Home > Consumer Reviews > Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver (Black)

I was running out of high-bandwidth audio connections on my old home theater receiver, so I started looking around for an affordable replacement. For the sake of simplicity, I wanted something with at least (4) HDMI connections that also processed audio. For $400 or less, there was this Onkyo or the Sony STRDG820, but the Onkyo has more features and has received better reviews.

I ordered mine from Amazon and received it very quickly. Installation was very simple. (4) HDMI's in, (1) HDMI out, speaker connections, and the power cord. Setup takes a little bit of time but it's fairly simple as well. The unit is equipped with "Audyssey 2EQ and Audyssey Dynamic EQ". Basically, you plug in the supplied microphone, position it at the right end, left end, and center of the listening area and it automatically measures the distance to each speaker, acoustical properties of the room, etc., and sets each speaker level automatically. And it works very well. I wasn't really expecting much of a sound improvement over my Harmon-Kardon AVR-146 but I got one. Big time. Also, whereas the HK had enough power, this unit has more than enough.

In addition to the normal formats, this unit will also decode TrueHD and DTS-HD which some of the newer Blu-ray titles are equipped with.

In spite of the almost endless settings in the menu, there's one thing that the Onkyo won't do that is a minor source of irritation for me: You can't relabel the inputs. The HK that cost me about half as much as this could. Fortunately, it's not TOO big of a deal if you have a Harmony remote because they do all the work for you.

The unit will upconvert analog sources to 1080i though it doesn't get very good reviews in that department and I haven't tried it.

Some people claim to have a "humming" issue with this unit connected to a PS3 but I haven't experienced any.

Considering the (4) 1.3a HDMI's, sound processing abilities, and cost, it's a very affordable and fairly future proof unit.

I've always been a Harmon-Kardon fan so I didn't know what to expect from an Onkyo. I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This is my very first review of anything on Amazon and I told myself I would write one for the Onkyo 606. So, here I am.

First off, I'd like to say that this receiver is awesome! I wasn't expecting so much for what I paid for! I just love the fact that it was 4 HDMI inputs for various components. I have my upconverting DVD-player and my PS3 hooked up to via HDMI. They both look and sound great! The main reason I bought this receiver was to take advantage of its Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding capabilities. I know that the PS3 decodes both of these formats and sends it as LPCM sound but I'm going to eventually buy a stand-alone Blu-ray player in the future. Probably the Sony BDP-S350 once it goes down in price. Anyway, the sound on this thing is awesome! I have a JBL CS6100BG 5.1 system hooked up to it and sounds amazing! I've never heard sound so clear before! I'm so glad I bought those speakers along with these magnificent receiver! Probably one of the only negative things I have to say about the receiver is that it gets pretty hot. I use it an enclosed space because its so big. I plan on getting a better TV stand in the future but that will have to do for now. I only use it for about 3 or 4 hours max in one sitting and then allow it to cool for about 30 minutes or so. I've read that people have it turn itself off because it gets too hot, but that's yet to happen to me. So, just make sure you have plenty of ventilation space when you set it up!

Overall, I'm very pleased with this receiver. The Audessy speaker set up was painless and practical and gave me good results as well. This receiver is an excellent choice if you want to enjoy HD sound without breaking the bank. I was hesitant at first when looking at reviews but now, I absolutely love my Onkyo 606! Thank you, Onkyo for such a great product!

This is the third or fourth AV Receiver I have purchased over the years. It is absolutely excellent. Ample HDMI inputs as well as component and composite. Set-up was simple. The speaker set-up was also exceptional, having a microphone to help with distances and number of speakers. I had a Harmony remote before which was set up over the internet. I had too many components in my system so had a problem using it satisfactorily. When I put my component codes into the Onkyo remote, I was able to run everything in my system from that. Didn't expect that bonus. Will not have to replace this unit anytime in the near future. Highly recommend it.

The receiver came, I noticed I was getting static with it that I never got from the TX-SR604 I had. It also had the PS3 buzz, but that wasn't a big deal for me. So I got the unit replaced and same static and buzz, but then after a few days the receiver blew out. The amp entirely went out. I sent for another replacement but Amazon sent me an email saying they are just going to refund me because this is a wider spread problem then they originally thought.

Instead of getting this 606, get the whole home theater system of the Onkyo HT-6100 instead. It includes a 606 with an *additional 40 watts* per channel receiver model SR667. Not to mention coming with 130 watts speaker, a 290 watt subwoofer, and an IPOD dock that plays both IPOD music AND movies for just an additional $200 or less!

That makes buying the SR606 or even the 705 pointless unless you already have speakers.

Trust me, I've done months of research on Onkyo systems to find the best deal, and buying the HT-S6100 home theater in a box (HTIB) is by far a better deal than buying the SR606 or 705 and seperate speakers if you're trying to get started from scratch on a budget.

Once again, the S6100 included a 606 receiver with added 40 watts per channel MORE POWER and 130 watt speakers and 290 watt sub and an A/V IPOD dock for less than $200 more.