Which speakers pair well for Onkyo A 9555?


Hi guys! First time poster here.

This is my first time diving around into Hi Fi pool. I am a musician and have been listening to music through my Apogee Duet through my Adam F5's and Audirvana. I decided I wanted to give HiFi a try and started my research based around the fact that a portable DAC would be nice.

When I came to my conclusion that the Herus is what I was looking after reading all of the reviews on it, I learned the with a 3.5mm to RCA interconnect that I would be able to patch it into an integrated amp or preamp/poweramp with great results. I had found a great deal on an Onkyo A 9555 and pulled the trigger after doing some research and it seemed to be a good pick.

TL;DR

Which brings me to now. The Onkyo A 9555 puts out 85w per channel @ 8 ohms and now I would like to find a good pair (open to used) for around $400 USD. I really wanted to try out a pair of the Arcaydis DM1 (great reviews) however it says it's compatible with amplifiers rated between 20 and 80w per channel. The last thing I would want to do is blow out a perfectly good pair (my first of HiFi) on some newbage. Would this be a fine match or what would be some other good recommendations for this power amp? I listen to all types of music and am looking for transparency and realism more than anything (not expecting spectacular at this price point). The seller of the Onkyo offered to sell me a pair of Apogee Centarus Slant 6's (if you are reading this, thank you again!) for a good price. Research tells me that these are good and I'm assuming paired well with the Onkyo considering they were used together. I have no experience with ribbon speakers. If they were bookshelf style speakers, I would be putting them on a pair of IsoAcoustic stands.

Any help would be greatly appreciated from this first time poster! Thank you!

-Bobby
barenas21
Go for the Focals. I had the the Onkyo and I found it to have rolled off highs (without treble control in use,) imo.
The Focal/Onkyo pairing is one I would have high expectations for and want to hear.
^^^
I used my Onkyo with now out-of-production Mirage OMD-15s, which had dual woofers augmented by a passive radiator and a port. The Onkyo controlled this setup very well, while conveying the midrange and treble with transparency without harshness. I can definitely see where Wharfedale Diamond towers would be a good match, and as you say, could provide a fuller sound than the small Focal floorstanders.
Wharfedale are much warmer speakers compared to Focal that are on the brighter end of the spectrum. The Focal 706v, 705v, and 806v are all great speakers. My father-in-law has 706v speakers that sound great.

If you prefer a warm sound, then Wharfdale may be a better option for you.
08-27-14: Mceljo
I love Focal speakers and the Chorus series are closing out so you can find some great deals online. Not sure if $400 will quite cover it without looking, but great speakers if you can find your price.

For example, Focal 714V Tower.

I had an Onkyo A-9555 powering my 2-channel system for four years. It would totally drive these speakers. The Onkyo has very low noise and good dynamics.

Stereophile review
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I love Focal speakers and the Chorus series are closing out so you can find some great deals online. Not sure if $400 will quite cover it without looking, but great speakers if you can find your price.
I ran that amp very successfully with a set of Wharfedale Diamond 9.6's. Easily within your budget used. With that amp they had a great soundstage and a little bit of a darker sound. The high end wasn't sizzly, so fatigue was never an issue. It was y first real "wow" moment in audio.
you will notblow up speakers unless you overdrive them with the volume knob so dont fret that aspect. the choices are limitless. anything with an spl rating over 87 or so will work. it is way too subjective of a question i think.
A pair of Klipsch Heresys or Heresy II's will sound wonderful with your 9555. I have had very good success driving mine with 90's vintage Onkyo/Integra integrated amps and stereo receivers. I personally have not heard the 9555/Heresy combo but know some that have and they are astounded at the sound quality.

Bill
At your price point, I have liked Dali speakers. Currently use the Onkyo with Dali Zensor1, but it has matched well with Dali Ikon 1, and Vienna Haydn speakers.