Yamaha Audio A-S301BL Natural Sound Integrated Stereo Amplifier (Black)

The Yamaha A-S801SL is a fantastic integrated stereo amplifier. I am not exaggerating when I say that you will need to spend 2-3x more to get something better due to Hi-Fi diminishing returns. Clean, powerful, pretty linear/neutral, excellent sound-stage and separation, with good detail retrieval. Plenty of input options, the silver unit looks great, and has a nice build quality. The real gem here is the USB connection for a PC or streamer. I've read some of the other reviews about low loudness/SPL and lack of bass. I can assure you that the A-S801 has plenty of power (the power ratings are conservative, it's actually about 105 watts/channel into 8-ohms, and 150+ into 4-ohms) and it has tight/punchy bass, so I have a few thoughts... 1. Make sure that your streamer or source device is at 100% output volume. 2. Double-check your speaker wire/connection polarities and subwoofer phase if you're using a sub. 3. Many people are used to compressed music and over-emphasized, bloated bass. Use CD-quality or higher music and then allow some time to get used to how music should sound. Overall, I'm extremely happy that I got this unit for $799 during Black Friday, it's a steal at that price. I'm going back and playing my CD collection as well as streaming hi-res music from Qobuz via my Wiim Ultra, which is a superb combination. Curiously, USPS was chosen for the last mile of delivery, and that was a disaster. The package was dropped off by Amazon on-time with USPS in my city and was to be delivered later that day. But it was not delivered. Three days elapsed and USPS sent it to another city, then they sent it back to Denver (from which it had already transited), at which point it seemed like it was lost, before it found its way back to my city a second time. I cannot say anything positive for USPS. Amazon customer service was great though.

I love this amp. It drives my speakers well. I’m very happy with the sound. It has great input variety. I like that it has 2 tape loops. I use one to feed the signal to my headphone amp. When I do that, I can turn off the signal to the speakers on the yamaha and use it as an input selector. I think it is good that it has tone controls as an option even though I don’t really use them at the moment. The remote feels great too. And it looks great!

This review is for Yamaha A-S801 model. Got it yesterday, and LOVE it. What a difference! This Yamaha is meant to replace my old TEAC AH-300, which was purchased 15 years ago as part of the TEAC mini-system. Came highly recommended by What Hi-Fi magazine at the time, and considered entry-level audiophile quality. I used it with Mission 700 speakers, also highly recommended by What Hi-Fi. Speakers are still the same, but the difference is stunning! Now, TEAC was much less powerful, at 35W per channel at 8Ohms, whereis Yamaha produces 100W at the same level. But if you would assume it got "louder" you would be wrong. The difference is not in loudness, it is in the detail. Yamaha opened a whole new sound-stage, several new dimensions in the music field. Everything sounds different now! Music got volume, and same old speakers produce quality I did not know they were capable of. To say I am "please" is not to say anything. Night and day. Highly recommended for all true music lovers! UPDATE: After a month of use I love this amp even more. In fact, I have updated my entire system, and tried different connections, so there is some new info I wanted to share. First of all, in addition to my good old Mission 700s I got two new floorstanding speakers, Dali Zensor 7, and a sub, B&W ASW610. Missions now serve as a back speakers, Dalis are in the front. Second, I have tried three types of sources for music: CD player (Marantz CD 6005, which has raving reviews), internet stream from Tidal (comes via USB cable from my computer) and playing CD's on the computer drive (also connected via the same USB cable). Here are the results: 1) Best sound by FAR comes from using computer drive for CDs via USB cable. 2.) Almost as good, but not quite, is streaming from Tidal (FLAC files, lossless quality) using Yamaha Steinberg USB driver and USB cable. 3) CD player, when connected via analogue cables, is inferior to the above. Why? Simple answer is - DA conversion. Not only Yamaha has a great DA converter (what they say here is true - SABRE Premier Audio DAC from ESS Technology, Inc is one of the best on the market today), but when you transfer data via USB cable it virtually eliminates jitter. And jitter is the MAJOR source of problems. Simply put, when you send raw data via USB it makes no difference what the source is - as long as data is not compressed, it is all the same. Problems begin when DA begins the conversion from Digital to Analogue. Most cheap CD players to poor job; computers do even worse job. SO when you get analogue out, it carries crappy signal and amp simply amplifies it. Amp itself cannot "clean up" the analogue signal; it can make it worse, but not better. The best it can do is to preserve it. For internal converter situation is different. Yamaha uses internal master clock, which "times" data correctly for the DA, and then DA transfers data from digital to analogue with beauty and clarity which is truly amazing. Can it be done by the CD player? Perhaps, if you spend 10000 dollars on the machine, it will have the same result. Do you want to? Its not that signal coming from a CD player via analogue connection is "bad", its just that it is not as good, not for a true audiophile. For anyone who wants to experience truly amazing sound, I would highly advise to AVOID analogue connections (RCA) at all costs. Simply forget about them. What about digital coax and optical? Well, it is better, but still there is a problem. If you use them, you do take advantage of Yamaha's SABRE DA converter, which is, again, great. BUT, you do not have advantage of using the internal master clock. Digital signal transferred via optical or digital coax has its own timing, which may be jittery. Now here it depends on the source: if you are using high quality CD player, timing may be precise and quality just as good. If not, - you will have problems. Question is - why bother, if your computer can work better and most likely will not cost you extra? In conclusion, I will highly recommend not just any model, but Yamaha A-S 801. This is the only model with built in USB DA converter, and the value of this small addition is ENORMOUS: when connected via USB it truly gives you the quality of 10 000 dollar CD player. I am not even mentioning the advantages of streaming, with its instant access to millions of CDs at a click of a mouse. Good job, Yamaha!

