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Review and Measurements of Onkyo M-282 Amp

Sal1950

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I do wonder what something a bit more expensive/high end would measure? Nothing too crazy but more along the lines of a John Curl designed Parasound A23+ ($1500). I think these will be close to the end of the line for A/B amp design, with the much cheaper to produce Class D amps taking over all but the very top of boutique priced gear. Published specs don't vary much from those of the Onkyo or much of whats being produced in the midrange today or just about the last 3 decades? As was mentioned earlier one of the main costs to build and produce a exceptional amp is a top notch power supply. It takes a serious trip the the bench like Amir's to separate the gems from the junk.
 

DWPress

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This, at least, is confirming my suspicions and recent purchases. With an MiniDSP 2x8 active XO I've got my subs and woofers running on newer efficient Class D amps and the mids and tweeters running on older (affordable) Class AB amps. Plenty of undistorted power for each speaker and matched to their ideal frequency spectrum and power needs.

Really appreciate all your efforts here Amir, the information is priceless!
 
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amirm

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I do wonder what something a bit more expensive/high end would measure? Nothing too crazy but more along the lines of a John Curl designed Parasound A23+ ($1500). I think these will be close to the end of the line for A/B amp design, with the much cheaper to produce Class D amps taking over all but the very top of boutique priced gear. Published specs don't vary much from those of the Onkyo or much of whats being produced in the midrange today or just about the last 3 decades? As was mentioned earlier one of the main costs to build and produce a exceptional amp is a top notch power supply. It takes a serious trip the the bench like Amir's to separate the gems from the junk.
We definitely need a winner in under $500 category. I am open to suggestions for good candidates.
 

RayDunzl

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I do wonder what something a bit more expensive/high end would measure? Nothing too crazy but more along the lines of a John Curl designed Parasound A23+ ($1500).

Audio Buddy has a 10 year old A21.

He's happy.
 

jasonq997

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We definitely need a winner in under $500 category. I am open to suggestions for good candidates.

The Emotiva A-300 (and previous similar models) has always been well regarded in some circles.
 

RayDunzl

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the numbers don't seem promising.

Makes me wonder how someone could evaluate anything on the source end by listening, given the relatively dubious performance of typical power amplification and transducers.
 

restorer-john

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raideater

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think those distortion figures are for the maximum distortion across 20Hz - 20KHz. I've cross referenced different receivers tested on audio.com.pl with soundandvision.com and their graphs don't match up. Soundandvision figures are for distortion at 1 KHz like Amir's I believe. The A-S801 is also rated at .019% distortion 20Hz-20KHz.

@amirm If you can get your hands on either, the Yamaha DSP A1 and RX Z1 are highly praised vintage receivers.
 
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amirm

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@amirm If you can get your hands on either, the Yamaha DSP A1 and RX Z1 are highly praised vintage receivers.
Hey, we are on hotdog budget here, not shrimp. :) That DSP A1 is going for $1,400!
 

raideater

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Hey, we are on hotdog budget here, not shrimp. :) That DSP A1 is going for $1,400!
That's the price of a mint condition one on ebay. I was thinking more of if popped up on craigslist for a low price. I got mine for $200 from a guy whose wife was making him get rid of his gear for a soundbar. :p
 

bigx5murf

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I have a Yamaha rx-z7 (dsp z7), I don't think I'm ever getting rid of it. The only thing i wished was better on it was if the headphone output wasn't 100ohm output impedance. But gotta give them props for actually listing the spec in the manual, when most of these products don't.
 

maty

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think those distortion figures are for the maximum distortion across 20Hz - 20KHz. I've cross referenced different receivers tested on audio.com.pl with soundandvision.com and their graphs don't match up. Soundandvision figures are for distortion at 1 KHz like Amir's I believe. The A-S801 is also rated at .019% distortion 20Hz-20KHz.

I do not know.

The harmonic grahs are at 8 watts I think.

