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Yamaha A-S701 Stereo Amplifier Review

Rate this amplifier:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 29 8.3%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 198 56.6%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 123 35.1%

  • Total voters
    350
DAC and Phono measurements added to the review. Sadly both are subpar. :(
Hmm, first I thought this looked like a candidate for replacing my semi-broken (analogue inputs out of order) amplifier. Now I am less sure of this but then I already have a Phono amplifier (of unknown quality admittedly) and a better performing DAC can be bought even though I would prefer to keep the number of gadgets down.

/Martin
 
this product is probably a decade old (at least???) and that's part of the 'good/bad' and the charm

...

funny thing is the 801 does have type A usb in but they dont sell the 801 in some places

these amps need an upgrade right??? would the next gen slap in streaming?

The R-N800A / R-N1000A / R-N2000A gen include a DAC and a network streamer (and a PRE OUT and a subwoofer out).

I don't know if they're descendants from the same line as the 701/801 though.
 
Is that variable loudness using Fletcher-Munson curve? I think my old Denon uses that.. not sure though.

iu


I found this out earlier during an inspection. It's not bad. Perhaps Amir can do a full loudness measurement with the AP.

ManufacturerTypeRelease yearPotTapsHigh side/Center tapLow side tapRef. 0dB [Hz]20Hz [dB]40Hz [dB]16kHz [dB]20kHz [dB]
YamahaAS7002008100kvariable27k,680p, 56n,2.7kNA144021.520.18.08.3
 
Thank you so much for this great review!
Do we have any information about the subwoofer output? (crossover options, high pass filter,...)
 
Honestly they should take out the DAC, like the A-SX00 models. Everybody's got there preference of DAC. I'm certain they only added those digital inputs to tap into the "Small Home Theater" market.
Why? It's extremely comfortable and almost certainly not audibly worse than stand alone dacs that cost as much as the entire amp, loving measured high performance shouldn't make you lose touch with reality. I have the Yamaha a-s501 and I happily use the integrated DAC even if I have unused DACs like the dx3pro+, because it is simply more comfortable and I don't hear any differences.
 
Why? It's extremely comfortable and almost certainly not audibly worse than stand alone dacs that cost as much as the entire amp, loving measured high performance shouldn't make you lose touch with reality. I have the Yamaha a-s501 and I happily use the integrated DAC even if I have unused DACs like the dx3pro+, because it is simply more comfortable and I don't hear any differences.

I agree. The A-Sx00 models were essentially the same of course, but the D/A in the A-Sx01 series in reality costs nothing, and adds a bunch more inputs and flexibility. People can use it, or not.
 
Yes, huge dose of salt, which is why I posted some distortion data. The frequency response was regarding another anecdote I heard on ASR.
Yeah, if you read the Yamaha manual, follow their suggestion, and listen to 'serious music'... I guess your brain would lead you to believe Class A adds some magic.
View attachment 376784
I hope you realize 'venue acoustic' sounds like a description of a typical auditory hallucination.;)

I bought my Yamaha used as a trade-in it in at the store I worked at, hoping it would reproduce some of the magic I thought I heard in the Levinson Class A monoblocks we sold. The Yamaha provided a trivial way to test these notions, and ultimately helped me dispel that magic, playing a part in me learning that these suggested differences were parlor tricks.

This test on page 78 of Stereo Review helped too:
https://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-HiFI-Stereo/80s/HiFi-Stereo-Review-1987-01.pdf
And regarding 'properly reviewed' equipment, I learned that most of the print reviews weren't proper, and in fact misleading, as honest as carnival-barkers. All the while proper tests were being conducted:

No idea about your long-run RCA cable experiment. Yamaha does include the pre-out specs in their manuals of that era to help diagnose exactly what is going on when connecting other equipment, and for sure long RCA cable runs can be a problem with any gear. But your impression that one unit sounded "so much less 'dirty' and basically clearer" is indeed "Ho Hum", so IDK if you had a real issue, or an unverifiable impression as is often the case. One great thing about working at that stereo store, I had access to a few very practical people with vast technical expertise who taught me how to understand and address these types of issues. And these types of issues did come up, especially home and commercial install. For example, Niles had very specific guidelines for long run RCA, and provided specs and a list of remedies.

I own some classic Technics as well. They also sound (and measure) great.
Well, I can only recount what I felt at the time without reading the manual, but doing dems with the things and listening to music with some 'atmosphere' to it in both standard and 'Class A' settings. Fifty years ago now and as I said, I can' travel back with youthful hearing but with the accumulated experience and knowledge/research.

I was given a mint CA1000mk2 and tried it as a preamp in place of my trusty AVI (which was highly neutral, performed well and was designed to drive remote amps such as my ATC actives at the time). Used from its preamp outs, the sound simply wasn't as good. No measurements of the performance when used that way to confirm the listening impression, but I was relieved when the AVI preamp came back into my system. HFN did a review of the 1995 issue AVI with full measurements, but it's not online.
 
we've waited for this for LONG time.
The people in the know knew that the R-N803 has the same power amp section and thus amp performance. Differences are due to device and measurement variation.

