Customer Reviews

Onkyo TX-8522 100 Watt Stereo Receiver

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I've been an audio/video enthusiast from the days when "transistor" meant cheap and "tubes" meant quality. Indeed, I've worked in motion pictures and as a musician. I share the above because almost every review one reads rates every product as either great or terrible. Few reviewers, it seems, have much background to aid in making useful comparisons.

My own view - developed over the years - is that the best amps have 'a sound,' but most amps remain (and should remain) free of the any sound of their own. This, I thought, was especially true for mid-priced mass audio, and arena where Onkyo is close to the top because of its superior build quality.

The TX-8522 has somewhat changed that long held point of view. Here is why:

I bought the TX-8522 to replace a less powerful, but very high quality, receiver used in a secondary system made up of on-hand componants in a very large, catherdral-ceilinged, room. That older receiver was a Nakamicci and its sound was always, to my experienced ears, quite excellent.

But used in this setting, driving small and inefficient speakers, it didn't have the power output needed, and the temptation was often to turn it up too high and risk clipping.

I chose the TX-8522 for Onkyo's reputation for excellent build quality, its 100 watt RMS output with good momentary peak power, simple, straight-forward faceplate, and reasonale price. Soundwise I expected nothing beyond what I had before with the Nakamicci except with adaquate volume without strain. In this expectation I was mistaken.

The sound of the Onkyo, at similar (unmeasured) volume, was richer and fuller. The sound stage is wider. How can explain this? Simple: I can't.
But the difference is not subtle.

Feature-wise the receiver is basic. Treble and bass tone controls (both kept at the neutral setting as they were on the Nakamicci), balance, input selectors, typical FM receiver tuner controls, speaker selectors, and several 'optional' settings said to insure purity (turning off video and display) and neutrality (bipassing the tone controls). The later two had no noticable sonic effect with my system.

This receiver could be said to be everything I hoped for. Its physical quality is excellent, the controls simple and effective, the appearance unobtrusive but fine. But the sound is much more. It is excellent.

The entire system: Onkyo TX-8522 receiver, Nakamicci OMS 1 Series 2 CD player, Roku Soundbridge M1000 (for accessing my computer's 'mp3' libray), Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble 2 sub-sat system, and a Carver/Sunfire Dominator D10 (1000 watt) subwoofer.

This system - origanlly planned for just background music - is now, with the substitution os the Onkyo TX-8522, worthy of serious listening.

Highly recommended.

I am an avid music lover who has no interest in home theater. As a result, I bought this receiver and am extremely well-pleased with it. Not only does it provide a very realistic and wide soundstage with most well-recorded, well-masterd CDs...its ability to reveal subtle musical detail is nothing short of remarkable. The Onkyo TX-8522 is a rare brand of receiver in that it boasts enormous and very impressive power-handling capability while being able to reproduce the entire audible spectrum realistically. Very highly recommended.

The fad today is for multi-channel audio/video receivers. But most people stiill listen to music with just two speakers and, consequently, only need a good stereo receiver. In fact, a sound stereo system featuring a good stereo receiver, such as this Onkyo, and an excellent pair of speakers will sound better than a typical multi-channel system which usually features several mediocre speakers. Unless you can afford a good multi-channel receiver and several good speakers you will get better sound by sticking with good stereo equipment. The Onkyo TX-8522 is a very good stereo receiver with a wide range of inputs and controls, including a remote control. With 100 watts per channel power it is capable of driving virtually any speakers to deafening levels (which is NOT good for your ears) even if you are inclined to apply significant bass boost. Although the TX-8522 is very reasonably priced, if you would prefer a less expensive receiver, consider the 50 watts per channel Onkyo TX-8211.

This receiver replaces an ONKYO TX-V940 bought in 1995 or so.

The protection relays on the old one had gone bad, and it didn't seem worthwhile to replace them on a unit this old.

It has the same rated power output, and even looks the same. It is much different, however.

It is narrower than the older ONKYOs, and now fits in most audio racks! (major annoyance with the older pieces.)

It is deathly quiet when nothing is playing, even with the volume cranked. The old unit was never this quiet. I also appear to be getting better highs and mids than ever before, with better separation. I'm very pleased.

