Superfi have a wider range of Tannoys which you can find Here. The larger Mercury 7.4s would pair very well with an A-S501, and even better with a Marantz PM-6006 if you like a warmer, more musical sound. The Revolution XT Minis are right in budget too and are great if you don’t need room-shaking bass. I compared it with my Oppo HA-2 portable headphone dac/amp which is more neutral, more detailed and has a wider soundstage. Now, don’t get me wrong, this Yamaha headphone output is still good, but being used to the Oppo HA-2 the difference was striking and I prefer the latter. The amplifier at 120Hz will provide twice the power (240W) cause the impedance at this frequency is 2 times lower than the reference impedance (8 ohms) from the amplifier …

To answer your question. The reason Yamaha don’t include a DAC in an amp at that price level is because when you reach that level of amp it is assumed you’ll want an external DAC anyway. Internal DACs are usually a compromise between cost and performance. They add materials cost to the amp which takes the budget away from parts of the amp where it could be better spent. If it were up to me no amp would include a DAC at any price but for the most part the inclusion of such is limited to the budget sector, or a few high end products where the budget allowed them to at least do a decent job. You have a truly excellent amp and a great streamer too. The balance of low and high-frequency sounds is controlled separately from the total volume, allowing for a full tonal spectrum at any sound level while accounting for the inevitable decrease of distinct frequencies in the listener’s ear at quiet levels.In terms of amplifiers, the Yamaha A-S501 you were originally asking about is a brighter sounding amp. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does emphasise the high frequencies a little more which may not be the type of sound you’re looking for. Marantz amplifiers are warmer sounding and their vocal reproduction is outstanding, as is their ability to reproduce guitars and other acoustic instruments in particular. Then there are brands like Cambridge who offer a middle of the road option with a more neutral sound, designed to offer a flat frequency response. AB31, AB32, AB33, AB34, AB35, AB36, AB37, AB38, AB41, AB42, AB43, AB44, AB45, AB46, AB47, AB48, AB49, AB50, AB51, AB52, AB53, AB54, AB55, AB56 As with most power amplifiers the headphone out is an afterthought. This is not the case with this Yamaha, but it’s not high end either. Sooo, personally I’ll connect a dedicated headphone amp to it (like a Schiit Magni 2 / Asgard 2). Bluetooth connectivity is available from the A-S501 via connection of the YBA-11, which will enable you to wirelessly stream music from a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone, tablet or laptop/PC connected to the Network receiver. APT-X coding algorithms will make sure your streaming music is delivered in the optimum high-quality sound. Connect the YBA-11 to the DC-out connection to provide it with power. My main problem was that the speakers were 4 ohm speakers and very few, if any, companies made a reasonably priced amp that would provide the 4 ohms required to drive the speakers. This unit has the ability to put out the 4 ohms and have more than enough power to drive my speakers and no fuses to buy. The holidays are here now and I haven't had enough time to hook everything up, so I don't know how they will work, however, I suspect that the old speakers just might blow before the new amp does.

What should I look for in a CD transport? I don’t need anything more than a single CD unit. Do I need a built-in DAC, or will the 501’s DAC suffice? The Yamaha A-S501 Amplifier is the new and improved version of Yamaha's highly successful award winning amplifier, the AS500. It features a larger power supply, 85W per channel, optical and coaxial digital inputs and can also add the optional Yamaha YBA-11 Bluetooth receiver to add Bluetooth connectivity, gold plated speaker terminals and an auto standby function.

Summary

Yamaha has come out with a solid lineup of integrated amplifiers geared towards soothing the two-channel audiophile in all of us. If you think that these integrated amplifiers are your father’s or grandfather’s integrated, you’d be sorely mistaken. Yamaha has gone to great pains to outline the company’s rich heritage in the integrated amplifier market and show how today’s integrated amps link tradition to tomorrow. Also featured is the new analogue loudness control. Situated on the front panel, this variable loudness control uses electronic volume for higher sound quality, letting you adjust the loudness effect as you wish. This control is completely separate from the main volume control and allows control over the balance of the low and high frequency sounds. This provides full tonal range at any volume level and compensates for the natural loss of high and low frequencies in the human ear at soft levels.

