onkyo 805 vs 806


i heard there are a few differences, such as codecs being burr browns vs 806's different cirrus i believe. I was going to do a pre/ with an amp but an audiogoner has steered me this way? Which unit is better both can be had used? Which comes with better features?
athens14
http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=TX-SR805&class=Receiver&p=s

Here's the spec sheet for the 805. On the drop down list on the left, you can pull up the spec on the 806 for comparison. I have the 805, which is a prior model. One thing I immediately noticed is that the 805 is almost 15 lbs heavier that the 806. So the 805 is a significantly beefier machine, for what thats worth. On the other hand, the 806 has two extra HDMI inputs (5 vs. 3) if that's important to you.
I'm with Cruz here and have the 05 too. They push these things out like cats having kittens... you can't keep up.

Each year it seems to me, the mid fi or mass fi gear gets made less expensively. Now digi amps are the rage for HT in receivers with many makers. Onkyo too might have gone this way some where in there to lose some weight. Either that or they lessened something in the power supplies probably.

Either Onkyo will be a good choice I'd bet. If one feature set over another suits you... go there.

My only regret is I wasn't inspecting close enough to see that no digital inputs were transferable to alternate zones.... zone 2 & 3 are output analog only, meaning more cabling is required and some niftier navigation for their uses.

otherwise... I think it's a solid pick. To redo it, I'd have waited, saved up some more and chose one with more versatility regarding how inputs run in the added zones... a USB input too would have been prefered.

BTW their support is decent as well... better than some other's by far.
806 has Audyssey Dynamic EQ and the 805 doesn't. The weight loss (13 lbs) had to come out of the power supply - not good. Stick with the 805 if you can find one.
thats what i was thinking too, the 805 sounds like a better machine overall, minus some features that dont matter to me such as the other zones since i will only be in one room
CRUZ...

HAVE YOU EVER USED YOUR aUDACY GIZMO? I HAVE NOT. I dialed in my distances and so forth and run it without any EQ at all... just the Odyssey amp... and all HDMI inputs. 2 from pc and one from the cable box.

If it's a "yes" on the auto adjusting sound feature... Did you like what happend... and were you able to save those settings using outboard amps? (which they say it won't work with if other amps are in the mix)

tanks
Blindjim, yes, I use the Audyssey for the EQ, but usually set my volume levels with an SPL meter after I run the Audyssey. I have found that Audyssey gets the levels pretty close, but typically need a bit of tweaking, especially the sub. Otherwise, the Audyssey works great, IMO. I have not used separate amps with the 805.
There are four for sale on ebay right now:

http://electronics.shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=onkyo+TX-Sr805&_sacat=293&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313&_sop=3&_dmpt=Speakers_Subwoofers&_odkw=martin+logan&_osacat=293

Go for it!
Cruz123,

My post said the 805 does not have AUDYSSEY DYNAMIC EQ and indeed it does not. This is a brand new feature of Audyssey MultEQ that is on the 806 but not the 805.
i saw these. i am bidding on the one you originally sent me DL, thanks for all your help. So is the audyssey on the 805 not that good is what im hearing???
Athens, IMO, the Audyssey EQ works great on the 805.

Dlcockrum, thanks for the distinction. I just didn't want the OP to get the impression that Audyssey was not included at all in the 805.
The Audyssey MultiEQ is just fine on the 805. It is the same Audyssey software that is used in my $1800 Onkyo Pro PR-SC885P processor.

Audyssey MultiEQ is a very sophisticated room correction system that uses a supplied-microphone to take sound readings of your system in your room and processes the data through a complex algorithm to determine speaker placement, speaker frequency response, room bass nodes, and room reflections and then modifies the frequency response and channel delay settings inside the AVR to optimize your system's sound. It works great to equalize the bass in your room and to make all of your speakers blend seamlessly. As Cruz 123 points out, it does not always get the individual speaker volumes levels exactly right, so it is nice to have a Radioshack analog SPL meter to double check this after you run Audyssey. What it does in correcting bass nodes and room reflections is very impressive and cannot be duplicated through normal equalization methods. Definitely recommended.

The latest Denon and Onkyo products have an enhancement to Audyssey MultiEQ called Dynamic EQ. It is designed to 'dynamically re-balance' the frequency response at different volume levels so, for instance, the bass volume level is boosted at lower volume levels. I have not heard it; however, I have read posts on several forums about it and the comments are mixed - many do not like its effect andc choose to leave it disabled (just the Dynamic EQ function, not the MultiEQ).

I would not give this much consideration. The 805 will make you very happy.
ok well thanks for the clarifications...you have been a huge help! Now for one last question, is this the best i can do used in that used price range for the features i am looking for? I just received an offer for my marantz sr7400 for 275 split shipping...is that a good offer, i counter with 315 shipped. I am using the money from that along with my previous sale of my marantz sr 7000 to fund this pruchase. thank you for all your help everyone.
Also, any suggestions on rear surrounds for the HT. I am really looking hard into some used ADP's from paradigm. Will those fit the snells i currently have in front? (E3 and HCC-500) However i have seen some new dipoles on ebay for cheaper. Dont know the name could possibly be awful speakers JW if anyone has exprience with them.
Cheers, TJ
I've said enough (or more than enough) about the 805. As for surrounds, they are not that critical, especially for movies (you will most likely set them for an 80hz crossover so the sub will do all the bass anyway). Now if you listen to a lot of audiophile-grade 5.1 music, they are more important. I only listen to music in 2 channel, so I am using very inexpensive Infinity 150s for surrounds with movies. They work great. Dipoles are very good for surrounds because of the diffusive soundfield they produce. Personally, I would put the money elsewhere.

Your center channel speaker is the most important speaker in your HT since it handles the majority of the sound and also, most importantly, vocals. If it is not well-matched to your Snell L/R speakers, things will shift in sound quality as they move across the screen. This will become irritating over time, trust me. Audyssey goes a long way toward integrating the speakers, so if you are close on the speaker types you will likely be okay. If the center channel speaker makes male voices sound boomy, creates sibilance on "s" sounds, or sounds lifeless and boring, this is a killer and Audyssey won't help. Spend your money on the center vs on surrounds.
i think my center is fine.. it is an older snell and its a beast sounds very nice. Not too much info thouhg about it on the web, HCC 500. I really only listen to music on 2 channel i dont like multi channel audi unless its a concert dvd my hunt for the 805 begins!
Dlcockruhave you ever thought up a way to emulate or duplicate these Auto EQ setup features using outboard - external amps connected to the Onkyo?

I wonder if following the Audacy setup, those settings are able to be seen in the EQ menu and then written down and re-entered once the amps were connected back up to the rec.

I understand once other amps are inplay things will likely change sonically... but figured perhaps this would be a better or maybe even, good enough point to stay at or begin with for further tweaking.

tanks
Whichever receiver you end up with, please make sure you give it plenty of breathing room. These things run very hot--I have a fan plugged into one of my 805's swtiched outlets to provide extra cooling. Without the fan, I'd sometimes lose video output on the HDMI out. One other thing to note is that in addition to the weight difference, the 806 has different speaker load specs.

One other thing to note...if you have a Tivo, the 805 creates a lag in the audio signal. This is manifested whenever there's a change in the audio signal format--especially when transitioning between commercials--which causes an audio dropout. Highly annoying.