anyone owns an Onkyo PR-SC886?

[richardycc]

one can get a 'new' refurb directly from onkyo for under $900 shipped this week. The MSRP is $2000...Is the replacement unit coming out soon? I am thinking about upgrading my 6yr old Rotel RSP-1066 with this, I paid more for my Rotel, so is this really an upgrade for me? I don't really care about the video portion of the unit, as I will not hook any video device thur the unit.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I have the Onkyo 876, which is a close approximation of the 886.

In addition to the fact that the 876 is a receiver and the 886 is a pre-pro, some differences include
- lack of 12V trigger versatility on the 876
- no balanced pre-outs on the 876
- slightly less capabile zone control
- uhhh... some other minor stuff?

I haven't been paying too close attention to the replacement of the 876/886 coming out (avoiding upgradeitis), but at least one thing I was told the 887 will include is independent subwoofer MultiEQ-XT calibration for two subwoofers. Unfortunately that's something that I really could have used with my setup, so I'm biting the bullet and getting an external solution for the same purpose.

Anyway, this is one of the best values in a home theater pre-pro out today. It's excellent at all digital audio formats and has some of the best video processing available in this pricerange (although you said you wouldn't be using it). I'm not really familiar with the Rotel for a comparison, but the 886 (and the twin Integra 9.9 pre-pro) are basically the reference pre-pro units in the $1500-$2500 range that others would be compared against. The features they have are extensive and they have some of the best sound quality available from digital sources.

The fact that it has MultiEQ-XT should be a big jump in performance if your room is causing any issues with your sound now. If I was going to replace an aging pre-pro now (and I wasn't in the dual subwoofer situation I am now), I'd strongly consider the refurb 886 option.

I was able to snag my refurb 876 for a couple hundred under the $900 mark from Accessories4Less and I've been quite happy with it.

EDIT: Oh, and is it old technology? No.

EDIT2: Ok, here's the new lineup of Onkyo receivers and what they have that's new over last years. The 886 replacement should be similar to these.
http://www.audioholics.com/rev...ke-aim-on-the-internet

 

[Muadib]

I had the 1066 before I upgraded to the 885. Will it be an upgrade for you? Oh heck yeah it will!!!

 

[richardycc]

Originally posted by: Muadib
I had the 1066 before I upgraded to the 885. Will it be an upgrade for you? Oh heck yeah it will!!!

awesome, that's exactly what I wanted to hear...can you give me more details? I will probably upgrade my 3 2 channels amps to one 7channels amp, and my speakers too. oh and my Sony 720p projector. I can't believe my 1066 is worth like $2-300, and my projector that I paid close to $3k is probably worth around that too.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

At least budget projectors have gotten pretty solid over the last couple years.

I don't expect to get much back from my 720p Panasonic AE900U, but a current generation $1000 projector should be much better, let alone the $3000 range that I'll be actually considering buying.

If a pre-pro like the 886 is your start to a whole new system, it sounds like you're on the right track

If I was buying a new amp today, I'd see if I could afford something from d-sonic. If not, then I'd probably do emotiva or outlaw. I still like my speakers, so I'd probably get in on the incredible AV123 rocket deal going on now

Oh yeah, this thread is about the 886 decision... heh

 

[Muadib]

You name it, and odds are, you will notice an improvement. The first thing I did when I hooked up my 885 was turn it to a HD movie on one of the cable channels. I couldn't believe how much better it sounded. I was so impressed by the 5.1 imaging improvement over the 1066, that I thought it was in my head. I got my sound meter out to set my speakers, and it just got better. My gf was my test as she could give 2 craps about this stuff. She didn't notice the new piece when she got home, so I didn't mention it, and suggested that we watch a movie. I let her pick, we don't need to go into what she chose , but it was about 15 minutes in, when she asked me if I did something to the sound. I laughed, and said yeah.

The biggest improvement for me was when I got a Blu-ray player. The new hd codecs will really make your 886 shine. I've been getting concert disks lately, and it just blows DVDs away.

It was weeks later before I played with Audyssey. I didn't think I needed it, I was just that happy. I couldn't have been more wrong. I did a 3 seat scan with the mike, and the difference it made was incredible. Both the highs & the mids were more pronounced. It cut the heck out of my sub though. I hated it at first, but after a while I understood why it happened. I had the sub too loud & boomy for my room. I'm guessing most people do, heck that's the reason I got a sub. I generally leave it, but every now & then.....

CDs love this unit too. Music really sounds great using the direct mode.

The weakest point with the 885 is analog sound. If you have a bunch of records, then this isn't the pre / pro for you. If you've gone mostly digital, buy it! You will love it.

 

[Tiamat]

The Reon video processor is supposed to be of very high quality. But, it is about to be replaced by the 887 which comes with the ability to use multieqXT on two subwoofers independently.

The MultieqXT functionality will be the main point that causes the 886 to dominate the Rotel. Nothing against Rotel as they have been my choice for stereo electronics (I have 1070 pre and amp, 1072 cdp).