Thank God! They Still Make Good Cheap Stuff - Yamaha Amp Review
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- čas přidán 6. 11. 2022
- Yamaha AS301 howl.me/cioowJRLj6O (one open box available)
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Not sure about the US market but I did get the A-S501 second hand for £200, had the A-S201 before, there is a perceptible difference. All I'm saying is, you may find a second hand A-S501 for the price of the A-S301 new
@@DavidslvPT I like the 301 more than the 501. The 501 is more forward in the mids, but less dynamic and extended on top
I wonder if using the direct button on this amp and then plugging in a wiim mini you could then use the tone controls in the wiim app from across the room via your phone 🤳
Did you reply to me with alt account? officialcheapaudioman?
@@gteaz no. That’s a scam
From 1992 -95 I was stationed in Germany 🇩🇪 and after returning from a trip to Somalia 🇸🇴 in 1993 I bought a Yamaha DSP A1000 7 challel Amplifier. It rocked the barracks, housing with music and movies for many years until I got my own house. I still have it 29 years later!
Had it too. Never should have let it go. It was plenty strong for stereo use, even if it was obsolete for HT. If I would have known that my Luxman was about to fail, I’d still have it.
Was that Operation Restore Hope? I'm Somali, my pops was part of that.
Thank you for your cervix. Next time just post your erb, or dd214 before telling a story about a receiver or... or just leave it out all together cuz it's unnecessary.
@@markaguilar8975 Thank you for you uterus, Krusty.
It’s not a receiver BTW. It’s just an amp.
It's funny how a person would jump at the chance to talk down to another person for sharing a memory of their time in the military. Seriously sad life for a human. Proud to be an American.
Thank You Randy!!! I've got this a year ago with the Sony Speakers, a cute little thrift Yamaha subwoofer, a Rega P1 and a Fosi Audio lil phono preamp just for fun, got my Tv via optical, for Tidal and movies, a bluetooth receiver (1Mii 5.0) via coaxial (digital), and I LOVE IT. You're totally right about the loudness. It reminds me of one of my uncles old Yamaha amps. I've had Onkyo, Technics, and Sony, and this is the one that sounds more like I wanted, not as punchy as an old yamaha AX497 I had for a week, but the closest thing. For the price, it is a pleasure to my ears. This is a proper cheapaudiosetup. Massive props R.!
Hey Randy, still watch your videos every day.
I just wanted to say "Thank You!" for your service in the USN.
Have a great day.
I have a Yamaha RX-450 that I absolutely love. Honestly, it's similar to the AS301 in layout. Instead of the Pure Direct, it has a CD Direct, which works similarly. It bypasses Loudness control, Bass/Treble controls and input selector "providing the shortest possible path to the pre-amp". I was skeptical at first, but it does make a difference, especially with my Denon CD player.
I love the fact that it has a Direct buttom, in addition to all the other features.
Thank you for this video!
I've got a Yamaha AX 500. Got it in 1987. Still going strong. Runs a new pair of Polk audio floor standers perfectly
Great review Randy. I have a soft spot for vintage gear, and this pushes all my buttons and twists my knobs. considering the price, this is a steal!
Never had Yamaha myself, most of my gear when I was young was pioneer. I fondly remember my 6 player tape deck. Those were the days.
This unit looks great, especially for the price. Thanks for the good work.
i bought a Yamaha RN604 used for 250 and its a gem. Phono, streaming, DAC, does it all. Really like the sound of the headphone amp too, pairs well with my AKG, wide sound stage and great separation.
I bought the AS801 couple months ago and couldn’t be happier, 100w + per ch and bought mine on Amazon for $849
perfect timing for you new upload. I am based in Europe and I bought yesterday the bigger brother, the AS501, for $360. Brand new
Thank you. Great review. My Yamaha reciever has a bass boost button which is super cool with that pure non colored Yamaha type tone.
I bought one this past Spring to replace a Yamaha AX-450, which I'd had since 1992, when the input selector died. I've been very pleased. Love the channel!
thanks, Scott!
That’s a cool to see Yamaha are still pushing out this kind of equipment awesome they are, enjoyed watching this vlog 👍👏👏👏👏
Thanks for watching!
