Onkyo TX-8050 Networked Receiver, Inexpensive Step into the Present

Yeah, I wish that too about the two usbs.

Yes, I own the 7030. Separate long thread about that somewhere. I am very pleased with that as well. Others mixed.

 

Another nice feature is the tape loop to connect an equalizer

 

I finally gave up on the UWF-1 as it was too unreliable for streaming. I had to use a wired connection. Even a wireless network extender didn't help.

 

I've had my eye on this receiver for awhile. I've read many good reviews for the 8050 but I've also read quite a few negative reviews.

 

I did a search before I bought this and the positive reviews blew the negative ones out the water. Hundreds of positives for this amp. Nowhere near as many, nothing like it, for the negatives.

 

When you use the Pure Audio setting is there a way to shut off or dim the blinding blue light?

 

"Dimmer" button on the remote (see page 20 of owner's manual)

 

The dimmer button won't dim the blue light.

 

That just turns off the display and the white light around the volume dial.

 

Can I hook up a usb cable from my computer to the usb input on the 8050 to stream music?

 

I haven't tried but I'm pretty sure you can. I hooked up an external hard drive directly to it.

 

Right now I'm using an external sound card to stream. Can I stream with a usb from my computer to the usb on the 8050 without a sound card?

 

No it is not an asynchronous USB port so cannot provide an external DAC function. It can be used to read external storage (FAT16or32) for file download, but not for a "live" music PC connection.

 

Yeah, I have the 7030 and love it. At the moment, not hooked up to the 8050, just using it as a headphone system. So impressed with the quality of "lower priced" Onkyo stuff at the moment.

Wanted to add that I finally did a firmware update last week...over WIRELESS. Went very smooth...less than five minutes. I can now plug by 160GB iPod into the USB (with cable, of course) and search/play from it. Earlier, it would not even recognize it. That's the only significant change I notice.

Finally, in my original post I wrote I have a Cambridge Audio sub-woofer with the Heresy...it's actually a Cambridge Soundworks. I have it set at the lowest of the low settings on both dials...gives just the right bottom end to the system.

 

I have the Integra version (DTM - 40.4) and love it. Can't seem to get Spotify working though, but everything else works great.

 

I just purchased the C-7030 CD player to pair with my TX-8050. Which connection type would provide the best sound quality, optical/coaxial or RCA? I guess it comes down to which device has the best DAC. Any thoughts on which is best?

 

The owner's manual recommends using an optical cable. I've used both and don't notice a huge difference either way. Basically, an optical cable just keeps the signal path digital longer.

 

I've used all three with several different players. Just go with whatever your normally use. I used phono leads for my main CD player.

 

Thanks. I'll experiment and see if there is a noticeable difference.

 

How is the phono preamp?

 

Full disclosure: while I've been listening to the TX-8050's phono section for 3 years, I don't have extensive experience with any other phono stage, so my opinions are limited by that. But I've found the receiver's integrated phono stage to be "good enough" to get one through a time without an external phono pre, but still a bit muddy or wooly. I think it's great the receiver has a phono stage to get beginners like me up and spinning vinyl, but over the long run, you'll probably want to invest in an external phono stage. Just my $0.02.

I'd say the Pure Audio mode sounds slightly worse than the regular mode (i.e., with tone controls enabled), but that may depend on one's cartridge.

 

I think the Android remote app worked without the wireless dongle (there was an USB stick connected, though)

Also, "Zone 2" only works with analogue inputs? Not with the network streaming?

 

I was at a friend's patio party this weekend and he had a small Bluetooth receiver for his gazebo, hooked up to some outdoor speakers. It was really slick, so simple to connect my iPhone and play tunes through the receiver. It got me thinking that I'd love to get something like that for my TX-8050, for changing the music when I'm in different parts of the house.

I've tried the UWF-1 network USB adapter discussed earlier in this thread, but returned it after a couple weeks as it wasn't what I was looking for. I now see that Onkyo also makes a UBT-1 Bluetooth USB adapter, which retails for $10 more than the UWF-1. Does anyone know if the TX-8050 is compatible with the UBT-1? Onkyo's website says "The UBT-1 is only compatible with Onkyo 2012 Network Receivers (TX-NR414, HT-RC440 and Later)." I'm not sure how their model line works, or what model year my TX-8050 is. It was purchases in the summer of 2012, but it was on sale and may have been a 2011 model. I can't find anything about Bluetooth in the owner's manual, so I fear my 8050 doesn't support this add-on.

 

Hi,

Just to let you know that when you are hooked up at analog level you are NOT using the Onkyo's DAC

Your Sony deserves the credit in this case.


Cheers

 

It seems the internal hardware doesn't support bluetooth: http://forums.onkyousa.com/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=7418

But you can get a bluetooth receiver with digital outputs. Something like this, maybe?

http://www.amazon.com/Nyrius-Blueto..._sim_23_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0V8FDDD2GQQ43AA6WQAR

Don't know if it's a good product but it has good reviews (from Amazon at least).

...

By the way, it seems that you cannot use this receiver as a standalone DAC/pre-amp? I mean, using the digital inputs and network streaming with an external power-amp via pre-out...