$130 Amp vs $900 Amp! How is this Even Close?
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- Опубліковано 28 лип 2024
- Aiyima T9 amzn.to/3NCLkTW or Douk amzn.to/3946god (same thing) $129
Yamaha AS801 howl.me/choSewvdXc2 $899
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Yammies manufacturing quality is second to none, and thats across their ENTIRE product range, be it grand pianos, motorcycles, or integrated amps.
Thank you for the excellent comparison and analysis of the two amps. Based on your review of the Aiyima T9, I bought the twin Douk Audio ST-01. The ST-01 is an excellent amp and compares favorably to my Marantz PM6004. I hooked up an old Sony DVD/CD player using the Coax connection and an old pair of Polk R20 speakers. I listen at low to moderate volume and I thoroughly enjoy listening to this set up. Thanks Cheapaudioman!
Based on your previous, initial review of the T-9, I jumped on buying one. I LOVE it. I also compared its sound through my system similarly to you and came to the same results. Thank you, Randy, for providing a real world, down-home comparison and justifying my time, money, and effort to expand my positive listening experience.
I did the same and I am really enjoying the T-9. I has it set up on a desktop in a small rrom, so the volume is always pretty low and it sounds great!
Great Review!!!👍 I love when the comparison results differ from what's expected. Bravo!!!
I have to say that I bought an Aiyima T9 that I hooked up to an old pair of Bose speakers and have been impressed. I just stream Spotify through bluetooth with minimal tone adjustment and it sounds very good. Thanks for all you do Randy!
Got the Aiyima for my desktop setup last weekend, and I gotta say, it really is an incredible little amp. When connected to my bookshelf speakers, I was hardpressed to notice a difference between it and my Adcom GFA-555 with a Modi 3+ DAC. But it really was a noticeable difference with my 150w living room speakers (obviously).
One of the best comparisons I've seen on youtube, great work!
Really love the LOUDNESS feature with the Yamaha. What it actually does is add more detail to the music at low volumes. It lowers the midrange frequencies which is more prominent at low volumes. This makes the low and high frequencies blend better with midrange. Makes a big difference in hearing more detail at low volume listening.
Yeah a lot of ppl w "less idea" shall we say, like to have loudness on at high levs ' cos it's more bassy' (duh) but it isn't designed for that at all.
It's for exactly what you describe imho
The Yammie's variable loudness is one of the features that made me buy my first Yamaha IA.... in 1979!
@@chrisharding5447 Yep. It's basically like adjustable Digital Sound Processing (DSP) for passive non-DSP speakers.
It just adds +10 db in high and low freq like most other loudness buttons.
@@racerx3669 Wrong, wrong, wrong.
I also bought the T9 and use it in my studio very happy with it so thanks for the initial review Randy
Totally loving your self-blind comparison testing. Such a novel and effective way - cycle the switch quickly until there is no way you know which one is being played!
I enjoyed this comparison. I am glad to see that the cheap amp gets to be cheap by limiting inputs and outputs and not by trying to do everything.
Got the Douk audio version I noticed you used the stock tubes so people can expect what you’re listening to. Starting back into the audio trip after settling on a video projector I like and trying too many over priced sound bars for music and video. I like imaging and sound stage which sound bars don’t really well. Thanks for all you do and yes I value your opinions to guide my purchasing as well as having a little fun, something the audiophile community needs.
Love this channel and have a crush on this amp….love to see a system build around the T9
Once again, hats off to you for staying true to where you started. I'd admit to a bit worry of you might be off after achieving fame and glory. But no, you came roaring and gutsy as ever. Hope you great success!
@@TonicofSonic How he chooses to relate is purely his prerogative. I do hope there's respect for those non-paying followers who really are the ones put him here today. Whether he does of not is between he and his God. I judge only if his content is worth my time. Happy to say that mostly does.
Cheap Audio Man is great channel to subscribe to .
Listening to music 🎶 through higher quality equipment should be as accessable to as many people as possible.
