Great fullness & precision of sound; great FM reception

Poor AM reception

Just happened upon this receiver while browsing a local buy-sell-trade audio equipment store. Got a great deal, unfortunately it had no manual (Onkyo doesn't offer this one online). I'm still unclear what the "display" and "character" buttons are for, but haven't needed them so far.

I had gotten by for years with general-issue Japanese amps/receivers, but this one makes all my other components sound much better (esp. Onk RW313 tape deck). And while 100 wpc is >much< more than I will ever need, it's nice to know it's there. I have no particular need for surround/digital/Dolby functions. The Onk drives two pairs of speakers (Infiniti, Altec-Lansing) in different rooms. Sounds beautiful in both places.

Even at retail, the TX-8511 is a bargain. I'd advise anyone considering a more upscale receiver (e.g. NAD, Denon) to buy this baby and devote the balance of their budget toward better speakers.

Similar Products Used:

JVC amps, Technics receiver

Good power to give dynamic base impact. Neutral low distortion sound.

Lousy cheap clips for speaker cable connection.

Outside of struggling to connect my good heavy monster cable to the lousy clips on this receiver I am very pleased with this product. I dont know where you could get sound this good for $300. If $300 is not a major outlay for you this product is worth checking out. It is better than my Jolida 801 in that is has tone controls. Why cant the so called high end people put tone controls on their products?
I have a rather lively room with a lot of reflecting surfaces so I need to reduce the treble. If you are thinking high end try this product first. Dont spend $1000 plus when good sound is available for $300. The new mass produced stuff like this sounds as good as the expensive stuff did five years ago. Be prepared to break in this unit for 50-60 hours before it sounds wonderful. Out of the box it is a bit bright but gets smooth after burn-in and sounds premium.

Similar Products Used:

Jolida 801

Excellent sound, lots of inputs, good tuner, easy to use

Could use one additional tape/monitor input, can't switch speakers on/off from remote control

This is a great little receiver for the price. When my 135 watt per channel, 17 year old Carver started to act up I purchased the Onkyo from Circuit City because they have a good return policy. With only 100 watts per channel I was afraid of it's ability to drive my very inefficient Magnapan II speakers connected to a big subwoofer. It turned out to be no problem. I was surprised at the sound, maybe even better than the Carver (I couldn't compare them side-by-side). I was also worried about it's ability to handle my high-output moving magnet phono cartridge. Again, no problem. I like the controls (both built-in and remote) and the ability to assign alphabetic names to the FM stations. The only limitation is that you can't switch the speaker selection from the remote. You have to push a button on the panel. I have all the inputs in use with 3 tape decks and an external spectrum analyzer. The only input limitation is that the tape monitor function only works with the Tape-2 input, not with Tape-1 (which acts like any other high-level input). Overall, it's an excellent value and performer.

Similar Products Used:

Carver receiver, Luxman 120

It has been 2 weeks since I purchased this receiver for $249 and I think it is great. It has got some weight to it, which shows it is well made. But what really matter is the sound. This unit sounds crystal clear on highs. Bass is punch yet VERY WELL CONTROLLED. It makes my mid-priced Polk RT-5 bookshelf speakers sound much clearer than with my previous receiver. The bass on the Polks no longer sound muddy and the midrange has improved dramatically. Also the AM and FM reception is superb for a receiver in its price range, even without a power antenna. This unit costs more than many other stereo receivers with the same power output ratings. For example the Technics SA-EX110, which is $149. I auditioned this receiver and found that it could not even come close to the Onkyo's performance. It sounded very weak for 100 watts, and the highs and mids sounded muffled. Plus the built quality is pretty terrible; the thing feels like it would collapse under the weight of a CD player. The bottom line is that you get what you pay for. The Onkyo is DEFINITELY worth the extra money. If you are building your system at the moment, I would definitely check out the Onkyo DXC-340 6-CD Changer. This is the best sounding CD player in its price category hands down.
This receiver is a great one, but I do have one complaint. The speaker outputs are cheap and I am afraid that one of these days I will break them while unhooking my speakers. Despite that I give this receiver a well deserved 5 stars.

I purchased the Onkyo TX-8511 for a secondary system. I did not want to spend too much money but I wanted to get the best "bang for the buck" The choice came down to the Onkyo and the Yamaha RX-596. The Yamaha was more expensive and that was the ultimate reason for choosing the Onkyo. I have to say tat I am not disappointed. The build quality is good and it does have a good weight to it which makes me think that Onkyo has put some good stuff under the hood. I think the greater price for the Yamaha is for some extra frills which I was not interested in. The Onkyo is just a basic receiver. No, fake surround modes or anything like that. It just produces a good solid sound. For the price I think you can't really beat it. Rated at 100W it has plenty of power to drive your speakers at a good loud level. The only thing I don't like is that they did skimp on the speaker wire binding post. They chose cheap spring clips. But anyway, I love the Onkyo and I you want a no frills receiver with surprisingly great sound you owe it to yourself to look at the offering from Onkyo. You wont be disappointed. 5 stars for quality and value at a low price. If you search carefully you can probably find it for around $250.

I am a college student. Most of my friends have a mini-system and think that is good stuff. I don't have alot of money to spend but I wanted something more. I got the Onkyo TX-8511 paired with Paradigm Titan speakers. I tell you what. I am very happy. It blows away any mass market stuff. Borderline high-end? Well that might be stretching it. However you really can't beat the sound for the price. I am very satisfied. I don't know about offerings from Yamaha or Denon but I can't imagine that they would be much better. I will hold on to the Onkyo for awhile until I decide to upgrade to an integrated or separates. Until I will continue to enjoy my ONK.

The Onkyo tx-8511 is a great little receiver if you are on budget or just want something for a secondary system. It is also great for college dorm rooms. For the money it produces top notch performance. No it is not high-end but it doesn't aspire to be. It is simply a solid little stereo receiver. Not that long ago before the advent of hometheater and Dolby surround sound. This receiver would be a staple in systems everywhere. Bottom line great sound for the money.

I love my Onkyo. Solid, solid, solid. If you are on budget you need to check it out.

I wrote a previous review on this receiver, and I would just like to say that I am having a problem with the volume control. Whenever, I turn the dial with the remote, there is a lot of static- a scratching sound. I have taken it to be repaired, but it still does the same thing. The funny thing is, is that it only makes that scratching noise when I use th remote, when I turn the knob by hand, it is fine. I suspect the motor in the volume knob is the culprit. It would be great if someone could E- mail me and tell me what this is coming from, so the repair shop does not look at me like I am nuts-thanks

I bought a Yamaha GX-70 and took it back without even
having heard it play(I found that I did not need the
extra three speakers). I then bought a Sony MHC-RX66...
pardon me...GACK!...and upon awakening the following day
I literally raced to return it. In that I had written a
check for the monstrosity, I could either exchange it for
something else or wait...two weeks for a refund. 'Tis
strange how such an inconvenience may make for such a
blessed event, for lo and behold!...a TX-8511 quietly
perched upon the sales rack...and a perfectly even
exchange, price-wise and only so, at that. I am
required to give this gem a rating before my review
will appear...

...heh...


...I can't wait to hear the hurdy-gurdy within Mozart's
"Deutsche Tanze"...

...or the raw physical and darkly spiritual energies
of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing"...and, lest we forget...

...Flatt & Scruggs!

O, the emanations!