Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I really, really like this unit. Installing it took some time, but the sound and video switching was well worth it. Instead of having a dozen different cables running to the HDTV, I only have one - the HDMI cable.
When you install it, set aside a few hours - this has nothing to do with this particular model - just that there are so many darn connections. I hooked up my BluRay player, DVD player, VCR and CD player, as well as nine speakers and two sub-woofers. Running the cables and positioning the speakers was the most time consuming. I had no reason to use the zone 2, so used the additional two speakers as upper fronts. I did not want to go out and spend a ton of money on speakers - I used what I had on hand. If you're like me, you have a collection of speakers that build up over the years. I used two tall Fishers for the front, a studio monitor for the center, a pair of low-power cheapies from an old stereo for the front uppers, a pair of old Sony's for the surround, and a pair of wall-mount for the rear uppers. They were a variety of 6 and 8 ohm pairs. The system handles the combinations just fine.
Looks: Classic Onkyo hi-tech, black and glossy.
Buttons: Minimal buttons - all functionality can be accessed via the front of the unit as well as the remote.
Connections: All you would ever need. Many are assignable.
Menu: You can use the minimal LED on the front of the unit, or the more interactive display on your TV. Since the unit acts as a video switch, it overlays information on the screen. Info on the Volume, video or audio source, etc.
Setup: Read the manual! Some menu features are counter-intuitive. For example, when setting up the speakers I had zone 2 active and set it to assign it to front uppers. The rear uppers were dead. Turns out that zone two had to be active, but not on, and I should not have assigned positions. Then all nine speakers worked. There are a lot of features hidden away in the manual that you would not discover by just looking at menu options. The Automated speaker configuration with the included microphone - Cool. Position the speakers where you want, plug in the mic, and go. The unit detects the mic being plugged in and automatically brings up the correct menu. The menu's take you through the process. With nine speakers and the two subs it took about 15 minutes. I kept erroring on center channel detection. It turns out that I had a blown tweeter - the auto configuration would not let me continue until I replaced the speaker. Apparently is could not detect the frequencies it expected. After I replaced the speaker, I had to re-run the test. The automatic setup is a three step process, and it stopped after step 1 when I had the bad speaker. After it was replaced, it went through all three steps.
I used the manual setup first just to confirm that I had all the speakers in the right place. A tone is sent to each speaker and the on-screen display shows the speaker location on the generic diagram (the diagram automatically changes depending on the speakers you have connected.)
Sound quality: Amazing - especially considering I have a hodge-podge of makes, models and quality.
Speakers: Supports 8 plus two subs. Will default to stereo or 5.1 - it detects what you have attached. The more speakers you have attached, the better the experience. However, if you have less than the maximum number of speakers, there are plenty of options to enhance the sound, virtually change speaker position, and more! So even if you have only two speakers, this is still a great unit - it's worth it for the video switching alone! The sub-woofer outs are unpowered, like most sub outputs are today. You really don't need two subs unless you really, really want to crack your plaster.
Build: Weighs a ton - lots of copper and a huge heat-sink. Runs hot, but considering the total output, that's to be expected. Install in a cabinet or shelf with plenty of air circulation.
I never even considered the fact that I would dump all those cables running to the TV - Instead of HDMI's, three different video's, plus audio, I now have a single HDMI and an audio out (I'm running the TV audio out to the Onkyo,) plus cable and power. Four wires instead of dozens. A lot cleaner.
In summary - I've not seen a better value for the money. Enough inputs for 99% of the population. Easy setup, lots of interactive tools and on-screen help. Great sound, lots of power, modern styling.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Onkyo HT-RC160 7.2-Channel A/V Surround Home Theater Receiver
In these testing economic times, you can trust Onkyo to deliver maximum bang for your hard-earned buck. With the new HT-RC160, you have a multi-talented 7.2-channel receiver that offers the latest connecting, upscaling, and decoding technology on a bedrock of obsessively fine-tuned Onkyo amplification. Five HDMI 1.3a inputs enable clean, one-cable connection of multiple high-def sources, including Blu-ray Disc, gaming consoles, and set-top boxes. As well as handling native 1080p and upscaled 1080i video, HDMI 1.3a can also carry the HD audio of DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD. The HT-RC160 even includes Dolby's latest technology, Dolby Pro Logic IIz, which adds "front height" channels to bring a spacious new vertical dimension to the sound stage. Along with intelligent Audyssey equalization and Faroudja deinterlacing technologies, the HT-RC160 gives you a ton of connectivity options, so you can incorporate HD Radio, iPod, and more.
Click here for more information about Onkyo HT-RC160 7.2-Channel A/V Surround Home Theater Receiver
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