I’ve never been smart enough to understand why, but from the cheapest big box store Yamaha’s to their ultra high end, they always sound soooo much better than others in their price range. Far less need to adjust bass/treble. Really amazing.
Yamaha has great integrated’s but for their price point in 2024 there’s several amps that blow it out of the Water for its price (hifi rose, Naim supernait 3. luxman, hegel, zen 300b just to name a FEW).
Hello! Thanks for the shooting gallery video! I bought a Yamaha 2200 a year ago. I live in Ukraine, I write through a translator. I agree with all of the above. The amplifier works in conjunction with SD 3000. Significantly, the sound of both devices, except for inter-unit ones, was influenced by the replacement of power cables. 12mm power cables play better than 4mm power cables. There was an opportunity to test.
I had the A-S2100 for almost a year and upgraded to the A-S3000. Everything you say is spot on (and I originally went with the A-S2100 because of your previous review lol!!). I like to say these integrateds are good at "de-tangling" complex passages. The A-S3000 in my opinion seems to exhibit almost everything you say about the A-S2200 but takes some of that edge off and offers a bit of exotic refinement. I'm driving a pair of BW 805D3's, which can be fatiguing because of their precision, but I put some PS Audio gear on the front end and am using a DirectStream as well as a BHK Pre, which softens the delivery.
Your review style is second to none. You have described this amp so poetically and so informative. I have the 3200 and I can relate what you say about the 2200.
Very nice review as always, Ron. I think it's time to show some respect to the Yamaha brand. I've been in this hobby a long time now, but being on a retirement budget required me to purchase the baby in the line, the A-S 301. I'm so happy with this amp. It does all that I ask and then some. The tone controls are nice if you want them. I'm usually fine just running it in direct mode. It is driving Micca RB42's and fills my living room with ease. Thank you again.
I have the A-S301 and it is amazing. I’m using it with the Schiit Modi Multibit DAC, and the overall sound reminds me of a big tube amp. Soundstage is right at the speaker plane, with zero forwardness and great dynamics. The Modi Multibit takes the A-S301 to a whole new level.
Great review. I just bought the A-S2200 and can’t wait to receive it. Thanks for the great information. Btw, I would consider using a mic which produces a warmer sound for your videos.
I also picked up a A-S1100 a couple of months ago for a very good price, it was after watching the videos where they look inside as well as the details from the Yamaha website, it took ages before I was able to get one, however I am so glad I did and will not be changing it. Its just looks and feels like its built to last
@@andrewallison70 Ye i was extremely lucky, i got the last silver ex in my country, not even Yamaha had them in their stock. Called every store and finally found a silver. Rest of my gear is silver so... i'm kinda nerdy like that.
Got mine for £1150 missed out when they were £1100. Now As1200 is £1999.99! They do punch above their weight the soundstaging is crazy. Dump all over some amps at same price
I bought a AS2100 with the silver face and I am totally happy with the sound and the build quality of this component . Love it. I also enjoy your reviews a great deal .. Thank you for doing what you do.
Great review! I was pulling the trigger on the new A-S1200 when I found a new A-S2100 lower in price than the AS1200. I was glad to hear your comparison today between the 2100 and 2200.
I’ve got a 2200 and the warmth signature may also be in the perspective of the listener. I have it paired with a CD-S2100 and find no need to add tubes for the implementation of warmth. In fact, I’ve had to turn the gain down on both of my paired subs that are attached to both pre-outs. The mid range bump over my A-S801 is very noticeable. I do not have access to the plethora of gear Ron has, so I’m sure his assessment is spot on. The 2200 does have bigger caps over the 2100, the toroidal over the Ei core, dimmer for the VU meters, cosmetic changes around the volume knob, and possibly a tad better headphone section. The phono stage is sublime, little to no surface noise and pure blissful articulation of most of my LP’s. I’ve read and seen that it may take time for the 2200 to settle into its groove, currently have 40 hours on my 2200 and I’m very pleased even at this point in time, I believe the best is yet to come. Nice review Ron!
I have an A-S2200 and it's wonderful. If you are using XLR cables and are hearing distortion, there is a tiny attenuation switch on the back. A lot of people don't realize this and wonder why their XLR inputs sound overloaded.
Hello, our speaker equipment store will start the discount activity on November 11th. I hope you can visit it then. There is our store address below www.hiendchina.com queenway.it.aliexpress.com/store/1070003?spm=a2g0o.store_home.1000001.12.432464bbDVUo8U
Recently I bought 2200 after many tests with different brands, Naim supernait 2,3 Hegel H190 and 360, Densen b-150XS, Unison Research Unico Secundo. They all sounded like they were missing something. I was really impressed by Naim, the listening session was funny, great with a little more attack and a bit more controlled BUT, the sparkle he showed 2200 made me stay with him. I think the asking price is low, it sounds so good that it beats much more expensive amplifiers, even double the price.Just the sound, not to mention the design, options, exemplary construction
@@marcfoss7687 With dynaudio, no. With wharfedale, no.With Morel, no. With Dali, yes. Surprise: with Elac, no. With Audio Physic, no. Yamaha is not bright, it is open, it is revitalizing, super detailed. It doesn't bother the ears. It has a special finesse, it is silky, I can say that it has a warm sound. Dali, it is known that they are extremely bright speakers, you can put the darkest amp as it still sounds bright.
Clear, articulate review, as usual. As an aside, funny how this amp's build quality doesn't inspire Yamaha to warranty it for longer than 2 years. Very rare to find amp manufacturers who offer robust warranties with Bryston and CODA notable exceptions.
@@net_news ya for the $ you would think Pass would feel obligated to do 5 years minimum. Nelson probably wants to do that but the bean counters won't let him. CODA is 10 years, Bryston 20 years, that is part of the reason I own their amps.
@@michaelmityok1001 I agree, just mentioned Pass because their support is amazing and, in practice, their warranty is for life. Best company I've ever dealt with.
@@michaelmityok1001 Traditional warranties for high-end amps were 5 years with some as lifetime warranties. The amps I have owned lasted decades without the need for repair but if it didn't have at least 5 years I'd look elsewhere.
Good review! I have the A-S1200, it is incredibly accurate and detailed sounding. Before getting my 1200, I used a Yamaha A700 that I bought back in 1982 for the last 38 years. The 1200 is more detailed, but the old A700 has even more raw power, able to peak at 250 watts into 4 ohms. The salty old dog 700 really can shake the house. Oh well. Getting older now, time to calm down a little! Given my experience with Yamaha products, the A-S1200 will likely the amp I have when I leave this world. The old amp was still very clean and good, but the imaging from the new amp is unreal. I guess Yamaha has learned a few things over the last 40 years.
Hello, our speaker equipment store will start the discount activity on November 11th. I hope you can visit it then. There is our store address below www.hiendchina.com queenway.it.aliexpress.com/store/1070003?spm=a2g0o.store_home.1000001.12.432464bbDVUo8U
Thanks for the clear, informative review. For those who might be wondering, compared to the A-S1200, the A-S2200 has a far better headphone amp, has balanced outputs, has a much better preamp (basically the same as the preamp in the 3200), larger filter capacitors, a brass plate under the transformer to minimize vibration and better (larger) internal wiring. A Yamaha rep told me that most people think the 2200 is just a 1200 with XLR, when the 2200 is actually closer to the 3200. Based on that, I ordered a 2200 yesterday.
Yamaha has not given up on manufacturing good (relatively affordable) 2.0 HiFi dedicated boxes (amps, cd player, turntable, network streamer) . This is good for many of us including myself. Unfortunately Sony, Kenwood and JVC have not. Thanks for the review!
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms album sounded mighty good on Yamaha A-S1100. Last "brothers in arms" track is incredible. Ron mentioned the male vocals, thats it right there, so much depth. Have an A-S3000 on the way, can't wait to her get it singing
That is a fine example of an audiophile album for sure and one of my favorites. "Ride Across The River" makes me wanna reach for the insect repellant. All the sounds have "space" around them in this album, which sounds wonderful on a good audio system.
Dire Straits albums were recorded and monitored through the very large 3 way ATC SCM active super linear studio monitors, and would sound even better than the yamaha could ever muster through a pair of floorstanders with its only 100 watts on tap. The big 350 watt 3 way ATC SCM active super linear loudspeaker are still some of the best listening experience to listen to natural and loud dynamic music, including classical music too, and not just rock.
