No one takes the time and energy to go out of their way to slam someone else, unless they've got issues. Issue No.1: Before opening your mouth, fix those disgustingly vile teeth. Issue No.2: Pay attention to what a modern clean livingroom looks like, then show the world your Grandma room.
Did you not go out of your way to slam someone else while writing your comment? And before you write a nasty comment to my friend from TSA please, learn something about punctuation.
Speaking of dentist, that’s why I am here. I gave my wife’s dentist $8,000 this past year, so I figure that gives me the right to buy the $8,000 Yamaha A-S3200. But the other part of me says that money would be better spent going in to the savings account. Which means I should get the Yamaha A-S1200 instead at only $3,000. It has smaller VU meters but still has a dedicated headphone amp, This Yamaha A-S801 has neither, but for only $1,000 it still has 100 watts per channel, and it has a Loudness control, which I think I would use a lot. I have been racking my brains for months trying to figure out which to buy. Is the 1200 really worth triple the price of the 801?
@@spiritualarchitect4276 this is just my opinion but eventually you're gonna have to realize that once you're starting to spend more than ≈500 per component, it will get more and more difficult to tell the difference because of diminishing returns. Cheap equipment is so damn good these days, it's really difficult to justify spending more than that. Also consider that there may be differences when A/Bing that you would never notice otherwise. Also consider that no matter what equipment you have your brain will adjust to compensate for any discrepancies in the sound. For example if you buy a really bright speaker, it will only be a matter of time before it sounds good and normal to you. One last thing, no matter what you buy, you can still enjoy the music, that's why 95% of people settle for a $60 bluetooth speaker. At the end of the day, its about enjoying the music; it's up to you to decide where price meets performance.
As a stereo salesman for Sound Advice Once I discovered this amplifier I sold a great many of them. This amplifier is one of the greatest bargains in affordable, high-end audio! The sound quality is excellent with 100 watts per channel, An excellent phono stage, three digital inputs, ability to connect a subwoofer and two pair of speakers. I don’t know what you more you could ask for for $900. I have connected this amplifier to many incredibly expensive speakers, and was never disappointed. Highly recommended!!!!
Your channel is a breath of fresh air. I agree with your assessment that the channel mentioned is more a lifestyle channel. The contrived and chi-chi presentation certainly seems to support that.
I am glad I found your site on UA-cam - Years ahead of the other so called "authorities" on sound equipment. Who cares about your personal appearance - it's the review that counts without the usual vague comments. Thank you for your honest and complete evaluations.
You speak the truth - not a bunch of BS. There are so many so called "audiophiles" making videos and making a ton of money to tell us what we should be thinking/hearing. It is beyond me how so many phony reviewers (and I am not mentioning any names) get so many subscribers and likes for absolutely nothing you couldn't read for yourself from a spec sheet.
I own this Product, and I absolutely love it. When I first saw this review by Mr. Robinson It killed his credibility as a reviewer of audio products. I ran my unit without a sub for months, and the bass was decent. I added a powered subwoofer and wow. I was lucky to pick this unit up for $400.00 the owner had just purchased it and was promoted and moving to California. Man did I luck out, if I had listened to Robisons review I may have passed up this Jewell of an Intargrated. Amp. Thank you for an honest and truthful review.
I almost passed on it after watching Robinson's review. I'm glad I didn't cancel my order after seeing this video and reading your comment. It should be here in a week or so and I'm pairing it with a set of Dahlquist DQ-20's that I just picked up. My "vintage" receivers are 18 and 50 watts, so I need something with a bit more power and the A-S501 seemed like the perfect fit until I saw that video. Yikes. Lesson learned. Thanks @scientificaudiophile for the great video.
Wow, just wow just discovered this channel yesterday. Spent an hour listing to my way to work. Got home after eight. Listen about the Yamaha integrated amp. What a great service this channel is so many years. These people have brainwash you into thinking you’re missing so much when you just could’ve been enjoying your music, thank you had subscribed
You are correct Andrew says Yamaha has the "Yamaha sound". I will bet a large amount of money that if you put him into a room and had 5 separate amps including a Yamaha amp. and play records on all the different amps he would never pick the "Yamaha sound" he keeps talking about.
Most of all these youtubers are all full of the same BS. They all rave at the same products at the same time. They all are trying to male you fall over the next best audio gear. They are trying to get a cut over your spending. Most of the time he never even has the gear at hand. He just talks and talks over specifications and you have to watch his face during 10 minutes.
good job Scientific Audiophile,,,,,,,, people need pay more attention to what other say when review products. but most important just try and listen and find that sound that you personally like within your budget and personal place that you live in. A.R is another youtuber that just talk. I did not believe what he said about that A-S801, bought is used, and I am very happy with what it produces with paradigm studio 60 speakers. It gives a nice sound when playing music and in general audio is superb. thank you Scientific Audiophile for bringing that up that not all reviewers know what they are talking about.
Good for you, glad it's worked out! Another angle on A.R. and the likes of Jay, Cheap Audio Man, Darko, etc is that they are PAID to form a view/position on the gear they "review."
New suscriber!, Omg I almost peed myself laughting when you show the "speed, articulation and detail" cartoon, but when you mentioned "Too many notes!" I did, cant help it.... you kill it man.
Very good review and exactly my sentiments regarding Andrew's very colorful yet pretentious choice of words to describe this wonderful Yamaha amp. I've always thought "here's a guy who while irritating visually, loves to hear himself "ramble on"..... Keep up the great work.
I had one of those. The A-S801 was AMAZING. I eventually upgraded to a Parasound P6 Halo preamp and two Adcom GFA-565 monobloc amps. You are 100% correct about Andrew Robinson. His reviews are "lacking" in so many ways. I am hesitant to call him a fraud, but he is most certainly a shrill. He does speak with "authority" because he actually believes what he says. His listening room is most certainly "comfortable", but you are right that it is not optimal for sound.
I have a Yamaha A-S 701 and I can say that it is a great amplifier. I can say that I have used it in different room sizes, with different speakers, naturally it sounds different. I tried speakers with which they sounded very bad, but the best I go with is the Q acoustics 3050i, they fit and sound excellent!
Bloody marvellous review mate, certain reviewers get right up my nose!! And he's one of them.Every review he does is just his opinion (or should that be opinionated !) I'm no audiophile just a freak for good quality hifi equipment. I get pleasure out of all my amps some cheap some expensive and the same with decks and a choice of 5 types of speakers so I don't get bored but I would never criticise anybody for their preferred choice.Great review I've subbed.😊
Not sure where you are going with this. Are you saying all amplifiers sound the same? I had a A-S801 a while back, sold it because of space limitations. Now looking to buy back. I think it's a great amp and I think Andrew also thinks so.
Amplifiers can sound different for many reasons: distortion, impedance of speakers and power supply limitations that starve it for current, frequency response, etc. However there is nothing about the A-S801 that lacks bass (if driven within its limits) and nothing that makes it break down during complex musical passages.
I watched Andrew's video first, and I don't think he thought the 801 was great. I think he panned it. But I think Andrew (and his wife/girlfriend off camera) were both wrong. Scientific Audio did not say all amplifiers sound the same. He just said that there is no "Yamaha" sound or coloration in the 801. Unfortunately, some (not all) other manufacturer's do color their sound for various reasons.
Would the S701 be a good amp with the JBL L100 Classic? (90db sensitivity, 4ohm) Listening room = 2 car garage (but I only use half of it, so about 11’x23’ used). Love how you point out the highly reflective room. Boggles my mind that most audiophile YTers don’t have any acoustic panels. I’m not an audiophile… more of an analog/hardware-setup music producer, record collector and bedroom dj… but we’re taught to use acoustic panels on ceiling, walls and corners (corners are parabolic reflectors).
701 isn’t really a 4 ohm capable amp, but with the sensitivity of those JBL’s, you’ll never really push the amp too hard, so you’ll be fine. Yes, room panels are really important.
Great point at the end. Very few people have the ears to tell the differences between brands of audio gear in a controlled environment. I know I don't.
I can't thank you enough for this video. Some time ago I commented on one of Andrew Robinson's videos suggesting that, instead of talking for half an hour about how gear sounds, he could let people listen to the gear so that they could form an idea themselves. He was extremely rude to me, typical of people who have no argument, supported by some fans. Now, I agree with you: the amount of BS that he tells through his videos is really huge! You're damn right about every single point you mentioned in this video!
I watched that video from Andrew Robinson and he sounds like a snake oil salesman, full of bs. I bought the Yamaha AS-801 and you get a lot for your money. Great amp!
@@MichaelJamesWoodif you watched the video, then you would know what Andrew liked the 801 a lot. Enough to choose it over Yamaha’s own 1200 given the price difference.
