Onkyo TX-DS575 A/V Receivers

Onkyo TX-DS575 A/V Receivers 

DESCRIPTION

Audio/Video Receiver - 70 Watts to Each of The Five Channels into 8 ohms - DTS,Dolby Digital & Dolby Pro Logic - 96 kHz/24-Bit D/A Converter

USER REVIEWS

Showing 281-290 of 305  
[Feb 18, 2000]
Taco Graafsma
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Great Dolby Digital receiver for the price. The european model does have S-VHS. It sounds great, in stereo and in surround modes. I can hear a little hiss in the surround modes. I guess that the dsp contributes that. No hiss in stereo mode though. From time to time I like to listen to stereo CD's in simulated surround. It may not be the way it is meant to be heard, it is certainly a very different sound from stereo, but the extra feeling of space has it's own attraction. I like the way it is built. In use it is very user friendly.
I was rather surprised by how well it coped with my 4 ohm speakers (Canton RCL). You are supposed to use 8 ohm speakers, but it doesn't even get appreciably warm on normal listening levels. And without active cooling.

Weakness:

A little hum from the transformer (doesn't get to the speakers). I miss an optical out and tape monitor. My speakers (Canton RCL) are supposed to sound better when you splice a kind of active equaliser between pre and power amp (difficult with a receiver) or through the tape monitor connectors. As another reviewer mentioned it is kind of strange that the 474 has it and the 575 doesn't.

Great receiver, especially for the price. The only serious contender in my opinion is a combination of the Technics AX7 (I think) with an AC-3 decoder. This receiver looks great (I'm a sucker for blue lights), has a much better S/N-ratio (according to reviews in german magazines) and has six amplifier stages, allowing bi-amping. But in the end the design quality of the Onkyo clinched it for me. And I've had no reason to regret my decision.

Similar Products Used:

Aiwa AV-DV70: talk about hisssssss!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 09, 2000]
seongsoo park
Casual Listener

Strength:

Wonderful clarity.

Weakness:

only front speakers banana plug

Wonderful receiver! I bought it at $399+shipping from Capital Audio. But, when I contacted them about cnnection to speakers, they just answered "NO RETURN, NO REFUND Ask all the Questions to Onkyo" Capital Audio sucks!
Anyway I could enjoy dts saving private ryan, hell freezes over. When I saw armarggedon it really blew me away! Its sound is really crisp and clear. Even with my old VHS Prologic videos and 2ch stereo CDs. Jazz or Classical Music will also OK. I think the most clear I ever heard under $1000 receiver. I think its right price should be $800 or so. Cinema Re-eq will show you what a home theater is all about!
HISS problem? For me, none up to now. I don't know if it is related to my Bose speakers' inefficiency. I strongly recommended it to my brother, and so will to you.

Similar Products Used:

HK avr-65, Denon avr-97, pioneer 608,

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 26, 2000]
Ham on Rye
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Sweet sound, easy controls and front panel, 5 channel stereo, Cinema Re-Eq, great tech support

Weakness:

Slight volume discrepency btwn DVD and other functions (common to most receivers)

I just wanted to clear up something that almost prevented me from picking up this unit. The hissing and buzzing sound that so many people are complaining about has been corrected by Onkyo. If you purchase a new unit manufactured within the last 6 months or so, there should be no 'hissing' sound. So if you're in the store auditioning, ask to hear a recent model. I can only guess as to what this hideous sound must have been like that caused everyone to complain because my Onkyo sounds to good to be true. Of course, there is some negligible distortion that can be picked up if your ear is less than 3 inches from the speaker, but if this is what everyone is talking about, get real. It's more likely that this is caused from the source that is playing (e.g. your Michael Jackson "Thriller" CD recorded in 1980 something.) The 595 is an outstanding buy at $450 and I recommend it to anyone thinking about buying a Denon or Yamaha.

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha Rx-V795a, Denon AV2800, some Technics model that almost gave me a third degree burn

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 16, 2000]
Joe
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Everything about it

Weakness:

Absolutly none.

I purchased this receiver back in October of 1999. Ever since then it makes me smile everytime I listen to it, whether it be 2-channel, Dolby Digital, or DTS. This is by far the best receiver ever made. I use it with the Boston Acoustic VR-950 as the main, Boston Acoustic VR-10 as the center, Boston Acoustic CR-6 as the surround, and a Cerwin Vega 150 watt 12 inch powered subwoofer. On a scale from
1-10, this "BAD BOY" deserves a 15. Trust me on this one. If you don't believe me just look in any recent "Sound & Vison" magazine. In there you will see the ad for this receiver, and the ad says it best, "OVERBUILT," "built like a battle ship," and all the other good stuff. So if anyone is out looking for a new receiver, look no further then the
Onkyo TX-DS575. It will be well worth the $500 bucks.