Enjoyed your Yamaha shootout video a few years back. Think I watched it mutliple times before I picked up a 1200 about a month ago. I was thinking about getting the 2200 but the 1200 price was right for me. Using some Wharfdale Lintons.
Not gonna lie. You're doing yourself a disservice by pairing an amp thats 2.5x the price for a pair of your speakers. A $3'000 pair with a $1200 amp will run circles around a $3000 amp and $1,200 speakers. I say this with confidence.
@@mikechivy You're right. I recently got Wharfedale Lintons to use with my 1990s Denon PMA-725R amplifier. This sounds good enough for me. Listening to Lintons I tried the above-my-budget Yamaha 1200 alongside the good old Denon, out of curiosity. There was a difference between the amplifiers of course but too small to justify the Yamaha when limited to Lintons. The Yamaha amp needs higher-class speakers. Maybe Wharfedale Elysian 4 or Dali Rubicon 8.
I got a yamaha ax396 on my system and I find yamaha amps very detailed and easy on the ear sound and found that the yamaha has made my b&w dm602s2 come to life compared to my old naim nait5i amp
Thanks Ron, a good and timely review. I've been waiting for some more reviews on the A-S2200, and appreciate your balanced opinions which really helped me. I'm pressing the button and going for this amp!
@@Newrecordday2013 Heard your positive comments re. vinyl. I'll just be running CDs and Tidal/Spotify Premium via a good quality streamer/DAC. Must admit I love the VU meters! Thanks again for the helpful review.
16 years now with my Yamaha xrv3300 ... I know, it’s not hi end, but let me tell you, I’ve try many many of those, some I still have, but the Yamaha always finds her way back to the main system. Laugh more, main speakers right now for the past 8 months are a pair of Kef q100. Yeap, in my space they sound even better than bowers and a nice pair of Linn akurate.. I guess it’s all about personal taste and nothing more, I been hunting a ghost all this time. For digital I use an old design Dac from Teradak I bought 20 years ago. God it’s nice when your system sounds amazing for you!! Enjoy sound lovers!!
Quote of the week: All this stuff we got to buy to make digital sound like analog vs. something as simple as dropping the needle [on an LP]. Mechanical performance affects analog playback much more than digital, and Peter Ledermann explained why analog is actually digital because it can only sample the record groove. Likewise linear and transparent RIAA EQ is difficult to achieve. I'm glad that Yamaha succeeded with its phono stage. I wonder if they used their 1970's vintage MC's to voice the high gain setting.
Finally an amplifier that I can connect a graphic equaliser to! The graphic equaliser has two extra inputs for my tape machines, winner winner chicken dinner 🍴. I really hope that they bring out a new cassette deck, that would be amazing!
Here's my "problem" whenever I see any review of Yamaha or other high quality gear for that matter... I've owned a Yamaha CA 800 since the late 80's and the thing really is wonderful. The problem is that I also live a couple of miles away from Mcintosh Labs and just around the corner from a well respected shop. I see this review and WANT a new Yamaha amp. I walk into the shop and WANT a Mcintosh amp. Then I listen to my CA 800 and just know that what I just said are just that WANTS not NEEDS! Thanks for another great review and being yet another devil on the shoulder.
@ Parris George I hope to own my new Yamaha A-S2200 as long as you’ve owned your CA 800. Took me a long time, and worked my way up the Yamaha ladder to get here, now I consider this an heirloom type amp, hope to enjoy mine as long as you’ve enjoyed yours!
That's the thing about Yamaha. The stuff lasts so long. I have an older YSP sound bar as well as an AV system from the mid 00s (RXV 2700) that I gave to a sibling. They still sound great and have had no problems. You don't get that with some other brands where there seem to be a lot of faulty products that need fixing or replacing. It's reassuring that the AS 2200 looks like it's built for longevity.
@@sdemosi Same here I still have an avr from the late 90s and it still runs like a champ. I've had tons of yamaha gear not of the quality of thier top spec integrateds and yet nothing has ever had an issue. I just ordered the AS1200 and I know it'll be good for the rest of my life.
@@joaquinbarreto9398 💯 agree. I have some reservations about them using their proprietary multi room system but the quality /€ spent is always high with Yamaha.
I had the A-S2100 in the house for several weeks and I had a very different impression. Its MOSFET output stage provided a wonderfully lush and musical sweetness. However, I thought its 90 watts was quite obvious. I thought it lacked dynamic slam and power. This is in comparison to the Parasound A21, which sounded MUCH more powerful because, well, it was. Although I loved the Yammy's musicality, I found its dynamics lacking.
Everything is a trade off. Better dynamics would likely come at the expense of the lushness and musicality. Yamaha doesn’t short customers on power to save money. They would save more on dispensing with the heavy chassis than they would on another pair of transistors per side.
@@rotorfix There's no technical trade-off here. If an amp has sufficient power and current with a beefy power supply the dynamics should be fine. There is nothing about this that would undermine musicality. Of course, the speaker's load makes a big difference here. My speaker needs a lot of current to sound its best because the impedance drops below 3 ohms in the mid-bass. A speaker with an easier load would probably sound adequately dynamic with the Yammy. With my speakers, it didn't. The only trade-off is one's subjective preferences. I require a reasonable balance of musicality and dynamics. I have auditioned amps that have plenty of one but not enough of the other. However, the precise balance of these that one prefers can easily vary from person to person.
They should have made it possible to use it as as s preamp out and amp in at the same time. That way it can be used to biamp speakers. Go out of the pre amp out to a crossover then back into the amp section. A separate sub out if the crossover finishes off the system. This will improve imaging, control and power.
I still yet to understand why the preamp out and ins can't be used at the same time. If allow for, the audio out can be used for a powered sub with a full crossover so you can use the internal amp as mid high unit and the sub as a dedicated sub that is not running parallel to the mains. As most speakers are ported which created sudden phase shift. Inserting an analog crossover would allow us to choose a frequency that miss that phase shift and make integration between sub and mains coherent.
Bear in mind, I don't know the Yammy at all, other than the name but most pre outs/in are there to allow one to split the amplifier from the control section (pre) so you can then utilize either a different pre and use the amp section to power your speakers, or vice versa, meaning, use the pre section and use a different power amp, put the jumpers back in, it's an integrated, simple as that. For sub use, you need to have an actual sub out of the amps section ideally for your subs, they are two different things is my understanding.
The upper A-S amps are fully balanced, even the A-S 1000/1100/1200. RCA connections are unbalanced, it would degrade your signal. Of course, there could be a simple switch to remedy that, but that would cost money to implement.
@@citronski yeah, it would cost money, but at $4,000 they could afford those switches. If they can give half functionality, a couple of bucks would provide full functionality. And on there unbalanced amps, it would cost almost nothing.
By the way i saw acomment somewhere stating that adding a sub was only a way to compensate for bsd speaker design. That is not true. The issue is that the position for best imaging is almost always not the best location for bass reproduction. Speakers are best located into the room. Bass reproduction is usually bast when the speakers are up against a wall. This improves room loading and therefore better transient response.
Way to pricey for my taste. I settled for it's young brother, the R-S300 with built in FM/AM tuner. 50 wpc @ 8 ohms sounds terrific. Drives larger speakers with ease. Stereo separation is excellent. Built like a tank, just like the A-S2200.
@@David-vb8tg lol. I only had about a $300-$500 budget for a decent amp. The a-s2200 is nice no doubt, but also pricey at around $2500. The R-S300 uses Yamaha premium parts (transistors, chip boards, etc..) used in more expensive high end models & has Top-Art chassis technology as with the A-S2200. I was really blown away by the sound coming from the R-S300. My Cerwin Vega VS 120 3-Way floor speakers never sounded better. My previous amp was a 1990's Sony ES model amp at 100 wpc @ 8ohms...and my Yamaha R-S300 sounded miles better in terms of power, head room, efficiency & separation. Advertised power ratings for different amps can be deceiving. Hearing is believing.