Testing much more affordable kit for us mere mortals helps us to do this 🇬🇧 🙂
@@kevink8321 what was this comment about? Did one get deleted or something. It looks like you were responding to someone else. I’d love to respond to every comment but unfortunately I just can’t. I get hundreds of comments each day. I also get dozens of emails, Instagram dms, Facebook messages and patron messages. I truly appreciate every person that watches and those that comment. It means the world to me. But I just can’t respond to everyone. If I did I wouldn’t have time to make more content and I try to make as much as I can. I appreciate the well wishes so much. As more people have watched I get more negative comments about me and implications about my character. I’m not sure what this comment was about but I’m going to keep in making videos. And hopefully people keep watching.
@@cheapaudioman I was responding to a Tonicofsonic’s comment that “he only respond to comments of Patreon members”. Can’t find it anymore. You’re cool Randy, big thumbs up!
@@cheapaudioman hello, been watching your videos as a guide to get a suitable amplifier for for my yamaha ns-bp300 which I got off from a thrift store. This speaker has a nominal input power of 60w, maxing out at 110 Watts. I was wondering if the aiyima or yamaha amplifiers would be suitable for my speakers? I don't wanna break the bank. Thank you
Hey Randy, youve confirmed my thoughts on my T9. One day I’ll get around to comparing it to my Yamaha AS1100. I was gobsmacked when I first heard the T9.(purchased on your recommendation) I could not believe how ballsy it sounded in my bedroom. I played it long & loud when I got it. No problemo. Small, efficient speakers. “She who must be obeyed “ was away for the weekend, so, I was able to give it the beans. I never heard the speakers sound so good.
By the way, you called the two amps integrated as they both had on board DACs. This is not technically correct, an integrated amp has a pre amp & a power amp in the one box. ( I’m sure you know this & it was just a gooficalogical error. That’s what they were called a long time when I started in audio & way before DACs were invented. I’m a retired, 30 veteran of the Australian hifi industry.
Thanks for your reply. My friend has recently bought one of those Yamaha amps very happy with it keep up the good work yours Ian
I bought this a few weeks ago based in part on your recommendations in a previous video, paired with the Moukey M20-3 speakers. I absolutely love this system. It does not play loud, but I live in a small apartment. Super crisp sound, Whole system cost less than $250 with cables and plugs.
It does not have a headphone output, so be aware of that.
One other thing... it's cute. Seriously, it's tiny and lit up all warm at night. If you grew up with 1970s systems it's just shocking that something so good sounding could be so compact.
I can't thank you enough for the recommendation for this thing. I've had a parade of cheapish boomy bluetooth speakers for years. This is a game changer. Plus I used the money I saved to get Tidal.
I'd love your suggestion on a good sub in an appropriate price range. I can't really see getting a subwoofer that costs more than the rest of the stereo.
RSL, REL, BiC, or HSU might be great sub options for the $400 range.
@@rianredfield5252 Polk sells a $100 powered sub that has good adjustment capability. I had one for several years and eventually gave it to my son (age 16), who loves a genre of music called "Rap" with the boom boom boom. He also likes Sade and Frank Sinatra, so there's that. I see that you posted this over a year ago, and maybe you found the Polk already. This comment is for the next guy.
Randy, great test! It's nice to know that quality audio can be had without a second mortgage. THANK YOU!
I sure would like to see what you would think of a test between the A07 and the Emotiva XPA. Not a fair fight, but hey it would be fun and challenging to set up that test.
Digging your channel man. Lots of audio channels out there but yours is the best. Thanks
Thank you for all of your hard work, much Appreciated.
Very well done CheapAudio guy! Great idea to compare. Keep up with the great videos. Cheers dude!
I got the T9 based on your review... I hooked them up to an old pair of sony speakers (ss m90n) and I cant believe what I'm hearing!!! Amazing little tube amp!!!
Always entertaining, always informative! Thanks as always Cheap A Man!
I use the Douk version that I use in my elementary school classroom. It powers 2 Focal 100 ICW 6 ceiling speakers. It sounds very good. I had a Cambridge Audio Azur 40 watt integrated amp and I replaced it with the Douk. The sound of both were very good, but the size of the Douk won me over.
I love the retro look of the little valve amp.
