After years of getting mixed result from multi-function receivers, I have decided to try a dedicated stereo amp to see if the music really sounds better. And it turns out that it does. There are many brands out there but the real choice (testing the equipment) is quite limited. Since my favorite mid price brand (Harman Kardon) does not offer much in the integrated amp area, the focus shifted to another popular and easily available name -Onkyo. The A-9555 got pretty good marks, but there was very little information on its A-5VL successor available in September 2009. Thanks to generous return policy I got both models and tested them with two sets of headphones - Denon AHD 2000 and Sennheiser HD 800.
Staring with the newer A-5VL model, the moment I turned up the volume knob there was the "WOW" factor. I have never before experienced that excellent sound quality from a mid priced amp and instantly felt this is something to hold on to. However, after a while I have noticed that that the sound does have that sharp digital quality different from the "tube-like" softness and warmth I was looking for and found in its predecessor.
Thus, the A-9555 is a real winner here - sonically more realistic, with a wider sound stage and twice the (Watt) power coming at a lower price tag. I can honestly recommend this amp to anyone looking to boost the CD sound without spending thousands of your hard earned dollars.
Both receivers have very good headphone output, but they really lack quality phono input. A Vinyl record played with Technics 1200MK2 sounded no different than a CD.
Get more detail about Onkyo A-9555 Integrated Digital Stereo Amplifier (Black).
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