Onkyo TX-LR552 6.1 Channels Receiver

Pros: Small foot print, easy to use, decent wattage per channel supports multiple inputs.
Cons: Temperamental surround sound,no support for mixed ohms,less Speaker connections are too close.

Motivation to purchase this receiver was far removed from any that an audiophile would have but the result has not been too bad. With a major furniture change in late 2005, I was forced to seek out a receiver that would fit in a new armoir. As much as ...

Pros: Nice look, clearance prices and compact size.
Cons: Sounds too "digital" for music.

The TX-LR552 is Onkyo’s newest stand alone receiver with a digital amplifier. It is rated at 65 watts per channel at 6 ohms through 6 channels. It’s a bit unusual that Onkyo doesn’t publish power ratings for 8 ohm loads as is the usual measure, but ...

Pros: Sounds good, lots of setup options, small size
Cons: non-learning remote, spring-clip speaker connectors, needs a powered sub and efficient speakers

I bought this unit for my father, who is by no means an audiophile because it was small, not intimidating, and seemed to get the job done for his needs. To my delight, I was very surprised with how this unit sounds. I own a $2800 8.1 channel Yamaha ...

Pros: Great Design, Good Sound, Sufficient Inputs, $200!
Cons: Wouldn't mind on-screen menus or a learnable remote.... but it is $200!

I have had stacks of components for all my a/v needs, and I just moved to a much smaller apartment. I wanted to get rid of all my giant components, so I was looking at the amp/dvd combo components, and I found something even better! For $200 it had everything I wanted. Onkyo quality (I have owned many Onkyo's over the years - always excellent), compact height w/ 18" width, clean/sharp design, and all the inputs I need. There is no Designated CD input, but I run all of my music off of my computer now anyway. I run my tv, dvd, video game, and computer all into it and still have 2 extra inputs. I was a little distracted by the bright blue volume light, but my mind was eased when I saw you could turn it off and dim the display. A great compact receiver, with Onkyo quality sound, and unprecedented price. As is any Onkyo, it's a little tedious to setup, but that is because of the versatility of inputs and outputs.

Pros: Slim design allows maximum performance in a minimal space.
Cons: I found it very difficult to program the inputs/outputs of both video and audio.

I've been looking for an upgrade to the receiver I've been using since the early 80's, but was never able to find anything less than six inches thick. Along came the Onkyo TX-LR552 featuring a slim design without sacrificing features or quality. This unit fits into the same space as my old receiver (3.5" height), so no need to buy a new cabinet. Its hefty weight leads me to believe that quality components haven't been compromised for size. In order to compensate for its smaller size (thus less space for connections on the back) selection of audio and video inputs is versatile. If you want the video 1 input to use the audio from input 2, you can program this with the remote.

Set up of the receiver was more difficult than I anticipated. In fact, I haven't yet taken full advantage of many of its features. The instruction manual is still floating around somewhere, open to the "Advanced Operation" page. I have yet to figure out how to upconvert a composite video signal to component as it says it can in the Features section of the manual.

All in all, I'm happy with the performance of the unit.

Pros: It is small, looks great, sounds great, nice remote, price.
Cons: Setup can take a couple of hours for maximum sound performance.

You are probably wondering why such a highly-rated receiver is priced so low. At least, that is my question. For the price this receiver is selling for, I am considering buying another. It looks amazing, isn't as clunky as other receivers, and somehow has just about all the same features! If you are considering buying this receiver; buy it! It is well worth the money. You will need to read your users manual to set up things perfectly for the room you are using it in, but once it is set up, you will be impressed with the sound quality. The remote it comes with is also a universal remote. You can use it for your DVD player, and TV as well. Great feature.