It will require a preamplififer and cannot be used as a standard integrated amp. I am using a Pioneer vsx 510 av amp to drive a pair of Mordaunt Short avant 904i speakers . Great review. Hi. I would be connecting the amplifier to my audio technica lp120 turntable which has a phono level built in. The Yamaha doesn't over reach itself, trying to bite off more than it can chew and the result is that what you do get is very well digested. I don’t know about the amp, but is it compatible? It’s worth noting that the recording output is just that – a single output. From the moment I unboxed the Yamaha A-S801 integrated amp, I realized I was dealing with a serious product that would earn many points with audiophiles. i play music from my computer, maybe that is the case. The only thing is that I have to turn the amp to at least 50 out of 100 to get a listenable volume. They certainly are a good match Ashley. Please tell me if this is better match. I certainly haven’t, and wouldn’t. I am focused on CA CX-A60, CA Azur 651W, YAMAHA A-S501 or some NAD. Any help would be appreciated! Otherwise at least a Yamaha A-S501, if not the A-S701. It would run them, but I’d recommend stepping up to a 301. Because you’re not splitting the crossover of the speaker. Yamaha A-S801 Integrated Amplifier YouTube Video Review. The same can be said for the sleep timer, and the control giving access the options menu. True, tonally the Yamaha lacks variety and much in the way of colour, but its basic default position is slightly warm and woolly and that makes everything sound agreeable. I mean music compatible? With 8 ohm 90db speakers this amp sounds brilliant! Yamaha R-S201's rear panel Yamaha . By What Hi-Fi? Great website by the way, very usefull! My source is A pc with a 1TB HDD cast to a Panasonic BDT 120. Perhaps it would be better to ditch the digital controls – and simply use good old potentiometers instead. Best wishes to you. Pressing the pure direct button to the right of the source controls disables the tone controls for a cleaner signal and thus better sound quality. Very useful review. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Yes ive checked connections and they are ok. bi-wire model. Having worked for Yamaha R&D in Pro Audio (many years back), and having been a fan of Yamaha AV equipment and guitars, I am now only able to afford the low end stuff- due to major life challenges. Compra verificada. All the best. The 7.4s deserve a better amp. There are no easy ways to measure these, but suffice it to say that 1 20W amp isn’t necessarily the equal of another. Spin Pink Floyd’s ‘money’, and you’re rewarded with a beautifully wide sound stage. Natural sound is a term Yamaha use to describe many of their hi-fi products. Best Hi fi amplifier: Yamaha A-S201 reviews & Prices One of the best manufacturers of Hi – Fi amplifiers is Yamaha and therefore, its product A – S201 has the same level of quality and performance as its other products, so we recommend keeping it in sight. Interesting, this. £800 may seem like a lot of money for this two-box system, but when you see what you get it's a steal Yamaha RX-V3067 review. As with many modern amplifiers, the A-S201 uses a digital volume control – however, Yamaha have put a great deal of thought into the feel of the controls – and it shows. My budget is about 1000 EUR. How loud are you playing? THD 0.2% @ 50w into 8ohms. Any amount is gratefully received! Arguably one of the most prestigious brands in the music and audiovisual industry, to summarise Yamaha’s musical heritage would require a review in itself. If you enjoy the content on this site and want to help us stay online, please consider making a donation. The A-S201 sits in a price bracket where first-time buyers or people who simply don’t care buy their amp based purely on the specification and to that end Yamaha market the 201 as a 100W amp, which it can achieve albeit with a lot of distortion. This requires the remote – which is disappointing. Will my R-S 201 Yamaha accept banana plugs in the receiver speaker connections? 