This is a superb integrated amplifier, unfortunately the rec out selector was removed, still is of a high quality and of excellent performance. Supernatural sound and a lot of power that makes your neighbors complain. It handles very well your analog and digital sources in a way that will satisfy both tastes of music. Two thumbs down for those who gave this amp a lower review than 5 stars, there is no reason for that. Yamaha has built a great reputation through time and this machine is a legacy of this. Great, great, great and it comes with the highest recommendation.

Not bad

I just love it I have used it for two weeks so glad I got it in silver. I’ve got a project tube phono box I use for vinyl and my cheap cd player has never sounded this good. I plug my iPad into the usb and I think it has a cleaner sound than my cd player. It shipped the same day I bought it & it came double boxed. Great price and great seller. Thanks

Me tomé mi tiempo para probar este amplificador. Llevo más de 2 meses con él, y puedo decir que es una excelente opción para un sistema HI-RES, suena excelente, y la nitidez del sonido es maravillosa. Lo uso con unas bocinas de torre Polk XT70 y las "llena" completamente. Para una habitación de 4x8 metros sinceramente nunca paso más de la mitad del volumen que da el amplificador, por lo que después de algunas horas de uso apenas y se calienta, usandolo a 8 ohms, aún así opte por comprarle un extractor de aire para disipar el calor. Me encanta el hecho de que se pueda conectar un segundo par de bocinas, y hacer sonar las 4 bocinas al mismo tiempo, o elegir a qué canal mandar el audio. Cómo tip, para sacarle el mayor provecho a este amplificador es muy importante que todo el sistema sea de alta fidelidad: audio lossless, DAC externo, cableado y bocinas. También recomiendo comprar un regulador de voltaje de alta capacidad, ya que acá en México existen muchas variaciones de voltaje que pueden afectar al equipo. Sinceramente, estoy muy feliz con esta compra, ya que por primera vez puedo escuchar música en alta fidelidad, es como pasar del blanco y negro a un mundo lleno de colores. YAMAHA es sinónimo de calidad, por lo que lo recomiendo 100%, sin ninguna duda.

Excelente amplificador. Recomendo-o a todos.

Excellent, Thank you.