I owned the Onkyo TX-DS474 5.1 Ready A/V Receiver for a couple weeks (selling on ebay.com), until I purchased the Onkyo TX-DS575 with a built in decoder for a second family room. Mistakenly, I purchased the TX-DS474 thinking it had a decoder built-in. Again, after researching I came back to Onkyo, because it ran cool, relatively speaking, while delivery good db levels into 6 and 4 ohm speakers. The tuner is good. The DSP modes are sufficient for most any environment and sound stage effect that, I believe, is good for the class and price of this A/V receiver. The "5 Channel Stereo" mode is really nice for CD's. There is "Front Effects" on/off setting that allows one to activate the DSP front speaker reverb. Turn "Front Effects" off when playing CD's. Turn "ReQ" on when playing Dolby. Yes, I am a fan of DTS and really enjoy the increased channel separation of DTS. My friends are really big fans of my little DTS system as they own 5.1 Dolby Digital systems. When connected to my DVD player the unit automatically selects and displays the audio format, whether it is: DTS, 5.1 Digital, or 2-6 channel Dolby. I am using a JVC XV-D701 DVD player connected through a TOSLINK optical cable (audio) and SVideo to a 27" Sony. This receiver is able to deliver plenty of sound to keep pace with a 12" KEF self-powered sub. The learning remote is fantastic. Knowing nothing about learning remotes before, I now have three extra remote controls (VCR,TV,DVD) after programming the new Onkyo remote! Prices: netmarket.com and bestpriceaudioandvideo.com have them for around $375. I purchased the TX-DS575 from bestpriceaudiovideo.com this time instead of netmarket.com so I could take delivery of it a week earlier for only a couple dollars more, $393 delivered. Noise I receive from this unit is either the source material or cabling interference. My frineds say it sounds so clean that it took them by surprise the first few minutes of listening to a soundtrack. This is mentioned only in reference to previous comments. Once, I would like to hear a noise free system. Therefore, in my opinion this receiver deserves still deserves 5*****. Enjoy, whatever you buy or own.

All Around, great receiver. Awesomely rich sound

Haven't found any yet...

Well, I looked at many receivers before buying this one. I was particularly worried about the alleged hissing problem from this board. I checked it out at a store in Calgary, no problems on the demo unit. Took one home out of the box, sounds awesome. Good volume. Crisp, rich sound, both for music and home theatre. Far superior to the JVC 888 I was testing, but that probably isn't a fair comparison. If I could think of one thing I don't like about it.... i would prefer an adjustable equalizer instead of bass/treble adjustments. Got mine at an awesome price from a friend who's a dealer in Calgary.

Similar Products Used:

JVC 888

Sounds so good that your girlfriend will give you a head. The HISS is extra.

Read below.

Hey mister lonely 1 star why dont you give us your real email address? Losser

341.00 that it cost. Great sound, 5 stereo, DD, DTS

Slight hiss with a line filter

I have this reciever for four months, hooked up to the Energy Take 5, with the e:XL 10 sub, all cost less than 1000. My first real Home Theater that kicks. DVD play back is great. There was a notisable hiss when I first good it, but I also bought a line filter, helps a lot. I put down four stars. Onyko said no hiss, they lied, there is, but slight. However I paid much less than the stickerprice so it's not that bad.

Similar Products Used:

None, one shot deal

5 channel stereo, ample power,5 channel loudness adjustment

I replaced an older pro-logic reciever with the onkyo 575 after careful research on similarly priced recievers. I am totally pleased with the performance of this receiver.I especially love the 5 channel stereo when playing music cds.I recently bought a pioneer dvd player and the difference in sound is great,but the difference in home theater is amazing.I only wish my wife would let me crank it up a little more like it should be. As for hiss, i held my ears close to all speakers for hours. No hiss. To even out some fairly deserved positive reviews, i am gonna HOLD MY HEAD right next to a speaker until i hear some hiss.Then i will change my review.

