Building a home theater system - part I
Written: Sep 22 '01
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Pros: excellent sound quality, perfect balance between performance and price
Cons: not too powerful
The Bottom Line: This receiver seems to be the choice for those, who look for great quality at a reasonable price.
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| maciek's Full Review: Onkyo TX-DS595 5.1 Channels Receiver |
Recently, after making some money over the summer, I've purchased a home theater system consisting of three elements:
* a JVC AV-32WL1 wide screen TV
*an Onkyo DV-S555 DVD player (see my review titled 'Building a home theater system - part II'
*an Onkyo TX-D595 AV receiver.
Since I don't have too much space in my room (it's about 15' by 15' with a 8' ceiling) I opted for smaller shelf speakers. I chose four B&W DM303 speakers and front and back pieces and a B&W 605L as the central unit. Having all that I ran out of money for a decent subwoofer, so I lack this element (but hopefully it will not take too long before I get my hands on a small B&W woofer).
The system described above cost me a huge lump of money - $3,650 to be exact (a huge sum for a college student!). All the elements of this system were bought in Warsaw, Poland - the city where I live.
To make the system complete I attached my old Sony VCR to it.
The receiver
Before buying the system I made myself aware of my needs, requirements and preferences regarding the sound quality and power.
The power
I live in an apartment block, so a too powerful system would be a waste of money (I'd never get the sound very loud anyway) - 110 W per channel (@ 6ohms; 90 W @ 8ohms; 155 W @ 4ohms - according to the manufacturer) that my Onkyo receiver pumps into the speakers seems to be perfectly enough. The nice thing about it is that the DS595 supports 5.1 Dolby Surround, meaning it's capable of putting 110 Watts in five separate channels. It also supports a subwoofer (that I don't have, yet).
Sound quality
I admit I'm no audiophile and in most cases the subtle differences between one system and another are indicated to me by the reactions of other listeners rather than felt by my own ears. I am not completely deaf though. Before I decided for the Onkyo I compared it to Denon and Yamaha receivers that cost about the same money ($700) and if the differences were obvious to me, they must be striking for other people. Onkyo was simply the best at providing the listener with the most moving sound, crisp low tones and clear high tones. I was shocked how good a home system can sound and I liked very much the feeling of sound vibrating in the air around me. It was awesome and I made my decision without doubts. I tested all three receivers with the same set of speakers that I purchased (the B&W DM303 and the central unit).
I will make one more thing clear - I've never owned a piece of audio equipment more sophisticated than a radio-alarm-clock, so I am a bit confused with all of the features and characteristics of this machine. So only for the record I present the
Specifications
This unit boasts the Dolby Pro Logic II which as I understand is responsible for the surround sound. It does it's job very, very well.
DS959 has 3 audio and AV inputs; 4 out- and 2 inputs compatible with s video, 2 optical and 2 coaxial digital inputs. The frequency response range is 10Hz - 100 kHz (+1 dB, -3 dB); THD for all channels is 0,08%.
I hope that satisfies your curiosity.
Fool proof?
When you buy a new piece of equipment there always is one thing that seems to be too big when you open the box. It's the user manual. In case of the Onkyo it's HUGE (but it's printed in 8 European languages, so that partially explains it). I must confess now, that without this book I wouldn't be able to install and set up this unit all by my own. There is simply too much I did not know or was unaware of prior to buying this receiver.
After some time though everything appears logical and simple, so in my opinion this thing is fairly easy to use. USING it is a piece of cake, but setting it up is difficult.
The looks
I don't like equipment that looks like a lit Christmas tree. That' why the Onkyo's styling was so pleasing to my eye. Clean, simple lines, small buttons arranged in a symmetric manner, modest LED display. All that in a nice silver cover (also comes in black). When looking at it your eyes feel at ease. The unit makes an impression of a deliberate understatement of the power and level of professionalism hidden inside. Another plus is that it matches perfectly the design of the Onkyo DVD player that I purchased with it.
The remote control is quite big, houses a whole army of small buttons, but looks elegant and is easy to use after a while. Good thing is that you can operate the DVD with it as well. Unfortunately it's not backlit.
Altogether this unit makes a very decent impression.
The price
In Poland, where I live and where I bought this equipment, the Onkyo TX-DS959 costs around $700, which places it in a group of the most advanced AV receivers for an average user.
Of course you can also opt for the more sophisticated units as the acclaimed TX-DS989, but be ready to dig deep into your pocket when it comes to paying (in Poland that piece costs around $2,350).
In my opinion $700 is a reasonable price for an AV receiver that offers as much as the Onkyo, comes from a respected (though according to audiophiles mass-market) manufacturer and boasts exceptionally good quality of sound (in any room).
Durability
As far as the build quality and the materials used to manufacture this machine are concerned there can be no doubt that it will last very long. It will probably be one of very few receivers I'll buy in my lifetime.
As far as technology is concerned I'm not so sure. There are new technologies introduced almost on daily basis nowadays, so if you want to be always up to the times, you can't be too safe with the TX-DS959. For example it doesn't support the THX surround system, which is now making it's way into home theater systems. But if you are an average listener and can do without all the bells and whistles of the future, this receiver is THE thing to buy for $700.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 700
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Epinions.com ID:
maciek
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Member: Maciek Winnicki
Location: Warsaw, Poland
Reviews written: 35
Trusted by: 8 members
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