Onkyo T9090 Score!

Old_Tech

Old_Tech

Yer-isn't!
I was lucky to find this beauty it should be here late this week or early next. The owner is in the service and traveling so it was up for sale.

I am hearing the Onkyo 9090 is a great tuner. I plan on listening for a week or so then changing out the PS caps (if needed) to compare.

I really like the analysis this baby does on the signal and setup it performs to optimize for conditions. Thats pretty cool.
Here is a pic.
Ron
 

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Ron,
I think you are going to like your 9090. I picked up a mint 9090II a couple years ago and like you I replaced the PS electrolytics and e-caps in a couple of other places. If memory serves me, I replaced the audio section op-amps with BB OPA2134's also to good effect. Some sources (TIC I believe) kind of dis the sound quality of this tuner, but I found it to be very good, certainly up there with the better tuners (of which I have a good number). RF performance and selectivity are also very good. With the 9090II has dual 75 Ohm inputs which the system also uses to decide which is better for any particular station and automatically selects that input, also very nice. Of course this can be manually overriden, again well thought out and nice. Add in a decently implemented remote with the obligatory digital presets and you have a very nice package. Mine has the spotless rosewood side panels which also in my opinion very attractive. Enjoy and let us know how your mods work out for you.

Bill C.
 
Hi Bill,

I think the TIC was a bit conservative in their review on this tuner. I didn't see anything negative though I'll have to look again. Many have said this is the one! The owner said I will love it and that's reassuring, he really did like it a lot.

I plan on restoring the power supply after I check ripple. Then will be upgrading the preamp to a LM4562NA/NOPB (but will socket to try others). Also new Muse BP caps. But only after I listen for awhile.

I am really looking forward to this. UPS says Monday delivery but it left Colorado yesterday so I have my fingers crossed for Friday...you never know.

I really do not need the dual antenna switching and I am sure filtering will be fine.

Lot's to prepare for here.

Thanks Bill!

Ron
 
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User Manual

I thought I would check to see if anyone has a user manual for this tuner? :scratch2:

Thanks-
Ron
 
You will need the manual, this is one complicated tuner! But well worth it...

I went down this path so if you search my posts you may found what I got...

Let me look on my computer when I get home.

Enjoy!
 
Thank You!

KiM3Ce said:
You will need the manual, this is one complicated tuner! But well worth it...

I went down this path so if you search my posts you may found what I got...

Let me look on my computer when I get home.

Enjoy!
Click to expand...

KiMC3E,

I am sure I will need it and I cannot find it anywhere...

I really appreciate the help.

Ron
 
I found the manual, not easy but it is out there.

So many questions I had on the APR (Automatic Precision Reception) system were quite easy to understand. Even as the tuner makes the initial choice for optimal settings, any one of them can be changed to suit the listener. I found that a nice feature. And all settings can be saved to memory with the settings of choice, the tuner will not bark back at you or try to default to it's initial settings.

The rest is straight forward synthesized FM operation.

I'll post some pics once she is set up and running. :yes:

Ron
 
The Onkyo came UPS yesterday. I did the usual cleanup of the case and connectors and placed it in the system. After learning the setup and controls I was quite amazed at the quality of sound I was hearing.

This tuner seperates instruments in the soundstage like none other I have heard and it does it with amazing clarity. For its age it is sounding very good perhaps a bit of hash on the extreme highs but I need to figure out if that is just the reception, multipath or some power supply noise. I'm sure she is due for a recap and I have all the caps ready for the power supply.

I am very hesitant to modify the audio preamp in any way. I may leave it alone after I clean the power supply filter caps out of the unit. It sounds that good. I don't know we will see. Easily this tuner sounds as beautiful as my Sansui TU-717 Mike set up for me. It sounds better than the T-80 and the Sony ST-J75. But, they all sound very nice in their own way. The Onkyo is just very good at sorting out the audio and placing instruments I was really taken by that. And it is a warm sound while being well defined this is hard to come by.