The Yamaha A-S501 Amplifier draws on Yamaha's stellar experience in the production of Hi-Fi components, taking advantage of their technological expertise. Based on the concept of "natural sound", producing music as it should really sound, the A-S501 has had every part of it, from the circuit design to its basic sound production, scrupulously designed and tested to guarantee the highest level of sound quality. Figure out the audio chain (how many components you have and how you plan to connect them) in your system. If your only source is a CD or DVD player, or if your integrated amp has preamp-out and preamp-in connections, you can easily make all of the necessary connections. Please note that our couriers will try to deliver as arranged but we will not be held responsible for any costs incurred because of non-delivery or factors introduced by third-parties. This service is based upon best endeavour and is not guaranteed. Any extended warranties offered by Peter Tyson are free. We do not include any form of insurance terms such as accidental damage or loan equipment cover.Re the Marantz vs the Onkyo, my suggestion would be to demo both with familiar material and see which you personally like the most. I would have the Marantz because I do think it sounds better, I think it is better engineered and I am confident in the reliability and longevity of Marantz products. I had a 6004 setup for many years and it outlasted a lot of popular hi-fi kit, some of it more than 20 times the price. I now own components from the Marantz reference ranges and they have been trouble-free from day 1. And there was the time I received a smashed CD-63 in the post which was unrecognisable yet played perfectly once I’d made it relatively safe to plug in. Direct signal path speaker relays and an optimised circuit layout offers the shortest possible signal paths, while Yamaha’s pure direct mode allows you to bypass the tone, loudness and balance controls and the input buffer amp shortening signal paths even further. The remote also offers a couple of features not present on the front panel of the A-S501 itself – including standby and mute controls, the latter reducing the volume by approximately 20DB when pressed. A second press causes the sound level to gently return to its previous position. Sound Rear Panel of the Yamaha A-S801 Integrated Amplifier, featuring a USB input with ESS Sabre 32-bit DAC

Let’s talk for a moment about that power switch. It’s a hard power switch – shutting off the power supplies completely when the amp is powered off. However, the amp does offer a less than 0.5W standby mode, which you can toggle on and off from the remote. The A-S501 also offers an automatic standby feature which will power off the amplifier after a period of inactivity That is a little on the high side for a pair of 44s, unless they’re in lovely condition and have been serviced. As speakers age, crossover components degrade which can affect the high frequencies in particular, and the drivers can in some cases degrade also. As good as they are with a bit of work, I’d probably give them a miss. Large Appliances - (Washing Machines, Dishwashers, Fridge Freezers etc). Free Local Delivery Service (Cumbria, SW Scotland and NE England*) 2-3 working days.

CA1, CA2, CA3, CA4, CA5, CA6, CA7, CA8, CA9, CA10, CA11, CA12, CA13, CA14, CA15, CA16, CA17, CA18, CA19, CA20, CA21, CA22, CA23, CA24, CA25, CA26, CA27, CA28. And, providing you’ve allowed the amp a few days to run in, you’ll be treated to a sound that’s every bit as powerful and authoritative as the original A-S500. However, there’s more of that sound – the A-S501 offering more punch, more power and an obvious headroom increase no doubt thanks to that upgraded power supply. The aforementioned impedance selector switch accompanies the large speaker terminals, which can accept bare wire or banana plugs. Of course, no Yamaha would be complete without fiddly end caps pushed into the speaker terminals, which require removal if one wishes to use banana plugs. On the front panel of the A-S501, there is a modern digital volume adjustment that employs electrical volume for improved sound quality, allowing you to modify the intensity impact as wanted. Pure Direct Mode causes musical signals to travel the shortest possible route through the circuit, which in turn allows it to bypass the buffer amp and the tone, loudness and balance controls, virtually eliminating any signal degradation and offering up the purest quality of sound.