Onkyo M-282 2-Channel Power Amplifier Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this amp to drive a passive homemade sub and it has done nothing but please me. I'm running it at 4ohms to each channel, and it pumps out serious power. Despite the lower resistance, its heat dissipation is lower than my receiver. I do not believe Onkyo's numbers for this amp, they have to be higher. When I hooked it up to my main front speakers, it revealed an exellent range of frequencies at any volume. This piece is a great example of Onkyo quality for a low price, I'm still curious as to why they discontinued it.

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Ideal for quality stereo listening, for expanding your surround system from 5.1 to 6.1 or 7.1 channels to deliver the latest home theater surround formats, and for multiroom setups, Onkyo's M-282 stereo power amplifier makes a powerful and affordable system upgrade. The amp uses Onkyo's exclusive Wide Range Amplifier Technology and pumps 2 x 100 watts per channel RMS into 8 ohm speakers and 2 x 125 wpc into 6 ohms. (For dynamic power handling, you're looking at 2 x 140 watts into 8 ohms, 2 x 125 watts into 6 ohms.)If you're going for an upgrade from 5.1 to 7.1, make sure your 5.1 surround receiver has preamplifier outputs for 7.1 channels. The M-282 only amplifies a line-level signal; it does not include surround processing or a volume control like a traditional preamplifier or an integrated amplifier/surround receiver.You can rig the amp to power up when it senses an audio signal or through the use of a 12-volt trigger (standard to automation systems). The receiver also features audio passthrough jacks in case you want to daisy-chain several like components through several rooms for multi-room distribution of your primary listening source.The receiver uses Onkyo's Wide Range Amplifier Technology (WRAT), which ensures signal accuracy even with high-resolution sources such as DVD-Audio and SACD. According to Onkyo, WRAT eliminates the adverse effects of counter-electromotive force by applying an unusually low amount of NFB (negative feedback), constructing the amp with carefully selected, high-tolerance, wide-range parts in all critical sections, and using innovative circuit topology based on the company's decades of experience building high-end amplifiers. The result? A flat response beyond 100 kHz.Rear-panel connections and controls consist of a ground (use only if the system exhibits an audible hum), an input-level adjustment, 1 each stereo analog (left/right) RCA audio input and passthrough/output, a trigger setting (audio, 12-volt, off), a 12-volt trigger input jack, left/right speaker outputs with banana-plug-friendly binding-post speaker terminals, and a grounded AC power terminal.What's in the Box Power amplifier, an AC power cord, and a user's manual.

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AudioSource Amp 200 High-Current Stereo Amplifier (80 Watts x 2) Review

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(More customer reviews)My first impression on unpacking the AMP200 was its weight for an amplifier of this size, 11 kgs (just over 24 pounds) !
The front panel is black brushed metal, and has three sets of push buttons on the left hand side (power on/off, speakers A on/off, and speakers B on/off). On the right hand side there are two controls, one for adjusting the left/right balance, and one for adjusting the volume trim (-12 dB/+6 dB). Each of these controls clicks into the center (unadjusted) position. In the center of the front panel is an indicator light which glows a bright blue when the amplifier is operational or red when the amplifier is in standby mode.
On the back of the amplifier are various connectors, switches, and small adjustment knobs, as well as the connector for the detachable power cord. The speaker binding posts accept either bare wire cable or banana plugs (not spades).
I would highly recommend reading the five page Owner's Manual before setting up the unit, as the controls on the back of the amplifier are not readily accessible once it has been installed into a rack !
For my purposes, I'm using a single stereo source into RCA inputs (when using only one signal source you need to use the Line 2 inputs rather than Line 1). The power mode of the unit is also configurable via a three position switch for either normal power operation using the front panel on/off button, to be remotely controlled by a DC trigger, or by means of automatically sensing the input signal. I opted for the latter, and the amplifier comes out of standby mode within a few seconds of sensing a signal and goes back into standby mode if no signal is received for approximately three and a half minutes.
At less than $ 250, I'd rate this as a nice quality amplifier with good sound.

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A terrific choice for a remarkably affordable system upgrade or building block, the AudioSource Amp 200 high-current stereo power amplifier offers 80 watts RMS per channel x 2 or, in bridged mono mode, up to 250 watts x 1 (into 8-ohm speakers in both cases). Now you can scale your listening to match your budget: use either 1 amplifier or 2 for stereo sound or 5 or more in concert for full-blown home-theater excitement--perfect for your DVDs, multichannel DTV broadcasts, or high-resolution audio formats like DVD-Audio and SACD.Keep in mind that this is an amplifier only, with no volume control or onboard surround processing (though it does offer independent adjustable output controls for each channel). It's designed for use with a stereo preamplifier or a surround receiver offering preamplifier outputs.Making the move from 5.1- to 6.1- or 7.1-channel surround sound? If your receiver has preamp outputs for all channels, there's no need to replace your 5.1 surround receiver. Just feed the additional center or surround signals to a strategically positioned Amp 200.Connections consist of a choice of RCA (line-level) or clip-type (speaker-level) inputs and banana-plug-friendly binding-post speaker terminals for outputs. There's also set of stereo (left/right) RCA passthrough jacks for use in a daisy-chain setup.The amp works with 12-volt power-on/-off circuitry and also features a signal-sensing circuit for automatic power-on/-off, making it as ideal for custom installers as for end users. Its A and B speaker outputs let you power speakers in your main room, a second room, or both rooms simultaneously. The amplifier's toroidal power supply keeps distortion extremely low (less than 0.04 percent).

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