Onkyo TX-8255 Stereo Receiver

[mathman]

Anyone have any knowledge of this receiver? Looking for something cheap but decent.

Onkyo TX-8255 Stereo Receiver

Seems like it may be better than the 2 channel Sony's at best buys or hhgreg.

Thanks

Kirk

[JohnnyB]

What are your goals and expectations? What speakers will be driven? Is the tuner (radio) important to you? What sources will you be playing--CD, iPod, computer, LP, etc.?

Depending on your answers you may be fine with this or you may be better off with an integrated amp or a used receiver/integrated amp from NAD, ADS, Luxman, etc.

The NAD 7725PE and 7740PE are considered to be fabulous-sounding receivers (designed and made with a great deal of loving care) and are available on the used market for as little as half the asking price of that Onkyo. Onkyo makes some good stuff too. I used one of their integrated amps for 3 years.

[RichRS6]

I use a TX-NR609 for my home cinema system which has been fine but seems a little underpowered considering its rated output of 160W, it's certainly much quieter than the old Yamaha it replaced.

It seems to give a decent enough sound for listening to CD's etc I'm no audiophile though.

It's probably capable of a whole lot more than I realise though and even with the on screen displays to help It was difficult to set up (the printed manual is rather confusing too) could just be I'm getting old !

[mathman]

It's mostly to power some polk outdoor speakers on the patio. It will also power some JBL bookshelf speakers for an occasional mix comparison to my studio monitors. Mostly FM radio and iTunes from either ipod or computer.

It has really good reviews on Vanns and sounds like it might have a better amp than the Sony's or I almost went with the Emotiva after reading Tomteriffics post but didn't want to have to deal with another device for multiple input and the FM radio. So, I think I'm going to order one.

Thanks.

I did look at some 7.1 or 5.1 receivers but I don't really want those features for this. Also they love to list them as 270 watts or some large value but it really is 60 watts per each of the 5 channels.

[JohnnyB]

For a new stereo receiver (a dying breed) at that power rating and that price, the Onkyo is probably the smartest buy. Unlike most receivers at that price point, the Onkyo has the larger power supply and current capability to get a 4-ohm rating. Onkyo makes a point of having real-world capability of driving a load with a fluctuating impedance. Their claimed power ratings are more honest than most.

[mathman]

For a new stereo receiver (a dying breed) at that power rating and that price, the Onkyo is probably the smartest buy. Unlike most receivers at that price point, the Onkyo has the larger power supply and current capability to get a 4-ohm rating. Onkyo makes a point of having real-world capability of driving a load with a fluctuating impedance. Their claimed power ratings are more honest than most.

Yea, the reviews and info seem to point to a better amplifier in this one. Thanks, It's on it's way now.

[murkat]

Looking forward to a report on this.

My 14 year old Kenwood 5.1 is a bit toast....

[mathman]

Looking forward to a report on this.

My 14 year old Kenwood 5.1 is a bit toast....

I'll post a review once I get it next week. Looks like not till the 18th. Went for free shipping.

[Armitage]

I've used an Onkyo TX-NR1008 upstairs for a few years, and an Integra DHC 80.3 (Onkyo's premium line) preamp to drive my big power amps downstairs and couldn't be happier.

[JohnnyB]

That's a really good price, too. Onkyo must have just offered a factory discount. These used to go for $249 and most Internet Onkyo vendors (e.g., B&H, Crutchfield) currently have them at $199. Even Vanns.com has 'em at $169.95.

[mathman]

I've had the receiver for about 3 days now. I decided to move it from under my desk out under the backroom TV and connect it to our Airport express with airplay. I originally hooked up the outside speakers and the small set of bookshelf JBL 2500's. The 2500's sounded good but I truly didn't notice a great difference but the out door speakers came alive with this receiver. Much richer and fuller sound, better bass and treble response and overall they responded to the power much better than they did with the old Realistic receiver I had been using for the last 20 odd years.

So, I decided to get the JBL 2800s out of storage. It's a small room and it reminded me of the old MTV commercial (iirc) so I had to take a picture.

For those on a budget or just looking for a quality but inexpensive 2 channel stereo receiver, you can't go wrong with this. Any of our macs can send their itunes library to it wirelessly. My daughter loves to come in a rock out to her Pogues songs whenever her mom is gone.

Weighs a ton compared to most receivers in this price range and is a great deal on amazon. Under 160 with free shipping +tax.

Technical Details

• Brand Name: Onkyo
  
• Model: TX-8255B
  
• Output Wattage: 50
  
• Weight: 53.00 pounds
  
• Color Name: Black
  

• 50W/ch x 2ch
  
• Speaker A/B
  
• 6 Audio inputs, including Phono input
  
• Discrete circuit for High-current drive
  
• iPod compatible
  

[JohnnyB]

Thanks for the update and description. Glad it put more clarity and oomph into your system. If you have some foam or Auralex pads, try putting your speakers on them and moving them to the front of the cabinet they're on. You should get more clarity and less box and boundary coloration that way.

[tomteriffic]

Looks like I might be replacing yet another old Radio Shack receiver (the bedroom system this time) with one of these.

So, a follow-up question... My BR speakers are the little Athena B-1's. I like them so much I have 2 pair and bought a pair for my mom as well. Space in the BR is at a premium. Is there a small (say 8") subwoofer that might go well with the Athenas. They don't need to rattle the walls, but a little help in the 80 Hz on down region might help. In keeping with the rest of the system, I'm looking for something in the "stupid great bang for the buck" category.

