Anyone know anything about Home Theater (audio)?

[Berkut]

I was thinking about buying this:

http://www.amazon.com/Onkyo-HT-S5200-7-1-Channel-Entertainment-Receiver/dp/B001VEI2OA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1270234975&sr=1-1-spell

The Onkyo HT-5200 7.1-Channel Home Entertainment Receiver/Speaker -  Package Stacked with Options and Versatility  If you want an idea  of where Onkyo's home theater packages are heading, the HT-S5200 is well  worth checking out. Like previous Onkyo 7.1-channel receiver/speaker  packages, the HT-S5200 delivers reassuringly hefty amounts of power and  all-round performance. And in line with other recent offerings, it's  also perfectly suited for high-definition entertainment in the home. 

Includes four HDMI video inputs

[/t]

The 1080p video takes center stage from  sources such as Blu-ray Disc, DVD, HD broadcasting, and gaming. The  emphasis is still on Onkyo's audio prowess, so the HT-S5200 is equipped  with three groundbreaking Audyssey technologies that will give you the  edge in terms of surround sound.

Well reviewed, and CNET seemed to like it as well.

I like the idea of a home theater in a box, because I don't know all that much about home audio, and don't want to spend audiophile-type money.

$477 from Amazon.

However, there is this review:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R9Q5Y3KBS0OSP/ref=cm_cr_dp_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B001VEI2OA&nodeID=172282#wasThisHelpful

What does it mean that the receiver does not receive HDMI sound imput? Is that as odd as it sounds? Does this mean that if I hook up the Wii to this, I cannot just run a HDMI cable to it, I have to run some other audio cable in? Same with a Blu-ray player?

The reviews on this have been mostly glowing, with just a few complaints about the lack of HDMI audio in.

Should I consider buying a receiver and speakers seperately?

I am also in the market for a blu-ray player - anyone have any recommendations? Some of the stories about how long blu-rays take to load on crappy players makes me a but skittish about buying one without a recommendation.

[derspiess]

Joanie's our resident audiophile, so he can probably provide some better insight, but anyway...

That seems pretty good to me for a home theater in a box setup.  I prefer to buy the receiver & speakers separately, but to each his own.  Buying separately isn't that difficult, but you will probably end up spending a little more when it's all said & done.

When I was shopping for a receiver last year, I had to do a fair bit of research to narrow my search down to receivers that handled audio via HDMI.  It does seem retarded that not all receivers on the market do this.  Cable clutter was a big enough problem for me as it things were, and I absolutely did not want to run separate audio cables for my Xbox 360, Blu-ray player, TivoHD, and home theater PC.

To answer your question directly, if this Onkyo does not support audio via HDMI, you'll have to run separate audio cables (looks like there are two optical and two coax digital inputs so at least that's one input per supported HDMI device). 

Re: blu-ray load times, AFAIK, load times are still somewhat high on recent, higher end players.  It's something I more or less adjusted to.  Some discs are better than others.  I can't really suggest any specific players, so I say think of a price range, then figure out what features you want, then research the reviews.  I'm happy with my Samsung lower-end player, but my brother swears by his more expensive Oppo (which, come to think of it, does seem to load a bit faster).

[Ed Anger]

You buy the expensive cables, and I'll drive to NY and punch you in the nuts.

[Pedrito]

derspiess pretty much summed it all up, one clarification: the Wii does not have an HDMI cable output, you must plug it to the receiver via a component cable.

And about the blu-ray player: the best on the market is still the PS3. Excellent reader, upgradable, large hard disk, can stream your PC content: what's more to want?

L.

[grumbler]

While we are talking home audio, what do the audiophiles think is the most cost-effective 7.1 amp/reciever in a standalone (no speakers - I have those) purchase?  I don't want to spend more than about $600, but need to replace my current HK 225, which cuts out at higher volumes now.  I'd like to get 100w per channel, but could do with a bit less, since my Klipsch speakers seem to do just fine on my current 70w per channel (though these are HK watts, not the standard).  I'd like to have three HDMI inputs with audio.

[The Minsky Moment]

Quick thoughts:

1) Lack of HDMI audio in is a bit of an annoyance but not the biggest deal.  How many input devices do you plan to hook up - the more you hook up, the more the extra cablage.  The fact is that until a few years ago, every receiver required this kind of hook-up, so it isn't the end of the world.

2)  The one concern I would have about an all-in-one package is speaker quality.  I would not buy until trying out the speakers and comparing them against other inexpensive alternatives. 

3)  Grumbler  --  I generally don't get very hung up on wattage ratings which I have found not to be that reliable.  Its easy to make a cheap crappy amp with a high wattage rating and tons of distortion.  OTOH there are companies like NAD that are notorious for underrating their power output.  I once had a NAD amp rated at 50W powering full-size floor speakers; I couldn't turn the knob past 1/3 without it getting uncomfortably loud.