Bien sûr vous pouvez utiliser le bouton de réglage des basses ou utiliser le loudness variable pour arrondir légèrement le son. Personnellement j'adore le loudness variable de chez Yamaha.
Love this... I wish I could've given you more than 1 subscription. We really need factual, logical persons like you in this industry for the sake of calling out all of the marketing BS. Let's hear what Kristy has to say😅......
Andrew is completely full of crap. And what's worse is a guy thinks he's omniscient and whenever I would write some constructive criticism he got extremely defensive. I never once said anything crude meaning swearing or getting personal yet the guy has blocked me from other people seeing my comments. He's like fine china. Very sensitive and his wife also so in that regard they make a great pair.
Agreed, Robinson`s reviews are metaphorical word salads without demonstrating anything of substance...So vanilla, staged and saccharin...And those ask Kristy segments are designed to seduce their viewers into some sort of sadomasochistic interior design tri-sexual cult, I swear!
@@ryanschipp8513 He won't even let his partner appear on camera. You think he's going to let you post something even remotely non-praising on his channel? Yikes.
Against the advice of a couple of other reviewers, I recently bought the Yamaha s801. The measurements reported on audio holics were persuasive. Your video here, though, watched a while back, did help detach me from the naysayers. I really like the amp. Works flawlessly. Looks good. I may pick up the Arcam 20 for an AB comparison once my new speakers are delivered. The price has dropped over $1,000 at one store and is even less than the Yamaha at this point. But I may not. Considering the measurements reported, I don't know what the Arcam could do better.
The most hilarious audio review I’ve ever watched. Now I have a new channel and you have a new subscriber. Soon I will have a new Yamaha integrated amp. Thanks 😂😂😂
I agree with you about the "recovering Audiophile " dig. It says I'm better than you. Not necessary at all. And after being into audio for a sixty years I don't even know what one is.
It's not a dig and he has explained the name on his channel before but its easy to take things as a personal dig when your opinion is merely a baseless assumption.
I bought a pair of s. V. S ultra book shelf speakers. I'd like to put these in my beroom with hooked up to a TV. Would this be a amp that would work good with the TV and the music? Or should I look more at AV receiver?
I've had mine for over a year so far and it's safe to say reliability and overall functionality has been top notch. After owning several Yamaha receivers/amplifiers over the past 4 decades, you'll learn that if you treat it well and use it wisely (w/ moderation), this integrated amplifier should be able to last as long as anything else they've produced that was well made. Safely 15-20 years but quite possibly even twice that long. I'd claim it officially if it survives the basic 2 year warranty period. Keep in mind there are plenty of costlier options from other brands out there that may very well be nowhere near as reliable as any Yamaha audio product (let alone a good one.) Andrew Robinson, despite mostly not knowing what he's talking about, even he admitted it's a good amplifier and likes it. I find this one in particular very warm and ultra low fatigue on the high end. It also gives a complete reflection of the source recording quality so you'll find out if your source recordings suck or don't...
Well done. I also hate irrelevant reviews. The first time I read a HiFi audio magazine was back in late 90's. It was then i discovered that "Highs could be crisp, mids could be bloated, bass could be all over the place and that cables makes the difference".I have never read any other audio magazine since then. Never. I have the same Pre-Power Amp, CD-Player and Turntable I bought used in '98 for about $1500 (+ $1000 for 25 years of maintenance services). I only invest in room acoustics treatment and a pair of speakers every six to seven years (due to wear). My audio-lunatic friends use my room as a reference point. We just hate irrelevant reviews. *All the cables (audio and power) I use are handmade by me, costing totally about $50
I need help please, with purchasing an a budget amp. Is Yamaha a-s 501 a good match for speakers with nominal impedance 4 ohms? An amplifier suppose to power Dali Opticon 1 MK2 speakers.
It's not that the 501 can't run a 4 ohm speaker, but the Dali will drop well below 4 ohms at certain frequencies. I'm a much bigger fan, at this price point, for the Denon PMA-600NE. www.denon.com/en-au/shop/amplifier/pma600ne#:~:text=Engineered%20with%20remarkable%20Denon%20amplifier,and%20impedances%20for%20operational%20stability.
@scientificaudiophile A few guys in the Yamaha group on Facebook say that the 801 ESS dac is only on the USB and the toslinks use the bur brown like the 701 does. I'm not sure if this is correct or not. I don't have a computer anymore and don't need the USB but the nicer dac is nice to have. Crutchfield has both in stock, 799 and 899
Sir, I use Yamaha amplifier R N801 paired up with Dali Spektor 6. I normally listen to it on pure direct and fairly happy. Recently a friend told me that RN803 is a receiver and I should upgrade to a integrated amp like Marantz 8006 against using a receiver. What’s ur take on that, do receivers lack clarity and sound stage? Will Marantz 8006 be better and more detailed?
The Yamaha AS801 the one discussed here is an integrated amplifier So would be in competition with the Marantz 8006. Yamaha is $500 less expensive and includes a DAC which the Marantz lacks. The Yamaha is also significantly more powerful featuring 100 watts per channel versus the 70 of the Marantz, 185 at four ohms with the Marantz having only 100. I chose the Yamaha. Great review on audioholics. Worth a read. The Marantz is even more expensive given that you probably need to add a separate dac. Does have preamp outs so you can add another amplifier which the Yamaha lacks. Your power source is a receiver. I am not sure of its specs or measurements but I am sure the Yamaha integrated amp is a much better performer
@@lsaideOK they're in two entirely different product classes, and yeah--the two channel amp is way beefier than the two channels in the A/V receiver. Pretty great A/V receiver tho.
Great video! I totally agree with your analysis of Andrew Robinson - the guy is as irritating as a housefly. I have always preferred Yamaha receivers and have always found them to perform exceptionally.
Wonderful channel. Many years ago I stopped being involved with these audioreligious "specialists", making me tired of their nonsens about cables, amps, speakers and non-listening rooms. By accident i stumbled upon your channel. How nice to see that there are still people, like you, who cry out that "the emperor is dressed naked instead of wearing the finest clothes". Hopefully you have fun in making these videos, at least it gives me much pleasure.
801 couldn’t drive my 6 ohm rated Dynaudio Emit 10s. Can’t dial the volume above 45 decibels without hitting a wall of shouty distortion. None of the class D’s I tried worked. Class A’s from Audiolab, Arcam, Rotel drove those speakers.
If the Yamaha is sending low enough frequencies to a sub through the sub out, then I'm guessing that it's sending the same low frequencies to the main speakers. As you stated, if you aren't hearing them, at 100 watts per channel, it's the speakers not the amp that are at fault.
Just bought myself an A-S301, largely due to S|A convincing me I can't go wrong with Yamaha. Now, I'm a bit disappointed there isn't any sort of sound signature to it, only crystal clear pleasant sound experience so far... but maybe that's because I hadn't had the chance to burn in the unit properly yet. Should 600 hours of purple noise be enough to uncover its real character?
If you can return it, there's an amazing deal going on at Adorama for the A-S701 (I don't make anything from links, I copied this from another post) www.adorama.com/yaas701sl.html?sdtid=17990661&emailprice=t&sterm=Shl3Mc0JKxyPRbPWnMWJV0-KUkCXSz25RQLkWk0&
Beware, the Sharur of speaker domain. Can you or anyone else do a no-headache attorney style service for installing a viable and custom-made audiophile speaker setup?
@@HomeStudioBasics That was before the glorious return of HSB! ;) However Scientific’s takedowns of Robinson and DMS are both savage and absolutely correct. Audio is subjective, but not total snake oil.
Man, i was looking up reviews of this amp to pair with my wharfedale diamond 12.2 bookshelf and sub. I watched Andrews reviews and he says a lot, but it's always a yeah but with every "entry level" product. So im glad to have stumbled across your channel. In that regard, do you suppose the yamaha 801 would pair well with my diamond 12.2?
Those Diamonds are a little less sensitive than most, but at 8 ohms, the 801 will easily drive them to any level you want - plus you have a subwoofer, which Andrew says will help the amplifier out with that low end punch :-)
Well that was awesome, informative, and highly entertaining. Thank you. You and Ken Micallef of Stereophile need to start the Andrew Robinson fan club. Mr. Micallef dislikes the "recovering audiophile" even more than you.
Well I received my 801 yesterday and just put 5 and a half hours through it and it's great! 👍 Plenty bass for my room and setup without a sub, using a pair of q acoustics 3050i I am very happy with my purchase.
@@Ivy13276 Anyone asking for $2k cable has got to be a good deal. You simply can't spend that much money and not get a great cable. As for speakers, you may have to start out with the Micca COVO-S Compact 2 to stay within budget, but those speaker wires will make them sing.