[mathman]

Thanks for the tips Johnny. I'm thinking these are too big for the room but I'll try your suggestions first. I can swap with the father in law for some jbl 2600. Right now there is definitely some boom and boxiness. I was originally going to put them on the floor but with such a small room I thought that would cause problems also.

I do have some pads that I will try.

Vanns has a closeout deal on a small Jamo sub.

http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/549114852/jamo-sub-210

[mathman]

Moving the speakers out made a huge difference. I forgot about the wall placement.

[JohnnyB]

Looks like I might be replacing yet another old Radio Shack receiver (the bedroom system this time) with one of these. So, a follow-up question... My BR speakers are the little Athena B-1's. I like them so much I have 2 pair and bought a pair for my mom as well. Space in the BR is at a premium. Is there a small (say 8") subwoofer that might go well with the Athenas. They don't need to rattle the walls, but a little help in the 80 Hz on down region might help. In keeping with the rest of the system, I'm looking for something in the "stupid great bang for the buck" category.

Boy, do I have a sub for you, the Mirage MM-8 or its identical twin brother, the Energy ESW-M8. Placing its little brother, the MM-6, in my nextdoor neighbor's system last summer compelled me to get two of the MM8s for my own 2-channel system. They are cubes, 9" on a side and usable subs don't get much smaller. You probably remember that Mirage and Energy were part of API (now owned by Klipsch), which also made Athena.

They blend particularly well with bass-shy small speakers, as their diaphragms are light and fast, mounted in a sealed enclosure vented with two passive radiators instead of a port with a resonant peak. They also have a pro-level set of controls to integrate the sub fully with your speakers--continuous knobs for volume, crossover from 50-200 Hz or bypass, and 0-360 deg. phase adjustment to synch arrival times between the sub (wherever it's located) and your Athenas.

These originally listed at $799 and sold for as much all over the Web, but I think Klipsch (who owns Mirage) has dropped them so closeouts are out there, but somewhat erratic. I got a Google return indicating I could get an MM8 for $250 (which is what I paid each for mine) only to find that the vendor had goosed the price back up to $650. A little more digging, however, and I found the Energy version for $299 at Amazon and the Mirage version for $329. The user reviews on Amazon pretty much reflect my experience with the MM8.

There is a compatibility issue, but easily resolved. The Onkyo receiver doesn't have line level pre-outs, and these subs have no speaker level inputs. They have two RCAs: If only the left one is plugged in it works as a mono sub. If both are plugged in the sub processes both signals. Anyway, what you would need is a speaker-level to line level adaptor. They aren't easy to find in home audio, but they abound in car audio. For $20 this one should give you exactly what you need, and setup is easy. Just attach the adapter's bare wire leads to the second set of speaker terminals and then use a pair of RCA interconnects between the adapter and the stereo RCA inputs of the sub. That also means you can easily cut the sub in or out by turning the speaker 2 terminals on or off.

[JohnnyB]

Thanks for the tips Johnny. I'm thinking these are too big for the room but I'll try your suggestions first. I can swap with the father in law for some jbl 2600. Right now there is definitely some boom and boxiness. I was originally going to put them on the floor but with such a small room I thought that would cause problems also.

I do have some pads that I will try.

Vanns has a closeout deal on a small Jamo sub.

http://www.vanns.com...52/jamo-sub-210

Jamo is a Scandinavian company that also got snatched up by Klipsch. Jamo makes some pretty nice stuff. Normally I'm no fan of a $100 sub, but properly done, a small $300 sub (which is really what the Jamo is) can do a pretty good job, and at $99 should be fine for your purposes. I have a pair of Jamo desktop powered speakers from 1999 and they're really good.

However, you'll need an adapter to connect this sub to your new Onkyo receiver. The Jamo has only RCA inputs, while the Onkyo receiver has neither a mono sub output nor a stereo pair of RCA outputs. Therefore you need a speaker-level-to-line-level adapter, such as this one. It's made for the car audio market but it'll adapt to your situation just fine. Connect the adapter's bare wire terminations to the Onkyo's second set of speaker terminals, paying attention both to pos & neg polarity and R-L signal paths, and then get a pair of RCA cables long enough (you'll need to use a stereo pair here) to reach from the other end of the adapter to your sub. Should work just fine.

Moving the speakers out made a huge difference. I forgot about the wall placement.

There are a lot of tricks for making your 2800s blend well with your room. Getting them out from the wall was the first step. Second is to de-couple them from the shelf they're sitting on. That big shelf acts like a big reflector plus sounding board which adds a whoompy resonance. The best solution is to put them on speaker stands (preferably where the hollow tubes are filled with sand, shot, or kitty litter) at a height that puts the 2800's tweeters right at your ear level. Since the JBLs are 20" high you want a stand that's 10-15" high, say 12". If you don't want to get stands, then put the speakers on thick foam pads. You can also adjust bass output by stuffing something into the speaker ports. I sometimes roll up a washrag or hand towel (depending on the port size) and slide it into the port tube to tighten up the bass. I usually use something sort of loose (though you can pack it tighter if it works better) but never stuff it deep into the tube; you always want to be able to pull it back out.

[JohnnyB]

Vanns has a closeout deal on a small Jamo sub.

http://www.vanns.com...52/jamo-sub-210

Here's another alternative on special that just hit my mailbox today: a Martin-Logan $295 sub on sale for $149 or two for $249. IME Martin-Logans subs are particularly quick. This model has speaker-level inputs, so you wouldn't need an adapter as you would with the Jamo. Instead of a continuously variable phase adjuster, however, the M-L has a 0/180 deg. 2-position phase switch. It's physically about the same size as the Jamo--around 13" per side.