The RF level readout is in DB and it really did show relative strength or loudness if you will for the stations I listen to. Average for DX was around 50DB while the "loud" stations were over 100 and in one case 150DB! These are the blowtorch stations we all get used to. So the RF section seemed to have the gain and strength I am accustomed to and certainly did help me understand the signals I was working with. Ultra Narrow IF removed any hiss in the signal it works very nice on DX.

I will spend the work week listening then Saturday she goes on the bench for the power supply caps. I am looking forward to listening this week to sort things out. Here is a pic in the console, not great but all I could do last night.

Ron
 

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Restarting this thread; I'm picking one of these up tonight or tomorrow, but I've been told that it loses the FM presets. From what I've seen in a quick scan of the service manual, it doesn't use a battery to store these, so it's got to be a capacitor.
 
Correct on it not having a battery. The manual basically states, I need to check it for the exact statement, to power it up once a week or so for an hour or two to retain the settings.

I bought mine new in 1985 and it's still kicking hard today, and by following the power-on information above, I've never lost any presets.
 
Phil60 said:
Correct on it not having a battery. The manual basically states, I need to check it for the exact statement, to power it up once a week or so for an hour or two to retain the settings.

I bought mine new in 1985 and it's still kicking hard today, and by following the power-on information above, I've never lost any presets.
Click to expand...

I was a tad off, but here you go. ... : )

 
Congrats on your score!!!

I have the Integra T9090ii Tuner picked up nearly 20 years ago - new. It is a very nice sounding tuner and considered one of the very finest digital tuners made. The 9090 and 9090ii are considered Onkyos finest digital tuner. Treat it well and you will be rewarded for years to come!!!

I myself would like to know how it would stack up against their classic T9. I believe this was their finest analogue tuner.
 
Ok, this one has me looking for an invisible part!

The service manual page 7 states that the memory is retained by 3v from SuperCapacitor C804 going to pin 21 on the large IC. However, it's nowhere to be found, in the parts lists or the schematic; in fact,there are no parts in the 800 range of part numbers. I've stared at the main board looking for the number to no avail. It doesn't help that the service manual identifies the components on all of the other boards but not the main one. Anyone else want to check the schematic to hunt for it and tell me where I'm blind?

http://www.hifiengine.com/hfe_downloads/index.php?onkyo/onkyo_t-9090_service.pdf
 
I've got two different versions of the service manual for the 9090 II, and they're
both missing pages 19-22. But I did find C804 in a parts list 0.47/50v, and it's next
to Q803 in the schematic.
 
That's a 9090 II, mine is the first series. The II has the supercapacitor as C712, which is a 0.047F, 5V supercapacitor.

It looks like the series I uses two 0.022F 5V supercapacitor in parallel, but they are C708 and C709. They are not C804, which doesn't exist, except in one instance in the manual. They connect to the right pin (21) on the IC, and are listed as supercapacitor in the parts list.

Now to find the parts.
 
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a Supercapacitor! Found an appropriate part at Mouser, got it installed last night. I used the 0.047 F Supercapacitor that they put in the 9090II; I expect that longer preset life was the reason for the change. Turned it on last night, set some stations, the unplugged it, and this morning they're still there. Now for the endurance test, and finishing up the attic antenna. It is a very nice tuner, especially in crowded markets.
 
I am having the problem with presets as well. I ran the set on Saturday night and had to set the memory again but it has been weeks since I used the tuner. I'll check tonight and see if the presets are correct.
If there is a supercap I do not remember seeing it when I did the upgrades on mine. Perhaps I will take a look...
It's probably the same cap iused in the T-80.
 
jberger said:
That's a 9090 II, mine is the first series. The II has the supercapacitor as C712, which is a 0.047F, 5V supercapacitor.

It looks like the series I uses two 0.022F 5V supercapacitor in parallel, but they are C708 and C709. They are not C804, which doesn't exist, except in one instance in the manual. They connect to the right pin (21) on the IC, and are listed as supercapacitor in the parts list.

Now to find the parts.
Click to expand...
Try Digikey - that is where I found mine.
 
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