I have used the A-S301 for a couple of years now. I bought it because it had the "tape loop" feature that was common on pre-amps like my Dynaco PAS 3. Thus, I can take sounds from my computer (via an external sound card) or other source and record with Audacity or other software. As far as I could determine, no other moderately priced amp permits any of these features. One example is the ease with which I can overdub my bass playing on other recordings for practice purposes.
I had a CR-620 I recently parted with. Like you said , they sound great (when they work). I really liked the variable loudness. Ended up replacing with a Pioneer SX-1000TW that I really enjoy.
The AS301 is a killer little integrated. It sounds good and has Yamaha's Loudness Control.
Had one in the bedroom for a year or two, it's now in my workshop.
Who doesn't love a good rack fit! Thanks Randy! 👍👍👍
The loudness control takes me back to those old 1960’s Sherwood tube amps my high school band director had. 😊
Reward for passing 'O' Level's at 16 (British exams), KEF C20 speakers-Denon tapedeck, technics TT and Yamaha A420....loved that amp. Survived multiple house/flat moves and powered many parties at University.
Around 1980 I got a Yamaha integrated amp (45 w x2). One of the cleanest sounding devices I have ever had/heard.
Randy….😂 Dude, you rock. You and I have the SAME sense of humor. When you said rack…. I laughed at the same time you did!
I have only ever owned Yamaha Amps and Recievers. My first one was a hand me down from the closet of my father, a Rx-830, which I thought was excellent. I recently upgraded to one of the newer Yamaha RS500 because of a great deal I found at a audio store that was used. I have to say, I really do appreciate the loudness dial and have never had a problem with the Yamaha equipment. I just hope that this RS500 sticks around and works until I can afford a higher end system.
Love the review as always , I do like Yamaha stuff too vintage and newer. This is great because People need to know about these units
I have that exact same receiver. Bought it a year ago and I don't think I could buy anything else. Really good powerhouse.
We call it vintage as far as styling, but Yamaha looks the same as it did when I bought my first yamaha in the mid 80s. I think a 497 series comes to mind. Still own the stereo receiver a 803. Always appreciate your enthusiasm. Thanks
I had a AS500 for 11 years and and it was so hard to replace….. it’s still a killer amp and is the heart of my second system. Amazing value!
What speakers do you run with this?
@@natoman Mission M35i in the second system. They drove a pair of Focal 936 K2 for about 5/6 months and while it didn’t have enough power to make them sing, it was no slouch.
Some say the AS500 is better then the 501 model.
Have 3 systems at home, main one uses silver A-S1100, secondary black R-S700 and third silver A-S501 stereo amps and receivers. All fantastic, bullet proof and outstandimg performers.
Call me Yamaha fanboy but once you go Yamaha you never look back.
3 Yamaha CD players too ;)
I own this amp. It's excellent for the price. Quality materials, great sound and you know it will last for years because it's a Yamaha.
I bought the Yamaha A-S301 about a year ago and just love it. I added an Aiyima tube preamp to allow me to play my music via Bluetooth. That combination works great. This integrated amplifier allows me to compare two speaker sets or play them together.
It cost $387 when I purchased it so it has gone down in price. It was unavailable in the recent past but is now available at the lower price. I don't see the need to upgrade to a higher end Yamaha model. This stereo integrated amplifier works just fine for me.
The Bluetooth capability of the SONY STR190 is what sold me over this Yamaha. The SONY was on sale at the time... I could've gotten 2 SONY STR amps and 2 sets of SONY SSCS speakers for the price of 1 Yamaha 301(that doesn't have Bluetooth). Easy decision to make. I'd love to grab this lower level in the silver finish though. THAT would get my attention and 💰
@@lordaku4186 The Sony STR190 does not have sub out, which is important to me. The STR590 does have it along with Bluetooth. I do have that receiver as well as a couple of mid-level Denons. Come to think of it, I have a lot of hifi equipment.
Love the channel Randy, thanks for the review.
Thanks for watching!
I have the AS 701(same with more watts) and he is right you have good control of how your speaker sounds. If its too forward you can bring it back. The bass is more than enough for my set up with kef q 950 and rel subwoofers. I love the variable loudness control.
This one's been on my short list for a 2 channel amp. It's like the still in service Yamaha RX 500U bought new in 1987 for about $400. Yeah, just call me Old AudioMan. Tone controls and loudness are great for dialing in the right sound. So many inputs too. All the things I like about Yamaha are there.
