Sony TA-N9000ES

Heir to the... nothing !
Sony's first truly dedicated multi-channel surround-sound power amplifier, made to match the TA-E9000ES digital multi-channel preamplifier.

Sony heads will naturally compare the inside of this 5-channel amp with well-known bestsellers such as the TA-N77ES or TA-N80ES.
And this is where it may hurt a little : with a smaller power-supply and less capacitors, how can the N9000ES power FIVE channels while its two-channel predecessors needed much more to feed TWO measly stereo channels ?

There is no answer to this.
Or, more precisely : it may be a bit of a deception as power rating is much lower than that of either 1980s oldies :
5x 140W (8Ohm) or 5x 130W (4 Ohm).

The BTL mode for using front channels only gives 2x 210W (L/R, 8 Ohm) and 1x 140W (center, 8 Ohm).
Measured performance is however closer to 2x 150W (L/R, 8 Ohm) or 5x 100W (8 Ohm)...
Japanese listprice was at 150,000¥ in 1999 - 50k¥ less than the TA-E9000ES or the contemporary TA-FA777ES.

The transformer is nevertheless a "Stress Free, Linear Core" of the "EI" kind, said to be the biggest ever put in such a multi-channel amplifier (in 1998)...
Power transistors are of the MELF kind (metal electrode leadless face), custom Darlington output transistors and emitter resistors were Sony-developed (but Sanken-made). Basic circuits are Sony's staple Legato Linear and Spontaneous Twin Drive.
Square-wave measurement shows only 5% disformation at 40Hz and 3% at 1Khz ; distortion is venishingly low, peaking at 0,005% at 1Khz ; s/n ratio sets at 115dB (103dB unweighted).


Today, N9000ES go for fairly little money (and there are many of them around) so this may be a better investment today than it was ten years ago. Especially when teamed with the TA-P9000ES with its four analogue inputs and beautiful (copper-plated) construction and power-supply :)


Technical details, specifications and images which my japanese catalgs do not show or talk about right here.

- TA-P9000ES
- TA-N9000ES.