Onkyo TX-8020 Receiver

I'll confess, I'm an Onkyo fan. I had the TX-8255 Onkyo receiver, and happily listened to it for years. I then got the A-9010, and love that int/amp, and still have it. I've got a Schiit Vidar/Saga amp/preamp in my main listening room now, and it's more powerfull than the 9010, but the 9010 does sound more livelier and sweeter really, and I'm always thinking of putting the 9010 back in the main spot, and putting the Schiit system back with my computer, where the 9010 is at now. I recently sold my Onkyo TX-8255 to a friend that wanted something to hook to his big screen TV for better sound. Well I seen this TX-8020, which is an updated version of the 8255, and thought what the heck I can always use a receiver with a AM/FM tuner around the place, so I bought it, and at $119 it's a real steal. I've got it setup in my smaller computer room with a pair of NHT SuperZero 2.1 speakers, and it sounds fantastic. I'm going to get a pair of NHT SuperOne 2.1 speakers to go with it for a little more bass. In a smaller room the Onkyo 8020, and the NHT Zeros or Ones are a hard combo to beat. I tend to listen to music more in my computer room now with the Onkyo/NHT system. I plan on putting the 8020 in service with my computer, and using the 9010 with the NHT Ones as my extra computer room system, and it maight become the main system really, because I can get better sound in my computer room. Update 8-3-2019: I've got a pair of Elac UB5's hooked to the TX-8020. The Elacs are known for for needing a good amount of power to drive, but the 8020 is handling good so far. The Elacs are 4 ohm, and the 8020 is not rated for 4 ohm as far as I know, but I've got the volume is set at about 63, and the Elacs are playing pretty loud in my computer room which is 16x16. The top of the 8020 is getting pretty hot with the Elacs playing at high volume. Update 8-9-2019: Got the Onkyo TX-8020 hooked to a pair of Elac UB5's and a DOT 2nd gen that is hooked to the Onkyo with a 3.5mm to RCA splitter streaming amazon prime music, SiriusXM, and Spotify, and have Bluetooth from my PC going to the Dot to play audio from the computer. Man, what a Jukebox. Modern times suck in a lot of ways, but we got great music options. Love it! Update 8-10-2019: Just moved my TX-8020 to my computer with a AudioQuest Dragonfly Red DAC and Cambridge Audio SX-50 speakers, and it sounds fantastic. I have a Onkyo A-9010 integrated Amp that I had hooked to my computer, but it's sound quality is better, It's one hell of an int/amp. I moved the 9010 to the other side of the computer room with the Elac UB5's, and it handles the 4ohm Elacs better, and runs cooler. Don't get me wrong, the TX-8020 is a steal, and it sounds amazing. I could be totally happy with just the 8020, it's great, plus it has FM radio, and I get pretty good reception with it. If somebody asked me what stereo to get with the best sound for the best price, I'd say the Onkyo TX-8020 and the NHT SuperOne 2.1 bookshelf speakers. That'll give you a real Hi-Fi sound for not much money.

Very clean sounding stereo receiver that pairs well with Klipsch Reference Series speakers. Lots of detail and spacious sound is present when using this receiver and it works great for digital music. It is very comparable to Harman Kardon and is actually better in sound and performance. I previously owned a Harman Kardon and loved it but the price to get a new one turned me onto Onkyo as I am a little tight on funds these days. The functionality is very easy and straight forward along with just the right amount of power to fill my medium sized living room with balanced bass, mids, and highs in total clarity even at higher volumes. I love the fact that the speaker terminals are designed for banana plugs! I can't say anything about the radio tuner as I do everything digital and stream on Amazon Prime. As for the complaints on here about the receiver getting hot I have not experienced this.with mine. I have been an audio enthusiast, borderline audiophile since I was 5 years old thanks to my Dad. I am currently 34 and have learned a lot about audio since then. One thing I have learned is receivers need lots of breathing room, especially ones that do not have fan systems in them. I give mine a 4 inch clearance on the top to allow maximum heat dissipation. It runs fairly cool with this clearance even with extensive use at moderate volumes. I highly recommend other owners do this if theirs are running hot. Also make sure to use the correct gauge wire for the footage you are utilizing. Using the wrong gauge wire will also cause the receiver to run hot. I recommend using no less than a 16 gauge wire for any tower speaker (floor standing speaker) setup. Rule of thumb, the farther the speakers are apart, the thicker the wire used. If the speaker is designed to be bi-amped (four terminals on back of speaker) then I strongly suggest at least 14 gauge if you do not bi-amp them.

