Review on Yamaha A-S301BL Integrated Stereo Amplifier - Enhanced Natural Sound | Black by Kyle Tran

This unit replaces a three year old entry level Marantz integrated amplifier. The unit sounded very warm but didn't seem to have enough power to drive my Deftech Tower 6 ohm speakers. The bass was always a bit thin, even with the volume control turned on. So I went online and searched for an amp that sounded good but still gave my speakers more power. For about a month I rushed back and forth between Marantz PM8006 and Yamaha A-S801. What made me gravitate towards Yamaha is the cheaper A-S701. My network player has an internal DAC, so the DAC really wasn't necessary on the more expensive Yamaha. The variable volume control was also a plus as most of my music was played on a low level in the small apartment. Prime delivered the device to me two days later, after which the unpacking began. This integrated amp has a clean look and is built like a tank. Everything was connected quickly and easily, then it was time for the actual test, switching on the device and playing a few test tracks. My favorite tracks are Donald Fagen's "The Nightfly" (almost anything Steely Dan has written will do), Belgian jazz/rock band Abraxis, and many other obscure jazz records from Europe. The first thing I noticed was that the Yamaha was a bit more neutral than the Marantz unless you enabled CD Direct or Pure Direct modes. Eliminating the internal tone controls results in a huge increase in volume and clarity in the mids and highs. Disabling these buttons reduced the volume significantly, but WOW! When you cranked the volume back up, the bottom end was full with no buzz or mud, and the mids and highs were clear but not shrill or harsh. I used variable volume in the "flat" position, which really makes all aspects of the music fair. All in all this is a great product with amazing sound and build quality. This will be in my stereo for years to come! Update: My only criticism of this unit is the DAC. For the unit price this DAC should be much better and expand the music in the room, this DAC seems lifeless compared to my external Peachtree DACitx DAC. The AS-801 is reported to have a much better DAC for only $100 more, you could spend the money better on this unit.