Summary – Onkyo M-5010 Stereo Receiver
The Onkyo M-5010 is primarily designed to be an amp-only stereo receiver with no tonal controls – it offers amazing sound amplification if you are looking for a simplistic setup for your stereo speakers. The M-5010 features two 75 watt RMS channels at 8 ohms with 0.08% total harmonic distortion. This stereo receiver features Onkyo’s three-stage inverted Darlington Circuitry which makes it well suited to handle fast-changing dynamics in movie soundtracks while retaining good audio sensitivity to deliver nuanced and musical performances. It is capable of supporting multi-zone audio with other Onkyo A/V receivers with the ability to daisy-chain with additional M-5010s for bi-amping or multi-zone audio. The receiver comes with an impedance selector switch (4-8 ohms and 8-16 ohms) which is useful depending on the stereo speaker impedance rating. The entire receiver is built around a thick anti-resonant metal chassis with aluminium faceplate for extra vibration resistance. It’s one of the best stereo receivers you can find if you are looking for a simplistic setup without any tonal or balance controls and we highly recommend them.
The Pros & Cons
The Pros. The M-5010 can produce up to 75 watts RMS per channel at 8 ohms with a 0.08% THD rating. It is also capable of supporting multi-zone audio and daisy chain with additional M-5010 for a wider soundstage. The volume on the M-5010 can get very loud and they can easily drive high-end stereo speakers without any distortion in sound performance. It also has a pretty sleek and unique design that looks really nice in an audio setup.
The Cons. The Onkyo M-5010 lacks balance and tonal controls which make them suitable as an amp-only stereo receiver.
Sound Performance
The sound performance of the Onkyo M-5010 is sublime and runs quietly when turned on. The receiver does not produce any distortion at all and we did not experience any signal distortion while playing music through the receiver. The volume on the M-5010 can get extremely loud – you get plenty of volume with this receiver just by turning the knob to the halfway point. The sound accuracy that you get with the M-5010 is incredible – the attention to detail in every soundtrack is just amazing. It also has a great sound response to it – the receiver adds a nice punchy low end with crisp highs with a full midrange that sounds sublime. Jazz performances sounded natural and lifelike, with great spatial imaging and stereo separation between the left and right channels. The M-5010 excels in delivery superb audio clarity and no-frills sound amplification. You can also pair setup this with your home theater system with the M-5010 connected to your front channel speakers for extra power. Our overall assessment is that the M-5010 does provide very good power and sound quality with very clean amplification.
Design
The Onkyo M-5010 features a very sleek and minimalist design that blends well with modern home décor. It looks great when placed next to a TV or stereo system. The blue LED indicator light at the front center of the receiver looks great and indicates when the receiver is turned on or off. The M-5010 also comes with a great many features including an aluminium heat sink, large 10,000 uF capacitators, and quality copper bus bars for superior grounding. The receiver comes with all the features you need for improved responsiveness and sound clarity including a 12V trigger switch, banana-plug compatible speaker binding posts and multi-zone audio connections. This is especially useful if you need to connect multiple stereo speakers to the M-5010 for multiple rooms. We also liked the fact that you can daisy chain additional M-5010s for bi-amping or multi-zone audio if you want sound in multiple rooms.
The Verdict?
The Onkyo M-5010 is a highly value for money amp-only receiver that delivers excellent sound performance. The receiver delivers a nice 75 watts RMS per channel at 8 ohms impedance with a 0.08% total harmonic distortion rating which is really good – you get virtually distortion-free clean sound with this receiver. The volume control is sensitive and can get really loud – it has plenty of power to go around and can easily drive mid-tier stereo speakers to produce rich room-filling sound. We also liked the fact that the M-5010 supports multi-zone audio with daisy-chain capabilities which is great if you want to connect multiple stereo speakers for multi-room listening. The receiver features a very sleek and cool design with an aluminium heat sink and large capacitators for improved sound clarity. Music performances on the M-5010 sounded extremely crisp and clear, with great depth and nice stereo imaging. It’s one of the best stereo receivers you can find if you want no-frills sound amplification without any tonal or balance controls and just want pure volume to go with your stereo setup.
Be sure to also check out our updated list of best stereo receivers you can find that delivers great sound performance at a very good price point.