The TX-8522 also adds:

Bannana-plug capable binding posts, replacing spring-loaded pincers. These can also be cranked down tight, giving you a good connection to plain stripped wire. A bit of a pain to thread the wire in though. It would be worthwhile to solder on some bananna plugs.

Speaker impedance switch controlled by the remote.

Tone-control and front panel display defeat switches. (cuts noise)

XM compatibility.

Ipod compatibilty, provided you purchase the RI dock.

Recommended accessories: Sony RM-VL600 remote control.

I'll start off by saying that I am NOT a video/home theater guy. I'm an audio guide. A basic, two-channel, stereo audio guy. So when my beloved 25-year-old Yamaha stereo receiver died not too long ago, I was heartbroken. In this day of receivers with mega bells and whistles and video inputs and outputs, I feared that I wouldn't be able to find a basic two-channel receiver to replace my Yamaha. I was wrong. After doing several hours of research online, I discovered that the Onkyo TX-8522 was the receiver for me. And I was thrilled to find out that I could get it from Amazon.com. When the receiver was delivered, I was still a bit fearful that the new receiver wouldn't come close to the quality of my old receiver. But I was wrong again. From the moment I took the Onkyo out of the box, I could tell it was a quality built product. After hooking it up to my classic JBL speakers, Harman Kardon equalizer, and Sony CD player, I was excited to power it up. And when I did? Wow...was I pleased! The sound of the Onkyo is great, whether I'm listening to CDs, the radio, or piping music through it from my computer's iTunes library via my Airport Express/AirTunes hookup. The power it kicks out is impressive, too. I like to listen to my music pretty loud, and I have yet to have the volume knob anywhere near the halfway point. I should note, too, that the TX-8522's radio reception is fabulous. Both FM and AM stations come in loud and clear. This was a pleasant surprise, considering my Yamaha's radio reception was lousy. All in all, this receiver is top-notch. It has just enough features to satisfy me, the diehard audio guy. And none of the over-the-top bells and whistles that I just don't need. The remote is pretty handy, too. If you're looking for a basic two-channel stereo receiver that sounds great, I highly recommend the Onkyo TX-8522. It really is a nice piece of audio equipment!

I was looking for a stereo receiver that was simple to use and
could power a decent pair of floor standing speakers (pair of
JBL Stadium dual 8's). This receiver was very easy to set up,
reception is good, and the sound is great. I have yet to reach
the half way mark on the volume due to how loud it gets.
Programing stations was easy, there are plenty of jacks to
connect additional componenets, and the receiver seems to
have been built with quality in mind. If you are looking for a
simple set up to hear your cd's or to blast your favorite radio
station, this receiver fits the bill. If there was anything to wish
for, it's that the display not be so plain and a subwoofer
output would not have hurt. All in all this receiver is a great
deal.

The TX-8522 was purchased to replace my beloved Sansui AU-9500 which met an untimely end. I have the Onkyo connected to an Audio Control 10 band graphic equalizer and a pair of 3 way speakers which I built from Speaker Lab kits. The sound is sublime. Without the equalizer, the sound is a bit thin but, that is easily over come by kicking in the EQ. The Onkyo reputation for quality is legend and this unit only furthers that. If you are looking for a simple, high quality 2 channel reciever, I recommend the TX-8522 without hesitation.

I needed a replacement for my college-era music system receiver (early 1970s Harmon Kardon 930, RIP)which could properly power my JBL Century speakers. I have enjoyed my Onkyo home theater A/V receiver for many years, and researched the current Onkyo line for a reasonably priced 2 channel unit. I was very pleased to see the option of the TX-8522, which provides all I need and more. Very easy to connect and use. In addition to my turntable, CD player, cassette deck, and 2 sets of speakers, I am now enjoying the XM Radio ready feature of my new receiver which was a snap to get up and running. It is a truly a bargain for the price.

