A-S801 to A-S1100 or A-S1200

[DavidTT]

Hello all. I recently purchased an A-S801 to drive a pair of JBL Studio 590s and I've been happy with the combination. I've had experiences with NAD, Denon, Adcom, Cambridge and a few others, separate and integrated, but the A-S801 has performed nicely so far. Clear, clean, dynamic, nice looks and feel.

However I understand that the amps higher in the line use very different architectures and are in a different league from the A-S801 so am intrigued. I also like the classic look with the vu meters and I'm in the return window for the A-S801.

For those who have heard the A-S1100/1200 and up, and the A-S801, how would you describe the differences in operation and sound, beyond the vu meters? I listen to vinyl using a Rega Planar 6 and Cambridge Duo phono pre, and also digital, currently using the internal DAC of the A-S801, which has pleasantly surprised me.

I ask these questions because I'm tempted to return the A-S801 for one of these higher-spec models, likely the A-S1100 or A-S1200, but the price difference is 2X to 3X, depending on model and finding good prices, so I'd hope for clearly better ownership experience noted by others who have owned the 'higher line' Yamaha amps before making the jump.

Thoughts, experiences? Thanks.

 

[ron arellano]

Hello all. I recently purchased an A-S801 to drive a pair of JBL Studio 590s and I've been happy with the combination. I've had experiences with NAD, Denon, Adcom, Cambridge and a few others, separate and integrated, but the A-S801 has performed nicely so far. Clear, clean, dynamic, nice looks and feel.

However I understand that the amps higher in the line use very different architectures and are in a different league from the A-S801 so am intrigued. I also like the classic look with the vu meters and I'm in the return window for the A-S801.

For those who have heard the A-S1100/1200 and up, and the A-S801, how would you describe the differences in operation and sound, beyond the vu meters? I listen to vinyl using a Rega Planar 6 and Cambridge Duo phono pre, and also digital, currently using the internal DAC of the A-S801, which has pleasantly surprised me.

I ask these questions because I'm tempted to return the A-S801 for one of these higher-spec models, likely the A-S1100 or A-S1200, but the price difference is 2X to 3X, depending on model and finding good prices, so I'd hope for clearly better ownership experience noted by others who have owned the 'higher line' Yamaha amps before making the jump.

Thoughts, experiences? Thanks.

I bought the A-S501 and totally loved it. The DAC was great, same with phono stage and loved the sub-woofer out. As you described, the sound was clear, clean and dynamic. Loved the looks! But.....I have always wanted a piece of high endish audio and who can resist the meters! Also having grown up during the height of the audio wars, I was also nostalgic for the old school look and feel. I decided to take the plunge and bought the A-S1200. I have not regretted it. It is also clean, clear, dynamic and I would add detailed and warm. I hear details that I had never heard before in recordings I am very familiar with! I am running it with JBL 4312s. Just great sound. I listen to Rock, Pop, Jazz and Classical. The rest of my gear is a Rotel Tribute cd player and a 80s Denon turntable. I think you would be very pleased with the phono amp. (MM/MC) Running my SVS sub through the pre-out. I really don't think you would be disappointed.

 

[Adamo0926]

I bought the A-S501 and totally loved it. The DAC was great, same with phono stage and loved the sub-woofer out. As you described, the sound was clear, clean and dynamic. Loved the looks! But.....I have always wanted a piece of high endish audio and who can resist the meters! Also having grown up during the height of the audio wars, I was also nostalgic for the old school look and feel. I decided to take the plunge and bought the A-S1200. I have not regretted it. It is also clean, clear, dynamic and I would add detailed and warm. I hear details that I had never heard before in recordings I am very familiar with! I am running it with JBL 4312s. Just great sound. I listen to Rock, Pop, Jazz and Classical. The rest of my gear is a Rotel Tribute cd player and a 80s Denon turntable. I think you would be very pleased with the phono amp. (MM/MC) Running my SVS sub through the pre-out. I really don't think you would be disappointed.

I know this thread is older.....but found these posts very interesting since I just purchased a Yamaha A-S801. My first foray into more modern gear. Absolutely love the
piece. Sounds better from top to bottom than all the vintage gear I have, including my separates. I went back into the shop this past Saturday to browse and told the shop owner that if I knew how good the A-S801 sounded I might have held out for the A-S1200.

I got this A-801 for 25% less because it was a customer return. So it's basically new as it was in all the original packing. He also has a customer return on an A-S2200 for 44% off which would make that cost less than a new A-1200. Checked the specs of both the A-1200 and A-2200 and one thing jumped out at me. The signal to noise ratio on the phone section. 90 db for MC and 96 db MM. I had never seen S/N specs that great before for a phono section. Almost seems unheard of.

I think for the price the A-S801 is an outstanding value. 100 wpc, internal DAC, superb sound, etc. Certainly an excellent S/N spec for phono MM at 82 db. But no built in preamp for low output MC cartridges like the A-S1200 and A-S2200. But reading this makes me wonder if I should have emptied the wallet a little more and got that customer return of the A-S2200......

 

[ron arellano]

I know this thread is older.....but found these posts very interesting since I just purchased a Yamaha A-S801. My first foray into more modern gear. Absolutely love the
piece. Sounds better from top to bottom than all the vintage gear I have, including my separates. I went back into the shop this past Saturday to browse and told the shop owner that if I knew how good the A-S801 sounded I might have held out for the A-S1200.

