1 (7.1) system, and decided that it was time to do a major audio upgrade to my current system. I had a Sony 5.1 Dolby digital receiver, a pair of Paradigm MK3''s for the front end, and a mix-mash of other speakers for center and surround. I decided that since I was going to upgrade the amp to 6.1, I should look at the entire sound system and replace the mix of surround speakers to achieve closer timbre matching. I purchased 2 pairs of Paradigm Monitor 7''s... 2 for the surrounds and two for the back speakers, and a Paradigm 350 center speaker. I starting looking at news/reviews of receiver/amps for Marantz, Denon and Onkyo and proceeded to go shopping based on price and features. I listened to 6.1 receivers by Denon, Marantz and Onkyo. Sound for Sound, feature for feature, and price for price, I finally decided on Onkyo and originally brought home a 797... purely based on price, (the 797 was about $350cdn cheaper than the 898). Because I had bought a pair of Paradigms for the back surrounds, I decided that I didn''t want to run a second amp of some kind to power this pair of back speakers, and I wanted to keep the sound consistant. So I took back the 797 and purchased the 898, and have never looked back. For the price, the 797/898 are some of the most feature laden receivers that I have seen. There are more settings for sound and sound formats than I have seen on most receivers. A few people have mentioned that the sound that is produced by these Onkyo amps is addictive... now I know what they mean. The sound is full bodied, warm, clean and rich... regardless if listening to CD audio, DVD, or standard television broadcast. I''ve spent several years in the audio field as a sound engineer in recordings and live bands... and I totally love the sound from the Onkyo and would recommend it to anyone looking to get a 7.1 THX certified receiver.

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There is a well discussed issue with some 6.1 DVDs that cause audio drop out in the Dolby Digital mode [not DTS] on the 898 and some other receivers. No problem here, if only for the reason that the particular DVD''s would not be in my library anyway. Nevertheless it is a software problem which is being addressed by Dolby and the releasing organizations. Having worked for Dolby and researched the issue, I am confident that this will be a non-issue shortly. If not, I will amend my review. Excellent build quality, clean understated design. I used to like my Sony which had sort of a "juke box" look with all the lighted indicators and the digital "blue light", but I am converted, the 898 is elegant. All in all, the 898 has exceeded my expectations and is truly an awesome A/V receiver. If your sound goal is biased toward Home Theater, you need to check out the 898. Hard to beat.

Don''t like remote, prefer MX-500.

This is the rest of the review posted by “grizbear” [posted a couple reviews down] Got cut off, will try to finish…space allowing. What about the center rears? Well they really DO enhance the theater experience, truly room filling sound. Not a lot of 6.1 source material out there yet [and an issue I will comment on later], but the Pod Race in TPM is awesome[THX Cinema EX]. The really great thing is that you can activate the rears for 5.1, Pro Logic II and THX modes, as well as all channel stereo [great party mode for some of those old stereo CD''s and LP''s]. Pro Logic II? If you have a large collection of stereo/Dolby videos and/or laserdiscs, get Pro Logic II! So good that I may not replace some of my laserdiscs with 5.1 DVDs. I did a comparison a while ago: Gladiator was been shown on HBO HD via Sat and the sound was being sent only in Dolby Dig 2.0. I have set my 898 to treat this as Pro Logic II. I popped in my Gladiator DVD set for 5.1 and did an A/B comparison. Verdict: PLII not quite as good but VERY impressive. For music only, the 898 PLII has adjustable sound fields which really breath new life into CDs. Sounds better to me! DTS. Hear the jingling spurs in the new Tombstone DVD, or listen to the Eagles "Hell Freezes Over" DVD. Powerful and Clean! Other listening modes. Most used by me are the DD, DPLII and DTS modes [and the all channel stereo] Not real impressed with some of the other sound fields -- all A/V receivers seem to have these, but PLII usually sounds better to me. One other sound field for those of us that have some old mono movies is the "mono Movie" mode--adjustable and works well at giving some ambience and depth to mono sources.

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SONY STR-940B Denon 3802