Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
This is a very nice unit with lots of muscle to it. It has very nice detailed sound to it, even listening to music sounds very good; compared to my separates this guy is right up there. I like the THX aspect of it when it selects on it's own according to the input signal. I like the two and six channel stereo option as well.

Price Paid:  $599.00 from Fry's

Summary:
This new Onkyo series surprised me with its high quality audio and THX certification with the amount of money paid. I was looking around for a higher-end receiver with THX certification and stumbled upon this one, which cost $700-1000 less than other brands with similar features.

The music and movie sound quality is comparable to Denon, which I think highly about, but at a lower price.

Aside from the sound quality and features, the user interface is well designed and intuitive. I could figure out the majority of the functionalities without reading the manual and that is a plus.

The bass is a little suspect but there is enough good things to recommend this receiver.

Onkyo's vision is to be better every year and they seem to be a rising player in the mid-priced audio equipment.

Strengths:
Surround quality, user interface, THX certification for such a low price.

Weaknesses:
Bass output, can get hot and low quality plastic speaker banana plugs.

Similar Products Used:
JVC, Denon and Pioneer.

Price Paid:  $900.00 from Colour and Sound

Summary:
I did a fair amount of research both online and store to store,looking for a midpriced receiver with THX certification for 2003 model year.
I finally settled on this one and even though I've only had it about a month I am very pleased thus far.
I live in a highrise condo so I opted not to hook up a subwoofer as of yet but the space it needs to fill is rectangular.....approx 12ft by 20ft and even without the sub it still resonates with authority.
At the moment it is hooked up to PSB 500's at the front,Angstrom C3.3(center) and Angstroms Modular 2 for rears.TV is a 32 inch Panasonic GAOO.
I recommend even if you are a "newbie" when it comes to Surround AV receivers et al and have someone else do the installation that you take your time and read and re-read the manual.
It's imperitive you know everything this unit offers you and are able to let it flex it's creative muscle.
Starting with speaker configuration and calibration,the setup for this becomes vital for optimum performance.The manual recommends an SPL(sound pressure level) meter for calibration but you can set it aurally as I did.You may need to do this several times until you can finetune it.
I have been resetting the calibrations depending upon the DVDs I am playing,or the signal source.
Also there are several listening modes,like most AV receivers,so you will have fun playing around with these as well.
If someone else installs and sets up the unit make sure they walk you through each phase of set-up.Then just read and re-read manual and most companies have a 1 800 # help line.
The DVDs I played first were Elton John,Greatest Hits,Bee Gees One Night Only,Die Hard,The Game,Saving Private Ryan.
All sounded amazing.....although you will need to play around with the settings for a while.I seem to change my speaker calibration settings each time I use it.
I also have digital cable box and notice a difference in tonal quality then that of DVDs,not better or worse just different.
I am incredibly picky about my sound reproductions.......music or movie.... and can say this unit allows for just such a thing.
An example is the audio adjust button.Depending on the digital or analog source there are 18 options listed,some of course only available with certain listening modes.
I also was looking for an AV receiver with remote zone or zone 2 option.I have not as yet used it but will in the near future.
As of yet I have only used this unit for playback of DVDs and cable TV........but even with cable I receive about 30 digital music channels.........sounds great!
I apologize if this review is a bit longwinded but I feel I owe it to others who are in the midst of searching like I was.
All I can add is DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Don't take my word for it.
Happy Hunting

Strengths:
THX cerification,Zone 2 option,learning remote.

Weaknesses:
May not be enough power for very large room.

Similar Products Used:
Sony,Panasonic

Price Paid:  $829.00 from Internetshop

Summary:
Great receiver!
Sounds great, especially in a surround setting.

Strengths:
THX and great surround performance for its money.

Weaknesses:
Can't really think of one :)

Similar Products Used:
Onkyo TX-SR600, Sony

Price Paid:  $630.00 from J&R

Summary:
After much research I decided on the Onkyo TX/SR701 and I'm very pleased. Considering it's THX certified, has component video switching, and lots of bells and whistles normally found in more expensive receivers, it's a super value. I'm using it with a Def Tech Pro Cinema 80 system and it rocks. If you have a very large room, the 100 watts per channel might not be enough for you. Otherwise, it does a great job both with home theater and music alike.

P.S. The learning capability remote is a nice bonus.

Strengths:
THX certified, features similar to higher end models, great value, nice sound.

Weaknesses:
On screen menu will not work if you run your TV with component cables. Might not be powerful enough for very large rooms.

Similar Products Used:
Sony, JVC receivers