My secondary amp/reciever is a Yamaha RX-485. I have my vintage Technics turntable hooked up to it. Its built like a TANK. Have had the ol' Yammer Hammer since 1996 when I bought it new. Love it, kove it..
The Toslink input is for a modern TV. You set the TV's sound to pulse/optical out.
call me crazy but I love that hum from the powerful 70s receivers. takes me back !
You crazy mo. I've never seen yam tone controls suggested that way. I tried it and it sounds really good at first try. Thanks ran
I'm reliably informed that the shape of those tone controls is rectangi-circuloid. But I could be making that up.
Love your delivery style dude. A long-time follower...
I paid £135 for one of these new 6 years ago, and it's still going strong. Great amp and goes great with budget Q Acoustic bookshelf speakers.
Ordered through your link. I home it works out for me. Thanks for the info
Great little amp ....Price/ Performance ratio is definitely a keeper....If I was setting up a second (smaller system). Personally purchased an A S801 in 2017 ..to pair with Montior Audio rx6 & Warfadales Diamond 10.1...wish had a computer to hookup the ESS Sabre dac is, Very good in S801 plus the Kool L.E.D.S on the front to show sampling rates .both PMC & DSD compatible..When I had working computer...As always Good reviewing ..Cheapaudioman.‼️🏅✌️
Awesome review Randy!
I bought this amp as a scratch and dent for my rec room. Paired with KG 4.2’s- sounds pretty darn good, and for less than $300, outstanding value.
I recently got myself a yamaha r-s 700 which is quite similar to the a-s line soundwise. It powers my elac debut reference towers and i really enjoy this combination.. so far i listen to it mostly with pure direct on and it sounds clean, punchy and really musical. Yamaha just has "it" whatever "it" is.
I acquired one used. I feel the same way about mine sound wise.
I bought an ENTRY LEVEL RX-V385 Yamaha A/V receiver brand new in Canada in 2019 for $279.95 CAD . I've used it 16 hours per day since for 2 channel and movies and CZcams etc. It is SO reliable and versatile. It has a bass boast (no variable loudness) and a built in equalizer in which you can dial in all 5 speakers individually. So 2 channel is good, center dialogue is good, and surround sound is good. No phono or tape recording inputs which is fine by me as I listen to CD's and streaming. I'm a musician and understand sound adjustments so "dialing the sound in" for all functions is no problem. With the equalizer set correctly for my room I am truly amazed at the SOUND OF MUSIC in 2 channel. If I play the unit flat with no tone controls or EQ it sounds thin and boring but with EQ it sounds....WOW. Randy, I, like you are CHEAP (frugal) when it comes to audio and the Yamaha RX-V385 like this AS301 gets a GOLD STAR in my books. Thanks for your videos ......Mike (Regina Canada)
My first stereo (~1978) was a Yamaha 20w/ch Integrated Amp (CA-400?), a Technics turntable, and a pair of Bose 201's.
I have used Yamaha products before. When I had my 1st component stereo system when I was 17 in the 90s and always had good use out of there stuff.
Bought a minty CR-420 for the office earlier this year...for $140. Fantastic sound out of this little 25Wx2 receiver. Liked it so much, could not pass on another Yamaha RX-397 w/remote for $38; again...not a scratch on this 50Wx2 baby. Plenty of power for large bookshelf speakers.
That remote works with my Yamaha S1000 SACD player, and controls volume on my RX-667. It's a 7.1 integrated amp, but I use it for 2.0, because it has Airplay.
Yea, still want those record out and returns from the cassette days, I use mine to route a compressor for watching movies. Today's movies have a disturbing dynamic range and horrible allocation of surround where you can't hear the dialog and the explosions are at 130db. I use a surround converter to 2ch stereo and watch the movies in stereo (highly compressed though) and very easy to listen to at low volumes.
Love me some Yamaha. I had a circa 1977 CR-620 for many years, I'm sorry that I parted with that. Currently I'm using a roughly 20 year old two channel receiver (RX-496) that I recently picked up for $40. Works great and was definitely a sonic improvement over the Class D amp I had been using.