Great vid. I had the as501, that amp.starts to shine and come alive when you crank the volume to about the 10 or 11 o clock position
I would love to see more of this kind of video. Feels like what the channel was made for.
I have the Douk version of that tube amp and it sounds wonderful. I was shocked. I ran it on the polk bookshelf speakers and it is so warm and fun. It was underpowered and flatter on my tower speakers so I left it on the bookshelf speakers in my office. So good.
Please do more comparisons like these! I like how you adjusted the levels to try to make them sound similiar. I would also like to see two sets of speakers compared, each with its own amp (same model of amp), each amp adjusted so the sound is as similar as possible. Would also love to see blind A/B where you don't know which is which.
I have had similar experiences when comparing some of these small class-D chip amps to full sized amps. Different amps have different sound signatures, but once you correct that with tone controls or EQ, sound stage is the bulk of the difference. I think it's a matter of having space to run the left and right channels far enough away from one and other than the L and R aren't inducing their signals on one and other.
Great video Randy! Thank you for your good, honest comparisons and feedback. My question: How would you compare the T-9 to the Douk X-1 now that you have had it for a while?
It's hilarious that this is today's video. I just modded my Reisong A10 and decided to hook my T9 in its place just to cleanse the palatte since that's the only amp I've been listening to critically lately. I played chocolate chip trip switching between the 2 and the T9 definitely held its own. Love the channel Randy thank you for all you do
Great content! Finally someone comparing cheap class D with expensive A-B amps. Can you compare Sabaj A20a or A20a 2022 with most expensive amplifiers you have?
Great review and info, as always Randy. Many thanks.
I bought the Yamaha A-S301. That is the least expensive Yamaha integrated. I am very happy with it. I bought it because I thought it would be a good reliable amp and I wanted a substantial build and clean look, but in the back of my mind, I just knew that all things being equal, there would only be small differences in amps. I could have spent way more or way less and could have been happy that I did so. This video will be helpful for many that might be shopping around. Great job as usual, Randy.
That is a great amp and a great choice. I picked up an A-S301 off Craigslist while my Marantz HD-AMP1 was in the shop and really enjoyed it. I re-sold it when the Marantz came back but then I realized that I liked it better than the Class D Marantz and sold that too. Living with my Dynaco for now, but I liked that Yamaha so much I'm going back to get either the 501 or 701. I don't need the USB dac in the 801.
The S301 punches well above its weight. There's another YT channel, called E Project, who doesn't do reviews, he does audio comparisons of a wide range of amps and speakers, and, in those comparisons, the Yamaha sounds better to me than many much more expensive amps with a lot of speakers, including the $2200 KEF R3s.
don't forget the AS201 which is even cheaper and strangely more powerful at 100w per channel 🤔
I also have the 301. I have zero complaints. The 60 watts is plenty to drive my bookshelves. I do use a different phono pre, but that's it.
I imagine all of the Yahama AS amps sound great. That CD direct that the 701 and 801 has me interested, but not enough to spend.
pump up the volume to make your money worth
Good stuff really interesting ! I think the more efficient your speakers are the gap would be even closer ! If you are happy with the sound its a big win for little outlay!
I just got mine yesterday and after letting it burn in for a few hours it has got even better playing threw my DIY speakers it has brought such clarity female voices like Eva Cassidy our so clear and crisp it is like I am setting in front of her at a club in DC back in the 1990s just beautiful!
I own the Aiyima T9 and pair it with the Sony SS CS5, it's my daily driver in an apartment setting. Incredible value! I find the T9 slightly colored in the 2k area due to tubes and can be unnatural at times. The sound stage and instrument separation is remarkable for this price. The low end is surprisingly fun and warm. I rolled the tubes with $25 replacements and got even more clarity and depth. The DAC is super clear and detailed. Plus blue tooth! Are you kidding? It's just a fun and attractive amp that never gets boring. Definitely not powerful but enough for a small living room.
What tunes did you roll? How are they compared to the original tunes? I have the Douk version of this amp.
@@larryleyba6496 River Stone matched tubes on amazon. They slightly improve clarity of the top end.