Any way, you can compare the THD graphs with the betters. https://audio.com.pl/testy/stereo/wzmacniacze-stereo/f/984-accuphase. At 1 watt and 10 watts. Usually we need < 10 watts continuous at home (I need more watts to the peaks, specially with very good recordings with high DR).

The cheap (about € 6,000) integrated amp E370: https://audio.com.pl/testy/stereo/wzmacniacze-stereo/2667-accuphase-e-370

Accuphase E-370

42923-wzmacniacz_accuphase_e370_audiocompl_lab3.jpg


YAMAHA A-S801

45935-laboratorium-yamaha-a-s801-laboratorium3-audiocompl.jpg



At 1 watt I like THD+N 0.01% at 8 Ohms.

Yamaha A-S801 is OK but not to recommend it to someone who listen to good/very good recordings with high/very high DR.

With modern commercial music, without acoustics instruments, voices with autotune, badly recorded and DR < 10 dB is other story. But then the measurements should not interest us that much. People only want bass, more bass.
 
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maty

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The very expensive power amp:

ACCUPHASE A-250

52391-wzmacniacz_mocy_accuphase_a250_audiocompl_lab3.jpg
 

maty

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To finish

NAD 375 BEE (€ 800 at Amazon.de)

https://audio.com.pl/testy/stereo/wzmacniacze-stereo/2473-nad-375-bee

38291-nad_375bee_lab3.jpg


NAD 375 BEE
  • Produced Yes
  • Rated power (1% THD + N, 1 kHz) [W] 8 Ω, 2x 200 [about 160-170 watts at 0.1%]
  • Rated power (1% THD + N, 1 kHz) [W] 4 Ω, 2x 307 [about 300 watts at 0.1%]
  • Sensitivity (for maximum power) [V] 1x 0.54
  • Signal-to-noise ratio (A-weighted filter, with reference to 1W) [dB] 92
  • Dynamics [dB] 116
  • Damping factor (relative to 4 Ω) 51

https://nadelectronics.com/product/c-375bee-integrated-amplifier/

Go to specs. Preamp and power amp sections. And General.
 
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Juhazi

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I run my main speakers with B&O ICEpower modules, xo is minidsp 4x10HD. Because of these complaints of poor treble I tested my Audiolab 8200A amp with tweeters (B&G Neo3) that have basically straight impedance curve. Sadly I couldn't hear or maeasure any changes. My logical reasoning was that my signal route before the amp is messing everyhing so badly, that amplifier is insignificant.
 

MZKM

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My mistake, isn't that just what JA has been using for several decades as his clipping point, or was it 1%? I'm not sure now.

JA uses 1%, as that’s the same as -40dBFS, which has been shown by some as the audibility thresholds for music. Take note that audibility changes based on frequency, which is why a THD plot across the frequency range is very helpful, and we can more easily hear distortion as the frequencies go higher, and it’s also important to note that audibility also changes with volume, distortion is slightly more audible at louder levels.

However, THD also stacks across components, from your DAC to your preamp to your amp to say a MiniDSP between your preamp and amp, etc. So while -40dBFS (1% THD) is mostly inaudible, if all your components are 1% in the treble, they will add together and now be audible.

I’m not positive on the formula, but if it’s the same for how I’m been told to calculate stacking for channel separation (crosstalk), if we err in the side of caution and assume 6 components, in order to maintain 1%, each component would need about -56dBFS (0.1584893%), so 0.1% THD for each component would be inaudible; for 3 components, 0.3% is enough to be inaudible.

Looking at the 0.1% THD point of this Onkyo, we get about 160W into 4ohm.

If using DSP and really wanting perfect amp performance in regards to impedance handling (2x wattage for ever halving of impedance), this would mean 80W into 8ohm.
 
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HammerSandwich

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I do wonder what something a bit more expensive/high end would measure? Nothing too crazy but more along the lines of a John Curl designed Parasound A23+ ($1500).
That leaves big hole in the middle. ATI/Monoprice Monolith has done well in every test I've seen at $1k. Even better, you can get the 5x200W version for $1300.

That said, I hope someone finds the good $500 amp.
 
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