Ron- I'm very familiar with the "YAMAHA sound", yet it has never been verbalized with such accuracy and finesse! Now, I'm wondering what your thoughts would be on a direct competitor - the Technics SU-G700. 👍
I found your comment, about how much we have to spend to make digital sound like vinyl hilarious. You probably spent more on your cartridge than I spent on my CD player. Not to mention a dedicated, phono, preamp and turn table. Let’s not pretend the great sound on final is easy to come by.
Agreed; an owner here too. Why oh why Yamaha have stopped making matching CD players or did not come up with a CD streamer to match these magnificent amps? They even failed to launch new R-N2000A as promised. Remember chucking Marantz PM8005 out of my system and replacing it with Technics SU-G700M2. Better than Marantz, but it did not worked. Dry and gritty with KEF R5. Installed Yamaha. The sound was unbelievable. It was like replacing R5 with some Reference 3 as well, what an improvement!
I dunno man, dropping that needle is only after you've found the right cart/tt/arm/phono stage combo, made sure you don't have hum from a ground loop/bad shielding, cleaned the records, cleaned the stylus, checked the tracking force and SRA/VTA and got up to flip the flippin' record. There's trials and tribulations on both sides, just saying. Also, it is actually possible to get some analog-like sound with the right $400 R2R DAC, no need for a 10 grand streamer and DAC combo.
@@michaelmityok1001 For sure. My turntable hasn't spun in....2 years now? I'm spoiled by the vast streaming libraries, custom playlists, CD/MQA quality audio streams and not having to make space for a CD or record collection.
Nice but pretty pricey. In fact it's basically in luxman territory. In which case, is it better to spend a little more and go that route? Especially when one considers the reliability issue which seems to be a bigger concern with the Yamahas. I see many refurbished Yamahas but hardly any refurbished luxmans.
I was recently looking for a new integrated amp and it was down to the Luxman 505UXii and the Yamaha 2200. I ended up getting the Luxman---I really like the loudness feature on the 505. Both are great amps though.
When you’re the largest music company in the world, you have pretty good resources. So the parts you put inside the 2200 are going to be pretty good too..and that makes it last.
Hey Ron.... sitting here in Mumbai... been following your channel right up from the first Yamaha vs Yamaha! I always loved Yamaha and got myself a brand new A S801.. don’t know Y but but I always was wanting more and then I got myself a second hand DENON PMA 1510 AE that’s just 70 per channel as compared to the AS 801’s 100 per channel.... everything changed ! This sound was what I was looking for the one that the DENON put out! Sadly I sold the Yamm and kept the DENON.... so Ron I know most folks don’t rate DENON too highly ..... possible to do a review on a DENON.... perhaps their 100th anniversary PMA A100 or the new 110th anniversary PMA A110.... man I would love to hear your thoughts on the same and a HEAD to HEAD between both Japanese amps! Highly appreciate if you could oblige! Cheers from India mate🍻🍻🍻 Rock on Brother 🤘🤘🤘
Picked this up yesterday and burning in presently. Amazing build quality and sound stage. Thank you for your review as it helped me make the decision to purchase.
@@questionableidentity1 Listening to it atm. It is a beast. I use a rel T7 with it in a 2.1 setup and I have kept all dials on neutral (so no bass or treble boost). Having the home theatre bypass is terrific and is the only major flaw I see in the new RN-2000A as you can't then use it as part of a HT upgrade if you choose. I have nothing but praise for this piece of technology.
I landed here because of my Arya. I was looking at Benchmark AHB2 and notice, A-S2200 is in the very similar price range with the good olds school look. So question is, is this amp good enough to drive headphones like Arya and Susvara out of speaker out? I don't thing they did what Emotiva did and let you route full speaker out in to front headphone out. At the moment I have Qtest as DAC and hopefully that will be upgraded with a Rockna Wavelight.
Hello, our speaker equipment store will start the discount activity on November 11th. I hope you can visit it then. There is our store address below www.hiendchina.com queenway.it.aliexpress.com/store/1070003?spm=a2g0o.store_home.1000001.12.432464bbDVUo8U
How would this Integrated amp sound with Elac UB52's? I also read the preamp section was the same as the 1200. Yamaha stated the amp section was the same but the gauge wire is thicker and the caps were a little bitter larger but the rest is the same.
I wonder how different sonically would be the AS2200 from the AS3200. I have a CXA61 paired with Klipsch Forte IV. I am looking to upgrade amp but not sure if the extra cash spent on the 3200 would be wise. Thanks!
I found the Forte IVs too mid high focused and unforgiving. It was worse with the Decware SET but also apparent with the 2200. A Vincent class A hybrid svk mkii completely fixed this problem and gave the Forte's the added weight and low to high frequency balance I felt these speakers needed (it tamed the horns so to speak). I may try the Yamaha again since it probably technically the better amp, very lively and dynamic and has balanced outputs which I'd like to try with an open reel I'm picking up. Maybe with strictly analog music the Yamaha would be great with the Forte's
I used to have an Yamaha AS701 at the beginning of my journey. Now, i used as a power amp an NAD M3. I compare my NAD at my home with Densen B300+ and NAD was the winner. A few days ago, i manage to bring home an Yamaha AS3000 (who is for sale here in my country on SH market) and i was pretty sure that i will buy it and replace my NAD. But, i was very sad to see that my NAD kept winning this battle too...... Yamaha as 3000 sounds very good, nice specific Yamaha sound, but in compare with NAD, it was like listen mp3 files with Yamaha and HiRes files with NAD. My speakers are ProAc Dt8 and the bass with Yamaha is good but with lack of punch, clarity and articulation. Female voice sounded a little bit good than NAD , but the rest is not as good. So i returned the Yamaha to the seller. A few years ago, an Yamaha dealer here in my country told me that : "Yamaha DID NOT make highend amplifiers". Now, i kind of understand that point of view and what he meant.
Your detailed impressionable comnents about the Yamah A-S2200 was cause for serious consideration to pair with my recently acquired Polk LSiM 705s until you mentioned the Yamahas "mere" 90" watts. I'm using my Yamaha receiver, RX 787 at 100 watts/ chnl. Would more wattage improve overall performance? Any comment on pairing the 705s with Rotel RA1592 integrated receiver at 200 watts/ chnl?
I have model 30 and in intrested in 2200 …got dynaudio contour 30i …is it an uppgrade or a sidegrade 🤔 Thougts on that mr new record day ? Sidegrade ..50 % .. on some genres and viseverse . Sum is equal.
I just purchased the KLH Model 5 speakers, and I'm looking for an integrated amp that will pair up with it well. After watching many reviews, I am considering the Yamaha A-S1200, Yamaha A-S2200, Parasound Halo Hint 6, Hegel H390, and Rotel 1592 MKll. I have heard that a more muscular or exciting sounding amp works best with these speakers. Do you agree and what would you recommend? Also, does the Yamaha have a sub output on the back?
Do you think the 1200 or 2200's 90w (8 ohms) would be sufficient grunt to drive a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 300 floorstanders? The recommended power for these is 80-200 watts so I wonder if either Yamaha might struggle a little being so close to the lower end of the range.
Clearly I'm not Ron... but I can answer. 2200 has a similar balanced pre-amp section to the 3200 while the 1200 has a more basic pre-amp (hence why you get balanced inputs on the 2200). Also the 2200 has a dedicated headphone amp when the 1200 doesn't. Both have the same 625va transformer but the 2200 has more filter capacitance. The 2200 has a brass plate under the transformer to reduce vibration. Also the feet are brass on the 2200 instead of iron. Oh and the wire to the speaker terminals is 10awg in the 2200 and 12awg in the 1200.
I know this is an old video but I am curious if you have ever listened to the Sony TA-A1ES and how it compares. I just picked up a CD-S2100 and replaced a very old low end Sony SACD player. The sound of SACD/DSD from the Yamaha is nothing short of magical and I am curious if the A-S2200 would bring a lot more " magic."
