Yamaha A S801 Review Stereophile

Yamaha a s801 inside view with top panel removed the fact that the a s801 has a solid amp section isn t the end of the story.

Yamaha a s801 review stereophile. Versatility is the keyword with the a s801. Yamaha included a digital section employing an ess technology 32 bit es9010k2m sabre dac capable of supporting native dsd resolutions 2 8 mhz 5 6 mhz and pcm 384 khz 32 bit via a usb b as well as coax and toslink. Yamaha emphasizes that it uses premium parts in constructing the a s801 though no specific examples are cited. I downloaded a copy of yamaha s steinberg usb windows driver version 1 9 5 for the a s801 and installed it so the computer would recognize the a s801 s dac then changed the settings in roon to play through the a s801 a very straightforward procedure.

So after a bit of research i bought a yamaha a s801 integrated amplifier and i was blown away by the difference. Maybe a shot in the dark but which one would sound better when streaming cambridge audio cxn v2 flacs through them. All in one is preferred but okay wit hupgrading dac phono etc if necessary. Sort of torn between monitor audio silver 200 or 300s and paradigm premier 800f s the paradigms on sale but monitor audio 300 able to get to a comparable.

Included is a simple slender multifunction remote which mirrors the front panel functions. Last month i had plenty of time to listen to music and felt my receiver was not using my speakers to their full potential. Yamaha a s801 with folia rodrigo martinez fresh in mind i played the same piece from my iphone 6 through the yba 11 bluetooth connection. The silver review unit looked quite stylish and all its labels were readable.

It comes in a choice of brushed silver or black. It is designed to embrace virtually any music playback format currently available on the market. I have the yamaha rx a1080 would it make sense to get the a s801 and place it behind the rx 1080. Plenty of sparkle and dynamics maybe less detail than via the computer connection but thoroughly.

The amplifier carries a two year parts and labor warranty reasonable for an 899 product. My expectations weren t very high but i was pleasantly surprised at the quality of reproduction. Both black and silver faceplates are available. A deal can be had on a yamaha a s801 but am considering similarly priced from cambridge audio rega nad rotel.