Yamaha A-S801 Integrated Amplifier, 290W Dynamic Power at 2 Ohms, 10Hz-100kHz Frequency Response, Silver

2024-11-17T19:00:00

As the title states, this is my first Yamaha purchase and I've been in this hobby for over 40 years. I had purchased a Rogue Pharoah that I really wasn't all that impressed with. It couldn't stand up to my Marantz 2330 receiver from 1976. The 801 peaked my interest, and I have been so impressed, that I sold my Marantz and its become my main rig. I've got likely 100 hours of listening, and it just continues to impress me I use the pure settings and they sound so realistic and dynamic. My sources are a Rotel Tribute CD, Yamaha 300 cd, Pro-Ject debute tt, and Advance Paris WYX tubes, and they all sound fantastic. I will likely upgrading sometime in the near future to either the AS 1200 or 2200.

Todd

Originally posted at

2024-04-28T20:00:00

It sounds great. I was rather surprised in how much better it sounded than my previous (NAD) amp. It has plenty of inputs and good features, and more than enough power. My only issue is with the LEDs. I wish the power light were bigger/brighter, as well as the lights showing inputs, and if there were an LED on the volume knob, showing it move. I use this amp in my studio space and operate it across the room, with the remote. I would rather have knobs than those rectangular tone controls. Those issues are I think, are cosmetic, a sleek, modern design look won out over usage. And I wouldn't mind front audio and usb inputs for temporary connections. But overall, it's a great amp. It sounds good and offers a lot of flexibilty. The question about best uses had limited choices. For me it's for home listening and professional use.

DK

Originally posted at

2024-02-29T19:00:00

For my A-S801, the bass and treble are perfect. I use Bose 301s inside and Polk outdoor on the patio - together and separate. The bass between the two is excellent. I connected my HD tuner, turntable (thank you Crutchfield), and CD changer. I love the Yamaha retro design and Yamaha is my favorite since I was young.

JCFtlaud

Originally posted at

2024-02-20T19:00:00

Crutchfield listened to what I was looking for, it sounds great sound for Classic rock and acoustic guitar .It shas plenty of power and sound good at low and high volumes

JG

Originally posted at

2023-12-19T19:00:00

Great quality sound. Like build quality. Looks very good.

Deango

Originally posted at

2023-12-16T19:00:00

This is a beautiful machine, and it rocks. The fit and finish the simplicity of the controls and remotes. I also have a Yamaha CD/USB player and the Amp remote controls it all. I could not be happier with this purchase.

Toco

Originally posted at

2023-11-23T19:00:00

This amp is very impressive. It has the power I need to power four speakers and two subwoofers. The sound is very clean, with very little hiss even at high volume.

Audio M.

Originally posted at

2023-03-22T20:00:00

Updating my previous Crutchfield review with more data for nerds -- Enjoyable, clean oldschool sound. Bass and Treble knobs are well calibrated and feel right. This unit reminds me of a 70s era receiver in a the best possible ways. Good audio masterings sound *really* good. Intuitive controls. Plenty of power for Polk R200 bookshelf speakers used in a 15x20' room or so, around 3/8 volume is "quite loud" for sustained listening. Update: 5/8 volume whitenoise reaches 118dB peak at the speakers... Amp output saturates at 77V... this appears to be solidly >100W/ch into 3.8Ohm (speaker min; impedance profiles vary with frequency). I've measured peak outputs *far* above this using pure tones and a Tek oscope and sense resistor.... this amp is a *beast*. Despite their 200W RMS rating, pure tones at >5/8 volume (~120dB) will make the crossovers inside the Polk R200s smell like burning, so don't do that... Sub LFE output works fine... paired with an SVS 3000 Micro; crossover control on the sub still works. Bass control on the A-S801 modulates the sub loudness. LFE output range is down to 5Hz or below, and the -3dB point (oscope FFT) is 97.7-103.7Hz depending second/third order model fit (indicating the 100Hz LFE crossover figure in the manual is correct, not the 90Hz number). Rolloff is moderate, -10dB is at 174Hz. Optical sounds great, and the USB DAC is absolutely perfect, digital all the way to the output stages. I'm using 32b/192kHz (PCM x4) under Win10 (driver built in, no trouble). Aux-in through RCA and coax digital both work fine. Hidden feature -- this receiver drives the Sennheiser HD600 (300 Ohm) and HD280/HD380 (64 Ohm) headphones effortlessly through the 1/4" headphone jack on the front! No need for a separate headphone amp! In addition to the USB DAC input, I'm also using this with digital coax from an iFi Zen Blue V2 bluetooth unit and audio quality is superb. From my perspective as an electrical engineer this unit is a huge win!