Good sound and power, excellent price

spring clips for surround speakers

This is a great receiver for the price. I have noticed the SMALL hiss- it is TV interference. It doesn't bother me because I hardly ever crank up the volume with no source playing. I do wish Onkyo had put 5 way binding posts on all of the speaker outputs instead of the cheap spring clips on the surrounds. Otherwise, I'm a happy customer.
A note to Mark, Peter, Jim, George, and Andreas: It is a strange coincidence that 5 such intelligent fellas like you all share the same low opinion about this product, and you mysteriously share similar grammar, and the inability to capitalize the word "I" (for example: "i hate this receiver!") Lots of people use this site for researching new purchases, and it's difficult to weed through the serious problems, and not get swept up in one person's axe to grind with a company they dislike. One review per person makes it so much easier to make a decision. Besides, if this small amount of noise is offensive, then you need to spend $4,000.00 instead of $400.00.

Similar Products Used:

1980's Yamaha R-8

I am quite annoyed by reviews like this one below, I am trying to make an unbiased decision on a few Dolby Digital receivers and reviews which basically are not based on sound quality and the basic performance of the product (including mine's since I did not even get this receiver yet)skew the ratings unfairly. How does this receiver sound? How is the surround performance? Does it have an adequate number of inputs? Are you getting the same hiss that some of the other reviewers have said they heard, etc. These are the types of things that I want to see in a review not someone complaining about gold plated connections! Maybe Onkyo did want to keep the price down and did not include this feature. Maybe they should start putting gold plated connections because other brands are doing it, BUT HOW DOES IT SOUND AND PERFORM FOR THE PRICE!! WHY DID YOU BUY THIS RECEIVER IF GOLD PLATED CONNECTIONS ARE WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR!! IN FACT DID YOU EVEN BUY IT!! SEEMS NOT!! FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES FOR REVIEWING BELOW! I am giving this receiver a 5 just to skew it back to normal!

good sound when they are not broken down

not gold plated jacks. not all banana plugs.

Onkyo's lately are losing ground in build quality and reliability and are becoming to cheap on some things. For example no gold plated jacks on all Onkyo models. Now to me that is very bogus. Onkyo is also staring to cut corners with no banana plugs on the 575 and lower. Come on Onkyo if I wanted no banana plugs I would buy a regular line Sony or Pioneer.
With companies like Denon and Yamaha building products with better features and reliability why even look at an Onkyo with its track record of bad reliability and it seems to be getting worse.

Similar Products Used:

denon

Clean Power; Equal Power among all 5 Channels;

Lack of Bananna Plugs on Surround Channels

I got this receiver for Christmas. I purchsed it for 369 on line at Bestpriceaudiovideo.com. This is an excelent receiver and for that price their is nothing to compare. I researched and looked into receivers about a year before buying one and my friend bought the same receiver just before I did. Excelent sounding receiver I have a pair of Klipsch Fortes as my main speakers and this unit cranks out loud, clean power. Compared to a Pioneer receicer, I borowed from work and used for several months, which was rated at 100 watts per channel the Onkyo blew it away. Especially in Surround mode because it still puts out 70 watts from 20-20Khz. Both music and movies sound awesome with the 575. I have a Toshiba DVD player and am running a digital coax cable for it and my CD player. The three assignable inputs are great especially if you have a CD player with a digital out.
I have to address the hiss spoken of by other reviews. The only hiss I can hear is if my ear is literally plastered up to the speaker. Scince I don't listen to the stereo with my ear on the speaker I don't ever hear a hiss and it dosn't bother me. You cannot hear the hiss with any type of signal playing. If I were in the market knowing what I know today I would go with the 575 again.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer; Fisher (although I hate to admit it)

Built like my McIntosh MA 6100, in other words, like a battleship

Nothing major.

I love this receiver. DTS, DD, at this price? Come on. A real quality product, am amazed that anyone would dislike this receiver given the cost/features ratio. Plenty flexible enough for my needs into the foreseable future. I plan on keeping it until I upgrade to THX and I guarantee thye upgrade will be ONKYO!! I recommend any potential buyers disregard illiterate who has no life (not grammar skills) and repeatedly posts 1 star ratings which unfairly distort the rating of this receiver. I would give it a 9 on a 10 scale. There is no 4.5 here, so I will give it 5 stars for both overall and vaue rating.

Similar Products Used:

Sony DE-835