Onkyo A-9150?

seely

seely

Well-Known Member
I'm considering trying out a new integrated amp to have something that should be dead reliable for a good long while, giving me an opportunity to work on my vintage gear. The Onkyo A-9150 caught my eye for the (few) very favorable reviews of it I've seen, and the price point ($600). I don't need much power at all to drive my Dynaco's, my current ~60wpc MOSFET receiver is nearly overpowered for my A35's.

90% of my listening is vinyl via my JVC QL Y5F and I'm seeing that the Onkyo is supposed to have a very nice onboard preamp and provide an excellent soundstage with punchy low end and good clarity -- basically what I look for in an amp. I also do have a decent 90's JVC CD deck and 3-head tape deck that get occasional use, so performance with those is a consideration as well.

Anyone here have any experiences with this amp, or new Onkyo in general? Availability seems sketchy, it's not available on Onkyo's site, discontinued on Crutchfield, but supposedly available from a bunch of smaller sellers. Open to suggestions where to buy from as well.
 
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i'd get one with the option of returning it, as your other components might not be compatible and might cause oscillation issues; try it out with speakers you wouldn't mind blowing. you might also find it needs unplugging/ resetting, often. have several and you might find having the same issues. google the model and "problems." i'd look elsewhere.
 
raycarr00 said:
i'd get one with the option of returning it, as your other components might not be compatible and might cause oscillation issues; try it out with speakers you wouldn't mind blowing. you might also find it needs unplugging/ resetting, often. have several and you might find having the same issues. google the model and "problems." i'd look elsewhere.
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That's a bummer, I did as you suggested and it does seem like there's no shortage of issues with these amps. Back to Yamaha or Cambridge I guess!
 
If you are looking for something with a warranty, don't bother. Onkyo filed for bankruptcy. They were purchased by Sharp and someone else and will eventually continue but don't expect any warranty coverage. I would just buy a Onkyo Integra A-8087. It's a wonderful amp with a fantastic phono section, and you can get the matching tuner, T-8047. Beautiful faux rosewood side panels, too.
 
dr*audio said:
If you are looking for something with a warranty, don't bother. Onkyo filed for bankruptcy. They were purchased by Sharp and someone else and will eventually continue but don't expect any warranty coverage. I would just buy a Onkyo Integra A-8087. It's a wonderful amp with a fantastic phono section, and you can get the matching tuner, T-8047. Beautiful faux rosewood side panels, too.
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Ahh that explains a lot. I'm kind of trying to move away from "vintage" as I've got 3 or 4 different units that all need some level of work, though the 8087 sure looks nice. The rosewood would match my JVC turntable pretty well, too.
 
dr*audio said:
If you are looking for something with a warranty, don't bother. Onkyo filed for bankruptcy. They were purchased by Sharp and someone else and will eventually continue but don't expect any warranty coverage. I would just buy a Onkyo Integra A-8087. It's a wonderful amp with a fantastic phono section, and you can get the matching tuner, T-8047. Beautiful faux rosewood side panels, too.
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Ahh that explains a lot. I'm kind of trying to move away from "vintage" as I've got 3 or 4 different units that all need some level of work, though the 8087 sure looks nice. The rosewood would match my JVC turntable pretty well, too.
 
marantz and others, build units that are backed up with long term warranties; sometimes up to five years. five years says a lot. certainly rosewood panels could be added.
vintage to me translates into a high measure of catharsis in their servicing; sans expense and labor hours.
 
Had a couple Onkyo AV receivers on the video system and both failed shortly after the warranties expired. Found out later that adding a heatsink to the main processor would have probably kept them running ...
 
sKiZo said:
Had a couple Onkyo AV receivers on the video system and both failed shortly after the warranties expired. Found out later that adding a heatsink to the main processor would have probably kept them running ...
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I've had the same experience with Onkyo/Integra around 2009-2013. After having 3 Onkyo's (an 885 preamp/processor and 2 AVR's) and 1 Integra preamp processor bite the dust I swore off Onkyo/Integra gear forever. All were bought brand new.

