Yamaha A-S301 Stereo Amplifier

2 months of use impression; This Yamaha product buries the competition in Sound quality, useful features, and in Price/ Performance ratio..Sound quality is Great. Power is clean (.02 THD!), and a legit 60 watts RMS/ channel- driving a pair of 8 Ohm Yamaha NS 6490 speakers. (Another cheap Yamaha home run). Ample inputs, Sub output, The Pure Direct option is priceless IMO. (bypasses all/most?? of the preamp circuits.) The Loudness compensation is superb and variable - I use it most of the time at different output volumes and vary it's setting based on the input (Phone streaming, TV, Movies etc.). There's also adjustable speaker impedance control. Phono input, headphone output. A huge power transformer. Symetrical linear amp design.Hallmark traits - Clean power and ... More2 months of use impression; This Yamaha product buries the competition in Sound quality, useful features, and in Price/ Performance ratio..Sound quality is Great. Power is clean (.02 THD!), and a legit 60 watts RMS/ channel- driving a pair of 8 Ohm Yamaha NS 6490 speakers. (Another cheap Yamaha home run). Ample inputs, Sub output, The Pure Direct option is priceless IMO. (bypasses all/most?? of the preamp circuits.) The Loudness compensation is superb and variable - I use it most of the time at different output volumes and vary it's setting based on the input (Phone streaming, TV, Movies etc.). There's also adjustable speaker impedance control. Phono input, headphone output. A huge power transformer. Symetrical linear amp design.Hallmark traits - Clean power and Excellent 'Natural' tone.I could throw superlatives about this amp All Day. It's Clean, has useful controls and sounds way above it's price point.The only Con I can think of is the lack of built in Bluetooth connectivity. - I gladly added an Esinkin Wireless bluetooth Adapter ($23 Amazon) which is designed for music (no signal/sound degradation that I can hear). Phone based streaming is now in play.Should you buy it? I'd buy it again in a heartbeat if this somehow quit. I don't see that happening as this one runs cool even at high volumes for several hours,If you like the idea of an old school, big, heavy amp that sound great and have an appreciation for outstanding sound quality at a relatively cheap price point - this is the one to get. If you know you need more than a legit 60 watts per channel RMS consider one of it's bigger more powerful brothers.

4.5 stars if I could

I love this amp. It's exactly what I was looking for. Quality sound, able to drive high impedance speakers, and only handles audio. My other options were full receivers with many unnecessary features. The input selector on this is a dial which is pretty unique (to me) and I love that the inputs aren't all labeled for you. I don't know about you, but I've always wanted an input 1 and input 2 and my OCD doesn't have to deal with plugging my computer into DVD Player now, for example. That's a very, very small thing, but I very much so appreciate it. The only reason I don't mark this as a full five stars is for the power button. It's a physical spring loaded button so there's no turning it on and off with the remote. That said, it does still have a low power standby ... MoreI love this amp. It's exactly what I was looking for. Quality sound, able to drive high impedance speakers, and only handles audio. My other options were full receivers with many unnecessary features. The input selector on this is a dial which is pretty unique (to me) and I love that the inputs aren't all labeled for you. I don't know about you, but I've always wanted an input 1 and input 2 and my OCD doesn't have to deal with plugging my computer into DVD Player now, for example. That's a very, very small thing, but I very much so appreciate it. The only reason I don't mark this as a full five stars is for the power button. It's a physical spring loaded button so there's no turning it on and off with the remote. That said, it does still have a low power standby mode that will engage after 8 hours without use. Again, another small thing, but it's my *only* complaint with this otherwise perfect amp. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

Can't do better at this price point Awful

This is a steal at $349 And build and craftsmanshipAre up to the usual high quality you expect from yamahaSound is smooth and on the warm side,its 60wpc is a beefy60watts and should have no issues driving any speakersIn the entry to mid fi price range,My only complaint isThe phono stage is a bit noisyOtherwise this is a damn fineAmplifier with build and performance that exceedIts low price

Exceeded expectations, but one glaring flaw stands out.

This integrated amp replaced 1 SMSL Sanskrit gen 6 DAC, 1 Monoprice Monolith Tube headphone amp/preamp, and 2 Dayton Audio APA 150 amplifiers. That’s a lot of buttons to turn off/on, and with the addition of the A-S301; one button operation nirvana achieved.My KEF Q100’s soundstage seems much wider, clearer and the bass is much tighter/punchier. I only have to push the volume to Noon to fill my 12 x 10 cave past spouse acceptance factor. Very happy with the minimalist aesthetic, which leads me to my only -1 (truly a -1/2 star) star gripe: the nonexistent LED, or anything, indication of where the volume level is. It’s just a tiny slot, and in low light, it’s invisible.I had done my homework on this amp and I knew that this would be an issue...just didn’t realize ... MoreThis integrated amp replaced 1 SMSL Sanskrit gen 6 DAC, 1 Monoprice Monolith Tube headphone amp/preamp, and 2 Dayton Audio APA 150 amplifiers. That’s a lot of buttons to turn off/on, and with the addition of the A-S301; one button operation nirvana achieved.My KEF Q100’s soundstage seems much wider, clearer and the bass is much tighter/punchier. I only have to push the volume to Noon to fill my 12 x 10 cave past spouse acceptance factor. Very happy with the minimalist aesthetic, which leads me to my only -1 (truly a -1/2 star) star gripe: the nonexistent LED, or anything, indication of where the volume level is. It’s just a tiny slot, and in low light, it’s invisible.I had done my homework on this amp and I knew that this would be an issue...just didn’t realize how much so. It is, Yamaha. I shouldn’t have to paint a white line on it. As small as the other LED indicators are, and the fact that the volume knob is motorized, for just a few cents more, and labor cost; it would be a stellar 5 star entry level amp with an actual volume indicator.However, at $349, I can honestly say that I am happy with how it performs on my PC desk setup. Just a warning, this unit is as large as a 5.1 receiver and a large desk will be needed to accommodate it.One last thing, the headphone output drives my Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro 250 ohm cans with authority. A very nice surprise. If I could rate this amp 4.5 stars, that’s what the final verdict would be.Definitely recommended.

