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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
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Incredible Value
My friend has been running this puppy for about 6 months now. It just doesn't quit. Throw it rock, opera, jazz, youtube; whatever, just great amplification. The built-in diagnostics prevent you from ruining your speakers. I follow the rule of spend no more than $1,000 for an amp; this puppy is resetting my understanding.
Rating: 
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Dismal product and so is the Onkyo customer support
I bought a reconditioned TX-8522 from an Onkyo's authorized dealer in January 2008. As I turned on the unit for the first time, there was instant shutoff with overheating. I called the vendor and was explained that I should try again, connecting speaker wires through banana plugs to avoid possible short-circuiting by a loose thread of a speaker wire. I followed the advice and the problem disappeared. In a month it came back. Following the trouble-shooting guide, I have disconnected all the wires and kept the receiver unplugged for 24 hours. It returned back to normal. In a couple of weeks, a persistent shut-off reappeared again. This time, nothing could remedy the problem. In a week of trying, I engaged with the customer support. This takes me to the second and most horrible part of the saga.
The first contact person explained that this could be happening because of a faulty transistor. She asked me to send the receiver to their regional repair center in Syracuse, NY. I asked several times whether they had any licensed repair shop in Maryland/DC, where I live (could not believe, there would not be one), but she insisted there was none. I went to their website and found out there was a shop in Silver Spring, MD. - Hence, the first feature of Onkyo's unfriendly style: they seem to try to misguide you about their repair network, to get you to pay the cost of shipping to NY, figuring this might deter the complaint.
When I brought the unit to the repair shop, I tried to demonstrate the problem. First time I plugged the receiver in and turned it on -- it stayed on. When I tried again in several minutes, the receiver shut off. I pointed the problem out to the front desk lady and she nodded. In two weeks, I heard from the repair shop. They were assuring me that the equipment worked perfectly, and therefore they would not do anything to address my problem. They explained that Onkyo pays little and does not pay anything for diagnostics unless there is a clear malfunction. I elevated my complaint to the customer support Onkyo/USA.
Mr. Don Philips (tel: 201-785-2632) is the Onkyo/USA front line of defense. He said they would arrange for the unit to be transferred from MD to NY. Three weeks later I got a call from NY, saying the unit was working fine in their facility. I explained the problem and asked to diagnose it a little in-depth. As time went by and there was no news, I called Mr. Cooper again and requested a refund. This was in late May. He asked me to send him a fax (201-934-7823) explaining my problem and requesting a refund. He promised a response within 3 days. I called back in a week only to find out that he concluded there was no problem with the unit. He also noted that the unit was returned to me in working condition. When I pointed out that I actually have not seen it for about two months, he corrected himself saying it was in the process of being returned.
Clearly, he neither managed the situation nor intended to. I asked where I could escalate my complaint. He gave me the name and contact info of Jack Cooper but refused to share his phone number. He requested instead that I sent a fax for Cooper at the same number that I faxed to Philips. On the Web, I found Cooper's phone number (201-785-2629) - slightly different from that of Philips, however Mr. Philips picked the phone.
So now I am waiting for a response from Mr. Cooper. I was not sure whether he existed at all, or whether Mr. Philips cloned himself to confuse and exhaust disgruntled customers. - There are scores of them in on-line blogs, and somebody mentioned that he actually spoke with Philips and Cooper - both equally rude and unhelpful. I can certainly confirm this impression from my fruitless talks with Philips.
Bottom line: Onkyo's equipment can be good or bad, I guess. However, if it turns out to be unreliable (as in my case), prepare to be stuck with the totally ineffective customer support service. I am sure Mr. Philips can afford to BS the public because he has support from Onkyo corporate. My advice - avoid Onkyo brand unless you are prepared to join the enraged crowd of cheated customers.
Rating: -
Great sound for non-audiophile receiver
I've had this receiver for a few months and enjoy listening to it. I'm a conservatory-trained musician, and listen to mostly classical, some folk. My previous amp was an old NAD which I'd found on eBay -- wonderful sound, but it had become unusable. When I first tried the Onkyo I wasn't convinced, however after setting it to direct audio mode the sound was much better, and that's where I keep it. I have Bowers & Wilkens bookshelf speakers and a Yamaha subwoofer. The only thing the NAD had over this is that it was probably a little warmer sounding, but the Onkyo is very clean and full and the sound has a lot of quality to it.
Rating: -
Good basic receiver
I picked up the Onkyo TX-8522 2 weeks ago. I was looking to replace a 20 year old Onkyo TX-65 which I always liked, and this model is basically an updated version of that one. As far as sound clarity and power, it's great. You won't regret purchasing this for a basic home stereo set-up. Radio reception is excellent...I say that because the unit is located in our finished basement, with only the included "wire" antenna, and it pulls in most stations okay. If you still own and occasionally use a turntable like I do, this unit is also a great choice since it has phono inputs (most receivers today no longer do).
The only 2 minor gripes I have are the following : First, I wish the remote would allow you to adjust bass and treble levels instead of just volume (and I also wish that the volume controls weren't located at the very bottom of the remote....very poor placement in my opinion). And secondly, my old TX-65 had a "loudness" button which would boost bass levels at low volume levels. That was quite useful at times and I kind of miss that on the 8522.
Rating: -
Great Stereo Receiver
Yes, I would buy this same unit all over again. What is not to like? I also really appreciate the Amazon reviews which allow me to gather real information from other buyers.