Wait a second, did we all just get trolled? OMG. When someone says cables are more important than the speakers, and to get $2,000 cables because you know they're worth it? OMG, is this... OMG. Is this REAL?
My friend has the s 801 and I just ordered a used version from Amazon to test out. I hope it's more efficient and powerful than NAD C350 , that I'm trying to get rid of
The Yamaha A-S801 is an amazing Amp and those 15W between an A-S501 and the 801 makes a world of difference. Add a Sub and rock your world (literally!). 🙂
@@alexpal1495 No it’s not, unless you open the amp and play with the RLC Circuit. A simpler way is to get a Sub with a tunable LF knob (potentiometer) and adjust the frequency. My sub is tunable from 50 to 150Hz
@@alexpal1495 No it’s not, unless you open the amp and play with the filter circuit. A simpler way is to get a Sub with a tunable LF knob (potentiometer) and adjust the frequency. My sub is tunable from 50 to 150Hz
@@alexpal1495 I’m no expert but I think the crossover frequency for the AS801 is 100Hz. Any Bass or Treble adjustments will affect high and midrange as well as low frequencies up to 100Hz. Below 100Hz would be the sub. This is my understanding.
I really like your reaction videos. I had stopped watching all of the reviewers you critique on your channel ling before coming across SIA on UA-cam but I am glad to see that other see here fault in their ‘so called’ audio review. Could you please reach out to Mads at Buchardt Audio and ask for a review sample of the S400MKII and the S400MKII SE speakers. I am curious if you can hear the difference between the factory made version of this speaker and the limited run ‘SE’ version
Recovering as it’s addictive hobby that often prompts people to spend a lot of money? You pick on things without even trying to understand what’s being said. Majority of people don’t change their rooms in highly audio treated spaces. You don’t need a lot of brain cells to understand who he’s videos are targeting. I usually don’t regard high people who try to get subscribers based on bashing others. Maybe focus on your own content and let’s see if people will like your vision… Btw Kirsty you hear in background- it’s her choice not to be on a camera and secondly people love her!
The recovering audiophile moniker was explained on Robinson's channel and is, as you say, about him becoming addicted to buying expensive audio gear, much of it of much higher cost than you see on his channel. I really don't understand the motivation for a hit piece video. As for his wife not appearing on the channel, she used to. There were quite a few lewd comments made about her and so she stepped back. Her choice. Guess I can't relate to someone being so annoyed about what's a relatively inoffensive UA-cam channel that they make a video criticising it. Each to their own.
My Yamaha s501 has a Cerwin Vega U-351 sound because that what they are powering. By the way some times I have to cut the bass back a step back. Great video. Everyone's taste and ears are different that's why there are much to choose from in the stereo world. I go for quality,sound and affordability when I choose stereo equipment.
The reason why Andrew Robinson describes himself as a "Recovering Audiophile" is because he is and audiophile that is recovering from opioid addiction. He had a medical issue and was prescribed opioids for pain management and became dependent on them. He not take a piss on audiophiles.
I don't want to be rude, but what's the deal with Andrew Robinson's disembodied girlfriend? She talks but we never see her. Is she in the Witness Protection program or what?
For whatever reason, since the pandemic, she has decided not to show herself on his videos. Perhaps she has some medical issue, or camera shy, or maybe just doesn't want to take the time to do HMU for the camera. Doesn't matter, it's her choice, but she contributes to the commentary in her own way.
@@krishmandal9769 They run youtube VIDEO channel and they used to be in the wedding photography business. Not showing your face in front of the camera is plain wierdo.
@@krishmandal9769 As I recall she stopped appearing on camera because she is very attractive and they were getting a lot of rude comments about her looks.
Lol, I watched the Robinson video right before this one. I am currently looking at the Yamaha 801 and also the Emotiva TA2. Do you have any thoughts on Emotiva as a product. I am leaning towards the Yamaha because they are an older company. If you got any info on Emotiva's quality I would greatly appreciate your in put. Great Video, I got through about half of the Robinson video before I was like what is this guy talking about. 😂
@@scientificaudiophileThanks for the reply, that is what I am worried about. Decisions Decisions. Keep making awesome vids! I've been watching all day lol. You got a new subscriber.
While I agree with a lot of your video (particularly the comedy around 'lost its grip as the music got complex part,' that had me rolling lol), I disagree with your point about moving the speakers for the purpose of a receiver/integrated amp test. In order to compare units, he can't be moving his speakers all around for perfect positions like you're describing. It actually doesn't matter WHERE he puts them if he's ONLY A/B'ing other components (other than the speakers) - as long as they are never moved. Because to your earlier point, it's about the amplifier, not the speakers. If he's moving or changing many factors each time, that's not an accurate test. Or are you saying that, receivers have NO impact on things like soundstage at all, and it's 100% about speaker placement, room treatments etc? I couldn't quite follow where you were being serious vs joking through some of this. Looking for an opportunity for reviewers to improve, if someone like Andrew does not have the scientific equipment or ability to test each detail or prove something out scientifically, but he can hear a difference when comparing units side by side (especially given his access to far more hifi equipment than I will ever own), how would you recommend he portray that? As perhaps an analogy, I know when something smells good or it doesn't. But if you asked me to explain the scientific reason on why my nose and brain likes one smell vs another, and what makes up that smell etc, I wouldn't know where to start. All I know is I like it and it's different/better than another smell. (What a horrible analogy I know - so horrible that I'm almost proud of myself LOL)
Thanks for the comment. Definitely a good amplifier can help with soundstage but not to the extreme Andrew states, unless you’re comparing a great amp with some real garbage. My biggest issue with the video was the 810 is a really, really good amplifier. I a/b/c’d that amp with a Benchmark, my A-S2100 and couldn’t hear any difference. Just one of my reasons for creating the “Chasing SINAD” video ua-cam.com/video/3I1I9WyRBzw/v-deo.htmlsi=gTJBGaOKCO3YP1rN How should reviewers convey the differences they hear is up to them, but sadly a lot is perception and psychological beliefs that nicer looking and prettier equipment sounds better. It’s why I don’t own the 810, I like the meters on the 2100, and the MC/MM switch for cartridge’s right on the front.
@@scientificaudiophile For the record, Andrew repeatedly states that his opinions are just that, opinions and that ultimately people should go and listen to things themselves IF they can and buy what sounds good to them, it's literally a catchphrase on his channel 'And remember, the only person who has to like the sound of your system, is you!' At no point did he say the AS-801 is objectively bad, he gave subjective opinions based on his listening experiences A-B'ing it against other equipment is HIS living room, which he knows isn't perfect but IS more in line with what most people will be putting their equipment in instead of a dedicated listening room which is an entirely different ball game. He also points on on numerous occasions on his channel that everyone's living room, cinema room, etc will have different effects on sound and they should factor that in to how they take his reviews and how they evaluate equipment in demo rooms etc.
I love how these people think an amp that plays flat from 10hz-20khz has a sound. If these amps had a signature sound you would see it on the graph, there would be bumps in the output to give their "sound" but it's never there.
I've always found AR to be too "wordy", he tries to sound smart and refined, but they're just bunch of generic terms and adjectives that say basically nothing,
Well put! AR is an actor at heart. Watch one of his reviews and then watch one of his live streams. Completely different person. In his reviews he's a total actor. Honestly it's pretty pathetic.
Let me put it short- A.R. is a poshy, YT celebrity, he never answers my SIMPLE questions, he talks only about ,let's say, expensive equipment. If only yo read his IG stories...
🤣🤣 I went looking for receiver reviews as my old 1995 Pioneer receiver died last week and I'm old enough now to appreciate good audio. However, the one thing I did not expect to find is a snarky reaction video regarding AV equipment. That is usually reserved for the YT political and health/fitness scene. Guess I need to keep looking. Lol
Many UA-cam audiophiles argue about whether or not cables make a difference, but the elephant in the room is that, for the most part, amplifiers are interchangeable. I don't think I could tell a difference between my fancy THX 789 headphone amplifier (which is out of style these days) and a sound card I installed in my computer, let alone my Topping A30 modified with Burson op-amps. There is simply no significant difference between them in real world listening. These UA-cam audiophiles are functionally grifters, but I do wonder if they actually believe a lot of what they say.
Kind of a harsh hit piece. I find some of what Andrew has to say pompous and if there's a representative of audiophile 1 percenters, he could be their poster boy. Often audio reviewers see it as their job to criticize products and find their weaknesses. It's hard to find good amplification at a low cost these days. To that end, my best recommendation is second hand markets. There are a lot of decent AV receivers from the 90's and early 2000's out there with plenty of power, outputs, and inputs that can be had for cheap which still work great in 2 channel mode.