Yamaha has the best track record when it comes to reliability. Denon/Marantz (one company) are a close second. Pioneer and Onkyo are also one and the same company. I've yet to have a Yamaha die on me. I've sold a Yamaha AVR to one nephew, and my younger brother. Both are still going strong.

For a bit over your $600 budget take a look at accessories4Less.com offerings for a refurbed Yamaha A-S801 with a 3 year warranty, first year being the Yamaha factory warranty. Best bang for the buck IMO goes to receivers, they are pretty much the equal of the integrated amps, and come with a tuner built in.
 
What is all this slander about Onkyo? I’ve owned two A-9050 integrateds and never had a problem with either one. Before that I had a TX-8211 for 20+ years and never an issue. Sold it to a happy buyer. Yes, their AVRs had majors issue with the HDMI boards but the stereo stuff is solid from what we I’ve been able to gather.
 
prighello said:
What is all this slander about Onkyo?
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Yeah, like you said it had to do with the HDMI board made around 2009-2013. The board runs hot and the BGA chips get disconnected from the PCB and the capacitors in the board are damaged. The caps can be replaced but soldering BGA requires skill and special equipment.
Yamaha of that era also had similar issue because of the DSP chip.
 
dr*audio said:
If you are looking for something with a warranty, don't bother. Onkyo filed for bankruptcy. They were purchased by Sharp and someone else and will eventually continue but don't expect any warranty coverage.
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Onkyo (and Pioneer) is now part of VOXX International, formerly known as Audiovox. VOXX International is parent company to Klipsch, and owns the brand name of Acoustic Research (AR), Advent, Energy, RCA, Trek, etc.

https://www.voxxintl.com/consumer/
 
prighello said:
What is all this slander about Onkyo? I’ve owned two A-9050 integrateds and never had a problem with either one. Before that I had a TX-8211 for 20+ years and never an issue. Sold it to a happy buyer. Yes, their AVRs had majors issue with the HDMI boards but the stereo stuff is solid from what we I’ve been able to gather.
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I used to own an Onkyo TX-8511 stereo receiver (100 watts/channel) that sounded soooooo smooth. If I remember correctly, I donated it to a senior center so that the seniors citizens can get some music. I hope they are still rocking out.
 
soundboy said:
I used to own an Onkyo TX-8511 stereo receiver (100 watts/channel) that sounded soooooo smooth. If I remember correctly, I donated it to a senior center so that the seniors citizens can get some music. I hope they are still rocking out.
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Onkyo and Integra used to make wonderful equipment that was built to last. Sadly that era has ended.
For those of us who had to service Audiovoxx and Sharp products, both were known to produce mostly junk, with the exception of the Optonica line. I don't think it bodes well for Onkyo. Companies that make cheap junk make terrible parent companies that pressure their acquisitions to keep costs down, because they don't get it. They only see profit, they don't care about quality.
 
For the sake of objectivity, and having owned the Onkyo A-9150, I can attest it is a very good integrated amp. Also quite reliable, had it for 3 or 4 years, can't remember, as a daily driver without issues at all. The phono stage is above average, nice sound, except MM gain is around 32-34 dB and a bad match for LOMC's and some lowish output MM's. MC mode I didn't use, as I have a SUT for that purpose.

Integrated DAC is excellent. And also note that this model can work as a dedicated integrated preamp, or as a dedicated power amp.

Sound wise, a very nice deal when found below $450 for scenarios where 35-40W RMS @ 8 ohm x channel suffice.

Another excellent choice, fairly equivalent to this Onkyo is the Denon PMA-600ne which I currently own. Or if willing to let off of the DAC portion, a NAD 316BEE V2. You can't go wrong with either of these three.

I'm sure I wouldn't be able to tell them apart in a blind test.

Cheers,
Luis
 
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