Hi all Onkyo owners. I am in the midst of deciding between Onkyo TX-SR805 and Denon avr2309. Both around the same price. However, denon has never features while onkyo has more power. I havent have a chance to test the onkyo but tested denon. It is obvious, it has good surround capability and it has the clarity and good sound separation. I believe many of you had tested denon before getting an Onkyo. Mind to share your experiences and opinions?

I will be giving Onkyo 805 a test very soon...

i'm in the situation as u last month, i tested both model out..and finally still get my hand on 805..
in terms of specand material used,805 beat 2309 flatout..burr brown DAC, TI 32 bit DSP..etc etc
but denon has a bit of plus point tthat u mentioned..
on movies terms it seems that denon somehow have a better sound dynamic overall..and the sound separation is amazing too(some how 2309 just entry level for denon, the higher series like 2809 or3808 will definitely edge out 805/875 alot..)
on musical terms, denon still cant beat marantz, sr7002 is the one to go..(this is the one i wish to have, but price 1k above them...argh..

actually if the 2809 if can price at the 805 range, i definitely go for denon..

i'm in the situation as u last month, i tested both model out..and finally still get my hand on 805..
in terms of specand material used,805 beat 2309 flatout..burr brown DAC, TI 32 bit DSP..etc etc
but denon has a bit of plus point tthat u mentioned..
on movies terms it seems that denon somehow have a better sound dynamic overall..and the sound separation is amazing too(some how 2309 just entry level for denon, the higher series like 2809 or3808 will definitely edge out 805/875 alot..)
on musical terms, denon still cant beat marantz, sr7002 is the one to go..(this is the one i wish to have, but price 1k above them...argh..

actually if the 2809 if can price at the 805 range, i definitely go for denon..

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If denon 2309 has better sound dynamic and good sound separation as you mentioned, what makes u opt for onkyo 805? I have tested 875 and I love the way it handle movie. To me, I feel that onkyo gives a more cinematic sound and it has better slam but in term of dynamic, it might be loosing out...

Agreed that 805 is comparable to 2809 or 3809 but the price is jz too expensive. How much you got for 805?

onkyo certainly go for power, and the bangs certainly is there for u..
due to may be this factor it might give u an impression onkyo throw out everything out the speaker for u..

as u urself also experience it the denon have the superiority in the sound dynamics and srurround, it wont rojak up the sound to u,it will take it slow n steady, separate it nicely serve it to u..
this is wat denon can outdo onkyo..and not to mention a better outlook amp..
but i choose 805 as mention better material used, burr brown DAC, TI 32 bit DSP...and the 2309 is just an entry level for denon, i would only consider for 2809, but the price put me out..so hace to take care my pocket tats y my final decision is on 805

i got quoted if not mistaken black 2309 for 2.9k, silver 2309 3.1k

This post has been edited by swine: Dec 20 2008, 10:13 AM

Thanks for your insights. Let me test out the 805 tmr

one drawback of 805 is that it could not upscale to 1080p....

use HDMI cable..den can get 1080p from dvd source lo..
astro and etc..i dun use avr, so 1080p not impt to me

805 can't upscale to 1080p? You sure?

805 should can upscale video to 1080p,or is it ur mind telling u that u should go for 806?

I need help.

Onkyo 606 only upscale to 1080i
someone ask me to go for Denon 1909. Which can upscale to 1080P.

Apart from Upscaling, i think 606 has more power compared to 1909.
If the price is almost the same, which would you guys recommend?

805 can only upscale to 1080i and it will let 1080p signal pass through.

as for 806, yes, it can upscale to 1080p...

so how is ur audition today?

This post has been edited by swine: Dec 21 2008, 06:38 PM

my personal opinion,onkyo doesn't worth in Msia. Like 606 in SG is RM1.4k here is RM2.6k. Hwee Seng is crap anyway....

buying onkyo from those big chain electronic shop is crap

go to real hifi shops and buy, price can really a big difference

I was so tempted on the Onkyo 805 due to the components used and also the weight..it's twice of denon 2309!...wow...

I tested denon 1st with Incredible hulk at chapter 18. Well, I must admit that denon has much more dynamics and it definitely has more refine sound.

I then switched to Onkyo 805 and sad to say that the sound was a bit too tight, maybe it's new out of the box and yet to be run in. The sound was rougher compared to denon. What I meant with rough is onkyo would throw all the impact to you without having to separate the depth of the sound..

so overall, i'm more satisfy with denon. I believe onkyo would hv more slam but i must say the dynamic in denon has put itself into a better position to let us feel the impact immediately...

Where did you audition? Some shops favor for certain brands, it could be that the Denon has been tuned and calibrated to the room, while the Onkyo hasn't. I'm not saying Denon is not good, it's just the Onkyo wasn't fully prepped for the room.

I wasn't satisfied with my 875 first, but after auto-calibration, it gets better. And then I went further by settting my own EQ, it's the best thing I've ever heard. For the record, I've own a Yamaha 1800 before.

About power, make sure your receiver is rated more than your speakers. Lower rated receiver could produce clippings and hurt both the receiver and speakers. When the speaker is properly drived with enough power, only then you'll hear their true potential.

This post has been edited by aiman04: Dec 22 2008, 09:55 AM

yeh to bro aiman in the house....

exactly!! the same thing i feel it for myself..
but i end up in 805, bcos the 2309 a bit underpower for my floorstanding..
2809 with the AL24 Processing best still...
tats y i m addicted to it..but the pricing a bit
but if i m able to go for 2809, den i will consider marantz 7002 dy..haha
did u try out the marantz 5003 almost that same range with 2309..

I auditioned it in CMY damansara. I must say the 805 that I have tested has not been run in and yet to be fine tuned for the room. That probably is the main reason I got rough sound.

However, I must admit that Denon is probably has more refine sound and it's more of a all rounder but Onkyo is warmer and tuned to become a "Home Theater Receiver".

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Added on December 22, 2008, 10:29 amMy floor stander is a Epos M16 with <no spam links> sensitivity but it is a 4 ohm speakers. I believe 2809 would drive it the best but considering the price, it might be too expensive. Besides, I will be using Naim 5i to drive the floor stander and the receiver to drive centre and surround speakers. So i think with Naim 5i, 4 ohm floorstander would not be a problem.

I have not tried marantz as it is not available for testing...

So are you satisfied with your 805?

This post has been edited by nadky: Dec 22 2008, 10:29 AM

till now i still get can my 805 sounds right..just lack of a bit of sth that i heard in showroom..
no time mess with the EQ setting..
cos use it very sparingly..

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Added on December 22, 2008, 10:47 amCMY do sell Denon & Onkyo, they dun have marantz..can try it at other AV shop if u wish to get a taste on SR5003..
when i go audition i will tell the guy to leave it on Default Setting..treble/bass all left at 0 Db..
just hear the sound that pounce out from the speaker..
not like HV, Senq..all max it out to achieve a "superior" sound quality..

This post has been edited by swine: Dec 22 2008, 10:47 AM

Dynamics is the bread and butter of Denon amps. Marantz is warmer and has better musicality ( Marantz and Denon come from the same father - D & M Holdings). I'd say Onkyo is smack in the center, more neutral or some say slightly brighter. I switch from a Denon 2105 to an Onkyo 805, mainly due to the crazy pricing of the new Denon, but have no regrets so far.

I'd have to agree, pairing an Onkyo with a detailed / bright sounding speakers is a no go.