Home > Consumer Reviews > Onkyo A-9555S Integrated Digital Stereo Amplifier (Silver)

Precise is how I would describe the sound of the Onkyo A-9555. I have a set of Mordaunt Short 906 floorstanders paired with the Onkyo and the combo sounds fantastic. The bass is clean and punchy while treble and midrange is crystal clear. Vocals sound incredibly transparent and stereo effect has dead on positioning. The only downside Ive noticed is that bad recordings are easily revealed. A few amps Ive owned in the past were Parasound separates (HCA-1000A Amp and P/HP-850 Pre), Cambridge Audio Azur 640A and Marantz integrated amps. The A-9555 is on a whole other level and beats them all in clarity, bass and timing. Definitely follows Onkyo's tradition of high end performance and value for the money.

I replaced my Sony stereo amp (Sony STRDE197 Stereo Receiver) with this Onkyo amp. Wow what a difference. I would strongly recommend it.

Very clean, smooth sound,.. no heat,.. you will get what you paid for.

Hooked up nice with my LCD and 2 stand speaker.

I purchased this amp from Amazon a month ago, and have been listening to it 3 to 4 hours a day ever since. I had never actually seen it or heard it before. I bought it solely on the merits of the many positive reviews that I had read. I have to agree with the reviews. It is an amazing value. I have been buying stereo equipment since the mid-1970's. Over the years, I have owned amps made by Sansui, Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony, Mcintosh, Carver, Parasound and even a restored vintage Fisher tube receiver. The Onkyo is as good or better than any of them. Both my Music Hall HDCD player and Thorens turntable sound better than ever through it. There is plenty of power to drive my very inefficient AR3s. It also sounds great with my ultra-efficient Altec horns. The ergonomic design is almost perfect. The only glaring omission is a balance control. This is not a deal breaker, but it is a basic control that could at least have been included on the remote. Get the silver one. It is absolutely gorgeous and looks like a far more expensive piece of gear.

I researched many products before settling on this baby. I looked at many Yamaha products, a few Denon, and several others. I looked into 5.1 and 7.1 systems as well as dedicated stereo receivers and, of course, stereo amplifiers.

I chose this amp for two reasons: 1) a great price considering it's retail, and 2) I wanted a dedicated stereo machine because I am probably not going to use home theater sound any time in the next several years (because of budget constraints).

So, if I have constraints why almost $500 for this amp? Because it's big and powerful with a great rating for low distortion. I wanted great sound and power to spare. This amp has got that. I replaced a Sony receiver (STRDE197) with this amp and I have to say that the clarity of sound differential between the two systems is amazing. This Onkyo brings fuller, clearer, more vibrant power to the experience of listening to music. I am running a set of polkaudio TSi300 speakers with this amp and the music is just full and complete like never before.

I am writing this review on the spot, giving you the benefit of my first impressions in a comparison with my previous receiver because I want you to realize in these paragraphs the difference a more well developed sound system can make to your experience. I knew I was getting a very good system (the reputation of Onkyo precedes them) and I believed that the clarity and power would be better across all volumes, but I never realized just how much better a system could really be.

The range of sound (frequency response) is much fuller. Highs are higher than before. Mids are far more potent, and the bass is deeper and richer. I'm thoroughly enjoying the music I've got playing right now. I made a good decision in getting this amp.

You must make up your mind if you need a dedicated stereo system, or want home theater diversity. I'm certain that there are many good home theater products available out there. I think that Onkyo has some good dedicated home theater receivers. But, if you want a dedicated music playing system then why not look at this powerhouse? The features are very basic and standard (I never even looked at the instruction book when hooking up the amp to my computer, CD player, and speakers). The remote control is nicely functional, though I haven't found out yet whether or not it has universal capability for anything.

The pure direct function brings startling clarity to the sound of your music.

Hopefully, my review has given you a little clue as to what kind of quality lies with the Onkyo A-9555 amplifier. I bought mine without having heard it and I'm more than pleased with what I've received here.

If you do buy, then have it shipped quickly, put all the system together yourself, and relax and enjoy the greatness of the best of your favorite music artists. Believe me, with this amplifier the music will come through crisp and clear, and it's capable of blowing you right out of the house.