So, the loudness is interesting; if you are to use it as a volume control then why doesn't the remote operate the loudness instead of the volume? Mine is set to about 80% and I generally don't touch it. Bass and treble are turned up very slightly and everything sounds great through my Elacs. Anyway, nice review. I wouldn't buy the A-S301, myself, but the A-S501, in silver, makes me drool.
i love everything Yamaha! i have the R-S700 in my room and an RS300bt in the living room a Yamaha mini mixer and 5 Yamaha bass guitars
I'm still running my Yamaha receiver from 2004 nothing wrong with it. Sounds good.
I own it and love it. It powers my Micca RB42s perfectly. Beautiful sound in my medium listening space.
And those R actually hard to drive.
I had this amp for a while between other amps after selling one and waiting on the replacement (AS-1200)
to arrive. Bought it on craigslist. used it for a few months and really enjoyed it, but turned around and re-sold it on craigslist. But I really liked it when I had it and would buy another.
And the house we bought came with a pretty much vintage Yamaha soundbar ysp800. Has 2 subwoofers and TWENTY tweeters! the built in software is phenomenal and so is the quality. I replaced the woofers they were DONE. Now is better than ever. Thumbs up Yamaha!
I have a early 90s RX 530 that i still use and it sounds fine. Never been cleaned or serviced
I own the A-S301 and love it ! It is driving a pair of vintage Design Acoustics Ps10 by Audio Technica
I Also own an A-S501 , three R-S202s BL, a vintage RX-777 and two even more vintage ones, a CR-600 and a CR-620.
I obviously love the clean sound of Yamaha! Also mentioning here that one of my 202s is driving a pair of KEF Q350 effortlessly to the point
my SVS 3000 sub is not necessary! I purchased the R-S202 when the cost was $139(almost unbelievable) a few years back, the cost is $249 now ,
Bluetooth but no phono stage, still a good budget amplifier for a business or a small to medium space!
May I say that the RX 777 has been a work horse in my business 10h a day Tue-Sat. Since 2005 and about 4 years ago I added the RS202 mainly
for Bluetooth connectivity and a second pair of speakers! Those boys work all day ! I love Yamaha!
My first receiver was the last Yamaha receiver with an analog tuner and it too had the variable loudness control, the only company to this day to offer such a feature but it was weird, it was like you could change the volume within the volume. Really nice unit though
I bought the AS501 BL a few years ago and love it
I love my Yamaha AS301!!! Hooked up to Heresy IV in a small room sound amazing with a sub
Hell yeah, cheapaudioman! IMHO a good receiver from Yamaha is all most need. Lots of power and a *good* DAC. HT receivers are gold.
Bought the CA-610 in 1978. 40w/ch, .01 THD. I understand Randy's affinity to the CA-800. Thx
I have a Yamaha CDC 665 CD changer after replacing a number of belts this CD player still works fine after 25 years, The CD player belonged to my father who passed away a while ago so I keep the player as a memento of my father , and I also play CDs with it, and i have a Natural Sound Yamaha AV RX-V483 reciever full of futures very happy with it.
I love your approach to reviews. If you would have grown up with me in the 70s and played music, we would have been best friends. One of my first stereos in the 70s was a Yamaha. My cousin has it now. It sounded very good, except it did not have a very good low in. Fortunately, today, we have powered subwoofers. I plan on buying the Yamaha for my side or rear speakers on my 7.1 Theater system.
My hand me down Onkyo from my parents just took a crap after 35yrs of pushing speakers and I decided to buy a Yamaha R-N803 and damn am I impressed with the power and clarity! Got it on sale on "Audio Advice" for $799. I'm running some Elac Debut reference book shelf speakers and I'm in heaven! Thank you Yamaha!
I am looking forward to the cheapvacuumcleanerman channel. This sounds like a typical Yamaha. Great for those who like their natural sound.
The old Nakamichi 410 preamp that I have in my system at the moment also has the same type of variable loudness control, with the same usage instructions.
Some of us still use Minidisc to playback and record, Randy 😁
Interesting review. I have one of these and have found the same thing. Great clarity but a little thin. I thought it may be my speakers (Monitor Audio Bronze 2), but your review seems to confirm it's the amp. I will certainly have to play with the tone/loudness controls!