Similar Products Used:

None compare to it

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 29, 2000]
Servando
Audiophile

This is reciever is a "must get" Afer replacing a Pro-logic Pioneer I went to check out recievers at local electronic stores. I fell in love with this reciever for the low price of 399. The WRAT feature totally makes you forget about getting an EQ. The EQ from my pioneer (it needed one to sound the right way)was connected to the reciever and the sound was too high pitched and the bass just didn't sound right. This unit does not have a TAPE MONITOR because it doesn't need it! One of the downs of this unit is the little hiss sound... yes, it's there... but it only seems to be there when the 5ch stereo mode is on. I recently bought the famous APEX dvd and hooked it up with the unit. After watching and listening "Hell freezes over" by the Eagles. I was totally convinced on buying this dvd since its sounded awesome on a Bose home theather system. This system delivers much CLEARER sound that most or all of the 500 dl range receivers. One thing I noticed about this unit is that the volume has to be at least 1/2 in order to sound nice and clear. After that point, the volume increments seem to go 2x! For 400-450 price, this product is very pleasant. I mean... you can buy a 400 dts-decoder for around 400 dls and get not even half of the quality of this unit. The WRAT feature is very noticeable when a digital signal is put.
DOWNS:
the display doesnt turn off...
no Svideo out puts. (how many people have more than 1 output S video device anyway. Hook it up to the TV!
This unit does not deliver deep strong bass, remember people... this reciever is a 6-channel, assuming that you have a subwoofer.
For all the features, chrisp sound... 5 *'s

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 23, 2000]
David
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Lots of features, great remote control

Weakness:

sound is cr*p

I originally owned a Nakamichi AV-7. The sound was awesome, the build quality was awesome! I wanted to go the Dolby Digital route, and had to sell it :( Anyhow, since there's no room left in the audio cabinet, I couldn't just get an outboard decoder. So, I bought a Denon AVR-1800. Kept it for a week, and returned it. Why? The Denon has lots of power, but the sound is muffled. Bloated. Kinda hard to describe. So, I ran out and got a sweet deal on an Onkyo TX-DS555 because it was last year's model and there were only two left. The sound was very good, the remote stunk, and features were just fine! I wanted to keep the unit, but there was a nasty problem with it. Everytime I would switch source, the audio would cut out. You'd have to turn the amp off, and then back on for the audio to come back. Brought that one back, and got an Onkyo TX-DS575 instead. So, here are a few points:
Pros:
- Dolby Digital & DTS & Cinema Re-EQ & a sleep timer!
- Decent power @ 70 watts x 5
- The remote control is all 100% learning, it controlled ALL my components!(that's never been done before!)

Cons:
- no banana plugs for the surround channels
- the unit has no bass weight (for 70 watts x 5, it sounds like a pioneer - the 555 sounded way better, and the 575 is probably the worst sounding receiver I ever owned)
- the bass management is stupid!
- for the money, a Yamaha or a Denon is still better

Similar Products Used:

Nakamichi AV-7, Denon AVR-1800, Onkyo TX-DS555

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
2
[Dec 01, 2000]
boi taker
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

exellent sound

Weakness:

regular looking reciever


this reciever rocks,for the price it gives u everything u want exept surround ex or dts es.dsp are great especially studio mix.this model has an s-video in and out and its not 575x.i recommend this to anyone.and like in the review of guide to hometheater the best sounding reciever at or near its price range.

Similar Products Used:

onkyo txsv 535

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 24, 2000]
Eugene Kim
Audio Enthusiast

I have had this product over a year, and I feel that it just gets better and better. I have never had a problem with the reported hissing episodes, I guess I'm just lucky. When I first bought it, I noticed that I had to crank it up to 60 just to get a good sound. As it has aged and burned into its current state, I notice that I do not have to turn it up as much to get a nice big sound ( usually 50 is plenty loud). It handles Dolby Digital and DTS in an excellent way. As better DVD's come out, I have enjoyed the great sound that it processes.

I have it hooked to a Toshiba 3109 and Energy Take 5 HT speakers. An excellent combo, and I have been happy. I give the Onkyo 5 stars!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 22, 2000]
River Side
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Price/Performance, 5ch Stereo, Learning Remote, Accurate Power Rating, Quality DAC's, WONDERFUL Sound, Budget
Receiver for 1999.

Weakness:

No Banana for Rear Speakers, Source Bleeding in Preamp section, Remote Not Backlit.. hmmm nothing else!

I used this receiver for a week before I traded up to the Onkyo TX-DS777 (read review on that unit coming shortly).

I researched a lot before my receiver purchase. The search started with shortlisting receivers in the sub $500 category cuz that's what my initial budget was. The suspects in the final lineup were far from impressive including the likes of Sony DE units and the Denon AVR-1800. After a lot of net surfing and reading reviews on audioreview and magazines, my final choice narrowed down to the Onkyo TX-DS575 and the Denon AVR-1800.

Feature to feature they were almost identical and it was time to go for an audition. I took some CD's I have listend to a lot and checked these units out at dealers who carried speakers like mine (Paradigm).

After several showdowns I found out that I liked the Onkyo TX-DS575 sound more. It was detailed and more 'open' than the Denon. The soundstage was larger and there was an emphasis on detail. The Denon AVR-1800 was 'quieter' but in that process it caused the overall effect to be unimpressive. Matched with the Paradigm speakers, Onkyo was the winner each time I did the A/B comparisons.

