Review on Yamaha S801BL Natural Integrated Amplifier by Bob Collins

I have had a Yamaha R-9 receiver for over 30 years. At the end of last year I decided to change speakers. After attending a hi-fi show and listening to a few sets I settled on a pair of Rogers LS3/5A speakers. While they sounded good through the R-9, they didn't sound as good as I thought they should. So this year I decided to make some more changes to my system. I went to my local audio dealer and settled on a Cambridge Audio CXA80 and a Cambridge Audio CXNv2 network streamer (streaming was new to me). When I took them home and installed them, I was happy with everything, but something was still missing. The CXA80 just didn't have that specific Yamaha sound. So I went back to an older Yamaha AX596 amp that definitely sounded like a Yamaha. However, I wasn't satisfied. After reading about newer Yamaha amps I decided to give the A-S801 a try. It really made a big difference. The speakers came alive. However, as a music streamer I still use the Cambridge Audio CXNv2 and as a source I use Tidal Hi-Fi. I read about the Roon music management software and decided to buy the Roon Nucleus (the device is basically a computer that contains all the components of the Roon software). I connected the Nucleus to the CXNv2's USB input and the sound is very good. However, I then connected the Nucelus directly to the USB input of the Yamaha A-S801, that's all I can say! It literally changed the sound from very good to excellent. Interestingly, the A-S1100, A-S2100 and even the A-S3000 don't have a USB audio input like the A-S801. You need a DAC to use them. For this reason I will not make any further changes (I will sell the CXNv2) as I am very happy that the Yamaha A-S801 works with the Roon Nucleus. The other parts of my system are a Pioneer Elite PD65 CDP (upgraded from a Sony disc player), a Kenwood KT-7001 tuner and a refurbished Pioneer PL-550 TT.