Just a recap quick question since we previously spoke a little bit I’m going to know your honest opinion because I’m very stressed I don’t want to purchase the wrong one about detail retrieval finesse and hearing every detail and every separation between everything going on in the music this integrated amplifier versus Kinki Studio m1+. I like both but where I am at doesn’t really matter on the price I just want better sound but I’ve never ordered some thing overseas or had a product like that from China so I’m worried about the warranty and being taken care of but I like both but since you’ve had both and did reviews for both of them which one has the best detail retrieval finesse dynamics and hearing everything separated meaning you can pick out everything going on around and having better bass fuller ? If you could please answer these questions give me an a lot great fan of your channel and can’t wait to see more of the stuff you post. Thanks my friend
Nice review. Sounds a lot like the AS-2100 I owned. If your speaker is forward then you will find the tonality on the bright side. I wonder if Yamaha had BBC Bookshelves in mind when voicing the amp. Taking a conservatively voiced speaker and giving it some gusto. Although Sean from ZF did mention off the record that the 1200 he reviewed did lose that excessively forward character after a significant (i.e. longer than usual) break in period. A break in of several hundred hours may be required to hear what these amps truly sound like.
Hi Amir, are you suggesting that the A-S2200 would pair well with the BBC range of smaller book shelf speakers e.g. think Harbeth? I'm thinking of purchasing similar speakers myself to go with the A-S2200 largely because of my small listening room...but the jury is still out!
@@marcfoss7687 Thomas and Stereo here on UA-cam has both the M30.1 and AS-2200 right now. Hoping we'll hear about it in the review when it eventually comes out.
Don’t think he would.. hooking up an amp that is just under 4 grand amp to a pair of speakers that sell for a couple of hundred bucks doesn’t really make sense. Kind of like asking how these new wheel covers look on this new Ferrari 8-)
Ron, did you listen to any classical or jazz through the S-2200? Be curious if it was reproduced as well as the rock. Loved the review. I am a very happy owner of the CD S-2100 too.
Hi, I wondered if you still had the LTA MZ3 & whether you’d tried this as a preamp for the Yamaha. I am tossing between the Yamaha and the MZ3 & a power amp and thought maybe get both & use the MZ3 as a preamp. Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks, nick
Can you plug in a phono preamp with XLR connections into the XLR input on the back of the A-S3000? Considering adding a phono preamp because I have two turntables, one stereo, one mono. How expensive do I have to go to improve on the Yamaha phono preamp? You reviewed the Modwright 9.0. What would be the improvement there?
Would you say this unit has better sound and clarity in more detail retrieval and clarity then say the offerings from Kinki Studio M7 or m1 plus ? 🙏 i’m looking for something that’s got fantastic fastness dynamics silky smooth but I really wanna hear every little detail very clear with lots of decay four no more than 3500 Canadian what would you recommend that would be bad ass typically I look for a power amplifier since I already have separates but if you could mention an integrated that uses XLR are what do you recommend that I can get that would be bad ass in that regard! I’m currently using a monoprice monolith to channel power amplifier and a lot of people hate on that but to be honest Scott very powerful specs and it’s outstandingly great sounding and I use it for hi-fi to channel stereo I’ve compared it to several other units and it blows everything away it’s crazy and it’s very affordable and it just sounds damn good just wondering what could beat that because I’ve compared it as well to an Audiolab for example 8300xp and I still prefer the monolith monoprice more ball Z more depth more robust sound bigger fuller soundstage it’s unbelievable because the other amp should be better the 8300 and it’s more expensive but it’s not the case I like kinki studio however apparently their products run pretty hot only after about an hour to three hours of use and I don’t really like that idea of something running pretty hot and it’s like for almost $4000 for the power amplifier M7 Canadian pretty crazy price
Would you consider reviewing the new $3499 Denon PMA-A110 110th Anniversary integrated amplifier? It comes out in a few weeks. It would be great to know how it compares to this Yamaha. Two old-school Japanese heavy weights. Thanks
@@Newrecordday2013 Cool Ron. Thanks for trying. I think you would enjoy playing around with it. The phono stage is supposed to be purposely matched to their 103 cartridge.
Can any body please recommend me what is best for Focal Kanta 2..... I got three choices Naim supernait 3 , Hegel h190 or Yamaha a-s2200 ... Please 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 also a good Dac please 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Need help. Just bought a new AS2200 . The bass and treble knobs arrived at 12 oclock position. Turning them left or right causes the music to cut out for one second then music plays ...is this normal?
I’ve never been smart enough to understand why, but from the cheapest big box store Yamaha’s to their ultra high end, they always sound soooo much better than others in their price range. Far less need to adjust bass/treble. Really amazing.
Kevin Quattro they care to build good sounding equipment. That said, don't go big box.
Yamaha has great integrated’s but for their price point in 2024 there’s several amps that blow it out of the
Water for its price (hifi rose, Naim supernait 3. luxman, hegel, zen 300b just to name a FEW).
Hello! Thanks for the shooting gallery video! I bought a Yamaha 2200 a year ago. I live in Ukraine, I write through a translator. I agree with all of the above. The amplifier works in conjunction with SD 3000. Significantly, the sound of both devices, except for inter-unit ones, was influenced by the replacement of power cables. 12mm power cables play better than 4mm power cables. There was an opportunity to test.
God's Speed Sir.
Что за кабели питания 4 и 12 мм? Там в родном проводе питания сечение жилы, 0,75 мм. Как и в любом другом проводе питания электро приборов.
I had the A-S2100 for almost a year and upgraded to the A-S3000. Everything you say is spot on (and I originally went with the A-S2100 because of your previous review lol!!). I like to say these integrateds are good at "de-tangling" complex passages. The A-S3000 in my opinion seems to exhibit almost everything you say about the A-S2200 but takes some of that edge off and offers a bit of exotic refinement. I'm driving a pair of BW 805D3's, which can be fatiguing because of their precision, but I put some PS Audio gear on the front end and am using a DirectStream as well as a BHK Pre, which softens the delivery.
I got A-S2200 and pretty happy with it.
The A-S1200/A-S2200 are truth tellers. I have the baby A-S301 and it is incredibly well-balanced for such an inexpensive integrated.
Your review style is second to none. You have described this amp so poetically and so informative. I have the 3200 and I can relate what you say about the 2200.
Dang thanks!
Congrats on the 3200! Which speakers are you driving with it?
Very nice review as always, Ron. I think it's time to show some respect to the Yamaha brand. I've been in this hobby a long time now, but being on a retirement budget required me to purchase the baby in the line, the A-S 301. I'm so happy with this amp. It does all that I ask and then some. The tone controls are nice if you want them. I'm usually fine just running it in direct mode. It is driving Micca RB42's and fills my living room with ease. Thank you again.
I think it's time to show some respect too.
I have the A-S301 and it is amazing. I’m using it with the Schiit Modi Multibit DAC, and the overall sound reminds me of a big tube amp. Soundstage is right at the speaker plane, with zero forwardness and great dynamics. The Modi Multibit takes the A-S301 to a whole new level.
This is their higher end line, much more refined but seriously overpriced
@@ChicagoRob2
Yes that is a fantastic way of bringing out the best in the 301
I bought the next model up (A S-3200) after watching this fabulous review. No regrets 👍
Congratulations!! :) I so wish I had the budget for an A-S3200 (or an A-S2200).
pro trick : watch movies at kaldrostream. Been using it for watching lots of of movies these days.
@Hugo Derrick Definitely, I've been watching on Flixzone} for years myself :D
@Hugo Derrick Yea, I've been using Flixzone} for since december myself :D
Great review. I just bought the A-S2200 and can’t wait to receive it. Thanks for the great information. Btw, I would consider using a mic which produces a warmer sound for your videos.
I bought my A-S1100 a few months ago. Don't think i'll ever switch amp, very please with it.
I also picked up a A-S1100 a couple of months ago for a very good price, it was after watching the videos where they look inside as well as the details from the Yamaha website, it took ages before I was able to get one, however I am so glad I did and will not be changing it. Its just looks and feels like its built to last
@@andrewallison70 Ye i was extremely lucky, i got the last silver ex in my country, not even Yamaha had them in their stock. Called every store and finally found a silver. Rest of my gear is silver so... i'm kinda nerdy like that.
Then dont look at the mcintosh
@@Dreez76 These amps are beautiful in silver. Nice score!
Got mine for £1150 missed out when they were £1100. Now As1200 is £1999.99! They do punch above their weight the soundstaging is crazy. Dump all over some amps at same price
I bought a AS2100 with the silver face and I am totally happy with the sound and the build quality of this component
. Love it. I also enjoy your reviews a great deal
.. Thank you for doing what you do.