Andrew used to love the Heco tower 1000s but then removed it from his channel. I asked why and he said they basically didn't ask him to publish his review which to me meant they didn't pay him.
The problem with this Amp is that it has no way of crossing over the speakers to an active sub and runs them full range at all times a problem when you have bookshelfs.
Funny commentary and in "many ways" spot on. IMO, many of these (UA-cam) reviewers who discuss their feelings about audio equipment, cars, motorcycles, etc.) should be newscasters, or promoting/ selling the latest/greatest food processor/ cutlery knives
I have a Denon AVR, a Yamaha AS2200, a Vincent SVK MKii hybrid, a SET tube amp and an old Marantz 2245. They all sound different and anyone could tell them apart easily. The old Marantz sounds warm up top and emphasizes lower frequencies, the Yamaha is opposite and cooler, leaner and more analytical, the Denon AVR is darker sounding than all the others, the Vincent hybrid class A has strong weighty bass and super smooth mids and highs, and I found the SET tube amp too mids and highs focused for my Forte IV's. When you suggest he couldn't pick amps out in a blind test are you suggesting all amps sound the same? Don't necessarily disagree with any of your critiiques about his review, but there's a reason people like various different types of amps and its mainly because of preferences in the way various classes and types sound.
I don't disagree some amps sound different, but the 810 is as FLAT as any amplifier ever created from 20 - 20,000. Also note, after this video, Robinson now says that Yamaha amps he listens to are neutral.
I have the as501 and it's a great amp lots of base with the kef q350 . If I had to be pick on something it would be the tweeter on the kef it's a a bit harsh but the kef is good otherwise. I like the Yamaha it's in my budget and suits me.
I have tube amps, decent solid state amps, numerous speakers both big and small, efficient and not so efficient. High end turntables and mid level tables. The older I get the simpler my equipment becomes and it make me so happy. Snobs will say because my high end listening ability is shot. But i just want to enjoy the music more than picking at the equipment these days. I'm even getting tired of tube amps, there's always some issue going on, but I do think tubes sound better. Andrew Robinson is the first audio reviewer I unsubscribed to. He's just, I don't know, disingenuous to me.
Agree that Andrew is HGTV material...or maybe the Cyrano de Bergerac of audio 😂😂 His living room is nice, but definitely not a room to test gear. You're spot on on this one.
OK, I get it. You were sitting around one night thinking... "what can I do to differentiate myself from all of the other audio guys on You Tube? I really need some kind of a novel approach that will set me apart from all of the others. Hmmm...I know, I'll just take a totally contrary position to all of the more popular channels on You Tube and then people will watch my videos just to see how much of an asshole I can be." Very clever my friend. And I have to admit it's worked on me, at least for 2 videos. But I have to tell you it grows old real quick, so I'm guessing your channel will be short lived. Good luck.
For your information, that is where many “ audiophiles” - such as me - listen to their systems. It is in a REAL environment called the living room. Any system that can’t work in a real room instead of a “dedicated listening room” is not my kind of a system.
yes but then you don't go online and give unprofessional reviews about products ultimately ending-up saying wrong things and possibly misleading consumers.
You know I find it funny that everyone is complaining about room acoustics , you know what Andrew's room is realistic when living in a family environment everyone doesn't have dedicated listening rooms or environments , Andrew's room layout is very realistic by today's standards , Wife kids and family this hobby is about enjoying music and entertainment, thank you P.S. A Blue Collar Working Man that loves 🎶 Music
It’s certainly a realistic room, but not for a reviewer of audio and video. He is telling people that a product sounds “boomy” or “lacks width” or is “fantastic “, without even caring that, even in an average room, what he’s hearing isn’t anything near what his subscribers will hear (all rooms sound significantly different). So an audio/video reviewer is required to have a well engineered sound listening room to properly explain a products sound or visual capabilities. Otherwise every review is just meaningless to anyone watching.
@@scientificaudiophile My room is nothing like Andrews room so I can't disagree with you. I do feel that audio reviewers need to check the limits of the equipments more properly so consumers like rest of us can help decide for ourselves based on the room were going to use them in. I did see his review and many others before I purchased AS701 which I use in my computer room now, sub out has SB3000 which is little overkill for small room but all bass sounds like it's comming out from BR03 speakers I use with just like some reviewers said they would. The technical reviews were actually helpful and my purchase proved it. So I do feel what your saying is quite honest and fair and I appreciate your kind of opinions.
@@scientificaudiophile His reviews reflect real world rooms, so yeah, it is helpful and relevant to a large majority of people who love music; without the option for a dedicated, extensively treated room.
@@tbonet859 any two uncontrolled acoustic conditions (rooms) can't be compared meaningfully. At best, such a review can explain features and discuss aesthetics. Which can be useful
@@scientificaudiophile Every review *IS* meaningless. Nobody else hears what you hear in your room. It is foolish to think that you could do a review and have it be the standard for other people all across the world. You hear what you hear, you try to explain what you hear, and that has to impact other people's buying decisions. This isn't rocket science. You're not going to hear the same thing that I'm going to hear in the same goddamn room
No one takes the time and energy to go out of their way to slam someone else, unless they've got issues. Issue No.1: Before opening your mouth, fix those disgustingly vile teeth.
Issue No.2: Pay attention to what a modern clean livingroom looks like, then show the world your Grandma room.
Any money spent on my teeth is money that could have been spent on better audio equipment. I'm an audiophile NOT a monster!
Did you not go out of your way to slam someone else while writing your comment? And before you write a nasty comment to my friend from TSA please, learn something about punctuation.
Its satir...
Speaking of dentist, that’s why I am here. I gave my wife’s dentist $8,000 this past year, so I figure that gives me the right to buy the $8,000 Yamaha A-S3200. But the other part of me says that money would be better spent going in to the savings account. Which means I should get the Yamaha A-S1200 instead at only $3,000. It has smaller VU meters but still has a dedicated headphone amp, This Yamaha A-S801 has neither, but for only $1,000 it still has 100 watts per channel, and it has a Loudness control, which I think I would use a lot. I have been racking my brains for months trying to figure out which to buy. Is the 1200 really worth triple the price of the 801?
@@spiritualarchitect4276 this is just my opinion but eventually you're gonna have to realize that once you're starting to spend more than ≈500 per component, it will get more and more difficult to tell the difference because of diminishing returns. Cheap equipment is so damn good these days, it's really difficult to justify spending more than that. Also consider that there may be differences when A/Bing that you would never notice otherwise. Also consider that no matter what equipment you have your brain will adjust to compensate for any discrepancies in the sound. For example if you buy a really bright speaker, it will only be a matter of time before it sounds good and normal to you. One last thing, no matter what you buy, you can still enjoy the music, that's why 95% of people settle for a $60 bluetooth speaker. At the end of the day, its about enjoying the music; it's up to you to decide where price meets performance.
That was a great smackdown of a completely bullshit review. Props!
Thanks. Your channel is awesome.
I absolutely agree with you!
Andrew Robinson is an audio hack.
Audioholics is where I go for honest reviews. And now this one too.
As a stereo salesman for Sound Advice Once I discovered this amplifier I sold a great many of them. This amplifier is one of the greatest bargains in affordable, high-end audio! The sound quality is excellent with 100 watts per channel, An excellent phono stage, three digital inputs, ability to connect a subwoofer and two pair of speakers. I don’t know what you more you could ask for for $900. I have connected this amplifier to many incredibly expensive speakers, and was never disappointed. Highly recommended!!!!
Your channel is a breath of fresh air. I agree with your assessment that the channel mentioned is more a lifestyle channel. The contrived and chi-chi presentation certainly seems to support that.
Thanks!
Great video. I have the as-801 and it’s a fantastic amplifier.
It sure is!
Yes it is indeed.
Are you happy with it? Would you buy it again?
thats hilarious because Robinson comes off like an infomercial pitch man
Andrew's needlessly poetic reviews are about 5 x longer than they should be.
His gushing "reviews" tend to feel more like an infomercial or a home shopping network.
I am glad I found your site on UA-cam - Years ahead of the other so called "authorities" on sound equipment. Who cares about your personal appearance - it's the review that counts without the usual vague comments. Thank you for your honest and complete evaluations.
It is an audio video medium. Some people care about personal appearance.
no reviewer in the history of audio will submit to a blind test, it would destroy the BS they live on.
100% accurate right there.
You speak the truth - not a bunch of BS. There are so many so called "audiophiles" making videos and making a ton of money to tell us what we should be thinking/hearing. It is beyond me how so many phony reviewers (and I am not mentioning any names) get so many subscribers and likes for absolutely nothing you couldn't read for yourself from a spec sheet.
