Onkyo TX-SR705 firmware update (DTS bomb fix)

[admin_exported]

I am experiencing audio pops/bombs when listening to DTS HD MA tracks from Blu Rays playing on my PS3. Most recently I heard it on Master and Commander. It just happened once during the movie, but when it happened, I rewound a few seconds to see if it would happen again, and it did, right in the same spot. I know I've heard it a couple of times before, but I couldn't tell you which movies, or even that they were definitely DTS HD MA tracks. I'm guessing they were though. It seems this "DTS bomb" thing is a know issue that there is a firmware fix for. However, I can't seem to find any official route for downloading the firmware fix from the Onkyo website. There is no firmware update listed for the TX-SR705.

The update method I've read about involves downloading a WAV file, burning it to a CD, and playing that CD through the optical input on the receiver. Sounds a bit convoluted! I don't even have an optical cable, so it would mean buying one of those.

Has anybody done this? How do I get the download? Does the fix work? How much danger is there of these bombs damaging my B&W 685 theatre package speakers?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Big Chris]

Depending on your current version of firmware, the 705 may have to go back to Onkyo (Genserve) for a hardware mod.

If you do a search for Genserve, you should find the threads you require (although most refer to the 875 & 905).

 

[Deleted member 2457]

jphealy:

I am experiencing audio pops/bombs when listening to DTS HD MA tracks from Blu Rays playing on my PS3. Most recently I heard it on Master and Commander. It just happened once during the movie, but when it happened, I rewound a few seconds to see if it would happen again, and it did, right in the same spot. I know I've heard it a couple of times before, but I couldn't tell you which movies, or even that they were definitely DTS HD MA tracks. I'm guessing they were though. It seems this "DTS bomb" thing is a know issue that there is a firmware fix for. However, I can't seem to find any official route for downloading the firmware fix from the Onkyo website. There is no firmware update listed for the TX-SR705.

The update method I've read about involves downloading a WAV file, burning it to a CD, and playing that CD through the optical input on the receiver. Sounds a bit convoluted! I don't even have an optical cable, so it would mean buying one of those.

Has anybody done this? How do I get the download? Does the fix work? How much danger is there of these bombs damaging my B&W 685 theatre package speakers?

Thanks for any help!

Could you hear any damage on your speaker then, when listening too them now? There is a possibility of them causing damage from what i have read.

Onkyo like you say did do firmware updates and as far as i know they did work. How you get the firmware updates i don't know.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Some Onkyos required a hardware upgrade before they could be firmware upgraded. GenServe should be able to tell you what's required if you quote the serial number.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info guys. I'm in Ireland (Dublin), so I don't think GenServe will be any good to me. Also, the home theatre specialist where I bought the receiver has since closed down - so I can't go back to them.

What about the Onkyo support line? Has anybody had any dealings with them? I sent an email to <customercare@eu.onkyo.com> a couple of days ago, but have yet to hear anything.

 

[007L2Thrill]

jphealy:

Thanks for the info guys. I'm in Ireland (Dublin), so I don't think GenServe will be any good to me. Also, the home theatre specialist where I bought the receiver has since closed down - so I can't go back to them.

What about the Onkyo support line? Has anybody had any dealings with them? I sent an email to <customercare@eu.onkyo.com> a couple of days ago, but have yet to hear anything.

Hi jphealy

Yes, the firmware update does work as I have updated a few onkyo's over the last 2 years including my own, plus there is no hardware modification needed for this firmware update as its only updating the DSP.

I am sure I have still got the WAV file with the instructions on how to update, if you still want to do it your self as it's easy to do then let me know on this thread and I will find it out for you.

All the best.

Mike.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Phew! Thought I'd tempted fate by responding to this post: just got back after two weeks away, powered the Onkyo 875 back on after having it switched off completely all that time and got an error message and - umm, nothing.

Fortunately managed to restore operation courtesy of a factory reset, so at least I can watch TV. Did rough distances and levels by ear/memory; proper set-up will have to wait until the weekend.

 

[Ronald Archiebald]

Andrew Everard,

Hope you had a good holiday and best of luck on your 875.

Happy New Year btw.

Ronald

 

[professorhat]

jphealy:What about the Onkyo support line? Has anybody had any dealings with them? I sent an email to <customercare@eu.onkyo.com> a couple of days ago, but have yet to hear anything.

Worth remembering that today was only the first working day back so in reality, they've only had today to look into any other queries that have come their way over the Christmas period.

 

[007L2Thrill]

Hi jphealy

You are in luck! I found the DSP update and uploaded it for you to mediafire, so just click here and download and unzip, instructions are in there too in PDF format.

Any problems, I'm here to help.

All the best.

