Onkyo 8850 a Quadral Amun MK4

Dear friends, it has already been a year (since early December 2023) since I acquired an Onkyo 8850 amplifier and Quadral Amun MK4 speakers—both second-hand. Upon receiving them, I was slightly disappointed by the amplifier’s sound; the overall presentation was flat and lackluster—nothing that really stirred the soul. (Admittedly, I only had the chance to hear it with the Quadral speakers I had purchased at the time, which weren’t exactly in proper working order—as I mention below.)
So, the assessment can’t be entirely objective; plus, the speaker cables I had were more like telephone wires than quality speaker cables…
The speakers’ performance wasn’t great either, as the tweeter in one of the floor-standing units wasn’t working, making listening not just limited, but nearly impossible…
/Note: The original tweeters were replaced with new Dayton Audio DC28FT units,
along with a new crossover design, measurements, and assembly./
And so, I decided to load the newly acquired gear into my car and drive about 100 km to see Mr. Janečka.
His workshop work wasn’t lightning-fast, but—true to the saying “good things come to those who wait”—it really paid off. (…After all, a pregnancy takes nine months and can’t be rushed, yet the final result is (often) truly worth it…)
That was certainly the case for me: after about three months of comprehensive work on both the speakers and the amplifier, the result arrived—and it was worth it!
Since I had taken two components to Mr. Janečka, I can’t evaluate their individual performance separately after the refurbishment/modification; instead, I’ve approached my mini-review by looking at the amplifier, speaker cables, and speakers as a single system.
As I am a fan of LPs… I put the LP *V. Zahradník: Jazz Goes to Beat* (Supraphon, 1969) on the turntable, and the result was truly worth it: the performance was excellent, precise, and sonically vivid—yet never shrill, fatiguing, or painful. It was simply ideal; the record played exactly as it had been recorded.
After the finale of “California Dreamin’,” I felt an urge to stand up and personally shake the hands of the musicians involved; the performance was compelling and rich, offering a soundstage with depth—extending not just from left to right, but also from front to back.
Recordings of other jazz works and classical music sounded equally impressive—revealing so much detail that one could practically see the color of the conductor’s shoelaces…
To sum up: Mr. Janečka did a perfect job. Even after a year of “living” with the equipment, the system and the listening experience (primarily LPs) still give me the same thrill I felt on that very first night I took delivery of it.
My heartfelt thanks go to the master craftsman Mr. Janečka. I wish him continued enthusiasm in his work, so that through his artistry and technical skill, he may bring a touch of musical art—in the form of pure tones—into the homes of listeners, including those who might not be die-hard audiophiles or purists.