Speakerman

Originally posted at

2023-03-15T20:00:00

This is a recent purchase, so I wanted to share impressions while they're fresh. Switchgear, etc., all seems fine, so those criticisms seem minor. Amp has a great look -- wish it had VU meters or wood sides like an old Yamaha, but oh well. The setup was a little tricky in that the Yamaha manual seemed to indicate my Mac laptop would be plug-and-play, when in fact it needed a Steinberg driver just like a PC does. Product page for the A-S801 lists out-of-date drivers, so you need to go to the Steinberg site for the current ones. But I finally got it streaming at a high PCM rate. Note that the PCM lights on the faceplate only work with the USB input; the lights don't function with whatever you have hooked up via optical and coaxial, so it's unclear whether you're getting high-res lossless there. I have the amp driving a set of KEF R3s with a Sunfire woofer, and the sound is pure and natural, crisp and clean, as is Yamaha's way. And the amp has plenty of power for the KEFs, which are not too efficient. Much of the sound quality is no doubt due more to the KEFs, but I'd say this is a nice speaker-amp pairing. Vocals sound vivid and detail, instrument voices sound true. The KEFS are biwired A+B, though I doubt that makes much of a difference, but the amp seems designed for that. I'm not hearing great soundstage so far but need to experiment more with speaker placement; I'm sure it'll get there, and this will sound even better over time. Pleased with the purchase. Some recordings sound fantastic.

GR

Originally posted at

2022-10-22T20:00:00

Perfect addition to my front room. Easily powers my Bose 901s & makes them sing like angels

Robert

Originally posted at

2022-10-04T20:00:00

I owned a Yamaha ca-1010 in the late 70's. This is the third integrated amplifier I've owed from Yamaha. The sound is smooth and powerful through all the octaves. The soundstageing is spacious, left to right, front to back and top to bottom. Thoroughly enjoy this amp!

BPS

Originally posted at

2022-08-01T20:00:00

Music listening and paired with Polk RTI A7 floor standing speakers. It worked well until it didn't. I have handled it carefully, but all of a sudden the driven accessory indicator lights would not illuminate and the power on indicator would flicker. I was advised to bring it to Inner Sound in Clackamus, OR. and did so May 5, 2022.They have contacted your office, but to no avail.

Duffy

Originally posted at

2022-07-30T20:00:00

The force required to operate the power button is so low that you don't always know if it's on or off.

Luc

Originally posted at

2022-04-25T20:00:00

I have, now, owned this Integrated Amp since October 2018; It is, now, 2022 and the 801 runs each and every day. It is surprising neutral and very fine sounding. Absolutely, positively no quirks - excepted - what I already noted. It is connected to a Cambridge Audio CXC via a Coaxial Cable and each and both work together to power and workout my Wharfedale Diamond 230 Tower Loudspeakers. I have the 801 & the CXC connected to an IFI Power Station with an additional AC Purifier and I am most satisfied that I made the right purchase(s) and I will consider Yamaha's eventual replacement of the 801.

Floy

Originally posted at

2022-03-08T08:14:26

Only had it a few weeks but right away you know it a quality piece. The price is very fair for what you get. The sound flat is amazing if you feed it a clear well recorded source. I run it always in Pure Direct mode amazing sound. I did notice when paired with better than average speakers the sound is greatly improved. I'm using a pair of KEF Q350's and a Polk Sub and the match up is great for my tastes. Power is right at a nice strength to bring out the best in a wide range of music. All instruments sound as if they are actually in the room with you. Great Yamaha sound like it use to be.

JAMES M.