Overall the ONKYO TX-8522 Stereo Receiver was ok. If you are looking for a unit to produce ok to good sound that is easy to set up and use, I think the TX-8522 is great. But, if you are a serious music listener or musician, I feel that you will find the sound quality of the TX-8522 falls short. The new TX-8522 has built-in features and is mp3 and satellite ready which is nice! I also liked the switched power outlets and the TX-8522's ability/flexibility to drive multiple speakers. I have an older ONKYO TX-2500mkII (I got many years of good listening from the old ONKYO TX -2500MKII; that is the reason I purchased another ONKYO). But, I was under the impression that new unit would have sound quality comparable to or better than the older unit. I think the sound quality is much better on the older unit. The warmth of the bass and depth of the tone over all is missing on the TX-8522. Also, (for most people this won't be of concern) there is no stereo/mono switch on the TX-8522 which makes playing old 78 vinyl's annoying coming out of one speaker instead of two (unless I want to dummy wire my 78 cartridge to the inputs vs. the old unit's push button selector). I used the same configuration and location setup for both units when comparing. (speakers: a pair of Infinity Entra Sub Two and a pair of Infinity Alpha; and, two turn tables: Sanyo TP1010 and the Audio-Technica ATPL 120 which I have equipped with a 78 mono cartridge for really old vinyl) and a cd player (Sony CDP-CE375).

I bought my Sony stereo at Circuit City 13 years ago after the 6.6 earthquake in L.A. smashed my old one. I don't think it even has a model number, just a generic all-in-one component-with-speakers deal. But it's served me well all these years.

Now, having moved to a house instead of an apartment, I could finally crank up the music without worrying about crabby neighbors. I think the extra volume blasting was the final nail in the coffin of this poor old guy. He'd been gradually losing clarity all this time, I'm sure, and the dual tape player's wheels just spun around like tires in mud. So when one day the volume dropped out and adjusting the EQ's no longer made a difference, I knew it was time to bite the financial bullet and buy a new stereo.

But shopping in the new millennium for a receiver that was dedicated just to listening to music was a frustrating task! I was overwhelmed by the proliferation of plasma TV home theater setups and stacks of bookshelf/surround sound speakers. Doesn't anybody just listen to music any more without having to have their eyeballs glued to a big screen TV??

I did entertain the notion of getting a monster 1970s Marantz receiver with the hypnotic blue lights and all those wonderful KNOBS but I was worried about old wiring and blowing things up. Plus a mint one is real pricey.

Then I came across this Onkyo TX-8522 and it seemed like a real good deal for under $250 at 100 watts per channel. Another plus was that it was already set up to get XM satellite radio. I was a bit worried about the lack of EQ settings, it having only bass and treble, especially since I was used to having 5 EQ levers to play around with.

I decided to go with the floorstanding 3-way JVC Stadium speakers and the Onkyo DXC390 6-disc CD changer -- another good deal. I ordered everything from Amazon on Friday with just standard shipping and UPS showed up with all my stuff at noon on Tuesday! Luckily I had been forewarned that I'd need my own speaker wires and I had a roll of it stashed away in a drawer. The instructions and diagrams were easy to read and follow.

After carefully hooking everything up I turned the power on. The first thing I noticed was how clear the FM radio stations came in, even without thumbtacking the wire to the wall as suggested in the manual. Lucky for me, as I'm surrounded by trees. I liked the way it automatically found listenable stations that you could preset into memory.

The second thing I noticed, however, was the absence of mid-range. Kind of a bummer. Although I was prepared for this, I thought naively that somehow maybe the speakers would magically make up for this lack (ha ha). But I'll just have to make do until I can get around to getting a USED Onkyo 10+ channel equalizer -- I'm very disappointed to find out that Onkyo no longer carries EQs! Why? Why? I'd much prefer a new one. But I think people's ears have disintegrated from listening to iPods and TV surround sound and the fine tuning of EQ's are becoming a relic of the past...

I also hooked up my old Technics SLBD20 turntable. I thought I'd need a grounding wire for it but there was just a barely perceptible faint hum. (I do have a wire for it but couldn't get the damn grounding screw loose in the back of receiver...need smaller screwdriver...) And I've got to say that listening to my old vinyl records on this system sound great! Especially an old school classic like Alice Cooper's Love it to Death.

So I think my ears are gradually becoming accustomed to the new sound (but I still hanker for that EQ). Especially compared to my old system, I must say that the clarity of sound is like looking out a huge, freshly washed window that hadn't been cleaned for a long time.

Overall, I must say I'm extremely pleased with the quality of this receiver for the price. I saved time, hassle and almost $200 buying online through Amazon -- including shipping -- compared to shlepping around to Best Buy and Circuit City, neither of which had both JVC and Onkyo brands in their overstocked home theater selections.