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ONIX OA21 reborn...

madmike

madmike

I feel much better now, I really do...
About May 2016 I purchased an ONIX OA21 amp off cash converters. It was in a bit of a sorry state and I took pity on it. When it arraived I gave it a very brief test and found that the TT input was MC not MM. I didn't have an MC cart then and I still don't now but that may have to change. These were pictures I took then...





I was aware that the boys at ONIX did a free refurb and service on OA21s so that was in the back of my mind.
I sent it away to ONIX about June 2016.

I only got it back today but by golly gosh it was worth the wait.

This is what they did...



During the wait I had use of the latest DNA50 amp, and I received a free ONIX logo coat.

I have to take my hat off to the wonderful guys at ONIX

 
Exciting; How does it sound? Onix actually have my original OA21S, and a second one I had. I stupidly decided to sell them both to Onix when I was lacking funds, not realising how much I'd regret it. I used that OA21S for over 12 years and loved it, so I miss it as a key part of my hi-fi history. I have another OA21 but the sentimental value of the first is still strong. They probably used it as a blueprint to do your service.

I'll be very interested to know how the MC phono card sounds when you do get an MC cart. I have an Onix MC card but I've never used it. The MM stage is superb.
 
Are they still doing this? I have a near mint very late OA21S I would rather like recapped/checked.
 
I will post pictures because it really is just like a new one. I must have the mintiest OA21 in the UK.
Sound wise I have choice to marry it up with Epos 11s or a pair of SBLs. I won't have a phono source until I can find an MC cart. I have an OPPO blu ray which could provide a digital source stream from files or cds.
If you ring them up Tony and ask for Sean they will tell you cos I'm not sure how it stands right now...
 
What an amazing thing for them to do for free!

I've been enjoying a '31 that I bought recently, fortunately not in the same state that you found yours in. No idea the age of mine as there's hardly any info on the web about this model, though I'm sure I read somewhere that it's pretty much a '21 in a standard width box.
 
Wow,
That has answered a massive question for me, as a 16 year old I was sent for an interview at a 1st floor workshop in Sydney St in Brighton where amps were being made. I don't remember how I got the interview probably the job centre tbh I wasn't really interested in working anywhere at the time all I wanted to do was smoke pot, listen to reggae and chase girls. But for some reason that interview always stuck in my mind and now I know I had stumbled into a place of hifi history.
 
PS
I'm going to have to try one now. Who would have thought Onyx in Sydney St, Brighton and Exposure a couple of miles away in North St, Portslade.
 
I've said it before & 'll say it again : my OA21 is the only piece of audio equipment I truly regret selling. I bought it new via The Sound Organisation in 1984, sold it to some Dutch bloke around 2004. It had a special DIN out to my AudioPro sub, fitted at the "factory" - I think the Sound Org arranged a few like this. Drove my Kans so well (Xerxes source)...
 
As a student at Brighton Poly '80 - '83 I spent many happy hours in 'Brighton HiFi'. Craig was happy to lend stuff even though he knew, as a student, I would not be buying the stuff. Got to listen to various ONIX prototypes, he was very proud of the product and pleased that he had a real competitor for Naim. Craig always reminded me of Eric Bristow to the point that my brother always referred to him as Eric between ourselves. My brother was at Poly too, he went on to run both Rogers and Exposure. At Exposure he worked with Tony Brady and to this day he still owns an ONIX OA21.
 
I have a dead one of those sitting in a box, if somebody can PM me contact details, I'll be in touch to get it working again.
 
Onixdna said:
When your unit came to us at ONIX GB nostalgia drove me personally to bring it back , if only as you say "it deserved it" , I am glad you appreciate it.
Click to expand...

What about the 2 x OA21Ss of mine that you have? Any chance of a refurb and re-aquisition of one of those? (I should have known I'd regret selling them! The wisdom of hindsight...)
 
Finally....FINALLY!!!!

My entire ideology of hifi equipment in a single post.
Nice one OnIx.

That 3rd paragraph put a large smile on my face as it is & always will be, the way to design the best hifi.

What a great service BTW
 
Tony Whittle said:
As a student at Brighton Poly '80 - '83 I spent many happy hours in 'Brighton HiFi'.
Click to expand...

I was at Brighton Poly between '83-'87 so just missed you. Which course were you on? I was very happy with the Darth Vader black Roksan Xerxes/RB300/K9/Nait/Kan system I had at the time so spent more time on the beach / in the Royal Escape/similar student places than in hifi stores. Good times!
 
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