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REVIEW: Onkyo A9555 Integrated Amplifier (SS)

63.195.16.225


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Model: A9555
Category: Integrated Amplifier (SS)
Suggested Retail Price: $500. street price
Description: integrated class D switching amp
Manufacturer URL: Onkyo
Model Picture: View

Review by BillyBuck on April 08, 2008 at 16:13:29
IP Address: 63.195.16.225
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I purchased the Onkyo in silver for $529 shipped from Amazon. I was seeking an inexpensive integrated to pair with a new set of Vandersteen 2CE's. They're known for being inefficient and current-hungry, so I hoped the Onkyo's rating of 100w @ 8 ohms/200w @ 4 ohms would do the trick. Vandersteen's manual recommends a "high current" amp, which is defined as one that can double its output into 4 ohms. I was unsure how the Onkyo's Class D topology would factor into this.

The results were mixed. The Onkyo is clearly an incredible value and easily justifies the hype it has received. IMO, this is a unit that could provide many with an inexpensive cure for upgrade-itis. Paired with an efficient, quality floorstander like the Athena AS-F2, the Infinity Primus series, or a nice mini-monitor, this could be the heart of a very capable, sub-$1000 system.

Sonics are clear, layered, and very natural. At idle, the Onkyo is probably the quietest amp I've ever heard. Tonal balance in the highs and mids is perfect. All controls are noiseless and solid to the touch. The tone controls and loudness button are subtle, but effective. There's nothing mass-market about the look and feel (except possibly the "Onkyo" logo for those not acquainted with the company's high-end contenders like the Integra series).

With all that said, I am still going to return the Onkyo and keep hunting. It's unfortunately not an optimal match with the Vandersteens. It did cross my mind to keep the excellent Onkyo and find a more suitable speaker, but for a budget 'phile like me, the Vandies are the closest I've been to capturing that elusive "breath of life" in my home, and I'm sold on them.

The problem lies in the bass. I found I could get a pretty nice tonal balance by running the Onkyo with loudness engaged (at all volume levels) and bass control set at about 2/3rd. However, on many recordings this led to boom. I found it difficult to reach a happy medium between natural sounding bass and unpleasant overhang. My guess is this is a product of the Vandies, which are known to dip to very low impedances in the bottom end; and of my room, which has a laminate floor and is difficult at low frequencies. While the Onkyo's 100 watts should be sufficient juice, I'm thinking maybe the Class D circuit supplies current in a different fashion than traditional Class A/A-B circuits. Also, the Onkyo has a low damping factor, which may be upsetting to the Vandies designed in an era when damping factors were generally much higher. That's just an armchair kit-builder's assessment, so take it with a grain of salt and please feel free to correct me.

The other dealbreaker was a general lackluster quality that sounded suspiciously like insufficient wattage. Nothing was overtly wrong, but the Onkyo tended to dull the qualities that make the Vandies special. The sound wouldn't frustrate you, but you probably wouldn't be inspired to listen through the night either. Again, this was only a problem when mated with the Vandersteens--with other speakers the Onkyo was engaging and lively as expected.






Product Weakness: None found--just not a good match for the notoriously power-hungry Vandersteens
Product Strengths: Excellent value, nice build quality, very quiet


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Onkyo A9555
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): None
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Samsung HD-841/Heybrook TT2
Speakers: Vandersteen 2CE
Cables/Interconnects: Monster
Music Used (Genre/Selections): various
Room Size (LxWxH): 20' x 16' x 8'
Room Comments/Treatments: room is fairly live
Type of Audition/Review: Home Audition




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Topic - REVIEW: Onkyo A9555 Integrated Amplifier (SS) - BillyBuck 16:13:29 04/8/08 ( 21)