This is a great receiver with many features and options that make this stand above the competition in this price range. Some of the features I like are sleep timer, dimmer, tone and direct modes. The receiver having a dimmer is great for when you have a equipment stack near your TV and find the brightness of the display distracting when you're watching a movie. It has bright, middle dim, and low dim. I almost always use the low dim at nighttime as it's less distracting. The button on the remote is easy to find in the dark so you can switch back to bright mode if adjustments are needed on the receiver. The tone and direct modes are useful, for me at least, are in two different situations. I have my stereo hooked up to my desktop computer for audio. In this instance, if I am listening to music through my media player, I use the direct mode on the receiver. This is because I have a better equalizer on the computer than the bass and treble controls on the stereo. So I bypass these circuits and just use my EQ on my computer. But I use the tone mode while watching TV, as this is usually the only controls I have. I've also used the direct and tone controls to fine tune the bass and treble controls in tone mode, with the ability to compare the tone mode versus direct mode. Something I find lacking the the features is the way that the balance controls are. There are no balance controls on the remote, only on the receiver itself. This is a really stupid way to have the balance controls, as to me, it's much easier to balance the receiver at a distance, using the remote than going to the listening position and then running back to the receiver to change the controls, and back to the listening area to test that setting. Other than that, it's a great receiver. No distortion ever noticed, easy set up, and does what it's supposed to do.

The Onkyo TX-8020 is an unusually inexpensive stereo amplifier, with only a small number of frills. I was able to get the machine up and running with only a few minutes of set-up time, where I plugged in my speakers, compact disc player, Bang and Olufsen Biogram TX2 phonograph, the AM antenna and FM antenna that come with the Onkyo receiver, and of course the power. Then, the first thing I did was pop in a disc featuring Schumann's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, as recorded by Murray Perahia. The volume knob goes up to "80" and I found that a setting of about "70" did a great job at filling a living room of dimensions of 15 feet by 30 feet with abundant quantities of glorious sound! The rear of the unit has sockets for the AM antenna and FM antenna (which come with the unit), fasteners for accepting bare wires from two sets of speakers (I am only using one set of speakers), socket for CD player, and other sockets. The other sockets are for tape recorder, television, and subwoofer. The unit is only 17 inches wide, and thus can fit into stereo cabinets that are relatively narrow. The main reason I bought the Onkyo unit, is that my Yamaha RX-V363 has a slight glitch, in that if the volume knob is turned up higher than about 10% maximum, the Yamaha RX-V363 unit automatically shuts down. Another problem is that the Yamaha unit has a slight audio hum. The automatic shut-down feature of the Yamaha RX-V363 amplifier has been making me miserable for the past several years. Yet another problem is that I refrained from replacing the Yamaha unit until now, because stereophonic equipment stores are far less prevalent than they were during the1970s (when I was buying equipment from Nakamichi, Tandberg, Pioneer, Dual, and ADS). Also, it was not until a week ago that I discovered the Onkyo TX-8020 on Amazon.com. Of course, I'd seen other units available on Amazon.com, but the reviews of these other products were not particularly glowing. The next thing I did was place my vinyl recording of FINAL ALICE by David Del Tredici, featuring Barbara Hendricks with The Chicago Symphony, on my turntable. Again, the Onkyo TX-8020 performed admirably! In contrast, the Yamaha RX-V363 is NOT capable of accepting output from a phonograph, unless you purchase a pre-amplifier. And so, what I did was purchase an ARTcessories DJ PREII PHONO PREAMPLIFIER for use with the Yamaha unit. But the Onkyo TX-8020 is capable of playing vinyl on its own, and does not have any need for a preamplifier. Although I have experienced moments of happiness in the past ten years, in the past ten years I have never been so "sonically happy" as I am right now with my new Onkyo TX-8020. What a relief it is finally to listen to music at a reasonably loud level without the unit shutting down, without any hum, and without need for any preamplifier. SUPPLEMENT TO REVIEW ONE YEAR LATER. A year after buying the Onkyo receiver, I noticed that the ONKYO amplifier was spontaneously shutting down at high volume. Using common sense, I cut off an inch from the wire leads that were inserted into the knurled screw fasteners of my 35 year old ADS speakers. This totally fixed the problem. I was so happy, I spent the morning playing Mahler's DAS KLAGENDE LIED at full blast. But then, I realized that the problem with my YAMAHA receiver might have been oxidized or chemically deteriorated lead wires. I simply do not recall, whether it was or was not the case, 14 months ago that I had attempted to fix the YAMAHA shut downs by cleaning or trimming the ends of the lead wires.