Based on price, I think the improvement in audio quality nowadays its kinda like optics in the amateur telescope market. You can get 85-90% of the theoretical performance by buying good quality mass produced optics, however to get that last 15-10% the investment becomes almost logarithmic, to the point of spending a fortune just for an extra few percent of improvement in performance. And sure there are many great pieces of craftsmanship that justify some of the price but still not a necessity to have something that performs good.
Speaker placement is at least 70% of the sound quality of any decent audio system. Watch Zero Fidelity’s L.O.T.S. video, follow the instructions, and be amazed.
@@donde2k I have cheap Edifier self powered speakers, the R1850DB. Got it for a very good price as PC speaks just so that my PC can make sound into the room, no higher expectations. Didn't had much free space so I put it on the windowsill facing the room, they are front ported. The windowsill is nearly as wide as the room with 3 separate windows next to each other and one combined windowsill. Sound was okay, didn't expect much. Than I turned the speakers 90deg to the side so the backs of the speakers are facing each other, fitted even better on the windowsill. And then the speakers made the sound in the windowsill cavity. I was listening to something and suddenly it hit me, it sounded so natural. Really significant difference with the same speaker.
No, the situation is much worse. A cheap amp like the Topping LA90 will literally outperform $5,000+ amps where technicals and performance is concerned. At this point, people are just paying for build quality, design and premium materials when they go high end, but not sound quality!
The pinnacle of discernible performance in amps has now been reached in the Audio world and it is attainable for under $2,000. Speakers are in a similar situation
@@Cerebrosoft tell that to Denmark audio group. Lol.
Need sound comparison for both, very excited to hear Aiyima T9. I believe everything you mention on the this subject.
Thanks for the recommendation, I just picked up the T9 and it’s amazing!!!
I got the T9 based on your videos and am very happy with it! I replaced the tubes and it sounds wonderful. Only problem is the dang clicking when its not playing anything. Thanks for the recommendation!
I just bought the T9 because of this video and the fact that it is back in stock. I have the A07 and like it so well that it haS become my primary amplifier, along with a Topping E30 DAC. I own a McIntosh amp and preamp. Yeah that McIntosh is great, but it doesn't have a DAC in it, and a lot like Randy says in this video, unless you're going for higher volumes, it's pretty hard to hear a difference.
I started with a Rockville bluetube and switched to a Yamaha A S501SL and I do like the Yahama better, but no regrets with the cheaper system to start. The value of the switch was more for the input handling. Mine is not as powerful as the Yahama you used, but I think it was the way to go for a small room Hi/Fi and in the same family.
Had to click on this , because I have the little brother of that Yamaha (the a-s501). I'm very very happy with it. Actually happy to hear that the difference between the T90 and the s801 is so small, because it means that even if i dished out the extra cash for the more expensive amp, It would not have been much different either.
Well.... amazon is now sold out now. Good Job Randy 😆
Please note #
The Douk version is very similar with a different op amp. Some people believe the opamp in the Douk version is superior (supposedly measures better) but from what I have read, most People prefer the opamp in the Aiyima T9.
I ordered from Ali Express for $110 (shipped for free with power cord and remote).
I am looking forward to see how this compares to my t8 pre and A07 combo.
I will be dropping in the sparkos opamp in my second Aiyima A07 and will be looking forward to playing with the T9 opamp and tube roll as a bi amp configuration.
Hey CAM,
Loved the revue, I think the cost vs value vs quality vs sound is a real rabbit hole we all deal with. Currently I have 2 systems, one vintage (Marrantz 1152 DC integrated amp) and one cheap (inFi Chinese tube hybrid amp) and guess what...I love both! The more we can compare equipment, the better consumers and audiophiles we become.
You know Randy, had I heard of some of these low priced products back in the 80's or 90's and of people comparing them to the major brands out there I would have thought they were nuts, but it really is a wonderful time for audio these days. There are tons of new and "newer" brands out there which never existed back in the days of old serving up budget products which are so far superior in sound quality to the cheap stuff of old. Brands like Emotiva and Audioengine and many which you highlight and talk about on your channel, which weren't on the market only a few years ago really do offer high value to those of us without tremendously deep pockets. It's a great time for those who are just getting started to buy NEW gear at the beginning rather than to have to look at and deal with some of the absolute garbage I owned as a kid, where used speakers had been partially modified so that only one of them had an additional brand new tweeter cut rather crudely into the cabinet, or the busted dust cover on that old vintage turntable. I'm happy with my Burson but it's nice to learn about this less expensive stuff because I have friends with kids who are just getting into the hobby. Thanks for everything you share!