These days, there are tons of good options at $600 and under.  Klipsch speakers are pretty common - your best bet is to go to an audio store and see if you can demo a few receivers while pairing them with Klipsches.  Though truthfully, all the major manufacturers like Yamaha/Onkyo/Denon/etc make quality products and when you look under the hood, a lot of them are using the same or very similar components; so mostly you are choosing on branding, styling and distinctive features.

Note if space is a major consideration, one item to consider is the new Marantz slimline, which retails at exactly 600. Very compact and runs cool.

[grumbler]

These days, there are tons of good options at $600 and under.  Klipsch speakers are pretty common - your best bet is to go to an audio store and see if you can demo a few receivers while pairing them with Klipsches.  Though truthfully, all the major manufacturers like Yamaha/Onkyo/Denon/etc make quality products and when you look under the hood, a lot of them are using the same or very similar components; so mostly you are choosing on branding, styling and distinctive features.

Thanks.  I was hoping someone had already done this and could report on it, though.  Getting to a decent audio store is a major expedition from the boonies. 

What do you (or any other audiophiles) think about http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882120135 the ONKYO  TX-SR707 at 570?  Reviews on Newegg are good (even the four star ratings are niggles that don't apply to me).  Denon receivers seem out of my price range, but their listings are so confusing that maybe there is a bargain that I just cannot find?. 

[grumbler]

BTW, Berkut, keep an eye on Woot.com.  They have some pretty sweet speaker deals every now and again.  Took me six months, but I assembled a very nice speaker set for less than half what the discount places were selling them for.  They are discontinued models (like the Klipsch Reference series) but great stuff nonetheless, and fully warranteed.

I got the RF-82 speakers for $260, and the MSRP was $1100.

[The Minsky Moment]

Onkyo has a good rep for making quality value components and the 707 has a Burr Brown DAC.  So probably a safe choice.  Just check what the restock fee is in case you hook it up and don't like it.

[derspiess]

Denon receivers seem out of my price range, but their listings are so confusing that maybe there is a bargain that I just cannot find?. 

If you think the listings are confusing, try reading through their manuals   I bought my Denon AVR-788 a little over a year ago when Circuit City was going out of business & am very happy with it.  I think I paid around $300 for it.  Anyway, it has more features than I'll ever need, handles Dolby Digital & DTS audio quite well, and it has a separate amp built-in that will drive 2 speakers in another room (which limits you to 5.1, which is no issue for me).  Only thing I'm not crazy about is that it only has 2 HDMI inputs, which means I have to run my Xbox, HTPC, & Blu-ray player through an HDMI switch (the TivoHD gets an input all its own).  That's not a huge issue since my universal remote toggles the switch for me each time I select a different activity, but it would be nice to have 4 HDMI inputs directly on the receiver.

Overall I'm happy with it. 

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Joanie's our resident audiophile, so he can probably provide some better insight, but anyway...

That seems pretty good to me for a home theater in a box setup.  I prefer to buy the receiver & speakers separately, but to each his own.  Buying separately isn't that difficult, but you will probably end up spending a little more when it's all said & done.

When I was shopping for a receiver last year, I had to do a fair bit of research to narrow my search down to receivers that handled audio via HDMI.  It does seem retarded that not all receivers on the market do this.  Cable clutter was a big enough problem for me as it things were, and I absolutely did not want to run separate audio cables for my Xbox 360, Blu-ray player, TivoHD, and home theater PC.

To answer your question directly, if this Onkyo does not support audio via HDMI, you'll have to run separate audio cables (looks like there are two optical and two coax digital inputs so at least that's one input per supported HDMI device). 

Re: blu-ray load times, AFAIK, load times are still somewhat high on recent, higher end players.  It's something I more or less adjusted to.  Some discs are better than others.  I can't really suggest any specific players, so I say think of a price range, then figure out what features you want, then research the reviews.  I'm happy with my Samsung lower-end player, but my brother swears by his more expensive Oppo (which, come to think of it, does seem to load a bit faster).

I think if you have a new Blu ray player, it's more about the disc than the player. some load really fast, some slow for me. Both newer and older discs. It seems random.

[Berkut]

Ended up ordering this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882120167

Decided I did not really need 7.1, 5.1 is more than enough. And Onkyo has a new product for this year that adresses teh HDMI pass through issue. And the price was a lot less than I planned on spending, only $319 for the system.

[viper37]

Decided I did not really need 7.1, 5.1 is more than enough.

a mistake.

I thought I didn't need it, but I still bought a Denon 7.1.  No regret.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I need a simple receiver for 100-200 dollar range.  My piece of crap died and I've been using even crappier USB cable speakers in my living room and they cut out alot. 

[Berkut]

Decided I did not really need 7.1, 5.1 is more than enough.

a mistake.

I thought I didn't need it, but I still bought a Denon 7.1.  No regret.

So what is the mistake though?

Not needing it does not preclude not regretting buying it anyway.