The salesman at Wiz didn't have Paradigms, but we connected it to full range speakers and he helped me do a blind test. The location of receivers helped since the speaker section was a little distance from the receiver rack. So I listened to the source and then asked him to switch without knowing which one I was listening to first.

I managed to identify the Onkyo sound each time and my mind was finally made up.

Bought the unit at $420 delivered from an authorized dealer with a 7 day return/exchange policy and set it up. The setup was very intuitive and the manual was reasonably helpful. I was really pissed off at the lack of banana plugs for rears. My speaker cables weren't of a lower guage so I managed to squeeze them in. i don't think it would be easy pushing 12guage cable in to those cavities!

The tuner was the first thing I tested and it performed well. I didn't find an auto tune feature, so I manaullay tuned it. The manaul lacks and index, so be prepared to u'r own searching. However almost ALL manuals on the market for similar products suck, so Onkyo isn't the only one in need of a Documentation Department overhaul.

Dolby ProLogic decoding on TV sources and my VHS tapes was lovely and very soon I was enjoying my little HT setup.

The remote was quite efficient and it didn't take me a lot of time to get rid of my other remotes. I had to read the manual and thankfully enough that section is written out well enough for me to understand. I really liked the remote.

I had some trouble finding Dolby Digital and DTS modes, but I realised they only come on automatically when you keep the unit in Dolby Pro Logic. Something that isn't what the manual suggests but it wasn't a big problem cuz as soon as I popped in a DVD it worked it's magic and the whole room came alive. I used the Thomas Crown Affair for a test, cuz it has subtle surround sound instead of rumble and gun shots which are easy to create a surround effect with. The result was awesome, the chapter with a Sailing Boat really puts you to sea.. very good processing by this unit. 5 Stars.

And finally the awesome 5 channel Stereo. It was really new for me and I was thrilled and soon addicted to it. Pulled out my old CD's which sounded so alive. Great new introduction to the audio scene. Some purists prefer to use their receivers in 'Direct' mode to enjoy stereo music, I give two thumbs up to this 5ch Stereo. BTW you cannot do a Direct in the TX-DS575 as far as I can remember. It's only available in higher models.

Well to summarize, this unit is just AMAZING at this price point. Later upon more investigation of the market I realized the true beauty of this piece of equipment. Onkyo really rates their amplifiers honestly and the unit performs well to it's capacity, which however was a little less for my personal taste. I don't have very sensitive speakers so maybe that's one reason. Plus I have a lot of heavy carpeting, rugs, and very few bare surfaces, so I felt the need of more sound in my surrounds at times. I realized I had just graduated and now needed a more powerful (read more expensive) model.

Then I started finding faults in the receiver, which weren't difficult cuz at this price point you can easily find silly weasknesses like Remote isn't backlit and no S-video (both are being addressed by Onkyo in a model refresh in Summer). The only real problem I found was that the preamp section wasn't very 'clean' and there was a definitely source bleeding. The lack of preamp outputs was a deterrant, although I wouldn't want to use this pre-pro section cuz it wasn't exactly exceptionally clean.

I exchanged the unit for a TX-DS777 (will review shortly). I would still rate this receiver as the BEST BUY at the price point. It rules other receivers by Denon, Yamaha and Marantz at this price point. Go For It!

I would always give it 5 stars for value. I'd give it 3 stars for overall rating due to it's peculiar drawbacks (there is a faint hiss noticeable only at close distances but I used really crappy cables which ran close to power sources) BUT certain stupid posts of 1 really annoy me and I'll give it 5 stars just to balance things out.

Happy Listening

River

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo TX-DS777, Denon AVR-3300, Onkyo Integra DTR-7

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 27, 2000]
Lior Mizrahi
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:


Power ,dts , reliability , solid , clarity ,remote

Weakness:

No S-video , no on screen display , doesn't sound so good in stereo

I got it for two weeks , It sound very good in dolby digital , and it had a lot of power (comparing to the kenwood) , the 5 ch stereo is useless .
I had no problem with the 5.1 and the dts , in fact I think
onkyo did a mistake with the stereo mode in this unit ,
sorry guy's but It sounds very bad , in fact the speakers
didn't play "full range" , and yes the main speakers setup
was large (with no sub). I tested it with other speakers and I even connected my old 2 ch stereo receiver and I
couldn't believe ,
It didn't sound like it should ,
so if you don't care about stereo , or you're listening to
your favorite music with sub (and believe me ,the sound engineer in the studio didn't use SUB when mixing), buy
it , but if you want 2 ch stereo device with 5.1 , look for something else ,
finally I bought the Integra 838 , yea yea I know it's kind
of old and cost a lot more , but it sound "bigger" and
as a meter of fact you can't compare this two unit ,
go on the INTEGRA it can be the old model or the new model
but I'm sure it sound better ,

Similar Products Used:

kenwood 7020 , 7030 , jvs , yamaha

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
4
Showing 281-290 of 305  

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