Yamaha A-S2000 Integrated Amplifier Review

iamjaymo

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Introduction
So I've had this beast in my 2-channel listening room for about a month now. It's getting pretty close to being fully broke in and I'm real excited about it so I felt the need to share just how fantastic sounding this integrated is. I have got close to 80 hours on it and it just keeps getting better and better as it has settled in. By way of background, since getting into this "audio hobby" I was really attracted to the vintage units, and still am, and qualify myself as sort of a Sansui nut. I have/had quite a few Sui's: Six, Eight Deluxe, G-6700, G-7500, 7070, 9090DB, G-9000DB, AU-717, AU-919, AU-7500, AU-9500 - my favorites being the Eight Deluxe, AU-9500, AU-919, and G-9000. Had some Pioneer's also: SX-950, 1050, 5580 and a couple of Kenwood's and Marantz's as well. I also have had my share of modern fare, to include a NAD Master Series M3, Wyred 4 Sound STI-1000 (class D), and a NAD 275 power amp. A knowledgeable AKer, Migman, introduced me to vintage Yamaha's…and I got a minty CA-810, which is currently being restored by Cherish44, and it really grew on me. Loved the look, build and came to appreciate the sound of the little Yamaha.

At any rate, I was looking for a modern "reference" amp to go along with my vintage units, one that didn't need servicing, recapping or rehabbing. I wanted an amp I could keep and enjoy for years and not have the desire to sell. After months of research, I settled on two and decided I would compare them and keep the winner. I wanted an integrated amp for it's all-in-one convenience and the fact that I already had a separates system. The two amps I settled on were the Anthem Integrated 225 and the Yamaha A-S2000.

Long story short, I ended up selling the Anthem and kept the Yamaha. The Anthem is an incredible sounding amp and truth be told, I would have been happy with either one. I decided in the end the Yamaha had the better build quality and, after directly A/Bing the two, the smoother, more neutral and transparent sound. Loved that Anthem though - I just couldn't afford to keep both.

Build Quality and Specs
Not much to say here other than the A-S2000 has 50 lbs. of tank like weight, real wood side panels, huge caps you can see through the top vents and metal dials and switches. The Anthem had plastic switches, weighed 10 lbs. less but was well built but the 2000, however, was just a cut above. The binding posts were better on the Yamaha and the internals just seemed better laid out and of an extreme high-end quality. Let me also say I have learned that wpc means little in terms of sound quality. The Anthem is rated at 225 wpc and the Yamaha at 90 yet the A-S2000 sounds every bit as powerful. Nothing less. The Yamaha can shake the foundation just as well as my G-9000 can, and to me, actually seems to have more composure as the volume goes North.

My Setup
Pretty simple setup, I use an amp switch so I can choose whatever amp I want to listen to. Right now, I have the A-S2000, a Sansui AU-7500 as a preamp connected to an Anthem MCA 20 power amp and a Sansui G-9000DB. I am probably 80% ALAC ripped 16/44.1 and some 24/192 tracks and 20% vinyl spun on a Sansui SR-838. Speakers are Ascend Acoustics Sierra Towers which are neutral and incredible. Also of note, I don't use the phono stage in the Yamaha as I have my TT connected to my G-9000. The A-S2000 has both MM and MC phono. UPDATE, 4/14/13: I recently got rid of all other amps in my listening room...got rid of everything because the 2000 is THAT good.

Overall Sound of the Yamaha
Sound was for me the ultimate determining factor and trumps build quality in my book. I don't have a Stereophile vocabulary; I don't really know what "simbilant" means, or "transient" or "decay" or any other buzzwords used by reviewers. I do my best to describe the things I hear.

I've thought about how I can give a short statement on the overall sound of the 2000…it came to me during the Super Bowl of all things. It hit me during the National Anthem, Alicia Keys was playing on a Yamaha piano. That's it! Yamaha makes instruments, and that is exactly how the 2000 sounds. It sounds like musical instruments...the 2000 reproduces the sound of instruments! A revelation. Well, maybe not a revelation to some, but it was to me. This may seem strange, but many amps I have heard (some very high dollar ones), even some that sound good, really didn't sound like instruments playing. I really can't explain it better than that; maybe the word I am searching for is "musical"?

Bass
I have really grown to love the bass from the 2000. Initially, I thought the bass a tad anemic, especially compared to say, the bass weight of some of my vintage Sansui gear. I think my feeling toward the bass was partly because the amp hadn't been run in and partly because I had never heard bass through an amp with such detail and texture. The 2000 reproduces deep and has very, very tight and punchy bass. The bass is NOT flabby or overly extended that I used to mistake for being good. The bass seems to have notes, and in some cases you can literally hear the foot pedal hitting the bass drum in different ways, harder or softer, with each strike.

