Since the iconic audio company announced its comeback and rebranding in December, we’ve been waiting with bated breath to see what Onkyo has is store for us at CES 2025. The wait is finally over, and in addition to a range of beautiful-looking Creator Series powered speakers, the 77-year-old company today announced three new amplifiers dubbed the Icon Series. The Icon P-80 Network Preamplifier ($2,000), M-80 Power Amplifier ($2,000), and the A-50 Network Integrated Amplifier ($1,500) are all slated to hit stores in the fourth quarter of this year.
Aimed squarely at audiophiles, Onkyo says that the Icon Series is designed to “deliver powerful, pure sound through exquisitely designed modern chassis that house advanced technologies for superior audio performance,” according to a CES 2025 press release. We’re hoping to get eyes on the new hardware from the CES show floor, but the images they sent present some elegant-looking units.
Onkyo has packed in some modern audio tech across the range, including Dirac Live Room Correction in the P-80 preamplifier and A-50 network integrated amplifier, as well as a new “Premium Stereo DAC AK4452” in both devices that supports 32-bit/768kHz and that Onkyo says is for low distortion.
And being the audio pioneers that they are, Onkyo has also developed proprietary new Dynamic Intermodulation Distortion Reduction Circuity (DIDRC) that the company says is designed to improve and stabilize the sound of analog audio signals, like turntables. While full details on all three Icon Series components are as yet unknown, here’s what we know so far:
The Icon P-80 2-Channel HiFi Network Pre-Amplifier (its full name) is a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capable network preamplifier that features, as mentioned above, the standard limited bandwidth version of Dirac Live Room Correction that allows frequency correction for 20Hz to 500Hz, as well as Onkyo’s new DIDRC tech.
While the specs don’t list out all the inputs outside of HDMI ARC and support for both MM and MC phono cartridges, the images supplied show input selectors for a CD player, optical, USB, and two analog inputs. Being a network preamp, the P-80 supports AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Roon Ready, allowing seamless connection to all the major streaming services, such as Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Amazon Music, TuneIn, and QQ Music. They are controllable through Onkyo’s Controller app. The P-80 is available in black and silver finishes.
The Icon M-80 2-Channel HiFi Power Amplifier is a Symmetrical Class AB amplifier that delivers a beastly 200 watts per channel of power into 4-ohm speakers or 150 watts into 8-ohm speakers. It features a fa-less design to reduce noise and an “extrusion aluminum heat sink” that Onkyo says is designed to suppress vibrations for pristine sound.
Most strikingly, though, is the M-80’s gorgeously glowing retro VU meters on its aluminum face. The M-80 is available in black and silver finishes.
Last but not least in the Icon Series is the Onkyo Icon A-50 2-Channel HiFi Integrated Amplifier, a Symmetrical Class AB amplifier that pushes a 180 watts per channel at 4 ohms or 140 watts into 8 ohms. Onkyo says it “drives high current signals with minimal distortion for clear and strong content just as the creator intended.”
The M-80 comes with Dirac Live with the option to get the full bandwidth version, and features the same DAC as the P-80 for excellent distortion-free sound.
Again, while full specs are not yet available, the A-50 appears to have the same input selections on its selector dial, including TV (with HDMI ARC listed in the specs), support for MM and MC phono cartridges, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, optical, CD, USB, and two additional analog inputs. It’s also AirPlay 2 and Google Cast compatible, and is Roon Ready, too.
Being a network amplifier, the Onkyo A-50 streams music content from several built-in services, including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Amazon Music, QQ Music, and TuneIn. Like the M-80 all this is controllable with the Onkyo Controller app.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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