Onkyo A-9050 Integrated Stereo Amplifier (Black)

Nice, very nice indeed. I upgraded from a Onkyo TX-8255 Receiver to the Onkyo A-9010. The TX-8255 was great, and for what it cost, is a great receiver that I enjoyed for a few years. The A-9010 is a definite step up for me in Hi-Fi sound. It sounds tighter, and is more lively than the TX-8255, it'll get your foot tapping for sure, plus it still has a smooth sound. It might not be high end hi-fi, but it's damn sure knocking hard on the door. Love It!Update 1-14-2017:After 2-3 weeks with the Onkyo A-9010 I am still enjoying it, but with reservations. It does have a somewhat bright sound when volume is turned up to 1200 and beyond. Don't get me wrong, it is a fine integrated amp, with a lot of excitement and tight bass. I won't return it, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, and I don't want to abuse the return policy, but I'll probably go for a warmer sounding int amp in the future, maybe even a tube type. The A-9010 is great at what it does, remote works great, and don't let the 44wpc rating fool you, it'll crank loud enough to get the cops at your house in a second. In conclusion, great int amp, but if you want something warm sounding I'd look elsewhere. My last Onkyo TX-8255 Receiver was warm sounding, but it does not have the dynamic impact of this A-9010, so it depends on what you like in your sound. I'd still say it's a great buy, and stick with the 5 star rating.Update 2-1-2017:That'll do Pig, that'll do. This is a hell of an amp. After a lot of hours of listening, this amp has settled in, and it is amazing. I'll never sell it, I may try others out of curiosity, but this amp is special. Highly recommend this for anybody that appreciates fine amplification. Best $300 I ever spent.Update 2-18-2017:Still loving the Onkyo A-9010. Been thinking about trying a different int-amp, like Rega Brio 2017, Cambridge Audio CXA60, or Marantz PM7005, but to be honest this thing sounds so wonderful, and I'm really enjoying it so much it seems silly for me to do that. It's the best sounding amp I've had so far. Not the most powerfull, but I like the sound of it better than anything I've had before, which includes, an old McIntosh MC2100, a Jolida JD-1501A, NAD, Adcom, Harmon Kardon, and more. I'm baffled how Onkyo made this to sound so great, but only cost $300. I could tell people that didn't know better I paid $1500, and if they didn't see it, and could only heart it, they'd believe it.Update 4-7-2017: I bought and tried a Marantz PM-7005, and after listening to it for over 2 weeks, I returned it for refund. I like the sound of the Onkyo A-9010 better, but don't get me wrong, the Marantz was a fine int/amp, and built like a tank. I just enjoy the more livelier presentation of the Onkyo. If I had to say what the Onkyo excels at, it would be horns and drums, and the Marantz excels at human voice, which it does beautifully. Next I may try the Cambridge Audio CXA60, I hear it is very lively.

I've been an Onkyo fan since the 80's, when my father brought home an Integra cassette deck (with Dolby C!). I've had a number of products from them, and they've always treated me right. This unit replaces a Denon stereo receiver that always sounded great and treated us well, but lacked some features (like a DAC, digital inputs, and a subwoofer out) that I really wanted.Right from the first disk, this is a sweet sounding and very detailed amp. Playing from an Onkyo 7030 CD player, into a pair of Klipsch RB61 II speakers, you can see quite deep into the mix, hearing a good soundstage, punchy presentation, and non-fatiguing sound.If there is one quantum improvement over the Denon, it is that the Onkyo's volume comes on much more gradually. With very high efficiency speakers, like the Klipsch, it was devilishly hard to get that "just right" volume level while playing CDs. TV and movies - no worries, but the input voltage for a CD made it to where microscopic changes to the volume knob were required. The space between "all the way off" and "melt your face" was only about 1/8th of the total spin of the dial. That made it no fun to listen, after a while.I'm happy to report that the Onkyo does not suffer that malady. Sounds really good, as good as you can possibly expect for the cost and simplicity of the presentation. A very bright amp would be a bad combination with horn speakers. The friendly, slightly warm sound from the Onkyo is a great match. A plus is that the remote controls the disk player by default, and allows me to eliminate one remote from my coffee table.The chassis is nice and solid here, but not to the point that you'll question if they sent you a Krell or Mark Levinson by accident. Just solid, competent engineering. The transformers are very healthy in size, both on the left side of the unit. It has a heat sink that runs the full depth of the unit, and the perforations of the top cover run only over about half its width. It runs just barely warm at idle or light volume. I have not pushed the amp hard over a period of time, but my sense is that, as long as nothing sits on top of it, it should have no heat issues.Very pleased in general. Minor gripes are few. I wish the tick mark on the volume knob was illuminated, so it was easier to ascertain the current setting. Easily fixed with a tiny sticker, I suppose. Optical inputs work just fine (at least the Toslink), allowing pristine signal path from external components (televisions, for instance).