2020-01-23T19:00:00

My much more expensive audio system is out of the country and I wanted to be able to enjoy listening to recorded music again. Based on reviews and prices, bought the Yamaha A-S801, Cambridge CXC and ELAC Uni-Fi UF5 speakers. I'm pleased with the results - the best way to tell is that I really enjoy the music listening to this setup. Much better than the typical midfi setup where the music sounds like it's coming out of a tunnel. I want to add a Bryston BDP-Pi and wish there were more digital inputs on this - right now I'm using the digital optical for TV input - and the USB input won't work with the Linux-based Pi (Yamaha provides a special driver for Windows and Mac only). Give us at least 3 digital coax and 2 digital optical inputs, please! Disable the power standby feature right away! It drove me crazy at first! Overall quality seems great, but the speaker cable binding posts on the back are imperfect: not compatible with spades and they're mounted on a metal sheet which moves around too much. Give us more premium binding posts, please! The 2.1 capability to add a subwoofer seems like a nice feature.

Pronto

Originally posted at

2019-07-04T20:00:00

I have never owned a Yamaha before but had a roommate long ago that had some high end Yamaha gear he had bought overseas in the military. I liked it then, but I really like it now. I bought the Yamaha Natural Sound Integrated A-S801 because of it's built in DAC. I wanted to buy something I could hook up to my computer and stream Spotify directly into it and bypass the computer onboard sound. I was able to do this with the Yamaha using an AudioQuest Cinnamon USB A to B cable, and I was blown away. The sound is superbly articulate and clean with plenty of punch. The controls work velvety smooth and the fit and finish is also superb. I have it powering a pair of Bowers & Wilkins DM-604 S3's using 10 gauge speaker cables. I had the B&W biamped with a Denon AVR-2809CI prior, and there is no comparison. The Yamaha outperforms the Denon on every level, not even biamping the speakers. I couldn't be happier. I'm so happy I looked at other Yamaha integrated amps thinking I'd upgrade to a better model. I would have enjoyed a pair of meters on the A-S801 and was looking for a model that has them. My only complaint is that the A-S801 is the only Yamaha integrated amp model that has built in DAC's, but has no meters. I would implore Yamaha to either put meters on future A-S801's or, build DAC's in one of their higher end model integrated amps that do have meters. Other than that minor detail, which really has nothing to do with the amps performance or build quality, I would highly recommend the Yamaha Natural Sound amps.

Preacher

Originally posted at

2019-03-03T19:00:00

The Yamaha A-S801 Integrated Amp, replete with an ESS Sabre 32 bit DAC is quite outstanding...connected, via a coaxial cable, to a Cambridge Audio CXC. It is quiet, resolute and detailed; I have a pair of Wharfdale 230 Tower Speakers connected using a pair of Blue Jean Speaker Cables. However, the power button is dainty and the volume control is twitchy as once you bet past around 7:30 - or so, the slightest turn upwards can raise the volume control loud. This may be the result of a coaxial cable replete with a powerline box replete with two Shunyata Venom Power Defenders? Never-the-less...for less than $800.00 retail, the 801 is a mighty-fine piece of audio,,,well designed; well engineered and well manufactured. Use the inherent DAC through the coaxial and engage the "Pure Direct" button, and will have a very fine-sounding match. I bought well and enjoy it much!

Floy

Originally posted at

2018-07-03T13:05:03

Great experience... amazing sound

manuel f.

2018-02-07T19:00:00

easy to set up; great inputs; this replaced an old A-700 and I miss the ability to select record inputs separately from source; OTOH capability for sub woofer; digital and computer/USB inputs and bi-amping more than compensate.

RFC

Originally posted at

2017-09-08T20:00:00

I have a pair of Klipsh Forte II speakers that are fabulous but VERY sensitive to amplification. If your amp does not have plenty of clean power then they will sound very harsh. This is the closest in sound I have come to since my Carver tube amp these speakers were connected to originally. I am also using an SVS PC12-plus subwoofer and this setup sounds amazing. Thanks YAMAHA for upping your game again and producing the kind of equipment you were known for back in the 70's and 80's.

keo

Originally posted at

2017-06-26T09:29:48

Yamaha really built a quality amp with the A-S801. The DAC is awesome. I run the AppleTV thru the optical input, my blue ray player runs through digital coax cable, if I have a laptop with high res files and can use USB. I let the internal DAC decode everything. Great quality for the price.

jack v.

2017-02-19T19:00:00

OVERALL HAPPY WITH THE AMPS PERFORMANCE , BUT DISAPPOINTED IN THE REMOTE NOT WORKING , THIS WAS ONE OF MY REASONS FOR THE UPGRADE TO THIS AMP !

