Onkyo has wielded its latest amplifier behemoth with the 26kg nine-channel PA-MC5500 aimed directly at the highest end of the market.
Crammed with a host of exclusive in-house amplifier tech, Onkyo has walked the all-analogue rather than digital route in order to achieve 'full-bodied and audibly musical sound quality' with separate pre and power sections to eliminate any chance of noise interference.
Each of the nine channels delivers 220W into 6 ohms and at full tilt the amp draws more than a kilowatt of power from the mains supply (sorry greenies, you shouldn't have had to see that).
With a chassis designed to be as inert as possible, inside sits a 'huge' toroidal power transformer separated from the amp stages by a 'massive' heatsink that runs the full width of the amp.
In tandem with large capacity 22,000uf audio-tuned capacitors there's a guaranteed supply of consistent power on tap under all conditions.
Elsewhere there's Onkyo's own Wide Range Amp Technology, SACD friendly frequency response that stretches to 100kHz, High Instantaneous Current Capability for complete control under power fluctuations, short signal paths, symmetrical power devices and fully Discrete Output Stage.
Arriving in March, the price is to be confirmed and probably won't include the cost of the chiropractor you'll need after you've carried it home.
www.onkyo.co.uk