The 2000 really grabs hold of my speakers, it grabs them by the neck and controls them from top to bottom, something the Anthem never did to quite this extent. When comparing the bass of the 2000 with that of the G-9000, initially, upon first listen, the 9000 clearly has more and deeper bass. It is a different bass though. An analogy I think about when I want to describe the bass reproduction of the 2000 (and actually entire sonic range from top to bottom) is sort of like a drag race between a '69 Vette with a 427 cu. in. big block and a Ferrari with a V-12 (or what ever it has)…the 9000 being the 'Vette. The Ferrari, the A-S2000, wins the race and does so as it gets to the end of the quarter mile smoothly, dynamically, impressively and in a controlled manner. The Vette screams, rumbles, shakes the driver as it goes down the track; loudly and it's damn fun! But the 'Vette loses the race by an embarrassing margin.

Mid Range
To me, the mids are a bit more forward on the Yamaha as compared to any of the Sui's or the Anthem - a good thing, especially on something like Nora Jones. Never shrill, the voices always seem to be in the right place relative to the instruments. Again, I don't have the vocabulary here, but in the mid range, the 2000 is smooth as butter and it just seems to flow so well. I think it's the mids where the 2000 really stole the show as compared to the Anthem 225.

Treble
I never hear any harshness in the higher freqs. I love to hear that sparkle and the 2000 has it in droves. It is one of the least fatiguing amps I have ever heard. Literally, I can listen for hours, at high volume, and I never have any problem with fatigue. I listened to the G-9000 yesterday for about 3 hours and when I shut it off, my head was pounding. The Sui is just soooo dynamic; great for shorter listening sessions or to impress your friends but after a while you feel it. The 9000 just has a thunderous sound to it...you can literally hear the power. I do love it. The Yamaha doesn't sound like that however. The Yamaha is very refined, especially in the upper regions. The highs are truly wonderful and engrossing.

Conclusions
One thing I will say, the Yamaha really needs to be broke in. Whether or not break in is real, i.e. if it is the listener that needs to be broken in getting used to the sound, but this amp really seems to smooth out after about 80 hours or so.

I find myself listening to the Yamaha most often. I really like my setup in that whatever suits my mood I can choose. I crank up the 9000 when the wife and kids are out of the house, the 7500/MCA pair for low-level listening and that warm Sansui magic and the 2000 when I really want to listen to music and feel like I'm at a concert or in a smoky jazz lounge.

I picked up my 2000, new, from HiFi Heaven out of Green Bay, Wisconsin and it was dropped shipped to me in Michigan with no issues. I have heard many much higher dollar amps and the A-S2000 plays in that weight class just as good if not better. No, the Yamaha doesn't have a famous audiophile reputation and I'm sure most people spending over $5 grand on an amp wouldn’t even give Yamaha a second thought, and that's fine, but for my limited funds to spend on audio, it is damn fine and I highly recommend giving it a try.











 
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The difference between 225 watts and 90 watts (all else being equal) is only 4 dB; a priori not much reason to expect much difference there.
 
I enjoyed reading your review. I especially like the vintage looks of the Yamaha, but of course the insides are all modern! It is the best of both worlds, and honestly I am not surprised it is superior to the G-9000. I think your analogy between the two is a very good one, the A-S2000 being like a modern vehicle with gas mileage, more control, better brakes, smoother acceleration, etc, whereas the G-9000 is like an old muscle car.
 
Well, looks like you had narrowed down to the two same choices I had made. I went with the A-S2000 as well. This is strictly my opinion, due to the fact that Yamaha decided years ago not to cater to audiphiles the brand lost it's appeal and panache. The 2000 is truly a first class product and if it had a different name on it, and they charged twice the price for it, it would have a greater following. Ironic isn't it?
 
It certainly is ironic Vintageman. I believe a highend bicycle manufacurer (guy who started Klein before he sold out to Trek) said once that he didn't sell any bikes till he started way overcharging for them.
 
thanks for the review. i've often thought of picking one of these amps up.
 
I've been stunned at the quality of this amp's little brother, the AS500, great review of the top of the line! Thanks.
 
Another A-S2000 in Michigan

I bought my A-S2000 and CD-S1000 from a gentleman who'd already broken them in while waiting for an Esoteric unit for his Magico V3's. I already had the A-S700 so I knew that the A-S2000 would be amazing and it has been a revelation. It works really well driving my ATC SCM40's and every other speaker I tried with it. If you're ever in Downtown Detroit and want to compare notes, I'd love to meet up.
 
No, Malaysia I believe.

That is ok...Yamaha run their own factories I believe. Not like they farm it out to an OEM. Another question...what is the depth of the feet? The site has the overall dimensions but as far as rack space only the feet matter in my setup. Thanks again!
 
That is ok...Yamaha run their own factories I believe. Not like they farm it out to an OEM. Another question...what is the depth of the feet? The site has the overall dimensions but as far as rack space only the feet matter in my setup. Thanks again!

I'll get back to you on the feet measurement tonight...
 
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