Other Yamaha devices that use the same power amp section:

R-S700 - AM/FM Receiver, has pre-out/main-in and record select.
A-S700 - The A-S701 without digital inputs and record select.
R-N803 - Digital Receiver with YPAO room correction
R-N800a - successor of the R-N803, adds a stereo HDMI input, i think

EDIT: also the A-S801

If you are on a budget, the R-S700 is the way to go, i see them regularly used for 150€ or so.
The A-S700 seems to be rare, but the A-S701 can be bought used for 250€ and up.

If you want Yamaha, and you are ok with buying used, the A-S1000 is the way to go. Can be had for 450€ and up used, no plastic knobs, double the weight. The A-S1100 and 1200 add a remote and VU meters.
 
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i'd love to see the AS1200 benched just to see some sacred cows slaughtered.

I think the 1200 brings things up to a more 'heirloom' level but its 3, 4x the price.
To be honest, i don't think we see much better SINAD or power at 8 ohms. You really just buy the A-S1200 to be a hifi-jevel, not because of amplification performance.

Could you tell anything on thermal performance?
I think i measured it's idle power usage against the A-S1200 once. The 701 was 20W, the A-S1200 was 40W.
Standby was almost nothing in both cases.
Unless you crank it really up, that is about what it's usage in use is, roughly. And that means you have to emit 20W in heat. It gets warm, but not hot.
 
Should I ditch my Fosi V3 and SU1 and get this then….or am I wasting £500
I have tested the Fosi V3 against the A-S1200 power amp section for a few weeks. That is, i used the A-S1200 preamp in both cases, but switched to the Fosi V3 for a few weeks, then back. There was no audible difference to me.

You don't really get an amp like the 701 for the SINAD, you get it for the functionality. If you need more than one input and a remote, that alone might be worth the money.

As someone who always trusts measurements, I’d like to ask: What indicates the difference I heard between those amps?
Could be glucose or stress levels. Could be sighted bias.

Useful review. I do wonder if there's further improvements to measurements as you go up the food chain of their integrated amps, or just paying for thicker face plates, nicer knobs, etc.
I believe you pay for the high end luxury feel, not audible performance. Maybe a SINAD here, maybe some more current there, but not very audible i believe.

Always the highest impedance setting in amplifiers with conventional transformer based supplies like this Yamaha. The lower 'impedance' setting will drop the rail voltages and/or change OC (over current) trip points.

Go with the highest rail voltages (8R settings) and enjoy the greater dynamic and continuous power from your amp.
For the cost of earlier overtemp shutdown if you like to let it rip. A switch is cheaper than a larger heatsink, i guess. The Yamaha amps must have fantastic profit margins.

The loudness thing in Eq APO does that too. Pump up the loudness and everything's quieter. At that level it seems counterintuitive but I'm sure there's some good theory to it.
Simple: You set the volume during the day, in my case around 75dB on my SPL-meter. Then you turn down the volume at night using the Loudness control, not the Volume control, when the kids sleep. You get less volume, but bass and highs are still as loud, the music still sounds rich and doesn't fall apart at low volumes. That is all there is to it.
I really wish the A-S1200 had it, but it's not a feature audiophiles wanted, i guess they thought.

Any other suggestions to take away time from testing the next product?
Brutal.

Amazon has the A-s301 for $315, with the 10% discount they are giving you ,for some reason...I think it's a steal
You can get it used for $150, that is a steal! And you get a used R-S700 for $250, that is just bonkers!

[A-S501] paired with the Wiim Pro Plus, miniDSP 2x4 HD, Dali Zensor 5 speakers and SVS SB-1000 sub
That sounds like capable kit, a good selection. Could you sell the MiniDSP and use the EQ of the Wiim Pro Plus? You would lose the ability to keep deep bass from the speakers.

I think John pointed out that there are two Rec-outs, which are in fact pre-outs.
They are line-out. Pre out would be the signal after all the knobs, but before the power amp.

I've owned one for years and my wife thinks it sounds very good
I, too, own veils.

So – perfect for measuring the pure DAC performance?
I guess there are zero people buying a A-S701 to use it as a DAC only.

I don't know if they're descendants from the same line as the 701/801 though.
They are, the R-N800a and R-N1000a have the same power supply and power amp.
The R-N2000a is built like a A-S1200, inside and out. It reflects in the price and weight.
 
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Well, I can only recount what I felt at the time without reading the manual, but doing dems with the things and listening to music with some 'atmosphere' to it in both standard and 'Class A' settings. Fifty years ago now and as I said, I can' travel back with youthful hearing but with the accumulated experience and knowledge/research.