If the receiver doesn't have a big ass transformer it will be thin with no punch to the bass.
A couple of years ago I picked up an old but perfect condition Yamaha RX-360 that is advertised as 55 watts per channel for my shop. I've always ran vintage receivers and 50 watts per channel will drive 4 speakers (12" woofers) to more volume than I need with wall shaking punch. This receiver is light as a feather, meaning it is missing the old school power supply/transformer. I hooked up the RX-360 and it was like it was only pushing about 5 watts to the woofers, and there was nothing I could do to get a decent sound. I ended up moving the receiver and hooking it up to one pair of bookshelf speakers with 8" woofers and then I could get a decent sound out of it by adjusting the loudness, bass and treble controls.
It makes sense to hook up amps like the Yamaha to 'darker' sounding speakers with a rolled off top end.
Pay attention to equipment matching and you might get good results.
Hey! Do you think the Wharfedale Diamond 220 might be a sufficient match? Thanks so much
DAC is a Burr Brown 5102a. Solid sound , takes a while for coaxial to burn in so reserve judgement for 20 hours at least. I had the 501 and that was a solid amplifier. Now I have the 701 and the difference is obvious in both soundstage and width, as well as guts and clarity.
I was wondering about the models between the 301 and 801, so thanks for the comments here.
@@richardlloyd5519 No problem. If you can find the 801/701 on sale, do not hesitate. The step up from 501 is tangible. I love my 701.
@@naqqashsharif5561 Thanks for the solid advice!
a coaxial connector takes time to burn in?
@@AlistairMaxwell77 maybe not the cable as much as the coaxial DAC input. I know the first 5 hours of listening through the coaxial input (the onboard DAC) was nowhere near as warm and expansive as it is now where I have 60+ hours of burn-in. It’s really the DAC that needs burn-in and that is what I am conveying.
I replaced my 17-year-old NAD-716 with a Yamaha AS-500, because I needed the extra oomph for my DynAudio speakers. First impression was the sound was a bit bright with the neutral settings, but some tweaking should improve that. No regrets or complaints, though. I added an iPod dock (yes, 30 pin, I'm old) and that remote is the best. Good gear for half the price of others.
Yamaha is always good imo. Next to vintage Pioneer Elite it will always be my choice. Thanks for your time, effort, and review.
That's just the way it is...
I get to see him in concert next Wednesday.
As a new subscriber I would always like an internal look at the components for your reviews. I gots to see the guts!
I have the Yamaha TSR-700 in my home theater which does full 4k/120, HDR and is a full 7.2 receiver with 100w (2 ch drive) for $365. It's hands down the best receiver I've ever purchased for the money. Yamaha is making quality products for affordable prices
I manually tuned (much better results than the automatic microphone approach with us YAPO technology) my Yamaha RX-V663 A/V receiver that I'm using strictly for two-channel stereo for music in my garage. I love the sound of it with my Klipsch Icon V36 speakers. It sounds the best out of a few receivers I have. It's definitely not anywhere close to the best on the market but for the cheap approach considering what it is and the price that I put into the system which isn't much cuz I got their speakers for $280 for the pair and they are in mint condition. With lossless audio streaming from Tidal that I run from my device through an external DAC and run analog input through unbalanced RCAs, I can't hear a difference between it and when I run a CD transport optically using the brown burns DAC in the receiver. It sounds great for me and it gets as loud as I want it to, with awesome clarity and no audible clipping, which is honestly something I haven't ever said before!? I was completely surprised by this setup and it shouldn't sound this good but for some reason it does? I don't know. Maybe with my garage setup and the large carpet on the floor and all the things on the walls acting as ideal dampening out of sheer happenstance luck and placing the speakers where I do, just seems to all synergize without trying for it and it sounds awesome for what it is. At this point no one can tell me you can't have something like that sound good and I've heard some really high-end systems and yes when set up to perfection they definitely sound better but damn look how much money they got to spend to get it! If I had that kind of money I would do that too but I don't so I have to make it work with what I can afford and maximize my efficiency and how I can get the best out of it and so far, what I've done with this is as good as I can get. I mean people that come over and hear it expecting it to sound like they would expect it to be without knowing, are completely jaw dropped when they hear it.
