Onkyo Misery

[pete321]

I've been having problems with my Onkyo 905 which seem to be the related to the problem that has dogged the company's receiver's, excessive heat. I wasn't sure whether the problem of stuttering playback was with my source or the receiver, but it know seems most likely that it's the Onkyo getting too hot.

It happens when the receiver has been on for a few hours, mainly with the high bandwith signal of blu-ray, but also with the signal from my V+ box. The receiver get's very hot and when it's turned off for a few minutes or has a fan put on it, the problem dissappears. If my source bypasses the receiver and goes direct to the TV, no problems ruling out a dodgy disc, etc.

I read the problems people had been getting with their Onk's, but I thought that won't affect me with an open sided/backed Apollo HiFi stand, 2.5 inches clear at the top, they'll be plenty of airflow. It seems I was wrong. It's a recent model, with one of the latest firmwares which were supposed to help cure the problem.

It's no fun watching a movie and having stop it 3 or 4 times during it's playback allowing the receiver to cool down! I think I'll be justified it taking in it back to Richer Sounds and saying that it's not fit for the purpose for which it was bought. I don't really want it repaired, I think there's enough evidence that this isn't a one off problem. After all I don't recall when I bought it being told a warning that said you could only have the receiver on for a couple of hours at a time! Excellent for a receiver which had a RRP of £1400.

 

[Anonymous]

It would be better that the Onkyo was on top of your stand/shelf allowing for the heat to escape more easily. My Onk is on top of my equipment rack'

My 905 runs so hot ( when using hdmi sources ) that I can't rest my hand over where the hdmi connections are but ( so far ) it does not affect the video output.

 

[pete321]

Yes, that would be a solution, but my centre speaker sits on top and it would also be unsightly to have a great big black box stuck there with loads of wires coming out the back.

The positioning I've got wouldn't be a problem for any other amp, there's plenty of space around it. The Onkyo is just a poorly designed product which can't work under normal operating conditions.

 

[Anonymous]

Before I bought the 905, I used a Pioneer VSAX-10 ( rrp £2500 ) which ran pretty hot as well ( despite not having any hdmi connections ). I believe that any high power output AV amp needs to have plenty of room above it ( more than 2.5 inches ) to allow the heat it generates to escape.

My 905 has been very reliable so far ( had it a year now ), therefore I can't agree its a poorly designed amp. Check with Onkyo directly and see what they have to say about this problem.
document.write('' + 'onkyo' + '@' + 'onkyo' + '.' + 'co.uk' + '');
onkyo@onkyo.co.uk

ONKYO Europe Electronics GmbH - UK Office
Suite 1, Gregories Court
Gregories Road
Beaconsfield
Buckinghamshire
England
HP9 1HQ

Tel: +44 (0)1494-681515
Fax: +44 (0)1494-680452

 

[pete321]

I too was a Pioneer man and Cyrus in the days of plain old hifi, my VSX-A5i got hot as any amp would but not like the Onkyo does, and it never stopped it working properly. I know it was well reported that it ran hot, shouldn't be a problem, especially on a stand which doesn't enclose it at the sides, front or back and 2.5 inches (it's nearer 3 actually) at the top should be more than enough for the majority of amps.

I don't suppose I'll get anywhere with Richer Sounds, in the meantime I think a USB fan connected to the rear of my V+ box which sits on the shelf above will be the solution. I can bend to blow over the top of the 905 to give more air circulation, just hope it's not too noisy. In the longer term (not too long hopefully), I think it's eBay for my Onkyo and back to Pioneer for me. You get a more Cyrus type sound from Pioneer anyway, sorry I should never have abandoned you for this rubbish!

Out with not very old and not very good, in with the new....

 

[Anonymous]

The Pioneer VSAX -10 ( great AV amp ) I had, was situated inside an equipment rack similar to the one you describe which caused its internal fan to switch on, making a fair old racket. It occasionally switched into standby mode when it became too hot. The problem was resolved by putting on top of the rack.