I own this Product, and I absolutely love it. When I first saw this review by Mr. Robinson It killed his credibility as a reviewer of audio products. I ran my unit without a sub for months, and the bass was decent. I added a powered subwoofer and wow. I was lucky to pick this unit up for $400.00 the owner had just purchased it and was promoted and moving to California. Man did I luck out, if I had listened to Robisons review I may have passed up this Jewell of an Intargrated. Amp. Thank you for an honest and truthful review.
Wow, $400! A real bargain. Thanks for the comment.
I almost passed on it after watching Robinson's review. I'm glad I didn't cancel my order after seeing this video and reading your comment. It should be here in a week or so and I'm pairing it with a set of Dahlquist DQ-20's that I just picked up. My "vintage" receivers are 18 and 50 watts, so I need something with a bit more power and the A-S501 seemed like the perfect fit until I saw that video. Yikes. Lesson learned. Thanks @scientificaudiophile for the great video.
Wow, just wow just discovered this channel yesterday. Spent an hour listing to my way to work. Got home after eight. Listen about the Yamaha integrated amp. What a great service this channel is so many years. These people have brainwash you into thinking you’re missing so much when you just could’ve been enjoying your music, thank you had subscribed
Welcome aboard!
You are correct Andrew says Yamaha has the "Yamaha sound". I will bet a large amount of money that if you put him into a room and had 5 separate amps including a Yamaha amp. and play records on all the different amps he would never pick the "Yamaha sound" he keeps talking about.
😍This was the first video I watched on your channel. At the end of watching, I subscribed. I will order this Yamaha integrated amplifier this week.
Welcome aboard!
I was gonna be a recovering alcoholic.
But momma didn’t raise no quitter
I just subbed your channel when you said “this Andrew Robinson is full of shit”. No truer words have ever been spoken. Thank you sir. 🙏
Exactly, Andew is an audiovoodo shaman.😂😂😂
I can not stand the dude. My spidey sense starts to tingle.
Most of all these youtubers are all full of the same BS. They all rave at the same products at the same time. They all are trying to male you fall over the next best audio gear. They are trying to get a cut over your spending. Most of the time he never even has the gear at hand. He just talks and talks over specifications and you have to watch his face during 10 minutes.
Haha, me too.
good job Scientific Audiophile,,,,,,,, people need pay more attention to what other say when review products. but most important just try and listen and find that sound that you personally like within your budget and personal place that you live in. A.R is another youtuber that just talk. I did not believe what he said about that A-S801, bought is used, and I am very happy with what it produces with paradigm studio 60 speakers. It gives a nice sound when playing music and in general audio is superb. thank you Scientific Audiophile for bringing that up that not all reviewers know what they are talking about.
Thanks for the comment. Much appreciated.
Good for you, glad it's worked out!
Another angle on A.R. and the likes of Jay, Cheap Audio Man, Darko, etc is that they are PAID to form a view/position on the gear they "review."
If I was in the market for a 2 channel amp I would take a hard look at the Yamaha A-S701 or the A-S801.
New suscriber!, Omg I almost peed myself laughting when you show the "speed, articulation and detail" cartoon, but when you mentioned "Too many notes!" I did, cant help it.... you kill it man.
Very good review and exactly my sentiments regarding Andrew's very colorful yet pretentious choice of words to describe this wonderful Yamaha amp. I've always thought "here's a guy who while irritating visually, loves to hear himself "ramble on"..... Keep up the great work.
Well said!
Thanks👏
Wow! Thank you very much!
@@scientificaudiophile You're more than welcome. Thank *you* very much for *such* entertaining content! I enjoyed every second of it.
Good on you man. Clarity of perception well done.
Glad you liked it!
brilliant ! Mr . robinson must get paid by the word !
I had one of those. The A-S801 was AMAZING. I eventually upgraded to a Parasound P6 Halo preamp and two Adcom GFA-565 monobloc amps. You are 100% correct about Andrew Robinson. His reviews are "lacking" in so many ways. I am hesitant to call him a fraud, but he is most certainly a shrill. He does speak with "authority" because he actually believes what he says. His listening room is most certainly "comfortable", but you are right that it is not optimal for sound.
I don’t think that’s his room. I just believe that’s a background picture that he’s downloaded from the internet.
now I have the YAMAHA A S 801..... and it is AMAZING..... i will keep it till the end
Good choice!
I have a Yamaha A-S 701 and I can say that it is a great amplifier. I can say that I have used it in different room sizes, with different speakers, naturally it sounds different. I tried speakers with which they sounded very bad, but the best I go with is the Q acoustics 3050i, they fit and sound excellent!
Im looking for integrated amp for my qa3050i. Yamaha a-s 701 is one of my choices. Are you still enjoying yamaha and 3050i set up?
Will this amp work properly and have enough power for KEF R7 speakers?
Unequivocally, unless you have a mammoth room > 4,000 cu ft.
Bloody marvellous review mate, certain reviewers get right up my nose!! And he's one of them.Every review he does is just his opinion (or should that be opinionated !)
I'm no audiophile just a freak for good quality hifi equipment. I get pleasure out of all my amps some cheap some expensive and the same with decks and a choice of 5 types of speakers so I don't get bored but I would never criticise anybody for their preferred choice.Great review I've subbed.😊
Not sure where you are going with this. Are you saying all amplifiers sound the same?
I had a A-S801 a while back, sold it because of space limitations. Now looking to buy back.
I think it's a great amp and I think Andrew also thinks so.
Amplifiers can sound different for many reasons: distortion, impedance of speakers and power supply limitations that starve it for current, frequency response, etc. However there is nothing about the A-S801 that lacks bass (if driven within its limits) and nothing that makes it break down during complex musical passages.
They should !
I watched Andrew's video first, and I don't think he thought the 801 was great. I think he panned it. But I think Andrew (and his wife/girlfriend off camera) were both wrong.
Scientific Audio did not say all amplifiers sound the same. He just said that there is no "Yamaha" sound or coloration in the 801. Unfortunately, some (not all) other manufacturer's do color their sound for various reasons.
Space limitations???
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Would the S701 be a good amp with the JBL L100 Classic? (90db sensitivity, 4ohm)
Listening room = 2 car garage (but I only use half of it, so about 11’x23’ used).
Love how you point out the highly reflective room. Boggles my mind that most audiophile YTers don’t have any acoustic panels.
I’m not an audiophile… more of an analog/hardware-setup music producer, record collector and bedroom dj… but we’re taught to use acoustic panels on ceiling, walls and corners (corners are parabolic reflectors).
701 isn’t really a 4 ohm capable amp, but with the sensitivity of those JBL’s, you’ll never really push the amp too hard, so you’ll be fine. Yes, room panels are really important.
Great point at the end. Very few people have the ears to tell the differences between brands of audio gear in a controlled environment. I know I don't.
I can't thank you enough for this video. Some time ago I commented on one of Andrew Robinson's videos suggesting that, instead of talking for half an hour about how gear sounds, he could let people listen to the gear so that they could form an idea themselves. He was extremely rude to me, typical of people who have no argument, supported by some fans.
Now, I agree with you: the amount of BS that he tells through his videos is really huge!
You're damn right about every single point you mentioned in this video!
I watched that video from Andrew Robinson and he sounds like a snake oil salesman, full of bs. I bought the Yamaha AS-801 and you get a lot for your money. Great amp!
@@MichaelJamesWoodif you watched the video, then you would know what Andrew liked the 801 a lot. Enough to choose it over Yamaha’s own 1200 given the price difference.
@@dropthehammer1360he does in that video. But in other videos where he promotes some other gear. He bashes the Yamaha.
just want to know, about the bass issue, is there a knob that can be adjusted if one wants it to be stronger?
Ha!
That's blasphemous language in the audiophile world
Bien sûr vous pouvez utiliser le bouton de réglage des basses ou utiliser le loudness variable pour arrondir légèrement le son. Personnellement j'adore le loudness variable de chez Yamaha.
Love this... I wish I could've given you more than 1 subscription. We really need factual, logical persons like you in this industry for the sake of calling out all of the marketing BS. Let's hear what Kristy has to say😅......
Andrew is completely full of crap. And what's worse is a guy thinks he's omniscient and whenever I would write some constructive criticism he got extremely defensive. I never once said anything crude meaning swearing or getting personal yet the guy has blocked me from other people seeing my comments. He's like fine china. Very sensitive and his wife also so in that regard they make a great pair.
