Vintage big Onkyo & big Utah's

[bully]

These comments are about the Onkyo TX-8500 Mk II receiver, a Sony cdplayer, and several pair of speaker systems, including the big MP-3000 Utah systems.
The big Onkyo runs 160 wpc and compares well to the Pioneer SX-1250/5590. The bass is very well controlled, and as impressive as the big Pioneer receivers. The guts look to be a progenitor of the later and long-running M-504 amplifier. The tuner is quite nice, grabs very well with just a folded dipole stock antenna.
I am listening to a cd of classical guitar. The Utah's do a superb job with guitars, excellent dynamic response and the two horn-loaded dome tweets do very well on top, with a bit of roll-off.
The mid-range is this model's weakness. It is OK, but I've been spoiled by the HPM's and the Phase Linear P-530. Even the big JBL has quite nice mids. Even so, there you go.
The Utah's are not the most efficient speaker system, but the Onkyo does very well driving them.
This combo is a lot of fun to play with, and I have kept them out in the middle of the crowded room because they sound good with a high fun factor.
The mids aren't bad, mind, because the guitar sounds great, full and rich, and the transients really snap with vigor.
The big Onkyo, some may recall, came to me in brown-induced mess. It really got hammered in shipping.
The sound is nicely detailed, but doesn't overwhelm with that sense of accuracy that might detract from the listening.

eh?

pete, an old coot that likes old stuff

 

[bully]

The muse hit me, had to get the

big stereo a'crankin'!
Sometimes the smaller 160 wpc system(s) just don't cut it. Y'know, when the sonic boom wants out.
Then ya gotta get the big boy cranking it. Remember Edie Brickell? I thought she was cute and rather different. Dave Mason?
There is something beyond mere volume with this big stereo. It IS sonic. There is an immediacy to the music. Hey, now we're doing it analog here.
Spent the day in Omaha. My passenger probably put a racing streak in his shorts on the drive over and back. Dang plodders think jus' cause they're running 85 or 90 that someone behind 'em might not want to get by 'em and stretch it out some.
For me it was just a drive in the park, eh?
Anyway, I digress, back on point.
These big JBL's just sound pretty decent. Well, gotta relax some.

 

[Thatch_Ear]

Speed kills those that read too.

 

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Those old RS speaker systems are pretty OK! I have a very sweet pair of Nova 7's, a ten-inch, 3-way system, cloth surrounds, neat old 60s/early 70s fret grills.
I actually have two pair of Utah brand speaker systems, one is the big MP-3000, the other, all I know from the little tag on the backs, 12-inch, 3-way acoustic suspenion system.