Great review! I was pulling the trigger on the new A-S1200 when I found a new A-S2100 lower in price than the AS1200. I was glad to hear your comparison today between the 2100 and 2200.
I’ve got a 2200 and the warmth signature may also be in the perspective of the listener. I have it paired with a CD-S2100 and find no need to add tubes for the implementation of warmth. In fact, I’ve had to turn the gain down on both of my paired subs that are attached to both pre-outs. The mid range bump over my A-S801 is very noticeable. I do not have access to the plethora of gear Ron has, so I’m sure his assessment is spot on. The 2200 does have bigger caps over the 2100, the toroidal over the Ei core, dimmer for the VU meters, cosmetic changes around the volume knob, and possibly a tad better headphone section. The phono stage is sublime, little to no surface noise and pure blissful articulation of most of my LP’s. I’ve read and seen that it may take time for the 2200 to settle into its groove, currently have 40 hours on my 2200 and I’m very pleased even at this point in time, I believe the best is yet to come. Nice review Ron!
I have an A-S2200 and it's wonderful. If you are using XLR cables and are hearing distortion, there is a tiny attenuation switch on the back. A lot of people don't realize this and wonder why their XLR inputs sound overloaded.
What is the switch and where is it located?
@@ДмитрийШпак-ь3м read the manual
My Yamaha RX-497 still sounds great. Going on 10 years now.
I bought a Yamaha CA 2010 because of Ron and his Magnepan .7 review. It has never leaved me since. The most muscular amplifier i have ever ow.
Great to hear!
Build quality of that thing looks like a work of art.
Hello, our speaker equipment store will start the discount activity on November 11th. I hope you can visit it then. There is our store address below
www.hiendchina.com
queenway.it.aliexpress.com/store/1070003?spm=a2g0o.store_home.1000001.12.432464bbDVUo8U
@@quanyhuang3178 nice i am a utube reviewer I been wanting to hook up !
@@tee-jaythestereo-bargainph2120 Yes, if you see anything you can contact me
Recently I bought 2200 after many tests with different brands, Naim supernait 2,3 Hegel H190 and 360, Densen b-150XS, Unison Research Unico Secundo.
They all sounded like they were missing something. I was really impressed by Naim, the listening session was funny, great with a little more attack and a bit more controlled BUT, the sparkle he showed 2200 made me stay with him. I think the asking price is low, it sounds so good that it beats much more expensive amplifiers, even double the price.Just the sound, not to mention the design, options, exemplary construction
Which loudspeakers did you use in the amplifier comparison?
In your experience, would you say that the Yamys are a bit bright/edgy at the top end?
@@engelweh Dynaudio Excite X18
@@marcfoss7687 With dynaudio, no. With wharfedale, no.With Morel, no. With Dali, yes.
Surprise: with Elac, no. With Audio Physic, no. Yamaha is not bright, it is open, it is revitalizing, super detailed. It doesn't bother the ears. It has a special finesse, it is silky, I can say that it has a warm sound. Dali, it is known that they are extremely bright speakers, you can put the darkest amp as it still sounds bright.
@@catalinniculae5740 thanks for the rundown...appreciated.
Clear, articulate review, as usual. As an aside, funny how this amp's build quality doesn't inspire Yamaha to warranty it for longer than 2 years. Very rare to find amp manufacturers who offer robust warranties with Bryston and CODA notable exceptions.
Pass offers 3 years warranty
@@net_news ya for the $ you would think Pass would feel obligated to do 5 years minimum. Nelson probably wants to do that but the bean counters won't let him. CODA is 10 years, Bryston 20 years, that is part of the reason I own their amps.
@@michaelmityok1001 I agree, just mentioned Pass because their support is amazing and, in practice, their warranty is for life. Best company I've ever dealt with.
@@michaelmityok1001 Traditional warranties for high-end amps were 5 years with some as lifetime warranties. The amps I have owned lasted decades without the need for repair but if it didn't have at least 5 years I'd look elsewhere.
4 Years on AS Series in Canada
I must say the AS2200 is a lovely looking amp. Good that Yamaha decided to keep the same look.
Good review!
I have the A-S1200, it is incredibly accurate and detailed sounding. Before getting my 1200, I used a Yamaha A700 that I bought back in 1982 for the last 38 years. The 1200 is more detailed, but the old A700 has even more raw power, able to peak at 250 watts into 4 ohms. The salty old dog 700 really can shake the house. Oh well. Getting older now, time to calm down a little! Given my experience with Yamaha products, the A-S1200 will likely the amp I have when I leave this world. The old amp was still very clean and good, but the imaging from the new amp is unreal. I guess Yamaha has learned a few things over the last 40 years.
Hello, our speaker equipment store will start the discount activity on November 11th. I hope you can visit it then. There is our store address below
www.hiendchina.com
queenway.it.aliexpress.com/store/1070003?spm=a2g0o.store_home.1000001.12.432464bbDVUo8U
Hi bro! Which power cable you use with s1200?
"Draws a line around each and every instrument" This is exactly what I thought after purchasing and listening to the A-S501.
Alex Cremers I match the AS501 and AS801 with a lot of KEF and Klipsch speakers. Everyone is happy.
I own both the 1100 and the 2100 great amps especially for the money.
Do you find they sound different?
I started my audiophile journey with Yamaha back in 1980
I bought A-S2200 after this review. Excellent performance. Thanks for the transparent review.
How are you liking it?
unbelievable that after 4 years there is no review comparing a-s2100 and a-s2200 sound differences, soundstage and dynamics
Very well done! Great production and content Ron! Cheers
Yamaha makes great amps. I have the AX900U made in 1988, and it rocks. I will hold on to it always.
Thanks for the clear, informative review. For those who might be wondering, compared to the A-S1200, the A-S2200 has a far better headphone amp, has balanced outputs, has a much better preamp (basically the same as the preamp in the 3200), larger filter capacitors, a brass plate under the transformer to minimize vibration and better (larger) internal wiring. A Yamaha rep told me that most people think the 2200 is just a 1200 with XLR, when the 2200 is actually closer to the 3200. Based on that, I ordered a 2200 yesterday.
Please, let us know, what do you think about your new amp?
@@elbebe1000 I returned the 2200 last week. I actually found my 801 to be more dynamic and neutral in comparison.
@@zaoria123 wow thanks for the feedback
@@cpg8000 No problem.
Yamaha has not given up on manufacturing good (relatively affordable) 2.0 HiFi dedicated boxes (amps, cd player, turntable, network streamer) . This is good for many of us including myself. Unfortunately Sony, Kenwood and JVC have not. Thanks for the review!
@M Pi Nope their high-end line: These are good amps, Well built and produce good sound.
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms album sounded mighty good on Yamaha A-S1100. Last "brothers in arms" track is incredible. Ron mentioned the male vocals, thats it right there, so much depth. Have an A-S3000 on the way, can't wait to her get it singing
That is a fine example of an audiophile album for sure and one of my favorites. "Ride Across The River" makes me wanna reach for the insect repellant. All the sounds have "space" around them in this album, which sounds wonderful on a good audio system.
Dire Straits albums were recorded and monitored through the very large 3 way ATC SCM active super linear studio monitors, and would sound even better than the yamaha could ever muster through a pair of floorstanders with its only 100 watts on tap. The big 350 watt 3 way ATC SCM active super linear loudspeaker are still some of the best listening experience to listen to natural and loud dynamic music, including classical music too, and not just rock.
You not kidding !!
Brothers in arms is the best quality rock recording I've ever heard . Amazing clarity and dynamics.
Have you tried Ali Farka - Talking Timbuktu? 9th track. It will blow your mind. The recording is just superb. Dare I say better than Brothers in arms?
Enjoyed your Yamaha shootout video a few years back. Think I watched it mutliple times before I picked up a 1200 about a month ago. I was thinking about getting the 2200 but the 1200 price was right for me. Using some Wharfdale Lintons.
How does the 1200 work with the lintons?
Not gonna lie. You're doing yourself a disservice by pairing an amp thats 2.5x the price for a pair of your speakers. A $3'000 pair with a $1200 amp will run circles around a $3000 amp and $1,200 speakers. I say this with confidence.