Agreed, Robinson`s reviews are metaphorical word salads without demonstrating anything of substance...So vanilla, staged and saccharin...And those ask Kristy segments are designed to seduce their viewers into some sort of sadomasochistic interior design tri-sexual cult, I swear!
@@user-ff8ww8bq9q Spot on! Its actually creepy to me.
@@ryanschipp8513 He won't even let his partner appear on camera. You think he's going to let you post something even remotely non-praising on his channel? Yikes.
@@AaronClow the guy is a wierdo.
Against the advice of a couple of other reviewers, I recently bought the Yamaha s801. The measurements reported on audio holics were persuasive. Your video here, though, watched a while back, did help detach me from the naysayers. I really like the amp. Works flawlessly. Looks good. I may pick up the Arcam 20 for an AB comparison once my new speakers are delivered. The price has dropped over $1,000 at one store and is even less than the Yamaha at this point. But I may not. Considering the measurements reported, I don't know what the Arcam could do better.
The most hilarious audio review I’ve ever watched. Now I have a new channel and you have a new subscriber. Soon I will have a new Yamaha integrated amp. Thanks 😂😂😂
Welcome aboard!
I agree with you about the "recovering Audiophile " dig.
It says I'm better than you. Not necessary at all. And after being into audio for a sixty years I don't even know what one is.
It's not a dig and he has explained the name on his channel before but its easy to take things as a personal dig when your opinion is merely a baseless assumption.
I bought a pair of s. V. S ultra book shelf speakers. I'd like to put these in my beroom with hooked up to a TV. Would this be a amp that would work good with the TV and the music? Or should I look more at AV receiver?
Definitely a receiver, especially if you want HDMI.
Excellent content , i think the old adage holds true ' trust your ears '
I've had mine for over a year so far and it's safe to say reliability and overall functionality has been top notch. After owning several Yamaha receivers/amplifiers over the past 4 decades, you'll learn that if you treat it well and use it wisely (w/ moderation), this integrated amplifier should be able to last as long as anything else they've produced that was well made. Safely 15-20 years but quite possibly even twice that long. I'd claim it officially if it survives the basic 2 year warranty period. Keep in mind there are plenty of costlier options from other brands out there that may very well be nowhere near as reliable as any Yamaha audio product (let alone a good one.) Andrew Robinson, despite mostly not knowing what he's talking about, even he admitted it's a good amplifier and likes it. I find this one in particular very warm and ultra low fatigue on the high end. It also gives a complete reflection of the source recording quality so you'll find out if your source recordings suck or don't...
Well done.
I also hate irrelevant reviews. The first time I read a HiFi audio magazine was back in late 90's. It was then i discovered that "Highs could be crisp, mids could be bloated, bass could be all over the place and that cables makes the difference".I have never read any other audio magazine since then. Never. I have the same Pre-Power Amp, CD-Player and Turntable I bought used in '98 for about $1500 (+ $1000 for 25 years of maintenance services). I only invest in room acoustics treatment and a pair of speakers every six to seven years (due to wear). My audio-lunatic friends use my room as a reference point. We just hate irrelevant reviews.
*All the cables (audio and power) I use are handmade by me, costing totally about $50
You did the right thing. Too many audio reviewers are beholden to the free samples they get for review.
You are the sommelier of audio. I wish I could find the stags leap of components. At least it would be better than French stuff in a blind panel test.
I need help please, with purchasing an a budget amp.
Is Yamaha a-s 501 a good match for speakers with nominal impedance 4 ohms?
An amplifier suppose to power Dali Opticon 1 MK2 speakers.
It's not that the 501 can't run a 4 ohm speaker, but the Dali will drop well below 4 ohms at certain frequencies. I'm a much bigger fan, at this price point, for the Denon PMA-600NE.
www.denon.com/en-au/shop/amplifier/pma600ne#:~:text=Engineered%20with%20remarkable%20Denon%20amplifier,and%20impedances%20for%20operational%20stability.
@@scientificaudiophile Thank you!
@@scientificaudiophile Why this Denon is better than A-S501 in your opinion?
@@dante_517 it’s rated to handle 4 ohm speakers, the Yamaha 501 is not. So Denon is using a better power supply.
Is the only difference between the 701 and 801 the dac and the computer usb hookup?
Yes. Better DAC is probably worth the $100 price difference, IMO.
@scientificaudiophile A few guys in the Yamaha group on Facebook say that the 801 ESS dac is only on the USB and the toslinks use the bur brown like the 701 does. I'm not sure if this is correct or not. I don't have a computer anymore and don't need the USB but the nicer dac is nice to have. Crutchfield has both in stock, 799 and 899
I have the A-S501 and it’s great
That’s a great integrated amp.
Sir, I use Yamaha amplifier R N801 paired up with Dali Spektor 6. I normally listen to it on pure direct and fairly happy. Recently a friend told me that RN803 is a receiver and I should upgrade to a integrated amp like Marantz 8006 against using a receiver. What’s ur take on that, do receivers lack clarity and sound stage? Will Marantz 8006 be better and more detailed?
The Yamaha AS801 the one discussed here is an integrated amplifier So would be in competition with the Marantz 8006. Yamaha is $500 less expensive and includes a DAC which the Marantz lacks. The Yamaha is also significantly more powerful featuring 100 watts per channel versus the 70 of the Marantz, 185 at four ohms with the Marantz having only 100. I chose the Yamaha. Great review on audioholics. Worth a read. The Marantz is even more expensive given that you probably need to add a separate dac. Does have preamp outs so you can add another amplifier which the Yamaha lacks. Your power source is a receiver. I am not sure of its specs or measurements but I am sure the Yamaha integrated amp is a much better performer
@@lsaideOK they're in two entirely different product classes, and yeah--the two channel amp is way beefier than the two channels in the A/V receiver. Pretty great A/V receiver tho.
I appreciate the balance knob on my UA-cam viewing, where I can see widely varying presentations and dial in my audio opinions. Thank you.
Can you help me with a question nobody can answer definitely..Will a Bose 901 Equaliser connect and work with a Yamaha A S701 integrated amplifier?
Unfortunately not
Great video! I totally agree with your analysis of Andrew Robinson - the guy is as irritating as a housefly. I have always preferred Yamaha receivers and have always found them to perform exceptionally.
Well said!
Plz roast More audiophiles
Just put up two shorts. One @robinsonbrand and one @cheapaudioman
Wonderful channel. Many years ago I stopped being involved with these audioreligious "specialists", making me tired of their nonsens about cables, amps, speakers and non-listening rooms. By accident i stumbled upon your channel.
How nice to see that there are still people, like you, who cry out that "the emperor is dressed naked instead of wearing the finest clothes".
Hopefully you have fun in making these videos, at least it gives me much pleasure.
My channel is the most audioreligous of them all. Welcome fellow Audio Scientologist!
Thank you! Finally someone who can see what a fraud AR is.
It looks like a room that has been built within another room.
The concept is out of a magazine, or maybe a tub of margarine.
HAHAHA! That was as entertaining as it was informative. Thanks for this great video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
801 couldn’t drive my 6 ohm rated Dynaudio Emit 10s. Can’t dial the volume above 45 decibels without hitting a wall of shouty distortion. None of the class D’s I tried worked. Class A’s from Audiolab, Arcam, Rotel drove those speakers.
Which rotel, arcam and audiolab are class A??
@@spokplumpen123 Rotel a11; Arcam s20; Audiolab6000. Class A/B
If the Yamaha is sending low enough frequencies to a sub through the sub out, then I'm guessing that it's sending the same low frequencies to the main speakers. As you stated, if you aren't hearing them, at 100 watts per channel, it's the speakers not the amp that are at fault.
Just bought myself an A-S301, largely due to S|A convincing me I can't go wrong with Yamaha. Now, I'm a bit disappointed there isn't any sort of sound signature to it, only crystal clear pleasant sound experience so far... but maybe that's because I hadn't had the chance to burn in the unit properly yet. Should 600 hours of purple noise be enough to uncover its real character?
If you can return it, there's an amazing deal going on at Adorama for the A-S701 (I don't make anything from links, I copied this from another post)
www.adorama.com/yaas701sl.html?sdtid=17990661&emailprice=t&sterm=Shl3Mc0JKxyPRbPWnMWJV0-KUkCXSz25RQLkWk0&
@@scientificaudiophile Thanks for the heads up, however I'm not in the US so no deal for me :(
Beware, the Sharur of speaker domain. Can you or anyone else do a no-headache attorney style service for installing a viable and custom-made audiophile speaker setup?
Not quite sure what that would look like.
You are my new favorite reviewer.
😢
@@HomeStudioBasics That was before the glorious return of HSB! ;) However Scientific’s takedowns of Robinson and DMS are both savage and absolutely correct. Audio is subjective, but not total snake oil.