Low-cost but name brand amps from the 80s and 90s were pretty good.
And the first that comes to MY mind is Adcom. In the 80's and 90's there were products from the big name brands that wouldn't kill you, brands like Aiwa and Harman/Kardon, Denon, Onkyo, etc. Maybe not their TOTL but still pretty great. Not to overlook Pioneer, which may have been the most value line-up of the majors out there once upon a time. I don't believe the same can be said about Pioneer and others today. Hell, Nakamichi was outstanding once but find something with that name on it today and it's not from the same company or pedigree. I just think that today a newb can put together a great starter system on a modest budget.
@@tomdavis6371
Don't forget Kenwood
@@westelaudio943 Yes. Kenwood too. And I kind of did forget Kenwood but because for the most part Kenwood was a brand that my local dealers didn't carry until Kenwood got into car audio. And then there was Technics, too. My gosh I'm feeling old now!
As a T9 owner I'm very happy with my budget setup alongside a pair of Jamo S803. I'm saving up now for a pair of better speakers, maybe Wharfedale Evo 4.2? Once the speakers are up to speed I'll update the amp.
I'm replacing my old Onkyo receiver for a T9 and this video is helping me to decide, I don't like the music to loud so the T9 will do ok. Thank you.
Great review as usual, congratulations, cheers from Uruguay
I have Magnepan/NAD in my main listening room. However, I did outfit my office with a T9 w/a pair of Sony CS5's hooked up to my PC. Sounds great for what it is, doesn't come close to the Maggies and the NAD equipment but hey for ~400 bucks it's da bomb.
Nice review. A very interesting comparison!
I was asked to improve the listening sound/media experience in a living room, for a relative. Music and TV. A flat, so usually not very high levels.
I got a T9 and a pair of white Pro-Ject Box 5 speakers. And a white REL T/Zero subwoofer. The TV is a relatively recent Philips Android TV with optical out. So it works great as source for streaming. Music and/or movies/TV. Tidal/Spotify/USB/Emby etc. The only real problem was the remotes. Two separate remotes was not acceptable! I eventually found a One-For-All Philips programmable remote I could teach it to handle the T9 volume and on/off. Works very well. My relative is very pleased with the end result. And there was even some money over in the budget, so I ordered a 30 volt PSU to replace the standard 24 volt PSU that came with the T9. I expect that will slightly lower distortion at higher volumes.
Perhaps you should do something on remotes? How to avoid getting a mountain of remotes... I sure wish I knew more about it. There are solutions that allows you to use your phone as a universal remote. And it sends IR/RF to control devices. I haven't tried any...
You need to get a Android phone with IR sensor... Or buy a gadget for home automation like Blitzwolf BW-RC02, it can integrate all IR gadgets to be controlled by your smartphone
I’ve loaded up on CAM-approved tech per the last few months. Love the T9 with Sony SCS5’s in one room, FX audio D-01 + A07 with spektor 1s in my office and T8+ A07 + Moukeys in a guest bedroom! The only one underwhelming right now is Aiyima D05 + Jamo s803s in another bedroom. The Jamos are fun as hell but I think I got a bum power cord for with the D05. The left speaker keeps cutting out. Working through it. Argh.
Maybe a redo with upgraded chip and valves, and bigger power supply on the T9 would be very interesting too, thanks for doing that comparison.
Great video Randy. However, I would like to see a follow up video using an external DAC (like you mentioned). That way we are taking the digital to analog conversion out of the comparison. Or how about splitting the RCA output of your Pro-Ject TT using its preamp (if it has one, I forgot which version you had) into the the switching box and into the 2 amps?
I think the work u did to "eye-ball" the level matching is GREAT, even without calibrated mics, etc. I suggest getting a mixer (I love mixer eqs!) with an amp like the Aiyma. Great clip. Love your style. Keep having fun! -..and hey, take the rest of the day off!
next step: get an assistant to do a "blind" test. push your buttons...
