Accessories

Best Bang for the Buck in Next-Gen Home Theater Receivers
I'll start by saying I'm not an Audiophile. I just wanted a decent mid-range receiver that does all the latest lossless audio formats and has 7.1 channels so it's ready to take advantage of BluRay as that format evolves. So my primary focus is on a system that plays audio for movies and video games as it's primary function. Currently I have this receiver setup in a 5.1 configuration since that's the type of receiver it replaced. I have more speakers on order to expand it out but to be honest, right now if you're building a home theater from scratch, you only need 5.1 . The 7.1 specs aren't really supported yet and DVDs and Playstation/Xbox are all 5.1, so if you're starting from scratch save some money and setup for 5.1 first and expand as support grows.

I used the automated speaker calibration feature to setup all the channels. This is where you place the provided mic at ear level at three different listener positions. The receiver then sends out tones which will drive you and your dog nuts for about 15 minutes while the entire process goes on. Once it was done however, I was/am very pleased with the results.

I've heard some people ask about humming, i can detect no humming. I have some WiFi equipment close by which is 2.5 ghz and so far have not heard any humming. Some other people have said the Receiver runs hot to which I would ask those people, is this your first receiver? They do run hot ! This one runs no hotter than the old one i replaced from a different manufacturer so as far as I'm concerned, the heat issue is normal. I have it in a small component rack that's enclosed on the sides and back with a door on the front, it's got maybe half an inch space around the sides and 2 inches of space on top and so far everything is good.

The back has tons of inputs, but the primary reason I waited for the 606 over the previous model is the number of HDMI ports, the next generation audio/video cable which is a requirement for full resolution BluRay playback. They're rev 1.3a to support all the latest audio formats as well (none of which are currently supported by the discs themselves yet though). The receiver will pass through a 1080p signal from a BluRay or other high def video source. If you feed it a standard def 480i video source, it will upscale it to 1080i or 720p. It does a decent job but i would say upscaling isn't the receivers strong point, it does an acceptable job though. But lets face it, Onkyo doesn't build TV's, their bread and butter isn't video, it's audio.

I'm pleased with the performance and the styling of the receiver, it's just very basic and sleek. No built in graphical user interface and all that other nonsense that receivers 3x this price but no more times the performance come equipped with. This receiver for a mid end system for movies and video games just really can't be matched in terms of performance per dollar spent.

I have matched this receiver with some Polk Audio speakers. Specifically i have a Polk CSi3 center channel and six Polk RTi4 bookshelf speakers (all of which you can find at great prices here on Amazon where I ordered them from) and I am very very happy with the results. The Polk speakers like the Onkyo 606 receiver are over achievers for their price point, so they match together extremely well.

The only thing I have left to say is buy it, I wouldn't hesitate recommending this receiver to anyone looking for a solid movie/video game home theater experience.

Buzzing with HDMI
Happy with the feature set but there is a persistent problem with a buzzing sound coming from the speakers when connected to an HDMI input source with the Audyssey Equalizer on. Occurs with two different inputs (XBox 360 and PS3). An internet search revealed that this is a fairly common problem, however, Onkyo does not seem willing to acknowledge it. Will probably consider a Denon or Yamaha for my next purchage.

Not Bad
I bought this receiver to replace a Sony, and it does a good job. I found the Sony easier to set up and a little easier to operate. I am still trying to figure out the surrounds sound modes but for the most part it sounds good. I really like the 4 HDMI inputs but had a little trouble programming the inputs and I am no amateur on such things. The sound is not as full as it was with my Sony but it may be because I have not tweaked things enough. The sound is weaker when on HD channels but this could be because I went cheap with the HDMI cable, should have gone MONSTER. All in all I think this is a good lower level AV receiver definitely worth the money. I haven't had it very long so not sure about its longevity, I hope longer than my Sony. One thing I read in my research before buying was that this receiver got hot, it does, so make sure it is well ventilated. I am hoping it will save me on my heating bill this winter. Oh, I haven't gotten my Dish Network remote to work with the receiver yet; I have looked everywhere and can not find a code that will work. So for now I have to adjust volume with receiver remote and everything else with Dish remote (kind of a pain). If you are looking for most bang for buck I think this is what your looking for.

Used to buy Denon, got tired of overcomplexity
This product is great. Out of the box, labels are intuitive, defaults are set for everything and clearly shown, ... I usually get Denon because i thought they were the best. But I always had problems that were hard to debug. This one simply works. I'm selling my other Denon on eBay and getting another Onkyo, truly.

Great value. Consider this Receiver before buying anything else.
Very simple to hook-up, easy to do adjustments and most of all is more equipped than receivers twice the price. Some reviewers here complain about the REMOTE. I don't, I use a LOGITECH HARMONY 550 which works great with the TX-SR606 & other components. I hooked up to the 606 my HD-DVD player (Toshiba HD-A2), a PS3 (GT5 is unbelievable with this receiver) and cable box. The picture and sound are SUPERB. Using Monster Cable HDMI and optical. The speakers I'm using are the Klipsch Synergy Quintet II Speaker System & Klipsch Synergy SUB-12 Subwoofer (also an outstanding value). At the moment this receiver for it's price is THE BEST IN THE MARKET. Hands down.