With a little searching you should be able to find a Yamaha A-S501 under $400. It would take most NADs to school IME.
Integrated or Receiver?
That is the question.
As my luck would have it, my near 30 year old Denon PMA520 integrated amp is apparently on its way out. I've already spent $150 to fix one problem only to have one channel all but vanish (can hear some high end audio but it is faint) and the other channel cuts in and out. Since I had the unit cleaned just a few weeks ago and the noise that had cropped up in deep bass, I would have to believe this is another problem and would require additional servicing at additional cost.
The way I see it, this is throwing good money after bad. Will probably scrap this thing and will buy something new.
Since my budget is going to be under $400 right now thanks to a slew of other expenses that take priority, I am wondering if I should just settle for a basic entry level amp like the Yamaha 301 or Onkyo 9050 or purchase a Receiver from Yamaha or some other company that is fairly inexpensive and use that for a couple of years until I can buy a better integrated amp when I should have more money to budget for it.
Any thoughts on this?
As my luck would have it, my near 30 year old Denon PMA520 integrated amp is apparently on its way out. I've already spent $150 to fix one problem only to have one channel all but vanish (can hear some high end audio but it is faint) and the other channel cuts in and out. Since I had the unit cleaned just a few weeks ago and the noise that had cropped up in deep bass, I would have to believe this is another problem and would require additional servicing at additional cost.
The way I see it, this is throwing good money after bad. Will probably scrap this thing and will buy something new.
Since my budget is going to be under $400 right now thanks to a slew of other expenses that take priority, I am wondering if I should just settle for a basic entry level amp like the Yamaha 301 or Onkyo 9050 or purchase a Receiver from Yamaha or some other company that is fairly inexpensive and use that for a couple of years until I can buy a better integrated amp when I should have more money to budget for it.
Any thoughts on this?
Showing 5 responses by helomech
Yes, I am looking at the new Yamaha stuff now. The Yamaha can handle it. I've used both sets of terminals to bi-wire 4 ohm speakers and it didn't break a sweat. In fact, you want to leave the impedance switch in the 8 ohm position when running such a configuration. Check out this video: http://www.audioholics.com/audio-amplifier/impedance-selector-switch-1 And this one: http://www.audioholics.com/amplifier-reviews/yamaha-a-s801-amplifier-review BTW, the amp section is essentially the same between the 501 and 801. |
@will62 I can't speak for older Yamaha units. I have the A-S500 (501 sans the DAC) and would characterize it as mostly neutral with a sweet top end. It will be mellow with mellow speakers and bright with bright speakers. I've used it with Klipsch Heresy IIIs, Vandersteen 1Cis, Spendor 2/3s, Monitor Audio Silver 8s, Epos Epics, and Stirling LS3/6s ($5500 speakers) just to name a few, and it played well with all of them. It never once got hot. I currently use it to drive a pair of KEF LS50s in a bedroom system. It was surprisingly smooth with the Heresy IIIs, but those are are nothing like the ones of old. Honestly, any SS amp that's warmer than the Yamahas will likely be veiled. There's always a trade off and that's the price for the mellow sound of something like the lower end NADs. I've had a Parasound Halo Integrated in house that was more fatiguing than the Yammy. The Yamahas do take time to break in - about 50 hours before they sound best. Here's a review and measurents of the A-S500, which is the same amp, just without the built-in DAC. http://i.nextmedia.com.au/avhub/australian-hifi_reviews_2014_2014-02_yamaha_as500_amplifier_review_and_test_lores.pdf |
Somehow with the last series or two of amps, Yamaha has changed the sound. I don’t believe they changed the sound much, if at all. One reviewer compared the new A-S2100 to the old CA2010 and claimed they sounded identical. A member of another forum I frequent compared the 501 to his early 90s Yamaha (I forget which model) and claimed they were very close. I think some of the impressions of "bright" sound come from their cheap, BB level AVRs, which do have a "smiley face" EQ curve for home theater applications. When I bought the A-S500, I was replacing a $200 Yamaha AVR. The difference was night and day. I also think these claims are attributable to their accuracy with certain tones, like those from strings and piano. I have guitars, a viola, and an electric piano at home. Though I’m not the musician in my family, I know how instruments are supposed to sound, and the Yamahas nail it better than all other amps I’ve heard fore or since, with the exception of Exposure. Others lack the "air" of real instruments. I think some may mistake this for brightness. Lastly, some amps have an emphasis in the 200 to 500 Hz range that give an impression of warmth. The Parasound Halo does this. It’s slight but definitely there. I think some refer to this as "smooth" or "smoky." What they’re really hearing is an unnatural tonal balance. So when they hear a Yamaha amp through a YouTube video (where I suspect many are getting their "auditions"), they immediately dismiss it as "lean" or "bright." However, if these same folks were to strum a guitar or play a piano prior to their auditions, I have no doubt whatsoever that they’d find the Yamahas produce the more natural sound. I too have a very low tolerance for bright and fatiguing gear. Even though I’ve had subjectively "warmer" amps in my systems, they were far more fatiguing over sustained listening. Since you like your current Yamaha, I have little doubt that you’d have any issues with the new pieces. |