Yamaha has been reliable for so many generations so I hope they continue to pump out great products
I have a A-S1200 in my main system, and a A-S301 in my second system. It’s amazing how close the 301 sounds to the 1200, given the very large cost differential.
Glad you posted this. I was really curious regarding the difference on these models
Wow really? I have the A-S1000 and absolutely love it. Good feedback for sure.
It might be close in tone, but it in no way will be close with instrument placement within the sound stage and fine details. And if you don’t have a well set up room and speakers to match as well as a decent source you won’t realize your full potential of the 1200.
@@Travis61030 Words of truth.
I came to this opinion as someone who has dealt with 301,602,801,803.
When we're talking about the 301, in my opinion you literally get what you pay for, but when you compare it to the 1200 and come to this conclusion, I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or a weakness!!
Hi Randy. Check the A-S1200. I have it with the Dynaudio Special 40.
After burn in it has very good bass control and speed(mid bass is lean but very precise). Very clear sound at voice region and not very big but really beautiful soundstage.
Randy have a look at the Yamaha RS202. Surprisingly I don’t think you have done a video on it. And it’s great! Goes on sale dirt cheap!
The subwoofer output has a fixed low pass filter at either 90Hz, or 100Hz, depending on which page in the manual you believe.
Yes, there is a matching CD player, the $380 CD-S303
I paired my A-S301 with a Yamaha sub and it sounds magnificent! I have JBL Stage A130 bookshelf speakers. I listed at low and medium volumes all day. I've received many complements on the sound quality. Running Apple Music through a first generation Alexa Echo dot.
I had a Yamaha Rx-700 RS receiver. Great starter amp back in 1988. And i had a Proton AM450 Pro also... A very good soudning amp.
Good receiver
I Bought an RX-777 integrated on eBay for 110usd a year ago. I loved it. Now I am using as an external power amplifier for TSR-700 and still love it.
Got the RS 202 BL before the price jumped to $249. A good hundred watts per channel and sounds great with a pair of vintage infinity bookshelf speakers. It's old school connections might put some people off but I stay away from AV receivers that have HDMI now as every one I've had, including an expensive Yamaha from the aventage line gave up the ghost. Mention HDMI to my electrician and he just laughs.
Hi Randy,
some speakers to check out (maybe?) 🤔😉🙃
- HECO Aurora 300
- MISSION LX-3 MKII
- XTZ Spirit 4
- DALI Oberon 3
Running a 301 on my kef ls50s. Drives them quite nicely!!
My first receiver as a teen was a used Yamaha HTR 5540 (still works). I love Yamaha-still buy Yamaha.
So was mine..an RSv-902 from Sears, no box, discounted to $300. My initiation to true hifi from the original Sanyo JXT6430
Shortchanged yourself by not doubling down and going for the incredible as-801. Acknowledge Fluance brand with a review sometime...Monitor Audio is another Ive not heard you review.
Finally another and good suggestion is REL and RSL subwoofers.
Had the CR 1020. Loved it.
My first multi channel receiver was a 1990 Sansui RZ9500 AV Still have it today
What looks like c.d. controls could be network controls. ? Play pause shuffle f.f. etc.
Thanks for the show
I bought this to replace my Sony STR190 and I love it! Sound is so warm and balanced.
It is louder than the sony ?
Great helpful review.
Have that same amp with their cd s300 amd tuner ts500 and couldn't be happier. Their stuff is top quality amd yes the remote for the amp controls everything
I have a CD-S300 too and also recently got the almost identical CD-S303. Love them. No annoying blue displays, the trays open and close quickly, they sound great and --- just work! I had several old Natural Sound FM tuners too. Great!
regarding your recent clip about speakers.the best and safest way to buying a good pair that you will like is go to an authorized dealer of a particular brand you are interested in and audition them.bring some cds that are some of your faves and then give a listen.the audio dealer you purchase them from can answer your questions during the audition and provide dealer support after purchase.if something goes wrong with the speakers while in warranty the dealer will replace them,offer an exchange for a different model.
Those tape loop outs are great for adding an external headphone amplifier like the schiit magni. That’s what I have in my 501.
I miss Sears, played a demo of Tekken 2 on PS1 as a kid and was blown away!
nice
I have YAMAHA A-S501BL amp it is great love it the only gripe is sometimes it will turn itself off while im watching something.