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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Yamaha YAS-71BL Front Surround System (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been searching for a simple budget out of the box home audio solution that had great sound, ease of use and set up, all the connections I needed and lastly esthetically pleasing and not an eyesore. I looked at all the recommended budget 5.1 and 7.1 system (Onkyo is the best deal for full 5.1 systems) and was frustrated by the price and the over engineered complexity of them all. Real surround sound would be cool but ultimately I just wanted a simple solution with strong, rich sound and any simulated surround would be nice too. I have a Samsung 630 and love the TV but the sound sucks. This YAS-71 sound bar and sub-woofer really have enhanced my home theater experience tremendously. I want to watch all the movies I've already seen in HD again now just to hear them in fuller sound. My wife even likes it, I don't think she's nearly as intimidated by it as much as 5.1 component systems would.
This unit has 4 audio inputs plus a connector for an ipod dock; 3 of the inputs are digital audio inputs (2 optical, 1 coaxial). 1 RCA audio input. I highly recommend using the digital audio inputs to get the best and clearest simulated surround sound. I have a PS3 (my Blu-Ray player), a Toshiba DVD player and my DVR hooked up to the digital inputs and the Yamaha ipod dock hooked up. The ipod dock works well and you can control the ipod to some extent with the remote, though the screen on the front of the bar gives you very minimal information and control for your ipod. There are times I'd rather just select my ipod manually on the ipod itself. My 3G iphone worked with it as well as a 30 gig ipod. They all sounded great.
I have a very boxy, enclosed small to medium sized living room (12' x 18') in an older home and it's perfect for that environment. At volume level 50 (halfway) it really fills the room up with rich sound, at the higher levels it gets surprisingly loud without distortion and blowout. Though If you have a very open or large contemporary living room I wouldn't recommend this system; I'd go with more powerful true surround system where you could space the speakers out to fit the room. This YAS-71 really works best in a room with defined walls to work off of. I wouldn't expect any true surround sound from the YAS-71 but there are times while watching 5.1 DVDs and Blu-rays I notice that some sounds really feel immersive and you can feel the simulated surround effect. Prices have dropped on these recently, they used to retail for $500-$600 and for around $300 this is an exceptional deal.
Positives:
* Easy to set up, there aren't a bunch of wires to run around your room.
* User friendly. Wife friendly.
* 4 audio inputs (3 digital) plus yamaha ipod connector
* Clear, surprisingly powerful, robust simulated 5.1 sound for such a contained unit.
* Great value for the money if you can find it at or under $300
* Looks nice in front of most HDTVs. It virtually matched my piano finished black Samsung.
* Great for enclosed rooms.Negatives:
* No onscreen information and controls on your TV screen, info is only on the soundbar screen. This does not have any video passthrough. (this hasn't been a problem for me though).
* It might not have have all the audio connections you need. Check your setup.
* All the inputs are on the sub woofer, so keep that in mind, you might need longer cables.
* Remote controlling ipod is very minimal.
* ipod dock sold separately ($50-100)
* Not so good for open areas.
Conclusion:
Powerful, clear sound and a good number of inputs for most needs. A simple solution for better home audio. I couldn't be happier with it.

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