Onkyo TX-4500 availability and quality?

bd1886

Super Member
I've been looking around at the different styles of manufactures and the vintage Onkyo TX-4500 has me captivated. Do these come along often and guess the next questions would be concerning parts for 'em? Have any of you guys worked on this series?
 
Excellent receiver, very robust. All I've done is adjust mine. Suitable replacements(barring special FM decoders, multiplexers etc) can be found.
 
Appreciate your responses and looking forward to finding a nice Onkyo. "Under the radar" sure covers some great receivers....low production and surviving examples will make it a little hard still I'd imagine. Half the fun is in the search!
 
Got a 2500 MkII in the garage. Long time ago had a 6500 MkII - on my list of stuff I wished I'd have kept. Now I have to go find an 8500 MkII to make up for it. The 4500 MkII is another great vintage oinker, but I do wish it had pre-out/ main-ins like the 6500Mk II.

As far as it being under the radar....better find one soon. Vintage has sure been discovered.
 
I have a TX-8500 and it definitely a nice looking and sounding vintage receiver. I really like the looks of the Onks from the late 70's.
 
The TX 4500 had a reputation for one of the greatest tuners available at the time. They are not a lot of fun to work on due to short wire and lots of wire wraps that need to be left alone. All the Onks from this era are winners. The TX 6500 MKII is on of the few pieces of equipment that is still on my "find" list.
 
Not a mistake...

Find yourself an Onkyo TX-nn00 MkII receiver. You will not be unhappy. The The 4500, 6500, and 8500 boasted very-good-to-excellent tuners. (As far as receivers were concerned.)

The TX-8500 Mk II offered 160 WPCH in a dual-mono-block configuration. :thmbsp:

Unless you have extremely inefficient speakers in a very large room, the TX-2500 Mk II will do a fine job. Mine is still cranking after 34 years. :yes:

If you just gotta have more... The TX-8500 Mk II will rock the house. :yes:

Good luck, and happy hunting!
 
Please look at my very strange but true story in general audio bout 2 or 3 pages in or so , a reply to Onkyo Tx5000 should tell you about quality of Tx4500 :yes:
 
Onkyo is among the hardest brands to buy lamps for, otherwise probably nice gear!!

I WAS going to say "not true" talk to dgwojo, then I noticed who wrote this. :D

Like others have said, look for the MKii ones, they are "upgraded" with more power.
Great units, very pretty once you fix the lamps.

Here is a TX-4500 MKii I relamped. BTW, the 4500 is much easier to relamp than the 2500.

picture.php
 
What is the difference between the 4500 and the 4500 MK II ? I have a 4500 myself, seems to be holding up fairly well other than the lamps. Its totally untouched, at least by me.
 
I have a TX-2500MkII and a TX-4500MkII and I really like them. I got the 4500 for a real good price on CL and Dgwojo got me a full set of lamps for the thing. They look great by the way. Thanks, Dgwojo. I'll put up a photo when I get a chance on my other thread about that receiver.

So anyway consider this a "+1" for Onkyos.
 
I don't think you can go wrong with any of the TX x500 series, either MK II or non.
They all are built like tanks and have excellent phono sections.
If I had to pick one vintage receiver as the best value it would be the TX 2500 MK II. They not only look and sound fantastic, but they come up for under $50. With the right speaker, those 40 WPC gems will surprise most anyone. I've had mine for over 30 years and never had the cover off, despite years of juvenile abuse. Listening to the 6500 MK II with some Polk 7b's as I type.
 
Found one at the SA.....$65

Knew NOTHING about these... but could just "tell" it was a worthy contender from the looks and the WEIGHT.
Was a good deal for the money imo..
Oh yea....Mine needs lights...too





IMG_2123.jpg




OnkyoTX4500mkii.jpg
 
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I have the 2500mkll and the 6500 mkll. I think, lit, they are more handsome than my Pioneers. Whenever I think of paring down, along comes a thread like this, and sanity returns. Great pics.
 
I WAS going to say "not true" talk to dgwojo, then I noticed who wrote this. :D

Like others have said, look for the MKii ones, they are "upgraded" with more power.
Great units, very pretty once you fix the lamps.

Here is a TX-4500 MKii I relamped. BTW, the 4500 is much easier to relamp than the 2500.

picture.php

From my own experience with original TX 4500, which I have, and his Mk II younger brother ( I had it for three months ) original sounded better on several speakers, at least to my ears. Both units were in excellent condition and adjusted to factory specs. Other than that , 4500 MK II has lost pre-out / main-in outputs and wood cabinet gone in favor of vinyl covered metal. It however got + 10W/ch while loosing 1kg, receiver wars fashion I guess.
Nothing particularly wrong with Mk II but I simply did not find a reason to keep it along big daddy :thmbsp:. One of the original TX line designers opinion on the subject- I quote Tom Ishimoto : I had no hand in the MK II product line but I do own the TX4500 MkII which, in my eyes, is a less expensive replica of the original TX4500. I was not fond of the transistors in the mkII series nor the cheesy metal cabinet with the wood grain imprinted on it.
I am still on a hunt for the original TX 8500, on the absolute top of my wish list.
 
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Still have my TX-4500Mk2 some 30 years later even after being superceded by high end seperates, just can't part with it, it's just that good, excellent phono and tuner, other than a couple bulbs out never a problem. Agree that if you can snag a series one/1 they have an edge over the two/2. God only knows what something new would cost that could match these old Onkyos.,
 
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