JJ

Originally posted at

2017-02-03T19:00:00

I have had my S-801 for over a year exclusively for vinyl. It is biwired into a pair of Yamaha 777 6 ohm tower speakers. I am completely happy with the sound and volume. All in the setup wo turntable is under $2K. This is a very rational audiophile setup. Great offerings Yamaha.

Daddio

Originally posted at

2016-08-05T20:00:00

I needed to replace my 30 year old Yamaha amp that had 115W per channel. It was very hard to find anything at 100W per channel or better without a major price tag. I am not an audio file, I just like to have a full sound experience provide by clean power. I have had no need to use any of the bass/tremble nobs, just the CD Direct circuit and Pure Direct circuit. To me that says it all, clean power in an amp makes the sound, if you are adjusting the sound conditions nobs, then something is lacking in the music system. I have two larger speakers on the floor and two smaller speakers elevated to really spread the sound out which this amp can do. I read about the DAC and laptop use. As I am not a audio nut I didn't try it for awhile. I got the cord needed, down loaded the sound file from Yamaha site it is very easy. Pink Floyd Meddle album was a new experience this way and try a Franklin, Slip, Estimated, Eyes by the Dead this way too. CD Direct and Pure Direct are very valuable features giving clean and low noise sound. The back panel's other USB is a power port is only for powering a device like Blue tooth connector or iPod. The loudness nob is the best out there with dial a selection not just a stupid push on or off. You have friends over and want background music, turn up the main volume and then dial down the loudness, presto, the speakers are driven with good sound but at a low volume level. The 2 heat dissipating plates and heavy quality build let you know it is time to let the power flow for hours.

Jack S.

Originally posted at

2016-05-21T20:00:00

After watching the review of this unit by Audioholics, I was sold. I installed this amp in my home fitness room which is 25ft by 15ft. I fished a 25ft USB cord thru the ceiling to my office where I have a big MacPro computer. Downloading and installing the special USB driver was simple. To get started....you turn on the amp which makes the USB driver selectable in the Sound Preferences. Then fire-up iTunes and start listening. I have 4 Top of the line JBL speakers connected to the A and B ports of the amp along with a big Polk Sub-Woofer. I also have the room covered with acoustic panels (walls and ceiling). With the amp set on USB/Pure Direct...OMG it's so nice.

Hoov

Originally posted at

2016-02-27T19:00:00

Primarily i use it for Hi Res streaming from my computer and my Google Chromecast Audio, and occasionally for CD's played through my bluray player, all connected digitally so I can take advantage of that phenomenal onboard DAC. This was the perfect choice for me because the Yamaha AS801 meets all my current audio needs and anything i could imagine I could want in the future. Currently I have it hooked to a pair of Klipsch RP 160M bookshelf speakers, easy load for the amp but that allows for lots of headroom for dynamics. And if there are any future changes in speakers I wont feel under powered. Also the amp delivers solid, deep bass and great control over the speakers, so bass isn't a problem but it's nice to know that If I want more bass I could easily add a subwoofer. And in the near future I want to start a vinyl collection, so again it's nice to know that a phono input is there too. In my opinion the is not just a homerun for Yamaha but a out of the park Grandslam!

Wully B.

Originally posted at

2016-01-15T19:00:00

Bought this a month ago. Extremely pleased. Opens up sound stage a lot, very detailed sound, excellent DAC conversion. Would recommend it to anybody.

Yan M.

Originally posted at

2015-12-29T19:00:00

I wanted a two channel amp for music only and ended up expanding a bit. I have this amp attached to Polk Audio Rti 12 speakers (bi wired) and the louder it is the better it is. I originally purchased a Yamaha receiver R-S700 but felt I wanted cleaner power and did not really need a tuner since prrimary goal is to listen to music from phone and computer. Still unsure if I have enough power for the particular speakers but all in all it sounds good and clean. I did purchase the Yamaha YBA-11 in order to play by blue tooth and it works flawless even when Im in another room. I also did end up connecting to my TV with Optical cable for concerts on Quello and Pallida(sp). I will also be connecting my laptop for music via USB-B but have not done so as of yet. Different sources do play at different volumes. Meaning my iPhone has to have the volume a bit louder than playing a CD. By the way when playing a CD it sounds terrific. Cd sounds the best of any source I have attempted. The unit itself is heavy and seems well built, for the price I wish the control knobs were metal. All in all Im pleased with he amp.

Joe

Originally posted at