The Panasonic boombox I used as my bedroom stereo finally died so instead of buying another boombox, or a small bookshelf sized all-in-one (and risking inferior sound quality) I decided to rebuild my home stereo, most of the components having been in storage for several years. First up was replacing my retired Denon stereo receiver (RIP!) with the Onkyo TX-8020. And what a wise investment, particularly for the price! I hooked up my Mirage M-190 speakers and a Panasonic DVD/CD player I had in storage – an incredibly basic set up - and could hardly believe the crystal clear sound. Though I have a Yamaha subwoofer and 10 band equalizer in storage, there was absolutely no need for them. Not only does the TX-8020 sound awesome, but it is a sturdy, durable and handsome receiver. My wife quipped that it was “sexy”. I’m not sure what that means, but like other reviewers have said, this unit really does harken back to the old receivers/stereo units of seemingly bygone days. Simple to set up, simple to navigate, no frills and, as mentioned, it has a good heft to it, weight-wise, in a sturdy metal casing. I could go on and on, but if you’re looking for a simple stereo receiver with great looks and sound with ample inputs (including phono), nothing fancy – and not breaking the bank for it, this is definitely for you. One thing I would suggest, though, is to get some decent mid-price speakers to optimize its sound. At 50 watts per channel the TX-8020 can drive some nice speakers. ADDENDUM: After several months use I should add that the TX-8020’s FM radio has proved to be very satisfying. I play a weaker-frequency college radio station (rock, jazz, blues, classical, avant garde, you name it) and the signal, using the provided antennae, comes thru crystal clear with the excellent sound quality that I have come to expect from the TX-8020. I should also add that I have since switched out my CD player with the Onkyo C-7030. This, after reading the steller reviews. It pairs beautifully, not only aesthetically, and has the solid no-frills functionality that makes the TX-8020 such a success. The only drawback I can tell with the TX-8020 is that there is no optical input. The C-7030 CD player has an optical output and it would be preferable to connect it to the receiver that way. I don’t think of myself as having too discerning an ear (well, maybe a little more than the average Joe), so not sure if connecting via optical versus RCA would make THAT much of a difference, but it would be nice to have the option.

UPDATE 3/23/2015: A month of listening later, my opinion is exactly the same: a fantastic bargain. One really great feature I didn't mention below (but another reviewer rightly did) is the extremely gradual volume adjustment. It's a smooth, slow, not fast and segmented (or clicking), adjustment, so you can get exactly the volume you want, not a factory-predetermined, stepped level, common in many other receivers (a somewhat condescending design decision that always has annoyed me). This thoughtful, old-school, user-centric feature is, to me, one of the many aspects of this unit that push it into a higher stratum of quality that belies the bargain-basement price. I remain 100% satisfied. If my opinion ever changes, I'll update this review. -------------------------- ORIGINAL REVIEW: In a love affair with music spanning more than 30 years, I've owned several receivers, from junky to very, very good. Admittedly, I've never owned any of those luxury components (because priorities--you gotta eat and stuff, after all). But of those I've owned, this one is undoubtedly the best. I'm honestly stunned at the amazing piece of equipment that I got in exchange for $178 (as of 2/24/2015), maybe because 30 years ago I only could have dreamed of a $178 receiver, and in our minds we never age past a certain point. In any case, I genuinely feel this receiver is worth at least twice that amount in 2015 dollars--if not far, far more. The sound speaks crisp, clean highs; smooth, pure midrange; punchy but unpretentious bass. Perfect. For the curious, this is running a pair of Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 bookshelf speakers and a Dayton Audio Sub 120 subwoofer (excellent products, for what it's worth). This receiver and these speakers seem perfectly matched. Maybe it's because my aging ears aren't as attenuated to nuances as they used to be, but from where I sit here in the (extremely) sweet spot, this combination is an utter delight. My only input is the superb Satechi Bluetooth Music Receiver with NFC and HD aptX for smartphones, tablets, music devices, Samsung Galaxy S5, S4, Note 3, 2 / iPhone 6, 5, 5C, 5S, 4S, / iPad Air, Mini, 3, and more , currently being fed by my Macbook Pro. The only con I see is the lack of an optical input for my Satechi. But this isn't a home theater component, and I'm not at all disappointed. Those good old RCA plugs sound just fine to me. Okay, enough typing. Back to the music.