It appears as though you are disappointed with the overall performance of your Onkyo, you may have been unlucky with your purchase.

My experience with the 905 has been entirely positive, apart from being very well specified, it is a first rate high resolution sound decoder amp, a very good video upscaler, its firmware upgradable ( though the 1.6 firmware upgrade required me going to Swindon for it ) and I find lossy mp3/wma/aac music tracks ( I have on my pc ) at least listenable ( via its network connection ) more than I can say about streaming via PS3/Xbox 360 mediastreamers. Don't give up on the Onk until you try my solution.

 

[pete321]

I'm sure having the amp on a top shelf would work, but it's not feasible. How many people want a piece of hifi that large and with that many cables hanging out the back on a top shelf? I'm afraid it's just not an option for me.

 

[nads]

well 2.5" is not enough according to Onk. 8" top and sides and 4 at the rear.

Looks like you will need to reloacte or add a fan Or fins an Amp that will be happy with reduced ventilation.

Never had any issues with my Onk.

 

[Big Chris]

Sorry to hear of your woes Pete, but were you not aware of the heat issues and ventilation requirements before you bought the 905?

When I bought my 875 knowing full well I had to find just the right equipment rack. It was a pig to find one, but in the end I managed to find a rack that has 2-3" clearance on either side and 8-9" clearance above.

Just wondering if finding a new rack would not be a cheaper solution?

 

[Anonymous]

When it is running hot does the fan start up?
Or is it cuting out before this happens?

I wonder if the Amp is able to draw enough mains current off the ring main it is plugged into when it is running high loadings. You can get this cutting out problem occuring if the amp plug is not 1st on the order on your extension, followed by the TV etc.

 

[pete321]

trevor79:When it is running hot does the fan start up? Or is it cuting out before this happens? I wonder if the Amp is able to draw enough mains current off the ring main it is plugged into when it is running high loadings. You can get this cutting out problem occuring if the amp plug is not 1st on the order on your extension, followed by the TV etc.

I must admit, I'm not sure whether the fan cuts in or not, but I take your point about the positioning on the extension lead, I'll reposition the plug. It's on a good quality extension lead and has a LAT mains lead.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[pete321]

nads:

well 2.5" is not enough according to Onk. 8" top and sides and 4 at the rear.

Looks like you will need to reloacte or add a fan Or fins an Amp that will be happy with reduced ventilation.

Never had any issues with my Onk.

I didn't know that Onkyo specified 8" breathing space at the top, there's no way I would have bought it if I knew that was a must. I knew about the heat issues, but assumed that would relate to people with more closed in racks.

I'll speak to Apollo and see it I can get a slightly larger framework for that section of my rack, but I'm not going to have 8 inches, my other half will never let me get away with that (not on the hifi rack anyway)!

 

[pete321]

Big Chris:Sorry to hear of your woes Pete, but were you not aware of the heat issues and ventilation requirements before you bought the 905? When I bought my 875 knowing full well I had to find just the right equipment rack. It was a pig to find one, but in the end I managed to find a rack that has 2-3" clearance on either side and 8-9" clearance above. Just wondering if finding a new rack would not be a cheaper solution?

I'm giving in and will have an even more unsightly hifi rack! The modular Apollo Aria system I've got allows for changing the links to give a shelf height which will allow for a 7" gap at the top, that'll have to be enough and I'll probably get quite an earbashing from my other half when it changes!

Thanks for your help.

 

[Anonymous]

My 875 has only about 2" clearance but ive fitted a usb laptop cooler! £20 works a treat

 

[Big Chris]

pete321:
Big Chris:Sorry to hear of your woes Pete, but were you not aware of the heat issues and ventilation requirements before you bought the 905? When I bought my 875 knowing full well I had to find just the right equipment rack. It was a pig to find one, but in the end I managed to find a rack that has 2-3" clearance on either side and 8-9" clearance above. Just wondering if finding a new rack would not be a cheaper solution?