Getting myself a Dork in the UK based on this. I needed a small amp to move from bthe Denon PM600ne, as still using a separate IfI doc and Phono amp to give everything a bit more oooompf . this also gives me all the connections I need too
You sir have earned a subscriber. Love this straight forward video
I was surprised to see that amps today still have bass and treble adjustments. I rebuild old tube amps and I always bypass the RC circuits of the tone controls. The tone controls are a carry over from LP records: treble for the hiss and bass adjustment for turntable rumble.
Sounds like a pair of your favorite Klipsch bookies and a decent sub and you're good to go with the T9.
I would be interested in a comparison between the yamaha and an emotiva stack for around the same price( pt1 and a2). I also think throwing a pair of high efficiency speakers on the same a/b set up would be interesting as well.
The emotiva would have it's way with the yammie in almost every way I'd predict.
Good morning Randy. I picked up a T9 on your recommendation. The noise floor and sound stage improved with some tweaks to the power supply. The T9 is driving a pair of Energy CF-70 tower speakers making sweet music with deep bass in my living room. Ha! My speaker cables weigh more than the T9. Great fun!
What tweaks did you make, better caps?
@@mikey7278 I used a couple of Z-sleeves on the power supply cord. A quick test to see if the power supply was influencing the sound. Installing better caps and bypass caps inside the power brick would probably make an even greater improvement.
Nice. Could even add RC filter to the output maybe
@@mikey7278 If I could find an appropriate battery, I would replace the power brick with it. I replaced the wall wart that came with my Modi 3 DAC with a cellphone battery/charger for a nice bump up in sound quality. A 24 volt battery will be a bit harder to find and more expensive - we'll see.
Hi Randy. Love watching. On your recommendation I have the Douk version of the T-9 playing through Emotiva B1+ bookshelves. It sounds great. One issue with the T-9 you might want to test. The Douk version (and probably the T-9 version) radiates EMI in the FM spectrum badly. I'm one of the few people in the country that still listens to FM I guess. If the Douk is turned on the FM tuner will lose FM stereo lock and usually the station too. Bummer!! I have the amp setting next to the tuner because that is how we do it in my part of the world. separating the two may help but i've not tried that and I'm not interested in that solution anyway. I will see if I can find the source of this EMI and fix it. (I'm an electrical engineer and do a lot of this for a living).
I have same issue but don't know how to fix it. I also still listen to FM. I'll ty to move my tuner/radio further away.
I watch so many of your videos. I thought I drank a lot of coffee, but not even close! :)
This was excellent. 80 DB is where my speakers start to really shine. For kicks you should throw on some headphones at high volume and compare those sound profiles.
The headphone out of my cambridge cxa61 is nearly identical to my soundblaster ae9pe, with a slight edge in favour of the sound card, where the soundstage was a little more coherant (tested using the soundblaster as the dac in both instances). Like most modern integrated amps, the cambridge has a seperate op amp circuit for headphones, which gives you none of the magic of the actual amplifier like you would have back in the day. What I would give to hear the cxa61's real amplifier going to the headphone out with an obligatory resistor
Audio is my life. Subscribed the first 30 seconds.
I live in the UK and have just bought a t9 from your videos. Thanks for the advice
Glad to help. thanks so much for your support
Where I like devices like the T9 (and have something very similar myself - different brand but same chipset and probably the same 6J4 tubes) is computer audio. I use it in my office paired with decent bookshelf speakers. In a context where I really only care about having a single input it's a great little amp.
I have that exact same Yamaha, love it. I need all the RCA hook ups, CD, Vinyl, and direct connect to iPad for streaming HiFi. I use the direct sound settings. I have some old Bose 301s. Looking to upgrade to the Elacs soon.
One of my favorites in a while good job sir.
I am a beginner in the hifi thing and a fan of you from China. This thing is on sale in China and only cost 70 dollars. So I immediately placed an order. Will try it out. Thank you and cheers.