@@mikechivy You're right. I recently got Wharfedale Lintons to use with my 1990s Denon PMA-725R amplifier. This sounds good enough for me. Listening to Lintons I tried the above-my-budget Yamaha 1200 alongside the good old Denon, out of curiosity. There was a difference between the amplifiers of course but too small to justify the Yamaha when limited to Lintons. The Yamaha amp needs higher-class speakers. Maybe Wharfedale Elysian 4 or Dali Rubicon 8.
I got a yamaha ax396 on my system and I find yamaha amps very detailed and easy on the ear sound and found that the yamaha has made my b&w dm602s2 come to life compared to my old naim nait5i amp
Thanks Ron, a good and timely review. I've been waiting for some more reviews on the A-S2200, and appreciate your balanced opinions which really helped me. I'm pressing the button and going for this amp!
You won’t be making a bad decision at all! Are you planning on running vinyl as well!?
@@Newrecordday2013 Heard your positive comments re. vinyl. I'll just be running CDs and Tidal/Spotify Premium via a good quality streamer/DAC. Must admit I love the VU meters! Thanks again for the helpful review.
Now this is a great review. Fast, no waffle, precise and reasoned.
I am very happy with my Yamaha A-S2000 but am a bit jealous of the VU meters and the toroidal transformer. Great review Ron.
A-S 1000 here. I use my tapes (Yamaha K-850 in silver) VU meter.
Nothing special about a toroid contrary to audiophile myth.
I’m bit jealous of your as2000 🤔🤔😅
@@leolleiten4910 I purchased an A S2000 used for 900 dollars. It has all the sonic qualities spelled out by this reviewer in his S2200 review.
@@rotorfix false! Do research. Much better for many reasons.
16 years now with my Yamaha xrv3300 ... I know, it’s not hi end, but let me tell you, I’ve try many many of those, some I still have, but the Yamaha always finds her way back to the main system. Laugh more, main speakers right now for the past 8 months are a pair of Kef q100. Yeap, in my space they sound even better than bowers and a nice pair of Linn akurate.. I guess it’s all about personal taste and nothing more, I been hunting a ghost all this time.
For digital I use an old design Dac from Teradak I bought 20 years ago. God it’s nice when your system sounds amazing for you!! Enjoy sound lovers!!
Quote of the week: All this stuff we got to buy to make digital sound like analog vs. something as simple as dropping the needle [on an LP]. Mechanical performance affects analog playback much more than digital, and Peter Ledermann explained why analog is actually digital because it can only sample the record groove. Likewise linear and transparent RIAA EQ is difficult to achieve. I'm glad that Yamaha succeeded with its phono stage. I wonder if they used their 1970's vintage MC's to voice the high gain setting.
I am VERY excited you got your hands on a proper Lampizator! Kudos to you! I have a balanced Lampizator Baltic with volume control.
I have the 3000 and the phono stage whilst having no loading option easily wiped the floor with the Linn Uphorik I owned earlier, enough to sell it!
So would one be able to tell the difference between this amp and the A-S1200 in a blind test?
That’s a great question - one that doesn’t get asked frequently enough
Thank you for showing the top off the A-2200 amp. It's a work of art and music.
Finally an amplifier that I can connect a graphic equaliser to! The graphic equaliser has two extra inputs for my tape machines, winner winner chicken dinner 🍴. I really hope that they bring out a new cassette deck, that would be amazing!
Here's my "problem" whenever I see any review of Yamaha or other high quality gear for that matter... I've owned a Yamaha CA 800 since the late 80's and the thing really is wonderful. The problem is that I also live a couple of miles away from Mcintosh Labs and just around the corner from a well respected shop. I see this review and WANT a new Yamaha amp. I walk into the shop and WANT a Mcintosh amp. Then I listen to my CA 800 and just know that what I just said are just that WANTS not NEEDS! Thanks for another great review and being yet another devil on the shoulder.
@ Parris George I hope to own my new Yamaha A-S2200 as long as you’ve owned your CA 800. Took me a long time, and worked my way up the Yamaha ladder to get here, now I consider this an heirloom type amp, hope to enjoy mine as long as you’ve enjoyed yours!
That's the thing about Yamaha. The stuff lasts so long. I have an older YSP sound bar as well as an AV system from the mid 00s (RXV 2700) that I gave to a sibling. They still sound great and have had no problems. You don't get that with some other brands where there seem to be a lot of faulty products that need fixing or replacing. It's reassuring that the AS 2200 looks like it's built for longevity.
@@sdemosi Same here I still have an avr from the late 90s and it still runs like a champ. I've had tons of yamaha gear not of the quality of thier top spec integrateds and yet nothing has ever had an issue. I just ordered the AS1200 and I know it'll be good for the rest of my life.
Buy both
@@joaquinbarreto9398 💯 agree. I have some reservations about them using their proprietary multi room system but the quality /€ spent is always high with Yamaha.
I had the A-S2100 in the house for several weeks and I had a very different impression. Its MOSFET output stage provided a wonderfully lush and musical sweetness. However, I thought its 90 watts was quite obvious. I thought it lacked dynamic slam and power. This is in comparison to the Parasound A21, which sounded MUCH more powerful because, well, it was. Although I loved the Yammy's musicality, I found its dynamics lacking.
What speakers are your driving?
@@rustyshackleford6978 Tekton Ulfberhts
Everything is a trade off. Better dynamics would likely come at the expense of the lushness and musicality. Yamaha doesn’t short customers on power to save money. They would save more on dispensing with the heavy chassis than they would on another pair of transistors per side.
@@rotorfix There's no technical trade-off here. If an amp has sufficient power and current with a beefy power supply the dynamics should be fine. There is nothing about this that would undermine musicality. Of course, the speaker's load makes a big difference here. My speaker needs a lot of current to sound its best because the impedance drops below 3 ohms in the mid-bass. A speaker with an easier load would probably sound adequately dynamic with the Yammy. With my speakers, it didn't. The only trade-off is one's subjective preferences. I require a reasonable balance of musicality and dynamics. I have auditioned amps that have plenty of one but not enough of the other. However, the precise balance of these that one prefers can easily vary from person to person.
@M Pi Wrong speakers for this amp and wrong amp for these speakers.
was hoping for more info on how it compares to the outgoing as-2100
They should have made it possible to use it as as s preamp out and amp in at the same time. That way it can be used to biamp speakers. Go out of the pre amp out to a crossover then back into the amp section. A separate sub out if the crossover finishes off the system. This will improve imaging, control and power.
I still yet to understand why the preamp out and ins can't be used at the same time. If allow for, the audio out can be used for a powered sub with a full crossover so you can use the internal amp as mid high unit and the sub as a dedicated sub that is not running parallel to the mains. As most speakers are ported which created sudden phase shift. Inserting an analog crossover would allow us to choose a frequency that miss that phase shift and make integration between sub and mains coherent.
Bear in mind, I don't know the Yammy at all, other than the name but most pre outs/in are there to allow one to split the amplifier from the control section (pre) so you can then utilize either a different pre and use the amp section to power your speakers, or vice versa, meaning, use the pre section and use a different power amp, put the jumpers back in, it's an integrated, simple as that. For sub use, you need to have an actual sub out of the amps section ideally for your subs, they are two different things is my understanding.
The upper A-S amps are fully balanced, even the A-S 1000/1100/1200. RCA connections are unbalanced, it would degrade your signal. Of course, there could be a simple switch to remedy that, but that would cost money to implement.
@@citronski yeah, it would cost money, but at $4,000 they could afford those switches. If they can give half functionality, a couple of bucks would provide full functionality. And on there unbalanced amps, it would cost almost nothing.
By the way i saw acomment somewhere stating that adding a sub was only a way to compensate for bsd speaker design. That is not true. The issue is that the position for best imaging is almost always not the best location for bass reproduction. Speakers are best located into the room. Bass reproduction is usually bast when the speakers are up against a wall. This improves room loading and therefore better transient response.
Way to pricey for my taste. I settled for it's young brother, the R-S300 with built in FM/AM tuner. 50 wpc @ 8 ohms sounds terrific. Drives larger speakers with ease. Stereo separation is excellent. Built like a tank, just like the A-S2200.