Great value for great sound

This is as good an amplifier for my LPs as I had had before!. The sound is richer and more powerful than my old amp (a great Nakamichi) and with headphones the sound is clear. Somebody pointed out that the lights on the amp are very small, and I agree. I marked the volume button with some Whiteout so I can see what level it is at. It happened that I switched from Phono to Line 2 to amplify the TV and the sound came on way too loud, because I hadn't checked the volume. Now, with the Whiteout on the volume button, I can see and adjust the level before I change function, and will never scare myself (or my wife) with the sudden very loud sound. The remote works perfectly! The delivery by B&H was extremely fast and the amp arrived safely - even faster than first indicated.

High quality for decent price

I got this amp for a second set, but I like it so much that now is my primary option. Sounds better than an amp that is twice the price. Powerful enough to be unbearably loud in my big room. It sounds clear and has a very smooth top end. It is good with Triangle borea br03, but amazing with Klipsch rp160m. I always use a subwoofer, so can't comment how the bass would sound without. The volume level can't be seen, black on black. It doesn't bother me, but it might matter to some. And for the price of 350, just get it!

My favorite amp so far!

The A-S301 replaces my 18 year old Harman Kardon HK3370 receiver that had problems. The loudness knob is very aggressive! With the old receiver, when listening to really old music that lacked deep bass, sometimes the powered subwoofer would not put out much even with the sub level turned to max. With this Yamaha, just dial in some loudness-problem solved. My sub gets fed well even with old music! lt has plenty of power to drive my Polk TSI 200s. And the lnfinity powered sub sounds great. The Pure Direct setting bypasses loudness, so l'll probably never use it. This unit DOES have fixed level line out jacks for recording. Some of the modern units do not have it. And this is the first home stereo receiver/amp that turns off all speakers(and sub out)when headphones are ... MoreThe A-S301 replaces my 18 year old Harman Kardon HK3370 receiver that had problems. The loudness knob is very aggressive! With the old receiver, when listening to really old music that lacked deep bass, sometimes the powered subwoofer would not put out much even with the sub level turned to max. With this Yamaha, just dial in some loudness-problem solved. My sub gets fed well even with old music! lt has plenty of power to drive my Polk TSI 200s. And the lnfinity powered sub sounds great. The Pure Direct setting bypasses loudness, so l'll probably never use it. This unit DOES have fixed level line out jacks for recording. Some of the modern units do not have it. And this is the first home stereo receiver/amp that turns off all speakers(and sub out)when headphones are plugged in. You don't have to set the speaker selector to off when listening to headphones. l'm so glad my old HK receiver decided to have problems. This A-S301 rocks!

Simply clean sound

I bought the Yamaha A-S301 to replace an aging 1998 Pioneer receiver. The Yamaha delivers more solid bass. Perhaps less treble, but less treble distortion. For example, you can distinguish between different crash or ride cymbals. Horn sections are very clear, without harshness. I listen mostly to CDs, so the optical input is nice.I use efficient Klipsch R-820F tower speakers, so the Yamaha has plenty of headroom.

The music is back

This is my 30 day review of the Yamaha A-S301. Getting alot of joy from this simple amp. The dynamics, stereo separation, transparency, and at times melodic sounds are candy to my ears. 60 watts is enough for my 28X20 room. The support equipment I have is a BluDento HD receiver, Behringer QX 602 mixer, ( with built-in eq and reverb), and a BBE 882i maximizer, all interconnected using Infinite Cables. End of the chain are a pair of Bose 301's and 201's from the late 90's. I know the slogan... no highs, no lows... must be Bose. This Yamaha has really brought them to life. Better than any of the AVR stuff previously used. And finally, a Sony SA-W2500 sub. The pure direct mode is the best choice for me. I don't use the remote, so no comment on that. I installed a 120 ... MoreThis is my 30 day review of the Yamaha A-S301. Getting alot of joy from this simple amp. The dynamics, stereo separation, transparency, and at times melodic sounds are candy to my ears. 60 watts is enough for my 28X20 room. The support equipment I have is a BluDento HD receiver, Behringer QX 602 mixer, ( with built-in eq and reverb), and a BBE 882i maximizer, all interconnected using Infinite Cables. End of the chain are a pair of Bose 301's and 201's from the late 90's. I know the slogan... no highs, no lows... must be Bose. This Yamaha has really brought them to life. Better than any of the AVR stuff previously used. And finally, a Sony SA-W2500 sub. The pure direct mode is the best choice for me. I don't use the remote, so no comment on that. I installed a 120 volt cooling fan in my cabinetry, as this has no internal fan. Rubber caps for the numerous unused rca plugs. The speaker terminals are very good. Not the cheaper push to open, spring loaded option. I myself am using banana plus for all 4 speakers. The A-B speakers button is a welcome plus, versus the standard F/R thingy of the AVR's. Music only for me, and this amp does just that! I don't care to listen to Bobby Boucher on the football field, I want to hear BB King on the guitar.

vary good construction

This amp cant be beat at this price point ,vary well made with parts that would be at home in higher end gearThe 60wpc is a beefy 60wattsSonics are smooth and warm driving my elac debut 6.2 my only disappointment is the phono stageIt does what its supposed to doBut its a little bit noisy and bland sounding but but at only$349You have to cut cost somewhereOyher wise im vary happy with it