Great review man! Made my mind up for me👍
Hey Randy! This comparison was simply awesome! I'm pretty new on the hobbie, and I chose to start from an Amp for my desktop setup (in the future, a soundbar replacement), but, as many guys over here, I'm pretty tight on budget. What do you guys think is the best: get an Aiyima D07 and run my speakers just pluged in my laptop audio out, or get de T9 and use the full power of an AMP+DAC?
Fantastic video - thank you. I'm going to order this (although badged Douk from Amazon UK) coupled with a Wiim streamer - don't know if it's worth buying a separate Dac, such as the If Zen Blue, but we'll see.
It would be great, Mr. CAM, to do a piece on which low=priced speakers match up best with the Alyima. I would sure be interested.
Just ordered the Aiyima T9 - really lookin forward to how it will sound with my new DIY "IKEA salad bowl speakers"! :) Gonna' connect my mac and my ps4 in my small leather workshop.
Thanks for the superb content!!
I just ordered mine. This will be my first amplifier, and now time to decide on speakers 🔊
I have that 801. Its great. Especially because of the loudness control. Living in an apartment and listening late night that feature is awesome. The usb input for the dac doesn’t work anymore for some reason though. I don’t even know if that’s fixable. Still awesome though
What does the loudness control do all it does is lower the volume or em I missing someting
@@pawhunter340 you can turn the volume up it’ll crank the power into the speakers, but the loudness can turn the sound down but the sound will still be fuller and deeper except just quieter. If you just turn down the volume itll be low and thin. So I turn the volume up and then the loudness down late at night and it still sounds nice and full
Looking forward to different speaker recommendations for the Yamaha A-S801, Randy. I bought one several years ago from a dealer in Canada, and the lower MSRP, the exchange rate, and the fact that they damaged my unit before shipping and knocked an extra $100 CAD off while I waited on a restock meant that I got it for somewhere between $600-$700 USD.
Dali work great with yamaha, as for which dali all depends on budget, a good sweet spot is the Oberon range, just pick the model that will best suit the room they will be used in, the oberon 5 are very good for your average listening room, but try before you buy if you can.
Well I just ordered the Douk and gonna pair it with either my Klipsch R-51M or Elac Debut 2.0 and an Elac S8 subwoofer. Can't wait till I get it!
I have many amps (adcom 5800, classé seventy , classé , adcom 5800 ans many more..) and i really enjoy de T9 . Simple paquage , love VU , simple to use (girl friend love it ) . Matched with Totem Mite, Totem Rainmaker and Monitor Audio Silver 100 . Sometime i also used the 1/8 output jack to feed two Totem 8 in sub . VERSATILITY . Just order à secound one last week :-)
Great video very enlightening I might get a T9 soon I never listen that load!!
My Quad stereo power amp (£800) went bang and will be away for repair for 2 months......so I bought 2 Aiyima A3001 mono amps to tide me over (£150 for both). They are the mono version of the Aiyima A07. They sound absolutely brilliant and I don't miss the Quad at all! 👍
You can get the Yamaha A-S701 (which doesn't have the DAC) for about $600. Go for the clean high end and tight bass. You'll be happier, longer. But if you are cursed with 'golden ears', don't settle for anything less than the A-S2200. Fully discrete, fully balance circuit design. And it looks cool AF.
hey Randy, great comparison. I hope you compare the Yamaha to other low budget amps in the future.
You released this on my birthday, June 7. I've wanted this amp for months now, thanks to you're infamous video. I'm still waiting for my prize. Im hoping for Amazon Prime Day.
Had the 801 for a spell paired with Polk LSiM 705s. It’s pretty darn good, but I’ll say the 801 sounds fantastic using its internal usb asynchronous DAC. Optical was just not as good ime.
I grew up in the seventies and lived through the whole vinyl experience and am now re-living it through my 20 year old daughter whom is absolutely passionate about vinyl, I have such a great time hanging out with her at the record store that I decided to jump into this quirky world of "Audiophile". I love gadgetry and after watching you and others review the T9 I grabbed one from Amazon as well as some KEF Q150's and I am with you this little box sounds amazing for the $150cdn I paid. I have only one gripe and that is for most music the volume is sufficient but I am finding that a good portion of the time I am wishing I could get a litttle more ooommf out of the Aiyima. The KEF's are 8ohm any advice on what I can do reasonably to give it that little bit of boost.