90% on a Cambridge 840A should be extremely loud. They do a hyperelliptical too which is even better. Also if you know about a budget sub (max USD/EUR 150). Of course, power isn’t just about going loud; a high power amplifier is able to more easily cope with large dynamic swings in music – such as large orchestras or heavy bass notes. my bad, in that case it won’t directly. The concept of ‘natural sound’ is, quite literally, to amplify the sound with as little colouration as possible, remaining faithful to the artists performance. I still feel I’ll be happy although at times bass lovers seem to not like the zensors. Did somebody tried to pair these with famous Yamaha ns10 speakers? I would like to pair this AS-201 to dali zensor 1 . I’ve stuck with the 201. All controls, from power to volume and tone, are fully digital, meaning they can be controlled either using the front panel controls or the remote. Hi again Ashley, Hi! A moving magnet phono stage is included, and the amp features a power management function that can switch it off at a preset time (2, 4, 8 or 12 hours) if desired. either will work fine, though I’d upgrade to the 301 amp if you can. Although not powerful by the standards of the group - only the NAD D 3020 seems less potent - again within its performance envelope it is convincing. The speaker terminals are also a little flimsy – and the capped ends are an annoyance for anyone using banana plugs. Note: I’m trying not to spend more than 150€. The A-s201 is a solidly built, well-specified amplifier for very little cash. But in an average environment with suitable speakers, you’re unlikely to need anywhere near 50W, let alone 100W. Low standby power use is also claimed. You can add fantastic sound, and an excellent built-in phono stage too. A musician, occasional producer and sound engineer, other hobbies include software programming, web development, long walks and occasional DIY. As has been pointed out below in the comments, the A-S201 delivers 100W at 10%THD which is rather high. How do you think this compares to the Cambridge Audio Topaz SR10 Receiver? Not a good idea at all, the Onkyo is a better amp than the Yamaha. I will see if I can get one in for a more comprehensive review. The new A-S201 is an evolution of its S200 entry-level integrated amplifier, and has been designed with convenience in mind as it moves away from the more retro-styled gear of the past few years. The built-in phono stage is excellent. The R-S201 has spring clip connectors. Zhank, Firstly, the 651W is a power amplifier. Reason that im asking this is that even with cambridge amp im still raising volume to over 90% on Mercurys. On first appearance, the GBP560 Yamaha A-S701 amplifier featured here could easily have been mistaken for a product of that age; our review sample's aluminium frontage has even been finished in the then-trendy black (silver can be found as an alternative). Thanks! Could you do a review of that Amplifier? Hello, of course I watched A-S501 as better amp, but a propper budget is the limited factor; I have awsome vintage amp Toshiba SB-115 25W/8Ohm and it seems to me that ca easily drive my speakers then A-S201 ; Thank you anyway; Yes it is! Will it work well with Castle Knight 1 speakers? An avid vinyl collector and coffee addict, I can often be found at a workbench tinkering with a faulty electronic device, tweaking a turntable to extract the last bit of detail from those tiny grooves in the plastic stuff, or relaxing in front of the hi-fi with a good album. If those things don’t work I’m running out of suggestions. No, you can’t use these 2 amps to bi-amp. Once the music gets going you won’t notice it – but it’s worth noting if your speakers are particularly efficient. The most obvious feature of the front panel is the large volume control. Do you think these are going to be a good match and work well, and which speaker choice will be best? Thanks Ashley. I’d go for something like a CA CXA80, Yamaha A-S701, marantz PM-8005. I like that the A-S201 has physical buttons rather than a click wheel to select the source – that being said, it would be nice to see direct access buttons. The speakers are rated at 6ohms and the amplifier is rated at 8ohms. Whereas some remotes are very unidirectional (I.E, they must pointed straight on at the IR receiver), the Yamaha’s works fine as long as it’s aimed in the amps general direction. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Yamaha A-S201 Integrated Amplifier - Black at Amazon.com. Around the back, you’ll find the input for the moving magnet phono stage, as well as an associated ground screw for your turntable. Opening the box reveals a neat presentation – clearly a lot of thought has gone into this packaging to give a good first impression. It’s slim but thick, thanks to the AA batteries that slot in behind the removable rear cover. I want to set up with Dali Zensor 3 speakers which are rated for 25W – 125W with 6ohm impedence (sensitivity of 88dB)….hooked up to an audio technica LP1240 turntable. I’m thinking of getting this amp. The sound stage is wide, with decent separation between the instruments. Thanks, I will look forward to that review, The review is now published, you can find it Here. You can’t pull them out with a fingernail – you need a bent paperclip or similar to remove them. Anyone who cares can read the manual as you’ve done for the true specification. Along the bottom, you’ll find the tone and source controls – these are push buttons, with a thin style designed to match those on Yamaha’s other components, and somewhat reminiscent of the vertical dials found on classic equipment. Thanks again Ashley. EXCELLENT review – 10/10 ! I have a Sony STR-K685 connected to a pair of Yamaha NS-50F (I know, it’s a surround receiver, but I only use stereo). In theory, a more powerful amplifier can reach higher volumes without clipping – a form of audible distortion that can damage not only your amplifier, but also your speakers. Perhaps an IEC or figure of eight cable would’ve been a better choice. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). And if so, would it sound any better? An A-S301 at the very least, though an A-S501 would be better. But the Yamaha doesn’t mind – in fact, unlike some more revealing systems, it’s a very pleasant listen. Yamaha YSP-2200 review. Im looking to purchase this amp soon and use it with my SONY PSLX300 turntable. It delivers 50W at a more respectable THD figure of 0.2%, so can effectively be considered a 50W per channel amp. I’m surprised you chose the A-S201, as personally I would’ve paired the 714s with at least an A-S501, and probably a 701 or 1100 to get the best from them. It comes back on temporarily when required, for example after a volume change or when entering the options menu. The powerful Kraftwerk bass transients don't upset it one jot, and it holds everything together better despite throwing out less prodigious bass levels. how will be this combination ? Normally stereo amps sound better than 5.1 ones, but still, does it worth the change? The Technics is a fine turntable indeed and an AT-LP60 will be significantly worse in just about every way. polystyrene blocks keep everything in place, and even the included AA batteries for the remote have their own designated slot (not to mention the AC power plug which slots in neatly with the cable out of sight). It has been a major player since the early sixties, and has always invested heavily in new technology to give its products the edge. Pressing the pure-direct button will after a few seconds disable the display. Then (if you’ve checked that the volume on your computer is at 100%), you’ll probably need an interface like the Behringer UCA-202 which will offer your amp a full line level output. You say they will but are sort of flimsy. With a claimed 100W per channel, the A-S201 packs enough power to drive even the most inefficient loudspeakers to uncomfortable levels. The tone controls offer +/-10DB boost. Everything is conected perfectlly. Ah! I’m afraid I can’t recommend an exact model, I never use subs with my stereo setups and therefore have limited experience with them. Best regards Zdenko. I got two new speakers and they require banana type plugs, so I am at an impasse. The SX-50s would work well, as would something from the Wharfedale Diamond range. Still better than my trusty old Denon ud31 and mission scm51s…I hope! is there any chance of bi-amplifying Tannoys with these two integrated amps? The synth line is well-controlled, and the reverb, not to mention the multi-layerd vocals, are beautifully portrayed. I’m thinking to substitute my actual amplifier Onkyo A-9010 with this one, to better drive the Quad S-1 which sensitivity in quite low (84 dB): is it a good idea or I have to choose a different amplifier and which one? The second thing that hit me (quite literally) was the power. Thanks for your feedback and advice Ashley. Thanks ! y la rueda de los speakers. Where I live, the 301 cost 50% more than the 201, it’s out of my range. Do you know why this may be? It should be a very good match, though depending on the model of your MA speakers you may find the combination a bit bright. Ashley, ty so much for all the help. Pure direct bypasses the tone and balance controls as well as the back buffer amp, shortening signal paths and offering better sound quality. You can unsubscribe at any time, and your personal data will never be shared. Thanks for the quick answer! Would it be safe to use this amplifier and speakers together? Thank you for your review. In real world usage you’d be unlikely to notice the difference as you’ll use a few watts at most. Thy for your comments. This has the advantage that there’s no bulky IEC plug protruding from the back of the amp – however, if the cable gets damaged it does mean the amp will need to be repaired, rather than a simple cable replacement. It doesn’t sit in the hand as well as other remotes – however it’s far from being uncomfortable, and is more than adequate for changing tracks or occasionally adjusting the volume. All in all, a great effort from Yamaha – and one that pays off. I am definitely challenged in this area. Stylistically, the A-S201 is designed to match other hi-fi components (both from Yamaha and other brands). At the price, it's well finished and has beautifully clean styling - you simply wouldn't believe it to be a cheap unit until you touch the flimsy pressed steel top plate, which is about as thin as Yamaha can get away with. Great review Ashley – I was thinking of getting this amp as my old denon receiver only has 22W output. Thanks for your advice. In theory, a more powerful amplifier can reach higher volumes without clipping – a form of audible distortion that can damage not only your amplifier, but also your speakers. You’d have to step up to at least the A-S301 for a worthwhile improvement. The simplest solution is to simply cut the banana plugs off of 1 end of the cable, strip about 10MM of the insulation from each cable and insert them directly into the connectors. I suggest firstly getting rid of the bi-wire cables and running single cables to the speakers, with the speaker terminal jumpers in place. The A-S201 achieves this, though you do trade a little excitement and rhythm for smoothness and balance. It’s sensitive, too, meaning it’ll work well with the majority of cartridges on the market, even high output moving coil designs. Anyway, i enjoy the site Ashley. The Fun Lovin' Criminals track again shows limited power, but the A-S201 is more interested in having a stab at the complex interactions between the drum machine snare and hi-hats than some here. I will try to tune it a bit, lets see if it works. If you step up to the 301 which is a better amplifier capable of driving more difficult loads, I’d lean more towards the wharfed ales. The Cambridge speakers are slightly easier to drive than the wharfedales, so they’d probably be my choice with the A-S201. The aforementioned speaker terminals allow you to connect 2 pairs of speakers or bi-wire your speakers if supported. Thank you very much in advance and keep up the good job! With 100W per channel, enough inputs to hook up a decent array of components (including a turntable), and classic yet contemporary styling; it’s an amp clearly designed to dominate the budget market. I’ve read through some of the comments here regarding this and I am quite interested in pairing this amp with the CAMBRIDGE AUDIO SX50s. It’s the north American version of the A-S201 without phono input or pure direct button. Hello and first of all, thanks for your review. Thanks for your reply! Hi Ashley, The volume feels smooth to turn, and doesn’t flex. Hi, nice review! If you like the Onkyo sound, try one of their bigger models. You’re right of course. That’s true, but very few budget speaker models have such sensitivity ratings and those are what the A-S201 would likely be paired with. It looks a little cheap and unnecessary. Its large size means it’s easy to grab and turn quickly, and it fits nicely in the hand. Just read Yamaha manual and it states 10% THD @ 100w into 8ohms. No way is this a 100 watt amp! However, it’s not a monitor loop – so it’s not suitable for use with 3 head tape machines. With a claimed 100W per channel, the A-S201 packs enough power to drive even the most inefficient loudspeakers to uncomfortable levels. Speakers need a few good weeks of run in time also to sound their best. The Zensors are a hi-fi speaker (albeit a budget one) and bass lovers do have a tendency to find products with hi-fi virtues lacking. As is the case with most budget amps, the headphone jack takes its feed directly from the power amplifier, rather than having its own dedicated circuit. The first thing I noticed when powering up the A-S201 was the noise floor – it’s somewhat higher than many other budget amps I’ve tested, such as the NAD D3020. Overall, I am happy with my purchase but I feel a bit lack of bass, so I started to look for a subwoofer. Adhered to the upper left-most area of the front panel, aligned with the display, is an advertising sticker, promoting the virtues of the a-s201. I’m just trying to choose a pair of speakers to purchase now. A huge A+ on the packaging – I wish more brands packaged their products this way. That said look for a sub with speaker level inputs and you will have no problems using it with the B outputs on the amp. Marco. I have very nice set of cables…can i do something with other pair? Mine only seem to accept bare wire connectors. This is something manufacturers often overlook, instead choosing thinner, cheaper boxes; not Yamaha. That is a very poor figure. But its musical performance has a coherence to it that some others here lack. That said it’s well built – there’s no flex in the casing and the aluminium front panel feels solid. It doesn’t resonate though – which is a good thing – and it’s further supported by a screw on the top as well as the sides. Typically solid and reliable, Yamaha's RX-V3067 totes an impressive specification and a sound that's very likeable Would the AS- 201 be good with a pair of Boston a25? This amp sounds really good actually Ashley, I just feel that people are going to see the 100w spec and think that they can run 83db 4 ohms speakers to ear splitting levels when all they risk is burned out tweeters. Indeed. Ｈi, Ｔhank you for your review.Ｉ am thinking of pairing Ｙamaha Ａ-Ｓ201 with Scandyna Bigpod speakers and Ｏnkyo 7030 ＣＤ player, is it a good idea? Regards. Will it be a problem? Yamaha A-S201 Amplifier . The ends of the terminals are plugged with small plastic caps – these are extremely annoying for those of us who wish to use Banana plugs. What a great time of my life! I will take a look at the 301 option as I am leaning towards the wharfdale speakers, they have received a few good reviews. I would consider mounting a new cartridge such as the Audio-Technica AT-311EP and enjoy. It might not sound like much – but it sure makes repackaging the amp easier should you ever need to do so. If they have the standard red and black speaker inputs and the speakers themselves don’t contain an amplifier then I see no reason why not. Remember that it’s not all about watts per channel, current and power supply headroom are also important. Alternatively you can still buy the replacement EPS-30ES stylus for the original Technics cartridge, which has an elliptical stylus and will I’m sure give you improved audio quality over the standard conical stylus. The buttons are also fairly small – it would be nice if key controls such as the volume were slightly larger, making them easier to locate. There's no doubting Yamaha's pedigree in hi-fi. I’d also change the stylus on the turntable to an elliptical one, such as This one from LPGear. While their professional audio equipment and musical instruments have remained the standard for professionals and budding musicians for many years, Yamaha’s critically acclaimed hi-fi and AV components have taken the world by storm thanks to the resurgence in popularity of both budget-oriented and high-end hi-fi. Yamaha have optimised the … That said – these are minor complaints. It has been a major player since the early sixties, and has always invested heavily in new technology to give its products the edge. The A-S201 doesn’t remember whether pure direct is enabled for each individual input. This can easily be removed, but I’d rather it not be present in the first place. I’m thing of pairing my A-S201 with Yamaha NS-F51 speakers, but I’m only worried about the fact that the A-S201 has impedance 8 and the speakers have 6. Hello Ashley, Hello, after few months I have some extra money to replace my YAMAHA A-S201 amp with new one. Finally I got this amp with a couple of Yamaha speakers (NSBP400) -there was a bundle pack in the mall-. After pairing my A-S201 with NS-F51 speakers, I’m now thinking of improving my turntable. Right now I have a Technics SL-QD3, it is still working 100%, but it is getting old and probably losing quality. Of course it is advisable to check your wiring and also verify that your source component is functioning, adjusting the volume on it if it has one (as all computers do for example). Problem here is that the amp does not have a rca conector for this, so my question would be if I could connect the sub to the amp using the B speaker connections. It’s linked with the Line 2 input, so that when line 2 is selected as your input source nothing is sent to the record output; this prevents possible feedback. Of course, power isn’t just about going loud; a high power amplifier is able to more easily cope with large dynamic swings in music – such as large orchestras or heavy bass notes. Very dishonest from Yamaha. As there are relatively few inputs, a small row or even grid of source controls would take up very little space on what is a fairly large front panel. please give your suggestions. The Zensor 1s should be a nice match with the 201. A lower impedance essentially means the speaker is a bit harder to drive, but like most (if not all) good amps the A-S201 can happily drive a 4 ohm load, so a 6 ohm load will be fine. This remote controls all functions of the A-S201, as well as Yamaha’s matching CD players and Tuners (such as the CD-S300 or T-D500). Some subs do have speaker level inputs. Select your speakers (using the a/b controls on the front panel), select your source, turn up the volume and you’re good to go. or my next choice is pair this one with wharfedale diamond 10.1s. Sounds like a perfect match. What do you suggest? Yamaha’s own CD-N301 would probably be a better match, but the Onkyo should work just fine. Yamaha A-S201 Amplifier There's no doubting Yamaha's pedigree in hi-fi. Best soundbar, Awards 2012. The A-S201 may be a budget amplifier, but that doesn’t mean it’s connection options are limited. Ideally I’d like the 501 and zensor 3s but it’s mostly for my study which is about 13metres squared and my budget is limited. There's no doubting Yamaha's pedigree in hi-fi. As previously mentioned, the front of the A-S201 is designed to match that of other hi-fi components, such as Yamaha’s own cd players, tuners, and streamers. Look further down the sheet gives a more honest figure Thanks for your fast response! Ｔhank you. I’ll try the 201 hoping to upgrade in the future. The amp itself comes wrapped in a rectangular felt-like cloth material, neatly taped in a single location. Lea reseñas de productos sinceras e imparciales de … I will strip one end of the cables and use bare wire into receiver while plugging the speakers. It will drive them, but I would consider stepping up to the A-S301 instead. I would consider the 301 or an alternative given the quality of your other equipment. Usage is simple – following a short press of the stand by button and 2 relay clicks, the a-s201 is ready for use.. A pair of Wharfedale Diamond 220 speakers, or a pair of Cambridge Audio SX-50 Bookshelf Speakers. In general I’d say if you can reach the volume you want, and if you’re not hitting maximum volume on the amp, it should be fine. For now. There are some issues with this recording – mainly the panning of instruments and the overly aggressive reverb, probably caused by the room mics. First Impressions & Build Quality. Thank you! Instrument placement is spot-on – arguably better than using the amp with a line level component. hey, Completely unlistenable! The A-S201 is supplied with a Yamaha system remote. Vea reseñas y calificaciones de reseñas que otros clientes han escrito de Yamaha A-S201 - Amplificador Hi-Fi estéreo black en Amazon.com. usually you would pair the Mercurys with something like the Yamaha A-S501 or the Marantz PM-6005, but the 840A is certainly compatible and will run them to their full potential with room for future upgrades if desired. It proves a friendly, enjoyable and rather pleasing little integrated that represents. Spin Queen’s ‘live at Wembley’, an album featured on my Top 5 Live Albums – and allow the Yamaha to transport you back in time to 1986 – and your very own, free of charge front seat at Wembley stadium. https://www.asus.com/Sound-Cards/Xonar_U7/overview/. More useful power and a larger power supply. I bought A-S201 few months ago together with CD-S300 CD player and Focal Chorus 714 speakers. Thanks for sharing. I do agree with you though, and hope that the dealers are sensible enough to recommend suitable partnering speakers to save otherwise decent components being needlessly damaged. My speakers are FOCAL Chorus 714V. Enter your eMail address to subscribe and we'll notify you whenever there's a new post. It will be perfectly safe to use, though I would step up to the 301 which would be much better. Computer World just breezes along, the amp throwing out a good deal of detail into a narrower soundstage than some here, but it is better delineated and images are located more securely. By What Hi-Fi? If you’re looking for a simple, smooth-sounding integrated amplifier – the A-S201 should be on your shortlist.