@@David-vb8tg lol. I only had about a $300-$500 budget for a decent amp. The a-s2200 is nice no doubt, but also pricey at around $2500. The R-S300 uses Yamaha premium parts (transistors, chip boards, etc..) used in more expensive high end models & has Top-Art chassis technology as with the A-S2200. I was really blown away by the sound coming from the R-S300. My Cerwin Vega VS 120 3-Way floor speakers never sounded better. My previous amp was a 1990's Sony ES model amp at 100 wpc @ 8ohms...and my Yamaha R-S300 sounded miles better in terms of power, head room, efficiency & separation. Advertised power ratings for different amps can be deceiving. Hearing is believing.
They are pretty good for the price. Hard to beat in that price category.
Nice review. Learing that I have been saying Yamaha wrong for 40+ years!
You haven't been saying it wrong.
That looks like a REAL POWER SUPPLY. Good for them!!!
Love this review - very detailed. 👍
Ron- I'm very familiar with the "YAMAHA sound", yet it has never been verbalized with such accuracy and finesse! Now, I'm wondering what your thoughts would be on a direct competitor - the Technics SU-G700. 👍
I found your comment, about how much we have to spend to make digital sound like vinyl hilarious. You probably spent more on your cartridge than I spent on my CD player. Not to mention a dedicated, phono, preamp and turn table. Let’s not pretend the great sound on final is easy to come by.
VU meter looking so nice 👌
Agreed; an owner here too. Why oh why Yamaha have stopped making matching CD players or did not come up with a CD streamer to match these magnificent amps? They even failed to launch new R-N2000A as promised.
Remember chucking Marantz PM8005 out of my system and replacing it with Technics SU-G700M2. Better than Marantz, but it did not worked. Dry and gritty with KEF R5. Installed Yamaha. The sound was unbelievable. It was like replacing R5 with some Reference 3 as well, what an improvement!
I dunno man, dropping that needle is only after you've found the right cart/tt/arm/phono stage combo, made sure you don't have hum from a ground loop/bad shielding, cleaned the records, cleaned the stylus, checked the tracking force and SRA/VTA and got up to flip the flippin' record. There's trials and tribulations on both sides, just saying.
Also, it is actually possible to get some analog-like sound with the right $400 R2R DAC, no need for a 10 grand streamer and DAC combo.
Ya man totally agree, digital has come so far and is so easy now to get great sound. I have zero desire to get back into vinyl.
@@michaelmityok1001 For sure. My turntable hasn't spun in....2 years now? I'm spoiled by the vast streaming libraries, custom playlists, CD/MQA quality audio streams and not having to make space for a CD or record collection.
Nice but pretty pricey. In fact it's basically in luxman territory. In which case, is it better to spend a little more and go that route? Especially when one considers the reliability issue which seems to be a bigger concern with the Yamahas. I see many refurbished Yamahas but hardly any refurbished luxmans.
I was recently looking for a new integrated amp and it was down to the Luxman 505UXii and the Yamaha 2200. I ended up getting the Luxman---I really like the loudness feature on the 505. Both are great amps though.
How are you digging the Luxman these days?
@@cpg8000 I love it!! It keeps getting better with time.
@@Drackleyrva that’s awesome! Thanks so much for the reply. Im decided. Enjoy
@@cpg8000 What are you getting?
@@Drackleyrva 505UXii. I have a pair of Dynaudio SP40. I think they will mate nicely
When you’re the largest music company in the world, you have pretty good resources. So the parts you put inside the 2200 are going to be pretty good too..and that makes it last.
Hey Ron.... sitting here in Mumbai... been following your channel right up from the first Yamaha vs Yamaha! I always loved Yamaha and got myself a brand new A S801.. don’t know Y but but I always was wanting more and then I got myself a second hand DENON PMA 1510 AE that’s just 70 per channel as compared to the AS 801’s 100 per channel.... everything changed ! This sound was what I was looking for the one that the DENON put out! Sadly I sold the Yamm and kept the DENON.... so Ron I know most folks don’t rate DENON too highly ..... possible to do a review on a DENON.... perhaps their 100th anniversary PMA A100 or the new 110th anniversary PMA A110.... man I would love to hear your thoughts on the same and a HEAD to HEAD between both Japanese amps! Highly appreciate if you could oblige! Cheers from India mate🍻🍻🍻
Rock on Brother 🤘🤘🤘
Picked this up yesterday and burning in presently. Amazing build quality and sound stage. Thank you for your review as it helped me make the decision to purchase.
after a year, what are your thoughts? just purchased mine and waiting for it to arrive
@@questionableidentity1 Listening to it atm. It is a beast. I use a rel T7 with it in a 2.1 setup and I have kept all dials on neutral (so no bass or treble boost).
Having the home theatre bypass is terrific and is the only major flaw I see in the new RN-2000A as you can't then use it as part of a HT upgrade if you choose.
I have nothing but praise for this piece of technology.
Hi! Do you think that the 2200 will have almost no sound difference vs the 1200, if only used through rca’s? Thanks
I landed here because of my Arya. I was looking at Benchmark AHB2 and notice, A-S2200 is in the very similar price range with the good olds school look. So question is, is this amp good enough to drive headphones like Arya and Susvara out of speaker out? I don't thing they did what Emotiva did and let you route full speaker out in to front headphone out. At the moment I have Qtest as DAC and hopefully that will be upgraded with a Rockna Wavelight.
Built like a tank!
Absolutely
And sounds like a bomber 😀
not in my future :( but I do love me some VU meters.
Hello, our speaker equipment store will start the discount activity on November 11th. I hope you can visit it then. There is our store address below
www.hiendchina.com
queenway.it.aliexpress.com/store/1070003?spm=a2g0o.store_home.1000001.12.432464bbDVUo8U
How would this Integrated amp sound with Elac UB52's? I also read the preamp section was the same as the 1200. Yamaha stated the amp section was the same but the gauge wire is thicker and the caps were a little bitter larger but the rest is the same.
Great job Ron ! I was scared they changed the sound up alot ! Glad they didnt and yeah I would love to pair the Freya plus with me AS-1100 😃
I wonder how different sonically would be the AS2200 from the AS3200. I have a CXA61 paired with Klipsch Forte IV. I am looking to upgrade amp but not sure if the extra cash spent on the 3200 would be wise. Thanks!
I found the Forte IVs too mid high focused and unforgiving. It was worse with the Decware SET but also apparent with the 2200. A Vincent class A hybrid svk mkii completely fixed this problem and gave the Forte's the added weight and low to high frequency balance I felt these speakers needed (it tamed the horns so to speak). I may try the Yamaha again since it probably technically the better amp, very lively and dynamic and has balanced outputs which I'd like to try with an open reel I'm picking up. Maybe with strictly analog music the Yamaha would be great with the Forte's
I used to have an Yamaha AS701 at the beginning of my journey. Now, i used as a power amp an NAD M3. I compare my NAD at my home with Densen B300+ and NAD was the winner.
A few days ago, i manage to bring home an Yamaha AS3000 (who is for sale here in my country on SH market) and i was pretty sure that i will buy it and replace my NAD. But, i was very sad to see that my NAD kept winning this battle too......
Yamaha as 3000 sounds very good, nice specific Yamaha sound, but in compare with NAD, it was like listen mp3 files with Yamaha and HiRes files with NAD. My speakers are ProAc Dt8 and the bass with Yamaha is good but with lack of punch, clarity and articulation. Female voice sounded a little bit good than NAD , but the rest is not as good. So i returned the Yamaha to the seller.
A few years ago, an Yamaha dealer here in my country told me that : "Yamaha DID NOT make highend amplifiers". Now, i kind of understand that point of view and what he meant.
Your detailed impressionable comnents about the Yamah A-S2200 was cause for serious consideration to pair with my recently acquired Polk LSiM 705s until you mentioned the Yamahas "mere" 90" watts. I'm using my Yamaha receiver, RX 787 at 100 watts/ chnl. Would more wattage improve overall performance? Any comment on pairing the 705s with Rotel RA1592 integrated receiver at 200 watts/ chnl?
I have model 30 and in intrested in 2200 …got dynaudio contour 30i …is it an uppgrade or a sidegrade 🤔
Thougts on that mr new record day ?
Sidegrade ..50 % .. on some genres and viseverse . Sum is equal.
I just love this inte-preamp just the looks win me over and four speakers disappear like crazy bro.
