johnnyboy70
Active Member
I have the opportunity for some Onkyo gear. A amp/preamp. I was wondering what type of sound is the Onkyo go towards. Bright, Warm, Neutral? I have a Marantz and Sansui amp and they tend to be warm musically
Onkyo sound
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johnnyboy70
Active Member
It's the Integra series, I believe it's from late seventies early eighties? M 504 amp
gjposner
Well-Known Member
The M504 I dont believe has been around THAT long. Very nice sounding amplifier. Most of the Onkyo gear I have hears tens to be more neutral, which I prefer, although the warmth of a Marantz is nice too. There are a few versions of the M504, so depending on which one it is will let you know its quality. There was a gold series I believe, very nice amp. I have always been an Onkyo fan, but I am only 22, so i have limited experience compared to some of the old farts.. I mean true audiophiles among us 
bigstereo
Super Member
Nice amp-go for it
I had a blemish free M504 for a few years. Great amp. 160/165 wpc I believe it was. Powerful, detailed, uncolored sound and a sexy looking machine at that. If you've got decent stuff both up and downstream, it will shine.
The only reason I sold mine along with another amp was to help fund a 300 wpc McIntosh.
I had a blemish free M504 for a few years. Great amp. 160/165 wpc I believe it was. Powerful, detailed, uncolored sound and a sexy looking machine at that. If you've got decent stuff both up and downstream, it will shine.
The only reason I sold mine along with another amp was to help fund a 300 wpc McIntosh.
1tumbleweed
Kozmik Kowboy
Everything has a "sound", up to and including amps such as Krell, Bryston, Edge, etc.
That said, I'll agree with previous posters who say that the Onkyo sound is pretty close to neutral, with a sweet top end that never sounds tilted up. I use a '90s Onkyo integrated amp in my two-channel system, and an Integra (by Onkyo) surround receiver for home theater. Both are excellent. The comments on Marantz are pretty accurate, too. I've sold Marantz and Onkyo in the past at retail, and spent many hours listening and comparing. Marantz' house sound is a bit warmer than Onkyo's, although not as "lush" as, say, NAD.
That said, I'll agree with previous posters who say that the Onkyo sound is pretty close to neutral, with a sweet top end that never sounds tilted up. I use a '90s Onkyo integrated amp in my two-channel system, and an Integra (by Onkyo) surround receiver for home theater. Both are excellent. The comments on Marantz are pretty accurate, too. I've sold Marantz and Onkyo in the past at retail, and spent many hours listening and comparing. Marantz' house sound is a bit warmer than Onkyo's, although not as "lush" as, say, NAD.
I can't imagine why any amplifier manufacturer would want to manipulate the frequency response from flat. That's the only reason why an amp should sound "warm", or "bright" or whatever. My fairly cheap AudioSource does not impart it's own sound on my system, and I'm thankful for that. All manufacturers should strive for that.
johnr66
Well-Known Member
I've tested amplifiers by taking the output and input into a differential amplifier. After balancing the signal (since the output is much stronger) the signal should become null or very close. This means the amplifier is not changing the signal other than making it larger. If there is output from the differential amp, the amplifier is distorting the waveform or the frequency response is not flat.
Integrated amplifiers and receivers with various controls to tailor the sound will often color the sound a bit even with the controls set flat because of small errors in the tone control circuitry.
I suppose that some amplifier designers may want to color the sound, but most want them transparent.
Integrated amplifiers and receivers with various controls to tailor the sound will often color the sound a bit even with the controls set flat because of small errors in the tone control circuitry.
I suppose that some amplifier designers may want to color the sound, but most want them transparent.
Polarbear
Super Member
Because a lot of recorded music is very poor quality and when amplified at a flate frequency response it sounds like garbage.
Jedi
Super Member
I have the Onkyo P-306RS/M-506RS Integra combo . I also have a Parasound P/HP-850 pre and Kenwood Basic M1D combo .
The Onkyo combo sounds warm and deep to me . I can listen to it for hours . You hear everything clean....hard to describe . You turn it up and it sounds bigger .
The Kenwood/Parasound combo sounds deep and wide but also a bit harsh . The low end is tighter but the mids and high end are brighter so you get tierd of it after a while .
Both hooked up with a Dual 606 TT and a Sure V15 lll cart and a pair of Boston A150's .
and I played Peter Gabriel "So" and Roberta Flack "Killing Me Softly" .
I like both setups , alot . But I find myself listening to the Onkyo more .
My two cents...cheers .
The Onkyo combo sounds warm and deep to me . I can listen to it for hours . You hear everything clean....hard to describe . You turn it up and it sounds bigger .
The Kenwood/Parasound combo sounds deep and wide but also a bit harsh . The low end is tighter but the mids and high end are brighter so you get tierd of it after a while .
Both hooked up with a Dual 606 TT and a Sure V15 lll cart and a pair of Boston A150's .
and I played Peter Gabriel "So" and Roberta Flack "Killing Me Softly" .
I like both setups , alot . But I find myself listening to the Onkyo more .
My two cents...cheers .
JoeESP9
ESL's & tubes since 83
So, if you buy or create an amp that makes a poor quaility recording sound good how does that amp deal with a good recording? While a lot of recorded music does sound like "crap" it rarely sounds like the same crap from recording to recording.
Give me an amplifier with as flat a response as possible.
Well, since all recordings that sound like crap, sound like crap for various different reasons, it would be a complete crap shoot to try and design in a "correction" circuit (aka manipulated frequency response) into an amplifier. Not only would it only sound ok with the particular crappy recording they used as a reference, it would then actually make good recordings sound like crap, and other bad recordings even worse.
AnalogDigit
Realistic fan.
I had an Onkyo Integra 8087 Integrated Amplifier from the mid 80's. It sounded neutral, very balanced.
cnh2
Super Member
I've run an Onkyo P-304 pre-amp (the pre for the M-504) and I've found it to be fairly neutral and detailed. Did a decent job with my Adcom GFA-555 which some people feel can get a little bright and forward. That was not the case with the Integra pre on this piece.
The Onkyo separates from that period are pretty "solid" units. But it's still important to get "your" ears on them. Some of these Onkyo pres also have pretty good TT stages!
Enjoy!
cnh2
The Onkyo separates from that period are pretty "solid" units. But it's still important to get "your" ears on them. Some of these Onkyo pres also have pretty good TT stages!
Enjoy!
cnh2
PickyEars81
Super Member
I have not heard any Onkyo I didn't like.
+1 :thmbsp:
+2 again !
dusty42701
Super Member
I have a P-3200 preamp with an M-5000 power amp, both of matching series from the 80's, including dual cassette deck, turntable, and digital quartz tuner. The set has a pretty neutral sound with all of the controls set flat and brings a certain realism to most of the tracks I play.
Give the variable loudness a tweak and it adds a certain amount of warmth. That's fun to use with piano solo tracks sometimes.
I only swapped the tuner with a Sansui TU-517 because it picks up channels so much better and I love the analog heavy-flywheel feel.
I wouldn't get rid of my separate-system for anything! It is, by far, my most prized piece (as a whole, all parts included) I have!
Give the variable loudness a tweak and it adds a certain amount of warmth. That's fun to use with piano solo tracks sometimes.
I only swapped the tuner with a Sansui TU-517 because it picks up channels so much better and I love the analog heavy-flywheel feel.
I wouldn't get rid of my separate-system for anything! It is, by far, my most prized piece (as a whole, all parts included) I have!
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