Are Onkyo Subwoofers Good? (Buy Or Avoid?)
If you love watching movies or listening to music at home, the chances are that you may have a subwoofer. And, like any electronic, subwoofers only improve your home theater experience if you buy the right one. However, a good experience can quickly turn sour if you have a poor-quality one.
Then you might be wondering if Onkyo is one of them. Are their subwoofers good?
Yes. At their price, Onkyo subwoofers are good and will instantly improve the feel of your home. They’re durable, have good bass, are versatile, and are cheaper than the competition. However, they are only one of the best in the mid-range price category and will struggle against the high-end brands.
And I’m not saying that they can’t challenge the likes of Pioneer or Yamaha. What I mean is Onkyo subwoofers are relatively better than similar-priced subwoofers from renowned brands. How better? Read on to find out.
Who Owns Onkyo?
Onkyo Corporation is a Japanese electronics manufacturer dealing in surround system speakers, subwoofers, AV receivers, premium home cinema, and other audio equipment.
The company is under majority owners the Ohtsuki family (26.1%) and Pioneer Corporation (13.3%).
On May 13, 2022, Onkyo announced plans to file for bankruptcy, and its products continue to be distributed by Premium Audio Company.
Where Are Onkyo Subwoofers Made?
The Onkyo line of audio systems is designed and engineered in Osaka, Japan.
These include their hi-fi and home theater, integrated circuits, speaker units, audio-visual equipment, etc.
What’s the Quality of Onkyo Subwoofers?
Onkyo subwoofers are good-quality sound systems that traditionally focus on performance. In other words, Onkyo designs its subwoofers to have a better performance at any given price range.
Onkyo isn’t a high-end brand; hence, most of its subwoofers are fairly priced and lack the extra features that contribute to the opulence of high-end brands. However, whatever the brand lacks in creating a luxurious environment is compensated with a high-quality sound that immediately improves your mood.
And, for their price, the subwoofers are a good and versatile choice for homes as they’re engineered to give a best-in-class performance for your movies, videos, music, and gaming stations.
The bass is very tight and smooth enough that you can notice the extremely low sounds in movies or songs that you never knew were there before. Compared to other subwoofers in its price class, Onkyo systems are more well-rounded and provide a satisfactory balance, so it’s hard to pinpoint any performance issues.
The Onkyo has better bass sound than most subwoofers as it delivers varying bass depths. From experience, most subwoofers around its price point usually have what I call a “flat bass”- a bass that fails to deliver the varying depths found in the original sound.
Furthermore, the subwoofers are very loud, and you need to adjust to your preferred volume using a crossover cut-off.
Why You Should Avoid Onkyo Subwoofers From Some Aspects?
Like any other brand in the subwoofer category, Onkyo suffers from quality and performance issues. And, given that the company is still one of the fair-priced AVR manufacturers globally, it’s no surprise that some of their subwoofers suffer from overheating and compatibility issues.
Reliability Issues
Onkyo subwoofers have been suffering from some major reliability issues that threatened to move loyal clients away from the brand. First, some systems had problems with HDMI connectors since they didn’t make their ports universal.
Therefore, you could find that products from cable brands such as Monster Cable struggled to fit into the Onkyo AVR and subwoofer HDMI jack. Forcing it puts immense pressure on the printed circuit board or solder connections.
Overheating
Also, some amplifiers may struggle with Onkyo systems as they have a high idle bias current setting and may get very hot in poorly ventilated environments.
The solution to this is pretty easy as you can install a rack-mounted fan to improve air circulation in your room.
Irritating Standby Mode
Another issue with some Onkyo subwoofers is the standby or auto shut off feature. The standby mode is irritating, especially when watching low sound movies or when listening to podcasts or dialogues in movies.
The subwoofer goes into standby mode in 10 minutes if it doesn’t pick any low sounds and will not turn on until it hears a strong bass. For example, if you’re watching a movie and a low-tone dialogue goes on for longer than 10 minutes, your Onkyo subwoofer will get into a standby mode.
It’ll then take something like an explosion or gunshots to “wake up.” However, you’ll experience a one or two seconds delay before the bass comes back on. Some brands have a switch that allows you to turn the standby mode off, but the Onkyo subwoofers have none.
I find the standby mode very irritating, but some may appreciate the feature as it saves power in the long run.
How Long Will an Onkyo Subwoofer Last?
Nobody wants to buy a subwoofer that only lasts a few weeks or months. Investing in a home sound system is a deliberate decision that takes time and resources to achieve. Luckily for you, Onkyo subwoofers are pretty durable and last anywhere between 5 to 10 years or more.
However, their AV receivers have traditionally had a reputation for high failure rates owing to their not-so-ideal HDMI ports. But you no longer need to worry about the issue as the brand is continuously improving and working towards better subwoofers.
But generally, I would recommend buying some of the higher-priced Onkyo subwoofers as they tend to last longer than their cheaper alternatives. Also, how you use your sound system determines how long it lasts.
And given that some Onkyos are worth half the price of equally-rated Yamahas, don’t be surprised if they start degrading after some time. But well, technology moves fast, and I find no reason to own a sound system that has mediocre performance just because it lasts longer.
How Much Do Onkyo Subs Cost?
Onkyo subwoofers are generally mid-prized despite being of good quality.
Generally, you’ll have to part with $150 to $300 to buy one.
What Do Reviews Say?
Various online review sites show that Onkyo subwoofers are well-liked and fairly priced.
The sound quality is also extraordinary for its price range. Generally, most of its subwoofers have 4.5 to 5 out of 5 ratings signifying a great customer satisfaction and positive reception of the brand.
The brand’s subwoofers are durable, well packaged, versatile, and loud. Other owners point out the sub’s front-firing design that directs sound across the room rather than upwards or downwards. If you’re living in a flat, the Onkyo subwoofer is a good fit for you since you won’t disturb those on the floors above and below yours.
However, the lack of override control on the standby mode is a turn-off for most buyers. And, I don’t mean that the standby mode is a bad feature – in fact, it’s very necessary for most homes. Most reviewers don’t like the lack of control over when the sound system gets into and out of standby mode. Any long dialogues put the subwoofers in standby mode, only to be woken by an explosion or loud sounds.
It’s not only irritating but deprives you of the smooth viewing session of most movies or television programs. If the company introduces a manually-controlled standby mode feature, then Onkyo subwoofers are really good.
Final Remarks
If you need a reliable subwoofer at a fair price, go for Onkyo subwoofers. I’m recommending the brand due to its excellent durability, bass sound, good engineering, and versatility.
Additionally, you’ll get a 2 to 3 years parts and labor warranty for your subwoofer. Therefore, the brand is a buy for me!
Sources
Onkyo TX-NR6100 7.2 Channel THX Certified Network A/V Receiver Black TX-NR6100 | Best Buy
Onkyo Receivers: Good or Bad? | Audioholics Home Theater Forums