I was given a mint CA1000mk2 and tried it as a preamp in place of my trusty AVI (which was highly neutral, performed well and was designed to drive remote amps such as my ATC actives at the time). Used from its preamp outs, the sound simply wasn't as good. No measurements of the performance when used that way to confirm the listening impression, but I was relieved when the AVI preamp came back into my system. HFN did a review of the 1995 issue AVI with full measurements, but it's not online.
I can assure you, the Class A mode provides no additional sense of 'atmosphere'. I use my Yamaha to this day, it still sounds as good as any amp I have, the only 'atmosphere' being the heat rising in Class A;). If you could hear Class A operation, you would be one remarkable human. Since people can't even hear a Levinson Class A vs. a Futterman vs. a Pioneer receiver, I simply don't agree. I linked the test in my last response, it is worth studying, and is one among many actual tests where sighted impressions give way to reality.

Regarding a sonic impression driving several meters of RCA cables, that would require investigation. I can imagine all sorts of gear struggling with the long RCA, but I don't trust my imagination.

Wow, given a CA-1000. That's quite a rich gift, I had to save for ages to buy a TOTL Yamaha integrated. But then, I still have it all these years later. It occurs to me that if I had the same experience driving a particular load with something I had paid so much money for, I would have for sure found out what was actually happening.
 
Okay, I give up :D I heard what I thought I heard on a number of occasions playing with the 800 and 1000 in both forms and like I said, it was initially half a century ago experiences when I was still a teen and hopefully had far better hearing than I had now. I admit that *today,* it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference. And yes, I do know far more these days how easily fooled we are ;) In this case, I posit that the severe loss in output power and possible soft clipping? may well have caused some compression to make reverb sound more 'vivid,' but once again I'm shooting in the dark so best I leave it eh?

I lent the CA1000mk2 to a cousin-in-law as I had no use for it nor the space. He sat on it for a year or two and then sold it, which upset me (I said I didn't mind, but any proceeds from the sale must go to his young son). The only defence I can give about so many amps back then is the rats nest of wires internally and all the sub-assemblies, which I still feel aren't a good thing really.
 
Okay, I give up :D I heard what I thought I heard on a number of occasions playing with the 800 and 1000 in both forms and like I said, it was initially half a century ago experiences when I was still a teen and hopefully had far better hearing than I had now. I admit that *today,* it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference. And yes, I do know far more these days how easily fooled we are ;) In this case, I posit that the severe loss in output power and possible soft clipping? may well have caused some compression to make reverb sound more 'vivid,' but once again I'm shooting in the dark so best I leave it eh?

I lent the CA1000mk2 to a cousin-in-law as I had no use for it nor the space. He sat on it for a year or two and then sold it, which upset me (I said I didn't mind, but any proceeds from the sale must go to his young son). The only defence I can give about so many amps back then is the rats nest of wires internally and all the sub-assemblies, which I still feel aren't a good thing really.
I gave up years ago. Unsighted, neither I nor anyone else could tell a Niles install amp from an Audio Research. Unless you tried to drive Infinity Kappa with the Audio Research... It occurred to me if I were to rewire the store to play everything through some Niles amps in a closet, nobody would know the difference. I would read that old Stereo Review mag I linked earlier. It really dispelled any remaining notions I had about magic amps. Perhaps go get the AES paper that outlines the results of a decade of actual tests for these types of differences, and the types of tests that are demonstrate valid results.

Yes, there were a few examples of gear that stood out from the crowd. We now know definitively they did so for the wrong reasons. And these ideas of 'pairing' to were fanciful, and no substitute for actual EQ, applied to take care of the few room and speaker issues.

And the thing is, some of this classic gear is getting tested here at ASR. And most of it shows great form.

Funny about your perception of a "rat's nest", to my eye the Yamaha looks beautifully modular, about as clean an internal layout as any multi-input, dual tape loop, dual phono input with multiple loadings, dual Class A and A/B operation, dual tone control setpoint integrated amplifier could ever be.

I'm glad they kept the crisp styling on modern models.
 
I just realized Swedish retailers claim they sell MK II of the A-S701.
@amirm: Is the tested amplifier a MK I or II? @anyone: Is the difference significant?

/Martin
 
I just realized Swedish retailers claim they sell MK II of the A-S701.
@amirm: Is the tested amplifier a MK I or II? @anyone: Is the difference significant?

/Martin
Yamaha doesn't do model numbers like that. MK II really doesn't exist, it's second model in the same series to A-S 700 and you have A-S 801 with USB audio input and better integrated DAC but it's completely different modell numbering. I think R-N 1000a has the same power stage and there is old R-S 700 (with analog tuner). That's about it. Yamaha used to da xx1, xx2... model numbering but not MK and recently switched to xxxa at least for R-N series for now.
 
I heard what I thought I heard on a number of occasions
I for one believe you. But i also suspect what you heard was not what physically happened, as your ears aren't instruments, their results can't be repeated or calibrated. There was a time when i thought it makes sense to use a black sharpie, to paint the outer and inner edge of CDs, to get more out of them. At the time it was very real.

I just realized Swedish retailers claim they sell MK II of the A-S701.
Hmm. I don't think there is such a thing.
1719949689590.png

Could you provide a link, or maybe ask?
 
Strange. Looks like the regular A-S 701.
 
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