Man, i was looking up reviews of this amp to pair with my wharfedale diamond 12.2 bookshelf and sub. I watched Andrews reviews and he says a lot, but it's always a yeah but with every "entry level" product. So im glad to have stumbled across your channel.
In that regard, do you suppose the yamaha 801 would pair well with my diamond 12.2?
Those Diamonds are a little less sensitive than most, but at 8 ohms, the 801 will easily drive them to any level you want - plus you have a subwoofer, which Andrew says will help the amplifier out with that low end punch :-)
@scientificaudiophile lol thanks for the reply, and for the laugh
Well that was awesome, informative, and highly entertaining. Thank you. You and Ken Micallef of Stereophile need to start the Andrew Robinson fan club. Mr. Micallef dislikes the "recovering audiophile" even more than you.
Thanks
Well I received my 801 yesterday and just put 5 and a half hours through it and it's great! 👍 Plenty bass for my room and setup without a sub, using a pair of q acoustics 3050i
I am very happy with my purchase.
Very nice!
That -0.6db rolloff at 30khz really constrains the soundstage and muddies the vocals dynamics don'cha know?
I do know, but I purposely omitted the information to make Robinson look worse.
Thanks for the Yamaha recommendation, what about speakers ($2000/3000 range) and cables?
Cables are far more important than speakers. I'd recommend you spend $2-$3k on your speaker cables, then we'll talk about what speakers to get.
@@scientificaudiophile thank you! What brand of cables would you recommend in that price range?
And what brand of speakers?
@@Ivy13276 Anyone asking for $2k cable has got to be a good deal. You simply can't spend that much money and not get a great cable. As for speakers, you may have to start out with the Micca COVO-S Compact 2 to stay within budget, but those speaker wires will make them sing.
@@scientificaudiophile that's exactly what I imagined your setup looked like!
Wait a second, did we all just get trolled? OMG. When someone says cables are more important than the speakers, and to get $2,000 cables because you know they're worth it? OMG, is this... OMG. Is this REAL?
My friend has the s 801 and I just ordered a used version from Amazon to test out. I hope it's more efficient and powerful than NAD C350 , that I'm trying to get rid of
Configurable filters for subwoofers?
YAMAHA as801 Good or Bad?
Great for the price!
Thank You
Thanks for your straightforward response to pure fluff
He's been much better after this ua-cam.com/video/kWKO3HTtmPo/v-deo.htmlsi=fGdhRbNhL4ByPfrx
The Yamaha A-S801 is an amazing Amp and those 15W between an A-S501 and the 801 makes a world of difference. Add a Sub and rock your world (literally!). 🙂
Crossover frequency is configurable?
@@alexpal1495 No it’s not, unless you open the amp and play with the RLC Circuit. A simpler way is to get a Sub with a tunable LF knob (potentiometer) and adjust the frequency. My sub is tunable from 50 to 150Hz
@@alexpal1495 No it’s not, unless you open the amp and play with the filter circuit. A simpler way is to get a Sub with a tunable LF knob (potentiometer) and adjust the frequency. My sub is tunable from 50 to 150Hz
@@mirchirock thanks. But is not one more benefit of having such filter that main speakers will also relax and focus more on mids and highs?
@@alexpal1495 I’m no expert but I think the crossover frequency for the AS801 is 100Hz. Any Bass or Treble adjustments will affect high and midrange as well as low frequencies up to 100Hz. Below 100Hz would be the sub. This is my understanding.
I enjoyed this so much
I really like your reaction videos. I had stopped watching all of the reviewers you critique on your channel ling before coming across SIA on UA-cam but I am glad to see that other see here fault in their ‘so called’ audio review.
Could you please reach out to Mads at Buchardt Audio and ask for a review sample of the S400MKII and the S400MKII SE speakers. I am curious if you can hear the difference between the factory made version of this speaker and the limited run ‘SE’ version
I just reached out. Many companies won’t bother if you have less than 50k subscribers, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Thanks.
Recovering as it’s addictive hobby that often prompts people to spend a lot of money?
You pick on things without even trying to understand what’s being said. Majority of people don’t change their rooms in highly audio treated spaces. You don’t need a lot of brain cells to understand who he’s videos are targeting. I usually don’t regard high people who try to get subscribers based on bashing others. Maybe focus on your own content and let’s see if people will like your vision…
Btw Kirsty you hear in background- it’s her choice not to be on a camera and secondly people love her!
The recovering audiophile moniker was explained on Robinson's channel and is, as you say, about him becoming addicted to buying expensive audio gear, much of it of much higher cost than you see on his channel. I really don't understand the motivation for a hit piece video.
As for his wife not appearing on the channel, she used to. There were quite a few lewd comments made about her and so she stepped back. Her choice. Guess I can't relate to someone being so annoyed about what's a relatively inoffensive UA-cam channel that they make a video criticising it. Each to their own.
My Yamaha s501 has a Cerwin Vega U-351 sound because that what they are powering. By the way some times I have to cut the bass back a step back. Great video. Everyone's taste and ears are different that's why there are much to choose from in the stereo world. I go for quality,sound and affordability when I choose stereo equipment.
The reason why Andrew Robinson describes himself as a "Recovering Audiophile" is because he is and audiophile that is recovering from opioid addiction. He had a medical issue and was prescribed opioids for pain management and became dependent on them. He not take a piss on audiophiles.
I don't want to be rude, but what's the deal with Andrew Robinson's disembodied girlfriend? She talks but we never see her. Is she in the Witness Protection program or what?
@@spiritualarchitect4276 She showed her face couple of years ago but then she stopped. That's a shame because she's quite good looking redhead.
For whatever reason, since the pandemic, she has decided not to show herself on his videos. Perhaps she has some medical issue, or camera shy, or maybe just doesn't want to take the time to do HMU for the camera. Doesn't matter, it's her choice, but she contributes to the commentary in her own way.
@@krishmandal9769 They run youtube VIDEO channel and they used to be in the wedding photography business. Not showing your face in front of the camera is plain wierdo.
@@krishmandal9769 As I recall she stopped appearing on camera because she is very attractive and they were getting a lot of rude comments about her looks.
Robinson is a troll, his opinion means very little.
Andrew Robinson and snake oil go hand in hand
Lol, I watched the Robinson video right before this one. I am currently looking at the Yamaha 801 and also the Emotiva TA2. Do you have any thoughts on Emotiva as a product. I am leaning towards the Yamaha because they are an older company. If you got any info on Emotiva's quality I would greatly appreciate your in put. Great Video, I got through about half of the Robinson video before I was like what is this guy talking about. 😂
I like the Emotiva but I’ve heard, not experienced myself, some qc issues.
@@scientificaudiophileThanks for the reply, that is what I am worried about. Decisions Decisions. Keep making awesome vids! I've been watching all day lol. You got a new subscriber.
I went with a an R-N800A. I love this amp. Added some new SVS Evolution and a pb1000 pro. I am in heaven. KEEP Bish Spinning.
While I agree with a lot of your video (particularly the comedy around 'lost its grip as the music got complex part,' that had me rolling lol), I disagree with your point about moving the speakers for the purpose of a receiver/integrated amp test. In order to compare units, he can't be moving his speakers all around for perfect positions like you're describing. It actually doesn't matter WHERE he puts them if he's ONLY A/B'ing other components (other than the speakers) - as long as they are never moved. Because to your earlier point, it's about the amplifier, not the speakers. If he's moving or changing many factors each time, that's not an accurate test. Or are you saying that, receivers have NO impact on things like soundstage at all, and it's 100% about speaker placement, room treatments etc? I couldn't quite follow where you were being serious vs joking through some of this.
Looking for an opportunity for reviewers to improve, if someone like Andrew does not have the scientific equipment or ability to test each detail or prove something out scientifically, but he can hear a difference when comparing units side by side (especially given his access to far more hifi equipment than I will ever own), how would you recommend he portray that? As perhaps an analogy, I know when something smells good or it doesn't. But if you asked me to explain the scientific reason on why my nose and brain likes one smell vs another, and what makes up that smell etc, I wouldn't know where to start. All I know is I like it and it's different/better than another smell. (What a horrible analogy I know - so horrible that I'm almost proud of myself LOL)
Thanks for the comment. Definitely a good amplifier can help with soundstage but not to the extreme Andrew states, unless you’re comparing a great amp with some real garbage. My biggest issue with the video was the 810 is a really, really good amplifier. I a/b/c’d that amp with a Benchmark, my A-S2100 and couldn’t hear any difference. Just one of my reasons for creating the “Chasing SINAD” video ua-cam.com/video/3I1I9WyRBzw/v-deo.htmlsi=gTJBGaOKCO3YP1rN
How should reviewers convey the differences they hear is up to them, but sadly a lot is perception and psychological beliefs that nicer looking and prettier equipment sounds better. It’s why I don’t own the 810, I like the meters on the 2100, and the MC/MM switch for cartridge’s right on the front.
