Horsepower Plus!
Written: Nov 15 '00 (Updated Nov 17 '00)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Sound: |
 |
|
| Ease of Use: |
|
|
| Durability: |
|
|
|
Pros: Will never be outdone or out dated.
Cons: Difficult to find service you can trust with this level of equipment.
|
|
|
| stanzie's Full Review: Onkyo M-504 Power Amplifier |
Germany, 1986, 1,200 bucks to spend, all the industry mags read and off to the audio/video section of the PX in Fulda I go! Because specs on all devices in this price range are so simular, I determined the decision to buy would be based on appearance. Sorry. I admit it. Yamaha was a contender... if you can remember it's broad red vertical meters on the front and it's Class A design (below 30 watts output, I think), I almost put this one in my shopping cart.
But then I saw the Onkyo M-504 Grand Integra, as it was called then, with it's huge and useful "old fashioned" VU meters lit with a gorgeous green glow (which you could turn off, by why?), that was it! Glad I did.
Weighing in at almost 100 pounds, this is a BIG amplifier. Rated at 225 watts per side at 8 ohms, the sound is effortless and breath taking... headroom for days! I am driving a pair of Klipsch Fortes with this beast, a modest match to be sure. This amp, and it's sister pre-amp, are worthy and capable of driving loudspeakers in a much higher end of the market.
To Onkyo's credit, the manufacturer chooses not to modify exterior design of their higher end components year to year. This amp looks, 14 years after I bought it, as if I purchased it this morning.
As rugged as it is powerful and good looking, the M-504 has survived the six household moves to three different countries I've made over the years. This beautiful behemoth still impresses me and my friends and family every time I crank it up. I have yet to hear anything that comes close at twice the price.
Bullet prove, competent and beautiful. Does Onkyo make wives?
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 660 (1986 dollars)
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
stanzie
|
|
Member: Roger Omenhiser
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.