I am a pleased, long-time Onkyo receiver user. At this time I have three in my possession (one is heading for the recycle bin). Other than this newest model which I've had about a week, the others have been around and working for several years. The one I am replacing is losing sound in one channel after years of great service. I'm going to be very basic and non-technical in this review...most people don't even read the specs for equipment the purchase. I am using this in my home office, which is an average size bedroom in an average size two bed/two bath condo. I don't require great sound in my office, or much volume, which is one reason I went with this low-end model. I am using it with a pair of Polk bookshelf speakers and using it exclusively to with 2 Sony CD carousel players synced together, each holding 300 discs. (yes, dinosaurs...but great!) Like most people, I play many types of music from varied decades and sources, thus the recording quality is all over the map. I've experimented over this past week and have come to one basic conclusion in regard to the sound with this unit: It is good sound - not great sound - not poor sound. If this were my only sound system in my home, I would never settle for this unit, which is why I have an older, but much better Onkyo running my other system which includes TV, DVD and music. This unit provides good sound and a reliably built unit (I hope - only time will tell). The sound, while good, doesn't have the all-around depth that my previous Onkyo provided on this set - the difference was obvious right away. (By depth, I don't mean 'bass'; perhaps ‘complexities’ would be a better term) So, my basic thoughts are: I paid $149.95 for a brand new, low-end Onkyo receiver and I got what I paid for. Good sound and quality. I gave it four stars; if I could, I would give it 3 1/2 - somewhere between "It's OK and I like it. I'm not sorry I bought it. If you are particular about your sound system, move up to a better unit. If possible - listen before you buy. (Easier said than done in the shopping world of 2016) Forgot to mention this: The remote control gives you adjustments for bass and treble....very handy when listening to many types of music. Saves you a lot of getting up and adjusting from the unit. ============================== UPDATE: 10/11/2016 - Well, after using this for a bit, I realized that even though I am working in my small office, I'm still accustomed to better sound than this receiver can provide. So, I added a 9 band equalizer to my system I found it here on Amazon: BEHRINGER MINIFBQ FBQ800 It brought the system to life! With the wide range of music I listen to, each disc has its own "special needs" and this gives me all of the choices I need to bring out the best in each recording. Check out the equalizer. While shopping I couldn't find another one close to it for price and features. Update 11/10/2016 - There is a vibration within the unit. It could happen right when I turn it on...or happen any time when the unit is on. First Onkyo I have ever needed service on. NOW, I am sorry I bought it. Wish I'd caught it in the first 30 days - but now I have to take it in for service. I envision my unit in the shop for a while.

I was assembling a music system for a bedroom about 18 by 13 feet and did not want to spend an inordinate amount. But the system had to sound good without taking up much space. I came across a pair of refurbished satellite Focal Domes available at a steep discount and decided to take a chance. The Focals have some excellent professional reviews in a 2.1 configuration but several reviews recommended an amp capable of 4 ohm output to drive the Focals. This is a tall order at a budget level. This was when the Onkyo came in. The 8020’s manual states that it is capable of driving “low lmpedence” speakers and could be configured for 4 ohms. It is the only receiver selling for $120 I found that is capable of this. I was also impressed by one owner review here that said he was driving a pair of Magnapans with the 8020. These speakers have a reputation for great sound matched by the difficulty it presents to amplifiers. The 8020 makes my Focals sing. CD’s and vinyl sound great. It delivers as much power for a level of loudness I or my neighbors can stand, it is simple to set up and use and it’s great to have a subwoofer output, sparing me the hassle of running an additional pair of speaker wire. An additional bonus is terrific FM reception which had been horrible in the bedroom with a 20 year old receiver that was about to give up the ghost. Many stations now come in with pristine clarity. The only things I’ve found to be less than ideal is the lack of a convenience outlet and the tiny and difficult to read labels for the controls. But this is really nitpicking. The 8020 has been perfect for my intended application.

This is a good straightforward amplifier with all the features I need. Clear sound, good punch, doesnt distort.

Para substituir mi viejo Gradiente opté por éste amplificador que además es también sintonizador y creo que fue una buena compra, pues mas que todo quería un estéreo que se adaptara a mis otros componentes, sobretodo a mi tornamesa Technics y el resultado ha sido bastante aceptable: buen sonido, con tonos medios y bajos limpios y agradables. Y el precio pagado muy razonable. A todo esto habrá que agregar el tiempo de entrega y forma ajustado a lo estipulado.

Works perfectly. So nice to be able to play 6 discs without having to think about it. Great for parties or a night of great music for yourself. Recorded discs can last up to 6 hours, those purchased prerecorded about 3 hours

Super. 100 % happy. Easy to install and control ! No problem nowhere ! 5 stars and more ! Marc

It's fine but the FM antenna is puny so weak signals have trouble