@@scientificaudiophile For the record, Andrew repeatedly states that his opinions are just that, opinions and that ultimately people should go and listen to things themselves IF they can and buy what sounds good to them, it's literally a catchphrase on his channel 'And remember, the only person who has to like the sound of your system, is you!' At no point did he say the AS-801 is objectively bad, he gave subjective opinions based on his listening experiences A-B'ing it against other equipment is HIS living room, which he knows isn't perfect but IS more in line with what most people will be putting their equipment in instead of a dedicated listening room which is an entirely different ball game. He also points on on numerous occasions on his channel that everyone's living room, cinema room, etc will have different effects on sound and they should factor that in to how they take his reviews and how they evaluate equipment in demo rooms etc.
I love how these people think an amp that plays flat from 10hz-20khz has a sound.
If these amps had a signature sound you would see it on the graph, there would be bumps in the output to give their "sound" but it's never there.
I've always found AR to be too "wordy", he tries to sound smart and refined, but they're just bunch of generic terms and adjectives that say basically nothing,
Well put! AR is an actor at heart. Watch one of his reviews and then watch one of his live streams. Completely different person. In his reviews he's a total actor. Honestly it's pretty pathetic.
Let me put it short- A.R. is a poshy, YT celebrity, he never answers my SIMPLE questions, he talks only about ,let's say, expensive equipment. If only yo read his IG stories...
I answer all the question I want to.
@@scientificaudiophile btw I meant HIM,not you.
hahaha i love your video. Subscribed
Thanks for subbing!
🤣🤣 I went looking for receiver reviews as my old 1995 Pioneer receiver died last week and I'm old enough now to appreciate good audio. However, the one thing I did not expect to find is a snarky reaction video regarding AV equipment.
That is usually reserved for the YT political and health/fitness scene.
Guess I need to keep looking. Lol
Many UA-cam audiophiles argue about whether or not cables make a difference, but the elephant in the room is that, for the most part, amplifiers are interchangeable. I don't think I could tell a difference between my fancy THX 789 headphone amplifier (which is out of style these days) and a sound card I installed in my computer, let alone my Topping A30 modified with Burson op-amps. There is simply no significant difference between them in real world listening. These UA-cam audiophiles are functionally grifters, but I do wonder if they actually believe a lot of what they say.
Kind of a harsh hit piece. I find some of what Andrew has to say pompous and if there's a representative of audiophile 1 percenters, he could be their poster boy. Often audio reviewers see it as their job to criticize products and find their weaknesses. It's hard to find good amplification at a low cost these days. To that end, my best recommendation is second hand markets. There are a lot of decent AV receivers from the 90's and early 2000's out there with plenty of power, outputs, and inputs that can be had for cheap which still work great in 2 channel mode.
8:57 This Andrew Robinson guy knows his shiiit😂
Andrew used to love the Heco tower 1000s but then removed it from his channel. I asked why and he said they basically didn't ask him to publish his review which to me meant they didn't pay him.
😮
The problem with this Amp is that it has no way of crossing over the speakers to an active sub and runs them full range at all times a problem when you have bookshelfs.
For some weird reason, lots of integrated amps, not all, lack sub support.
@@scientificaudiophile Yeah i dont get it
Robinson loves to listen to himself!
Funny commentary and in "many ways" spot on. IMO, many of these (UA-cam) reviewers who discuss their feelings about audio equipment, cars, motorcycles, etc.) should be newscasters, or promoting/ selling the latest/greatest food processor/ cutlery knives
I have a Denon AVR, a Yamaha AS2200, a Vincent SVK MKii hybrid, a SET tube amp and an old Marantz 2245. They all sound different and anyone could tell them apart easily. The old Marantz sounds warm up top and emphasizes lower frequencies, the Yamaha is opposite and cooler, leaner and more analytical, the Denon AVR is darker sounding than all the others, the Vincent hybrid class A has strong weighty bass and super smooth mids and highs, and I found the SET tube amp too mids and highs focused for my Forte IV's. When you suggest he couldn't pick amps out in a blind test are you suggesting all amps sound the same? Don't necessarily disagree with any of your critiiques about his review, but there's a reason people like various different types of amps and its mainly because of preferences in the way various classes and types sound.
I don't disagree some amps sound different, but the 810 is as FLAT as any amplifier ever created from 20 - 20,000. Also note, after this video, Robinson now says that Yamaha amps he listens to are neutral.
I have the as501 and it's a great amp lots of base with the kef q350 . If I had to be pick on something it would be the tweeter on the kef it's a a bit harsh but the kef is good otherwise. I like the Yamaha it's in my budget and suits me.
I have tube amps, decent solid state amps, numerous speakers both big and small, efficient and not so efficient. High end turntables and mid level tables. The older I get the simpler my equipment becomes and it make me so happy. Snobs will say because my high end listening ability is shot. But i just want to enjoy the music more than picking at the equipment these days. I'm even getting tired of tube amps, there's always some issue going on, but I do think tubes sound better.
Andrew Robinson is the first audio reviewer I unsubscribed to. He's just, I don't know, disingenuous to me.
Agree that Andrew is HGTV material...or maybe the Cyrano de Bergerac of audio 😂😂
His living room is nice, but definitely not a room to test gear. You're spot on on this one.
I have the great Yamaha as801
Great product !!!!
I found the Uncle Roger of audio. I like. Most comment correct. BTW, no true audiophile would do a double blind A:B test. You know why.
Uncle SA. I like it and I hate Jamie Oliver.
OK, I get it. You were sitting around one night thinking... "what can I do to differentiate myself from all of the other audio guys on You Tube? I really need some kind of a novel approach that will set me apart from all of the others. Hmmm...I know, I'll just take a totally contrary position to all of the more popular channels on You Tube and then people will watch my videos just to see how much of an asshole I can be." Very clever my friend. And I have to admit it's worked on me, at least for 2 videos. But I have to tell you it grows old real quick, so I'm guessing your channel will be short lived. Good luck.
It’s kind of unbelievable. Who hurt this man?
For your information, that is where many “ audiophiles” - such as me - listen to their systems. It is in a REAL environment called the living room. Any system that can’t work in a real room instead of a “dedicated listening room” is not my kind of a system.
yes but then you don't go online and give unprofessional reviews about products ultimately ending-up saying wrong things and possibly misleading consumers.
You know I find it funny that everyone is complaining about room acoustics , you know what Andrew's room is realistic when living in a family environment everyone doesn't have dedicated listening rooms or environments , Andrew's room layout is very realistic by today's standards , Wife kids and family this hobby is about enjoying music and entertainment, thank you
P.S. A Blue Collar Working Man that loves 🎶 Music
It’s certainly a realistic room, but not for a reviewer of audio and video. He is telling people that a product sounds “boomy” or “lacks width” or is “fantastic “, without even caring that, even in an average room, what he’s hearing isn’t anything near what his subscribers will hear (all rooms sound significantly different). So an audio/video reviewer is required to have a well engineered sound listening room to properly explain a products sound or visual capabilities. Otherwise every review is just meaningless to anyone watching.
@@scientificaudiophile My room is nothing like Andrews room so I can't disagree with you. I do feel that audio reviewers need to check the limits of the equipments more properly so consumers like rest of us can help decide for ourselves based on the room were going to use them in. I did see his review and many others before I purchased AS701 which I use in my computer room now, sub out has SB3000 which is little overkill for small room but all bass sounds like it's comming out from BR03 speakers I use with just like some reviewers said they would. The technical reviews were actually helpful and my purchase proved it. So I do feel what your saying is quite honest and fair and I appreciate your kind of opinions.
@@scientificaudiophile
His reviews reflect real world rooms, so yeah, it is helpful and relevant to a large majority of people who love music; without the option for a dedicated, extensively treated room.
@@tbonet859 any two uncontrolled acoustic conditions (rooms) can't be compared meaningfully. At best, such a review can explain features and discuss aesthetics. Which can be useful
@@scientificaudiophile Every review *IS* meaningless. Nobody else hears what you hear in your room. It is foolish to think that you could do a review and have it be the standard for other people all across the world. You hear what you hear, you try to explain what you hear, and that has to impact other people's buying decisions. This isn't rocket science. You're not going to hear the same thing that I'm going to hear in the same goddamn room
Clearly the problem is he was not playing any pipe organ music. That says a lot right there.