I'm giving in and will have an even more unsightly hifi rack! The modular Apollo Aria system I've got allows for changing the links to give a shelf height which will allow for a 7" gap at the top, that'll have to be enough and I'll probably get quite an earbashing from my other half when it changes!

Thanks for your help.

Before going to the expense and hassle of changing your rack, it might be worth siting the Onk in free space for a day or two, just to be certain it is heat related and not a more serious problem with the amp.

 

[Anonymous]

On my 875 it sits on the middle glass shelf in the stand with about a 1 and 1/4" clearance from the shelf above.
With them being glass they act as a radiator dispersing the heat away, BUT it is open at the rear and the amp sits with the top rear vents being in open space above it.
I have no problems with over heating and do sometimes drive it hard.
As in my previous post I did find that the 875 benefits from being 1st in line in the pecking order on the dedicated spur. Also I set the sub to take the strain on the bass duties, so this reduces the power / load on the 875 giving better headroom for it to handle the mid range with clarity and detail.

The reservoir capacitors (in an ideal world would triple there capacity!) whilst large can run out when put on high loadings, this generates extra heat along with loosing definition to the sound. Having fitted BT MCU units which have large caps built into them does give additional smoothing to the feed so the amp is not stressed even when working hard up to room shaking levels.

So all is not lost, with a little fine tuning, adjustments and tweaks not only should you be able to solve your problems but maybe improve your musical experience as well. Installing a large, computer fan wafting cooling air is perhaps preferred if needed rather than (for your wife) unsightly gaps in the stand! ;-)

 

[Anonymous]

garethwd:My 875 has only about 2" clearance but ive fitted a usb laptop cooler! £20 works a treat

Interesting! Which one do you use?

I've got an 876 that gets a little 'warm' (still nowhere as hot as the 875 I had previously that died!).

 

[Anonymous]

Its one of these

http://www.justcooler.com.tw/detail/212302/212302.html

Although i cant find it on the maplins site???

 

[Big Chris]

BTW. Does anyone know what the most recent firmware is?

I think I'm on 1.08, but I can't remember how to check it.

 

[pete321]

I like the look of this, variable speed so you can control noise levels as well.

http://www.buyextras.com/evavcoblfanf.html

 

[Joe10155]

I happened to pick up a copy of the Onkyo "Audio/Video Products 2008-2009" subtitled "Clarity, Depth, Emotion, A Uniquely Onkyo Experience" brochure today. The photo on the front page and also one on the contents page inside appears to show two installations of a 906 with minimal space placed around it. Basically, it is set up in a letterbox shaped wooden rack/stand fully open at front and rear with around 2" clearance to one side adjacent to a centre speaker, the other side due to the sloping support varies between around 2" - 6", and the top around 1.5" - 2" (maybe up to 3.5" if top shelf is not solid).

As nads has already said that the manuals say 8" is required to the top & sides in a bookcase rack or built-in installation; this brochure seems to indicate that so long as there is no front or rear to the rack only limited free space is required?

However, it is more likely imo that the brochure designers: A) didn't want to show lots of space (as it might put the punters off); B) didn't read the manual, C) could not find a rack with that much height between the shelves, or D) all of the above.

It does make you wonder what Onkyo would say if a failed over-heated receiver were returned to them with the comment that it was installed just like in the brochure.

Personally, for my new 876 I am cutting a huge hole in the back of my enclosed TV/AV cabinet, leaving the front glass doors open when in use, and am considering cutting some more holes in the sides as I have only got a little over 4" free space each side (they will look ugly) and only around 5" above it. It just makes sense that if it's going to get hot it must have adequate ventilation.

 

[Anonymous]

The firmware version is currently 1.08. The way I checked ( the easiest I've found ) was by typing in the 905 network ip address into a web page ( eg http://192.168.1.10 ). This displays the Onkyo's settings as a webpage.