Price Paid:  $600.00 from J & R

Summary:
This is one of the most underated Intergrated Amps out there. For the price I don't think there is anything else that can match it. The bottom line of course is the sound and for my ears it might not be the so called high end but it is pretty damn close. Good recordings are produced to their fullest and I can go on listening for hours without fatigue. I feel that the sound is warm with a good soundstage,a surprisingly extended bass considering it's output ( 80W per ch. ), and clear highs although some recordings can be a bit thin and bright. For those I use the tone controls and can say they will make most of my CD's listenable, even the real bad ones with just minor adjustments. I would match it up with good components and stay away from the mid-fi junk like I have, you'll be surprised at what you will hear from this component and can honestly say this is one of audio's best kept secrets. Thank you Onkyo for giving us a very satisfying product without breaking the bank.

Associated Equipment:
Denon DCM-460 CD Player
Musical Fidelity X-DAC
Musical Fidelity X-PSU
Monarchy Audio DIP
Sony KC-KA2ES Cassette Deck
PSB Silveri Speakers
MIT terminater 3 Interconnects
Audioquest Slate Bi-wire Speaker cable

Strengths:
Build quality, remote control, Headphone jack and of course the sound for the price

Weaknesses:
Needs to be matched with quality components, anything else will degrade the sound drastically ( I found this out myself )

Similar Products Used:
This is My first Intergrated , was using seperates( Cambridge Audio Pre W/Onkyo amp )

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Straight out of the box this amp impressed me with good frequency extension and a generally smooth and lush sound. There was however a silvery texture to the high frequencies but this disappeared after several days of keeping the amp powered on with music running through it. But there was something about the amp that didn’t sound right. I then compared it with a fairly inexpensive but good Rotel RB971 power amp and a more expensive older model Luxman RV371 surround amp. What became apparent to my father (a non hifi enthusiast) and I was that the 9711 amp was not musically involving -- it didn’t reach out and pull you into the music. It was as if the music, no matter how loud you played it, was hanging in the background in a two dimensional plane. The other two amps had more rhythm and pace, which gave a more ‘toe-tapping’ experience. The midband frequencies also seemed recessed and as if they were covered with a veil. This made vocals, especially Diana Krall’s, less sensual and detailed.

Without looking inside, the amp seems solidly built and is reasonably heavy for an 80 watt RMS per channel amp. The control panel layout is practical and typical of a mid priced amp – bass & treble tone; record selector; attenuator (20db); Speaker A or B or both and off; CD direct. There is also a remote control, which looks fairly standard. The power cord is not detachable.

The 9711 is not a bad amp and if you compare to food, it reminds me of a McDonald’s hamburger - non offensive taste (sound) that appeals to much of the mass market. If you prefer a bit of spice and flavour with your music then look elsewhere.

Strengths:
Good frequency extension; low level dynamics; unfatiguing sound; external build

Weaknesses:
Un-involving sound reproduction; not rhythmic; recessed midband frequencies; lacks pace and timing; no preamp outputs.

Similar Products Used:
Rotel RB971; Luxman RV371; Yamaha DSP-A1

Price Paid:  $500.00

Summary:
I had to get a separate DAC (s700 Cambrdige audio) to smooth the sound I get from the match described above, as the cd spinner (nowadays) onkyo 7511, and this amp and the b&w's combined produced a rather sharp sound with some recordings.

Best for the buck!

Strengths:
Immense power reserves, remote, build quality, reliability

Weaknesses:
occasionally shrilling highs when matched with b&w nautilus's

Similar Products Used:
onkyo receivers, pioneer a616

Price Paid:  $700.00 from JB Hi Fi Melbourne Australia

Summary:
I bought the A9711 after auditioning it. It had received a favourable review followed by a major award in a local hi fi publication. It's physically fairly imposing with, to my eyes, a neat fascia design.
After a reasonably quick settling-in period it has pleased me with it's performance.I use it with a Marantz 63Mk11 KI Signature CD player. Connections are cable talk 2.1. I've tried several other 'upper budget' interconnects, QED / Supra / Monster etc. My ears (and CD/amp combo) like the Cable Talk.
I drive locally made Orpheus CS28 speakers, modified by the manufacturer with Hovland silver capacitors in the high frequency section of the cross over, plus Cardas upgraded wiring throughout. These are a small/medium sized floorstander, twin bass/mid drivers plus tweeter mounted D'Appolita style. Kind of similar in size & external appearance to Tannoy's R2's I guess, though the Orpheus are better built and finished & use SEAS drivers throughout.

I use twin runs of QED Silver Anniversary speaker cable, run from the A/B speaker outlets on the Onkyo. The speakers are mounted on spikes atop small concrete paving stones on a heavily carpeted, suspended wooden floor.

I also own a pair of Sennheiser HD 600 headphones which I run from the Onkyo's headphone outlet. The outlet's not bad, better by a mile than the Marantz outlet, but I'm looking for a better, dedicated headphone amplifier. Not MF X-Cans!I tried the V2 and didn't think the improvement justified the price compared to what I'm already hearing from the A9711. Better? yes, but at nearly $600Aus - the local price -significantly better? I didn't think so.

My listening room is about 6m x 5m with 4m ceilings. I'm in a small block of apartments so I don't get to crank the volume quite as loudly as I might in better circumstances - at least, not after 9pm! I like my neighbours. Hence the HD 600's!

All told, I'm pleased with the A9711. One always has to be realistic, it is basically a 'budget' amp after all. I'm looking to upgrade to something 'better'. Trouble is I'm having a hard time finding something substantially better without having to spend more than I consider 'reasonable', that is, up to say $2k US or nearly $4k Australian.

The Onkyo sounds clean, delivers plenty of power to my medium efficiency 4ohm speakers and has never once faltered. The only time I've switched it off since owning it was to move apartments, just before Christmas. Once back to it's full operating temperature it was business as usual.

I work in the record business and I really do listen to all types of music. The Onkyo seems to handle all genres with ease.

I believe that exceptional 'real-world' results can be had for a reasonable outlay if careful component matching is made.

I'd recommend the Onkyo A9711 as worthy of consideration to anyone in the market for a similarly priced integrated amplifier.

The Onkyo web-site is informative and worth a visit if you're seriously considering one of their products. There's quite a bit of technical information regarding the A9711 - design wise it is not an ordinary budget amp! Check out the site.

I'd have preferred to rate the sound and then overall value, but that option isn't clearly available. Consequently I rate the Onkyo A9711 5 stars for value and 4 stars overall.

Strengths:
Decent sound for price.Remote volume and input select. Reasonable input flexibilty.Source direct facility. Plenty of power.

Weaknesses:
Ultimately still a 'budget'amp.

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha. Nakamichi. NAD. Cambridge Audio. Leak etc