Mike.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Ronald Archiebald:
Andrew Everard,

Hope you had a good holiday and best of luck on your 875.

Happy New Year btw.

Ronald

Ronald Archiebald,

All sorted now thanks

Andrew

 

[Big Chris]

What is the latest version? I'm running version 1.07.

 

[Anonymous]

professorhat:
Worth remembering that today was only the first working day back so in reality, they've only had today to look into any other queries that have come their way over the Christmas period.

That's a good point

 

[Anonymous]

007L2Thrill:

Hi jphealy

You are in luck! I found the DSP update and uploaded it for you to mediafire, so just click here and download and unzip, instructions are in there too in PDF format.

Any problems, I'm here to help.

All the best.

Mike.

Thank you SOOO much Mike! You are very kind to do that. I will hopefully be able to do the fix tonight when I get home from work - although I need to get my hands on an optical cable first! Don't have one at home. I've uploaded the files to my Dropbox anyway for the moment, for safe keeping. I'll post back with how I get on.

Do you recall, does the update return the receiver to factory settings? Will I have to set it up again from scratch, or just run Audyssey or something?

Anyway, thanks again very much indeed.

 

[007L2Thrill]

jphealy:

007L2Thrill:

Hi jphealy

You are in luck! I found the DSP update and uploaded it for you to mediafire, so just click here and download and unzip, instructions are in there too in PDF format.

Any problems, I'm here to help.

All the best.

Mike.

Thank you SOOO much Mike! You are very kind to do that. I will hopefully be able to do the fix tonight when I get home from work - although I need to get my hands on an optical cable first! Don't have one at home. I've uploaded the files to my Dropbox anyway for the moment, for safe keeping. I'll post back with how I get on.

Do you recall, does the update return the receiver to factory settings? Will I have to set it up again from scratch, or just run Audyssey or something?

Anyway, thanks again very much indeed.

No problem at all, glad I could help.

Yes, it does reset all setting to factory default and you will need to re-run the set up process again.

What others are talking about is the main firmware which needs to use the com port at the back of the Amp and updates all the rest of the AMP, but you need to be above 1.04 to update to the latest one and need a computer or laptop with a com port on, only recommend this if you know what you doing really, and it takes around 15-20 mins to update. If you feel you what to do this update, I do have the main firmware and I can upload them if you wish but to be honest! If you are happy how your amp is running and its only the DTS bomb you have the problem with then I would only do DSP update and you will have no problems then.

Let me know how you get on.

All the best.

Mike.

 

[007L2Thrill]

Big Chris:What is the latest version? I'm running version 1.07.

Latest version is 1.08, but need to update the HDMI board as well.

The only change in this version is for the AMP to remember setting as some of the AMPS when turned off forget there settings as it did happen to me once only, and seems its happened to Andrew as well, but there is a way around that by running the set-up and after its complete save it to its back-up memory, to do this,

From the front panel - Push and hold "Set-up", then Push "Enter".
The unit will display "Set-up Store?", still holding "Set-up" push "Enter" again and the unit will display "Set-up Storing", then it will display "Complete" and thus the procedure is complete.

Then if you ever need to recall these settings for what ever reason (some one messing with your settings or your AMP as forgot them) to do this,

From the front panel - Push and hold "Set-up", then Push "Return".
The unit will display "Set-up Recall?", still holding "Set-up" push "Return" again and the unit will display "Set-up Recalling", then it will display "Complete" and thus the procedure is complete.

I found this out a couple of years ago on another forum.

To be honest I tried firmware 1.08, but it wipes the HDMI firmware, then you need to update the HDMI firmware separately and I this takes ages, then I found after everything was complete the AMP takes ages to handshake with other equipment, so I went back to 1.07 and I just used the above procedure just in case my 875 forgets its settings.

All the best.

Mike.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, I did the DSP update last night, and it seemed to work. When I bring up the display of the version numbers, it now shows the correct, up-to-date ones.

Somewhere along the way though, my subwoofer blew! I say "blew" - I don't really know what's wrong with it, except that it's not working now! There is still some power going to it, as the little LED on the back is lit up red, but it's not changing to green, as it should when it's active. And there's no sound coming out of it. I don't know at exactly what point it happened, and I don't know if it has anything to do with the update (probably just a coincidence). A similar thing happened to the sub a couple of years ago, but I never found out exactly what the problem was - I just had it replaced, as it was still pretty much brand new. It's a Bowers & Wilkins ASW608.

