The Latest Purchase - Onkyo TX-NR818

[Craig M.]

provided it can properly control the speakers attached to it and not add any audible distortion

Shall I help you out here? The £1k Onkyo receiver quotes 0.8% distortion, the £1k stereo amp quotes 0.08%. I am going to presume that since they come from the same manufacturer, they're using the same sort of measuring tools.

Have you compared the 2 amps JD? Do you know if that level of distortion is audible?

 

[John Duncan]

I picked the 828 and the...9050 off the top of my head, because they were close in price. THD+N was ten times that of the stereo amp. But at least I looked...

 

[Anonymous]

I wonder why the OP thinks it sounds better than the stereo amplifier then? It shouldn't.

Probably because I've worked my way through several of the former, have an open mind, and think that it sounds as good as any stereo amp I've owned. Have you heard it or just quoting perceived "wisdom"?

Sorry I was under the impression that it's distortion levels were higher at the time of posting that comment. If they're the same then I assume it could sound just as good.

 

[John Duncan]

provided it can properly control the speakers attached to it and not add any audible distortion

Shall I help you out here? The £1k Onkyo receiver quotes 0.8% distortion, the £1k stereo amp quotes 0.08%. I am going to presume that since they come from the same manufacturer, they're using the same sort of measuring tools.

Have you compared the 2 amps JD? Do you know if that level of distortion is audible?

I didn't think one needed to listen to things and that measurements were sufficient? Or is there benign distortion now? What level of distortion would be audible?

 

[the record spot]

I wonder why the OP thinks it sounds better than the stereo amplifier then? It shouldn't.

Probably because I've worked my way through several of the former, have an open mind, and think that it sounds as good as any stereo amp I've owned. Have you heard it or just quoting perceived "wisdom"?

Sorry I was under the impression that it's distortion levels were higher at the time of posting that comment. If they're the same then I assume it could sound just as good.

I agree that it's useful to know what the measurements are, but they only tell part of the story. The other bit being actually hearing the thing. So having done that...

 

[Anonymous]

I wonder why the OP thinks it sounds better than the stereo amplifier then? It shouldn't.

Probably because I've worked my way through several of the former, have an open mind, and think that it sounds as good as any stereo amp I've owned. Have you heard it or just quoting perceived "wisdom"?

Not wanting to be pernickety, but aren't your only points of reference, re amplifiers, only the ones that you've used with your current speakers?

If you're also factoring into the equation how other amps sounded with different speakers, you're comparing other speakers really, no?

 

[John Duncan]

I agree that it's useful to know what the measurements are, but they only tell part of the story. The other bit being actually hearing the thing. So having done that...

o/

 

[Overdose]

I didn't think one needed to listen to things and that measurements were sufficient? Or is there benign distortion now? What level of distortion would be audible?

I'll help you out John.

Depending on where in the frequency spectrum the distortion is, it can be 20% or more, above 8KHz it's 1% and over.

So in all likelyhood any distortion below 1% at just about at any frequency will not be audible.

 

[Overdose]

I picked the 828 and the...9050 off the top of my head, because they were close in price. THD+N was ten times that of the stereo amp. But at least I looked...

But you didn't understand.....

 

[the record spot]

@Renman - Not quite. In my current setup at home I can swap out an HK6850 (95wpc), Sony TA-F630ESD (circa 90wpc), an Onkyo TX8050, and there have been a few others in the past. So yes, I can claim to a few with this pair of speakers. The tonality of the 818 suits my ears nicely and brings out the characteristics I look for. It's quite similar in some ways to the HK990 from memory; pretty neutral, but very fluid at the same time. Works well so far, much like Andrew E has reported.

 

[John Duncan]

I picked the 828 and the...9050 off the top of my head, because they were close in price. THD+N was ten times that of the stereo amp. But at least I looked...

But you didn't understand.....

That'll be why some manufacturers don't quote measurements then, in case we don't understand?

 

[Anonymous]

[EDITED BY MODS and user banned]

 

[the record spot]

Thanks, but AVI aren't really my kind of company. The Onkyo does drive the Tannoys well but it's time for some of these other amps to go. When I get the time they'll be on Ebay...!

 

[Overdose]

Thanks, but AVI aren't really my kind of company. The Onkyo does drive the Tannoys well but it's time for some of these other amps to go. When I get the time they'll be on Ebay...!

Where did the AVI reference come from? The post above?

 

[John Duncan]

Thanks, but AVI aren't really my kind of company. The Onkyo does drive the Tannoys well but it's time for some of these other amps to go. When I get the time they'll be on Ebay...!

Where did the AVI reference come from? The post above?

Correct. Max just couldn't help himself.

 

[Overdose]

Ah.

 

[matt49]

Depending on where in the frequency spectrum the distortion is, it can be 20% or more, above 8KHz it's 1% and over.

So in all likelyhood any distortion below 1% at just about at any frequency will not be audible.

Not wanting to join the fight, but I'd be interested in the source of these numbers.

Matt

 

[Overdose]

Depending on where in the frequency spectrum the distortion is, it can be 20% or more, above 8KHz it's 1% and over.

So in all likelyhood any distortion below 1% at just about at any frequency will not be audible.

Not wanting to join the fight, but I'd be interested in the source of these numbers.

Matt

A quick bit of googlage should see you right.

 

[matt49]

A quick bit of googlage should see you right.

Ah, I was hoping you might have some scientific papers. Googlage doesn't do it for me.

 

[Overdose]

A quick bit of googlage should see you right.

Ah, I was hoping you might have some scientific papers. Googlage doesn't do it for me.

Hasn't bothered you before.

 

[matt49]

Hasn't bothered you before.

OK, leaving the banter to one side, I'm genuinely interested in an answer to this question, and I'm not looking for a squabble. Do you have a good source of information on the audibility of distortion?

 

[steve_1979]

So you are suggesting that movie soundtracks are not 'hifi'?

IMO most modern movies have better sound quality than most music does.

 

[BigH]

provided it can properly control the speakers attached to it and not add any audible distortion

Shall I help you out here? The £1k Onkyo receiver quotes 0.8% distortion, the £1k stereo amp quotes 0.08%. I am going to presume that since they come from the same manufacturer, they're using the same sort of measuring tools.

The only figure I saw for the Onkyo was 0.08% but it depends how you measure it, Ive seen 1% for the Kandy K2 but that was at max volume.

 

[BigH]

No expert on soundtracks but some I have heard like Blawk Hawk Down sound fine on my system, in fact better than many recent music albums.

 

[GMK]

Any updates on biamping the DC4's?