I got this A-801 for 25% less because it was a customer return. So it's basically new as it was in all the original packing. He also has a customer return on an A-S2200 for 44% off which would make that cost less than a new A-1200. Checked the specs of both the A-1200 and A-2200 and one thing jumped out at me. The signal to noise ratio on the phone section. 90 db for MC and 96 db MM. I had never seen S/N specs that great before for a phono section. Almost seems unheard of.

I think for the price the A-S801 is an outstanding value. 100 wpc, internal DAC, superb sound, etc. Certainly an excellent S/N spec for phono MM at 82 db. But no built in preamp for low output MC cartridges like the A-S1200 and A-S2200. But reading this makes me wonder if I should have emptied the wallet a little more and got that customer return of the A-S2200......

I find it interesting what attracts peoples eyes. I didn't even look at the phono specs. I have a vintage Denon TT but I only use it maybe once a month, so phono specs were not important, just that it had a phono pre-amp. I think when a compared the specs with my 501, it was a draw. Its about the sound and there is no comparison. I could have lived the rest of my life happy with my 501. Its a great sounding amp and value. But the A-S1200, 2200 and 3200 are on a whole different plane. If you can afford it, its worth it.

 

[Pyrrho]

Checked the specs of both the A-1200 and A-2200 and one thing jumped out at me. The signal to noise ratio on the phone section. 90 db for MC and 96 db MM. I had never seen S/N specs that great before for a phono section. Almost seems unheard of.

I think for the price the A-S801 is an outstanding value. 100 wpc, internal DAC, superb sound, etc. Certainly an excellent S/N spec for phono MM at 82 db.

82dB signal to noise ratio is better than what you will ever actually get off of vinyl. Even with a new record that is perfectly clean and even if your turntable is the best ever made and perfectly set up. So 82dB signal to noise ratio is more than good enough. The better preamp that can give a signal to noise ratio of 96dB is technically better, but it does not magically change the ability of the format to have less record surface noise or any other change to the format.

This, by the way, is typical of high-end equipment, in being better than it needs to be in some way or other. To give a different hypothetical example, let us imagine an amplifier with 0.01% total harmonic distortion and one with 0.001% total harmonic distortion, that are otherwise identical. Sure, the second one is technically better (in this one respect), but you won't hear any difference in total harmonic distortion with those amps.

Now, in the case of the phono preamps, it is possible that you will hear a difference (even if you properly level matched them, which almost no one ever does, and so they often hear differences that are due solely to the one being a little louder than the other), as one might follow the RIAA curve more perfectly than the other, or there could be some other difference that has nothing to do with signal to noise ratio. Or one could be malfunctioning and not be up to specifications.

Of course, having a moving coil preamp can matter if you use a moving coil cartridge, though one can add a separate phono preamp if one wishes to do so.

Anyway, I would not lose any sleep over having a phono stage with "only" an 82dB signal to noise ratio. If it is really working at that level, it is not adding noise that you will hear when listening to records. It will be below the noise inherent in any record.

 

[Adamo0926]

82dB signal to noise ratio is better than what you will ever actually get off of vinyl. Even with a new record that is perfectly clean and even if your turntable is the best ever made and perfectly set up. So 82dB signal to noise ratio is more than good enough. The better preamp that can give a signal to noise ratio of 96dB is technically better, but it does not magically change the ability of the format to have less record surface noise or any other change to the format.

This, by the way, is typical of high-end equipment, in being better than it needs to be in some way or other. To give a different hypothetical example, let us imagine an amplifier with 0.01% total harmonic distortion and one with 0.001% total harmonic distortion, that are otherwise identical. Sure, the second one is technically better (in this one respect), but you won't hear any difference in total harmonic distortion with those amps.

Now, in the case of the phono preamps, it is possible that you will hear a difference (even if you properly level matched them, which almost no one ever does, and so they often hear differences that are due solely to the one being a little louder than the other), as one might follow the RIAA curve more perfectly than the other, or there could be some other difference that has nothing to do with signal to noise ratio. Or one could be malfunctioning and not be up to specifications.

Of course, having a moving coil preamp can matter if you use a moving coil cartridge, though one can add a separate phono preamp if one wishes to do so.

Anyway, I would not lose any sleep over having a phono stage with "only" an 82dB signal to noise ratio. If it is really working at that level, it is not adding noise that you will hear when listening to records. It will be below the noise inherent in any record.

I was under the impression that S/N ratio for phono inputs, line inputs, etc was how low the noise floor was when it comes to the ambient background noise that could be heard when connecting the source to the input. So a more silent background before anything is even played, which is always a good thing. Though I would agree that I don't think there would be an audible difference between 82db and 96db when listening to the source. But what it does tell me is that particular care was taken when designing the piece in order to make the background as silent as possible no matter what volume level is selected. Along with technological advancements.

For example getting an excellent S/N ration for a low output MC cartridge seems to be more challenging than for other input sources. I assume that because the lowest S/N ratio I see when looking at specs for vintage gear and even modern gear is for MC carts. But the A-S1200 and A-S2200 have a 90db S/N ratio for MC carts. For vintage gear that measurement seems to be in the low to mid 70s and the upper 70s at best. So that tells me that modern gear does have advancements that lead to significant improvements even if they are not always audible, as you correctly pointed out.