Things I have learned...

Andrew Everard

New member
May 30, 2007
1,878
2
0
...in the past 48 hours, having taken my Onkyo TX-SR875 receiver out of the system for the first time in two years, carted it down to GenServe in Swindon to have its firmware upgraded and then reinstalled it:

1) Lots of plugging and unplugging creates an amazing rat's nest behind the system, usually including at least three cables not connected to anything at either end.

2) My TX-SR875, which came direct from Onkyo Europe, is such an early one it doesn't have a serial number!

3) Richard and his crew at GenServe couldn't have been more helpful, turning the receiver round in a few hours even though they had to change the microprocessor board to get it to accept the latest firmware! Once they'd got over the suprise and the odd sideways glance at the lack of a serial number, that is... Oh, and they returned it rather cleaner than it went in.

4) Sky HD sent direct to a 50in plasma, with stereo sound fed direct to a NaimUniti – the temporary measure while the receiver was out of the system – is really rather acceptable.

5) I'd forgotten how heavy the Onkyo is, and how much less wieldy it is out of the box compared to packed.

6) I'd also forgotten how much tweaking I had to do from the standard Audyssey settings to get the sound just as I like it.

7) Note to self: if you have to do this again, label all the cables with bits of masking tape, and write down all the settings. Onkyo actually supplies sticky labels for just this purpose – found them in the box when I got it down from the loft. Hmmmm...

8) Now I've got all these new picture settings for the Onkyo's Reon system, I feel an evening with some calibration discs coming on.

9) I used to have a colleague who commuted into the office from somewhere down near Bath, up and down the M4 every day. He must have been crackers.

10) That's it – just wanted to share...
 
Sounds like hard labour. I wonder if my amp requires this update too? Can I do without it?
 
Andrew Everard:...... Note to self: if you have to do this again, label all the cables with bits of masking tape, and write down all the settings......

So true and if you don't do it the instant you think of it your done for. My wife put sticky coloured labels at each end of each cable and the same colour next to each connection on the amp. Green to CDP, yellow to cassette etc. Worked a treat. It is very satisfying once your done.
 
idc:Andrew Everard:...... Note to self: if you have to do this again, label all the cables with bits of masking tape, and write down all the settings......

So true and if you don't do it the instant you think of it your done for. My wife put sticky coloured labels at each end of each cable and the same colour next to each connection on the amp. Green to CDP, yellow to cassette etc. Worked a treat. It is very satisfying once your done.

Indeed - I had a chap around to do a bit of work this morning, and had to buy some masking tape last night to label it all. Makes the whole experience a lot less stressful!
 
EvilWolf:I wonder if my amp requires this update too? Can I do without it?

TBH I never knew mine needed it until we hit a problem with a Samsung Sky+HD box the other day - or rather several Samsung Sky+HD boxes - and we decided to rule out the old firmware as a cause.
 
Andrew Everard:1) Lots of plugging and unplugging creates an amazing rat's nest behind the system, usually including at least three cables not connected to anything at either end.

I find that unavoidable anyway, even without plugging/unplugging, it's just a total mess back there...
 
the_lhc:
I find that unavoidable anyway, even without plugging/unplugging, it's just a total mess back there...

Oh good, I'm not the only one then
emotion-1.gif


Back in the days when I actually read cable threads, I'd come away thinking I was the only one who didn't have all power cables running perfectly parallel down one side of the rack, and interconnects perfectly parallel with each other down the other side. I did actually attempt it one day (and it did take ALL day) - the end result was little better than before I'd started.
 
margetti:the_lhc:
I find that unavoidable anyway, even without plugging/unplugging, it's just a total mess back there...

Oh good, I'm not the only one then
emotion-1.gif


Back in the days when I actually read cable threads, I'd come away thinking I was the only one who didn't have all power cables running perfectly parallel down one side of the rack, and interconnects perfectly parallel with each other down the other side. I did actually attempt it one day (and it did take ALL day) - the end result was little better than before I'd started.

Tell me about it! I had the opportunity to completely re-wire a couple of weeks ago (new rack), all equipment off, all cables unplugged and start from scratch. I was desperately careful to get everything as neat as possible but, by the time I'd finished, it looked like someone had gone in there with an egg whisk and tangled everything up together.

Really frustrating, you start off with a plan, trying to avoid crossing cables over each other but sooner or later they all end up intertwined, I hate it!
 
Totally agree with all the comments about the spaghetti behind the scenes. Unfortunately I have a glass AV rack, so most of it is in plain sight! Doesn't make it any easier to clean up the dust bunnies that accumulate and attach themselves firmly to the cables, thus making it a much harder job than just ramming the narrow vacuum nozzle underneath. And let's not forget the dust which appears seconds after cleaning - using a microfibre cloth as recommended from a much earlier thread.

On the subject of the Reon functions which can apparently be accessed to adjust picture quality, is there a reference guide, or is it a trial and error thing which is likely to go bits up if you're not careful? Any hints on this Andrew?
 
Andrew Everard:
EvilWolf:I wonder if my amp requires this update too? Can I do without it?

TBH I never knew mine needed it until we hit a problem with a Samsung Sky+HD box the other day - or rather several Samsung Sky+HD boxes - and we decided to rule out the old firmware as a cause.

Thx Andrew. My 875 has worked perfectly ever since I got it and since I don't have Sky, I'll just leave it at that.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts