YAMAHA A-S501BL 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.

First off, I've been using vintage equipment for a while. The problem is the constant breakdown of 40 year old equipment so i decided to go modern. I didn't want another BPC receiver, I've had two, a pioneer and a Sony, neither of which had any any real output, I had to turn them way up to get loud but was never satisfied with the sound quality, but then I found the Yamaha integrated amp with the silver face. Very clean lines, not cluttered with multiple switches. Its paired with a set of Klipsch R26FA speakers. The amp has only an A, B and A+B selection. A is hooked to the front speakers while the B is hooked to the top firing Atmos speakers. It has a subwoofer output which I attached to a Klipsch K100SW powered subwoofer. I have a large listening room and this set up fills the room with sound that you can feel as well as hear. I still use a vintage turntable and tape deck but I have an Echo Link hooked up as well. The sound is awesome, but then I said that already. I also have a top of the line modern Panasonic Blu-ray hooked up, when I watch a concert video it's almost like being there. A vintage Pioneer tuner completes the package however I have ordered the tuner from Yamaha so I can utilize the presets which can be accessed from the remote. With 100WPC at 8 ohms, it's got plenty of room, I barely turn it half way up and thats loud enough especially since i added the subwoofer. I rarely have to move the bass/treble control from neutral to get astonishing sound. Yamaha also has a "pure" CD and all input selector that bypasses all the internal filters if you want to hear exactly what the component signal sounds like. This becomes in handy if you have adjusted the bass/treble controls and want to revert back to the neutral setting without having to adjust the controls afterwards. There are three additional inputs as well as inputs for phono, cd, tuner and optic cable. Another plus of modern equipment is remote control. My Pioneer and Sony receivers had incredibly complicated remotes that usually required reading the instructions whenever i wanted to do anything with it other than powering on/off or adjusting volume. The remote with this model is like the amp, simple clean lines/controls and doesn't require a rocket science degree to comprehend. This amp also has an analog volume control which moves when you access it via the remote. Cons: no outlets on the amp. Not a big deal but I like having my turntable hooked up to an amp switched outlet so it can't turn on unless the amp is turned on. It would also be nice if it had the ability to run 3 channels simultaneously so I could bi-wire the front speakers but honestly my sound is impressive. Also no tape monitor which limits what I can do with my vintage equalizer. Another lack is a low volume bass boost, but since the bass is usually at neutral I've found I can turn it up a smidgen to get improved bass at low volume. By doing this and utilizing the Pure Input it is almost like having the bass boost option. Another improvment Yamaha could have added is a mute function on the amp control face. It does have one on the remote. There is "Loudness" control on the panel. This control can variably lower the volume without adjusting the main volume control. It is useful when I want to change the music selection on Alexa since she can't hear me talking when I have the volume pumped up. Afterwards i can resume at the volume I had previously dialed in. No HDMI input but then this isn't meant for a home theater. On the other hand it does have an optic input. It does have a USB output to power something, i don't use it yet, maybe I can power my echo dot with it or perhaps dress up the rack with an led tape to add a little color...or not The control and power on indicator lights could be a little bigger or brighter. From across the room I cant see them at all Overall impression...I'm very happy with this amp. Yamaha signature "natural sound". It plays my music clearly and loud enough to piss off the neighborhood if I wanted to. I wouldn't recommend it for a home theater system since it only has two speaker channels but that isn't what I wanted it for. If you want a clean sound and a silver vintage look without breaking the bank you couldn't go wrong with this amp. Just be sure to get a set of speakers with the legs to run the horsepower and you won't be disappointed

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.

A great amp, Yamaha is a name synonyms for quality and value for dollar. This amp has all the inputs you'll need to run a great sounding music system. Plenty of power and watts, rated for 8 and 6 ohm speakers. I like the tone controls but especially the loudness function. Set your main volume and then use the loudness control to dial in the sound without loosing detail. Remote so on and off is easy and the standby mode is convenient. Input for cd, phono, optical, and additional line it's make it versatile. Has a built in DAC The speaker binding posts are nice, you can use banana plugs which makes it so easy to hook up your speakers. Metal chassis, big transformers, its just a well constructed unit. I use it in my listening room, which is 15' x 11" and this amp doesn't need a lot to fill my room. I have my technics sl-40c and wiim pro hooked up to it, I do use an external preamp but the one in the Yamaha isn't bad, but I prefer the option to have lpaf settings for different cartridges. Good value for money and performance is what you would expect from Yamaha

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.