So anyway, I did a quick set up of the receiver again (didn't go through Audyssey or anything - didn't think there was much point until I got the sub sorted out). I put in Master and Commander (the disc where I most recently experienced the pop) and listened for a few minutes. Didn't get any pop, but it was only on for a few minutes. It was probably a good hour playing before I heard it the last time. What I did notice though, was that the amp seemed to do more switching, clicking etc. than it did before. When I started up the disc first (from PS3), it seemed to do lots of clicking. Then, while watching, I noticed that if I was to just fast forward, the DTS HD MA logo would disappear from the Onkyo display, and would return, with a slight delay and a click, when I pressed play again. I'm pretty sure this did not happen before. Is all this clicking/switching normal?

Sorry for the overly long post, but I thought I would just give you a full run-down of events last night!

 

[007L2Thrill]

jphealy:

Well, I did the DSP update last night, and it seemed to work. When I bring up the display of the version numbers, it now shows the correct, up-to-date ones.

Somewhere along the way though, my subwoofer blew! I say "blew" - I don't really know what's wrong with it, except that it's not working now! There is still some power going to it, as the little LED on the back is lit up red, but it's not changing to green, as it should when it's active. And there's no sound coming out of it. I don't know at exactly what point it happened, and I don't know if it has anything to do with the update (probably just a coincidence). A similar thing happened to the sub a couple of years ago, but I never found out exactly what the problem was - I just had it replaced, as it was still pretty much brand new. It's a Bowers & Wilkins ASW608.

So anyway, I did a quick set up of the receiver again (didn't go through Audyssey or anything - didn't think there was much point until I got the sub sorted out). I put in Master and Commander (the disc where I most recently experienced the pop) and listened for a few minutes. Didn't get any pop, but it was only on for a few minutes. It was probably a good hour playing before I heard it the last time. What I did notice though, was that the amp seemed to do more switching, clicking etc. than it did before. When I started up the disc first (from PS3), it seemed to do lots of clicking. Then, while watching, I noticed that if I was to just fast forward, the DTS HD MA logo would disappear from the Onkyo display, and would return, with a slight delay and a click, when I pressed play again. I'm pretty sure this did not happen before. Is all this clicking/switching normal?

Sorry for the overly long post, but I thought I would just give you a full run-down of events last night!

Glad you got the update sorted! But sorry to hear about your SUB, might be when you had the DTS pop before you updated the DSP it may be that overloaded the SUB, but only guessing? But it would be nothing to do with the update as all onkyo receivers today are running this firmware.

Yes, that clicking is normal as mine does it when switching to different formats as I guess its just protecting the speakers, but I have noticed if I set all formats like, Dolby, DTS, PCM 2 channel 5.1 PCM etc all to pure audio mode then it never clicks, but don't worry it is normal as when I have my PS3 on playing a game when its booting it clicks a couple of times then when I end the game then it clicks again.

By the way, is your SUB still under warranty?

 

[Anonymous]

Glad to hear the clicking is normal. Thanks again for your help. As you say - I'm sure the sub going had nothing to do with the update.

I don't think the sub is still under warranty. I bought it just over three years ago. The booklet that came with it says that the B&W warranty is five years, but only two years for powered speakers (which I presume the sub would be categorised as). I called a B&W dealer yesterday and they told me to bring it into them and they'd look after it, so I'm bringing it into them this afternoon. Not sure if they'll be able to fix it themselves or if they'll have to send it off - but either way I'm sure I'll be charged!

 

[007L2Thrill]

I did a bit of searching on the web and it seems you are not alone with you B&W sub not turning on for some unknown reason. One guy taken is SUB to is dealer and they got it working in less then 3 hours, sounds like something simple.

Hope you get it sorted soon so you can enjoy a DTS bomb free sound!

Keep us updated how things turn out.

All the best.

Mike.

 

[Anonymous]

I brought the sub to that dealer on Friday. They said they couldn't fix it themselves but they'd send it back to B&W for what they reckoned would be a simple replacement of a part. They said there would be no charge - which was nice! They knew it was three years old. I should hopefully have it back by the end of the week.

They told me it wasn't uncommon at all for this kind of thing to happen. Apparently Ireland has one of the most volatile electricity supplies in Europe, and high-end audio equipment often just can't handle the voltage spikes.

 

[007L2Thrill]

Well that's good news indeed! Bet you pleased.

If your electricity supply is that bad I would get a surge protector or a super clamp from Russ Andrews should help.

So fingers crossed you should be up and running at the weekend.

All the best.

Mike.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm using the Tacima CS929 power strip, which supposedly offers surge protection. I guess it wasn't enough this time anyway!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi.

I have the same problem with loud sound bombs. Tried your link, but the file was deleted. Do you know where to find a recent firmware update version and how to install?

/Martin

 

[Paul.]

Try here:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/av-amplifiers-receivers/739501-onkyo-main-firmware-dsp-updates.html