I just purchased the KLH Model 5 speakers, and I'm looking for an integrated amp that will pair up with it well. After watching many reviews, I am considering the Yamaha A-S1200, Yamaha A-S2200, Parasound Halo Hint 6, Hegel H390, and Rotel 1592 MKll. I have heard that a more muscular or exciting sounding amp works best with these speakers. Do you agree and what would you recommend? Also, does the Yamaha have a sub output on the back?
I love this dude's talking voice. His whole deal. So good!
Do you think the 1200 or 2200's 90w (8 ohms) would be sufficient grunt to drive a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 300 floorstanders? The recommended power for these is 80-200 watts so I wonder if either Yamaha might struggle a little being so close to the lower end of the range.
Differences between 2200 and 1200?
Ron, how does the 1200 fair up to the 2200?
Clearly I'm not Ron... but I can answer.
2200 has a similar balanced pre-amp section to the 3200 while the 1200 has a more basic pre-amp (hence why you get balanced inputs on the 2200). Also the 2200 has a dedicated headphone amp when the 1200 doesn't. Both have the same 625va transformer but the 2200 has more filter capacitance. The 2200 has a brass plate under the transformer to reduce vibration. Also the feet are brass on the 2200 instead of iron. Oh and the wire to the speaker terminals is 10awg in the 2200 and 12awg in the 1200.
I know this is an old video but I am curious if you have ever listened to the Sony TA-A1ES and how it compares. I just picked up a CD-S2100 and replaced a very old low end Sony SACD player. The sound of SACD/DSD from the Yamaha is nothing short of magical and I am curious if the A-S2200 would bring a lot more "
magic."
hi, differences between as1200 and as2200 ? worth in price?
Would this amp be a good match for Klipsch Heresy 4? That speaker already has a somewhat articulated top end. Would it be too much?
Run tube amps on heressy but this yamaha should sound 👌
Just a recap quick question since we previously spoke a little bit I’m going to know your honest opinion because I’m very stressed I don’t want to purchase the wrong one about detail retrieval finesse and hearing every detail and every separation between everything going on in the music this integrated amplifier versus Kinki Studio m1+. I like both but where I am at doesn’t really matter on the price I just want better sound but I’ve never ordered some thing overseas or had a product like that from China so I’m worried about the warranty and being taken care of but I like both but since you’ve had both and did reviews for both of them which one has the best detail retrieval finesse dynamics and hearing everything separated meaning you can pick out everything going on around and having better bass fuller ?
If you could please answer these questions give me an a lot great fan of your channel and can’t wait to see more of the stuff you post. Thanks my friend
nice review man, i wish can afford one someday....have anyone connect a cassete deck ,im wondering how will sound..cheers!
Nice review. Sounds a lot like the AS-2100 I owned. If your speaker is forward then you will find the tonality on the bright side. I wonder if Yamaha had BBC Bookshelves in mind when voicing the amp. Taking a conservatively voiced speaker and giving it some gusto. Although Sean from ZF did mention off the record that the 1200 he reviewed did lose that excessively forward character after a significant (i.e. longer than usual) break in period. A break in of several hundred hours may be required to hear what these amps truly sound like.
Hi Amir, are you suggesting that the A-S2200 would pair well with the BBC range of smaller book shelf speakers e.g. think Harbeth? I'm thinking of purchasing similar speakers myself to go with the A-S2200 largely because of my small listening room...but the jury is still out!
@@marcfoss7687 Thomas and Stereo here on UA-cam has both the M30.1 and AS-2200 right now. Hoping we'll hear about it in the review when it eventually comes out.
@@amirjubran1845 Thanks for the heads-up!
Hi Ron, great job. Have you had the time to test the Yamaha with the NX-Otica and, if positive, what are your impressions in this pairing?
BR,
Hey Ron curious if you got to try out the yamaha with the new elac unifi 2.0 and what you thought of the combo? Nice vid by the way. Thanks.
Don’t think he would.. hooking up an amp that is just under 4 grand amp to a pair of speakers that sell for a couple of hundred bucks doesn’t really make sense. Kind of like asking how these new wheel covers look on this new Ferrari 8-)
Ron, did you listen to any classical or jazz through the S-2200? Be curious if it was reproduced as well as the rock. Loved the review. I am a very happy owner of the CD S-2100 too.
How you like you cd player was it worth the 💰
Hi, I wondered if you still had the LTA MZ3 & whether you’d tried this as a preamp for the Yamaha. I am tossing between the Yamaha and the MZ3 & a power amp and thought maybe get both & use the MZ3 as a preamp. Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks, nick
I heard the new models were the souped up version and more expensive than the last ones Im a little disappointed. It was a good review thanks
Can you plug in a phono preamp with XLR connections into the XLR input on the back of the A-S3000? Considering adding a phono preamp because I have two turntables, one stereo, one mono. How expensive do I have to go to improve on the Yamaha phono preamp? You reviewed the Modwright 9.0. What would be the improvement there?
Hada chance to buy thr 1100 for 700 euros... have regretted not buying it every day of this month
Would you say this unit has better sound and clarity in more detail retrieval and clarity then say the offerings from Kinki Studio M7 or m1 plus ? 🙏 i’m looking for something that’s got fantastic fastness dynamics silky smooth but I really wanna hear every little detail very clear with lots of decay four no more than 3500 Canadian what would you recommend that would be bad ass typically I look for a power amplifier since I already have separates but if you could mention an integrated that uses XLR are what do you recommend that I can get that would be bad ass in that regard! I’m currently using a monoprice monolith to channel power amplifier and a lot of people hate on that but to be honest Scott very powerful specs and it’s outstandingly great sounding and I use it for hi-fi to channel stereo I’ve compared it to several other units and it blows everything away it’s crazy and it’s very affordable and it just sounds damn good just wondering what could beat that because I’ve compared it as well to an Audiolab for example
8300xp and I still prefer the monolith monoprice more ball Z more depth more robust sound bigger fuller soundstage it’s unbelievable because the other amp should be better the 8300 and it’s more expensive but it’s not the case I like kinki studio however apparently their products run pretty hot only after about an hour to three hours of use and I don’t really like that idea of something running pretty hot and it’s like for almost $4000 for the power amplifier M7 Canadian pretty crazy price
Awesome! I have the 2100 and couldn't be more happier. It's a real roller coaster ride to listen to, just like it should be.
Which loudspeaker do you use with the AS 2200
I meant which loudspeaker do you use with the AS 2100?
Engel Weh I use a pair of Troels Gravesens designs I built myself, you can read about them here www.troelsgravesen.dk/SBA-761.htm
Thoughts on pairing this with the JBL4309s???
Does it work with LOMC cartridges? With something like Denon DL-103R which does only .25 mV output?
Yup! No problem!
Would you consider reviewing the new $3499 Denon PMA-A110 110th Anniversary integrated amplifier? It comes out in a few weeks. It would be great to know how it compares to this Yamaha. Two old-school Japanese heavy weights. Thanks
I can try! Thanks!
@@Newrecordday2013 Cool Ron. Thanks for trying. I think you would enjoy playing around with it. The phono stage is supposed to be purposely matched to their 103 cartridge.
Good amp but unfortunately no pre out for a an active sub…
Can any body please recommend me what is best for Focal Kanta 2..... I got three choices Naim supernait 3 , Hegel h190 or Yamaha a-s2200 ...
Please 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 also a good Dac please 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
the Yamaha
For Dac the Denafrips Terminator or Pontus is hard to beat
YES Please what is the Luxman model please ..... tell me about it... Thanks !!
@@shemaya4979 Luxman L-505uX MKII
@@tesla1961 Thanks Tesla 🙏🙏🙏
I think KLH Model 5s would rock with this amp
Need help. Just bought a new AS2200 . The bass and treble knobs arrived at 12 oclock position. Turning them left or right causes the music to cut out for one second then music plays ...is this normal?
Yeah. That is normal from the reviews I seen on UA-cam
Yes, normal. The cut out is related to direct signal vs engaging circuitry for tone control (I’m an A-S2200 owner).
HiFi purists tend to never ever touch the treble or bass knobs…
Yup the TOTR Denon vs the A S3000 or thereabouts 🍻..... cmon Ron you can do it Bud! 😅