Nice review Randy. I wonder whether high efficiency speakers would benefit the T9 even more.
Great compare. Probably pulling trigger on A-S*01 soon. Edge of seat for full review, since it showed up in the background of a stream :D
Coming soon, brother
6:05 I'm curious how it emphasizes the mids/highs since the FR of the Yamaha is ruler flat. Is this just in comparison to the T9? I would imagine the T9 slightly rolls off the higher frequencies being a cheaper class D unit(they quite often do this, rolling off the very bottom bass frequencies and the very top) which could make sense
Really like the comparison format. Suggestion for an extension on this David and Goliath compare … maybe try a separates setup w/ Aiyima T-10 and A-07 compared to a moderately or high priced preamp / amplifier setup.
I enjoyed the objective and subjective commentary. Now I wonder what the results would be if you get the same tubes with a tube buffer on that Yamaha.
Thanks for the video Randy, I’ve had the Aiyima t9 on my wish list since your first video on it. I currently have the fosi audio t-20 with ge 5654 tubes. I love the sound, going to buy the t9 already have the ge5654 tubes I have an amplifier selector switch so I will do a comparison, the winner will stay connected, the other will be a spare. I will let you know how comparison turns out. remote will be nice with t9
Ed, I have the T20 and am considering adding the T9 - what have been your thoughts when comparing the two?
@@highlander8198 I went ahead and bought another t20 as a backup, the remote for the t9 would be great but there are some really bad reviews about when you pause input signal then restart. I’m going to wait for a while and see if they will hopefully fix the bugs on the t9 (still interested)
@@edcolston2769 Thanks for the update. I really like the little T-20 - I put in some old stock made in Japan tubes to replace the Chinese ones that came with it.
@@highlander8198 I put the GE 5654 tubes from Riverstone Audio, really smoothed sound out (very happy)
I put a T9 in my garage and it works great for that use case.
Amp discoveries in the vein of Julian Hirsch, the ultimate compliment. Keep up the good work. Be the new Julian!
Hi there, just bought a Trends TA-10.2P second hand for €115 (price new around €200). Had to buy interconnects as well since I use a Marantz NR1200 network 2.1 AV amp that has DAC's and streamer built in (bought second hand for £400 when I was living in the UK, over here on the mainland between €600-€800 new). Saw a set of QED Performance Audio 40i 2m for €32,50 (normally around €75-€100). I hooked it up so now using the NR1200 as preamp and the tiny Trends as power amplifier. My speakers are Q Acoustics 3050i, budget kings themselves (bought second hand in Arctic White for €400 the pair, normally around €800-€1000). Speaker cables are Dynavox Perfect Sound (around €30 worth, 2x2.5m).
Absolutely insane how the sound has improved! It sounds crystal clear, I had to move the 3050i's further from the wall because bass output increased. Treble and mids have gotten clearer and more well defined. And all that from a little box smaller than my reading glasses. Had to use a 1.1kg doorstop to weigh it down because the cables were that heavy that it made the tiny Trends lift up like a hot rod 🤣 Many high end reviewers love that amp and I now fully understand why. It has completely transformed my modest budget setup to new heights. I do think it helps that I have a good preamp in the Marantz but I have seen reviews that mention the TA-10.2 as being excellent on its own.
My main music source is Qobuz. Base quality is CD quality and the service has a substantial amount of hires music as well.
I love, no, adore this little box, was looking for power amps and ready to spend a few hundred euros on a second hand one until this little magical box crossed my path. Highly, highly recommended!
my "reference" cheap system is amazon HD into my modi multibit, into my T9 as a preamp, into my vintage adcom 535 amp into my RP 600M's...its good, way better than it should be for a ramshackle hodgepodge system
Have you ever listened to the Dayton audio HTA100BT? I bought it as a backup integrated amp as my other integrated amps are vintage and keep needing work. I found the Dayton to be really impressive though it definitely has a "modern" sound to it. My older amps have better soundstage but its nice not having gremlins in my audio!