YAMAHAA-S501SL Natural Sound Integrated Stereo Amplifier (Silver)

The Yamaha A-S801 is one of three systems I’ve fully optimized, and I can confidently say it’s the cornerstone of my budget-friendly yet seriously capable setup. Getting back into the audio hobby at a deeper level, I wasn’t expecting this level of performance—but the A-S801 has far exceeded all expectations.Its output is clean, powerful, and remarkably neutral, which makes it the perfect foundation for customizing your sound through external DACs, streamers, and other sources. There's no worry about underpowering speakers—this amp can confidently drive 90% of what’s on the market, including many speakers costing far more than the amp itself.I’ve paired it with Cabasse Murano Alto floorstanders, a FiiO R2R K11 DAC, and a WiiM Ultra streamer—an absolutely synergistic combination. While this may not be an “endgame” setup, the musical enjoyment it delivers is undeniable. The A-S801 opens the door to a wide range of speaker pairings and digital source options, making it one of the best sub-$1000 integrated amps out there.Like many others have said: this amp punches way above its price class. Totally impressed.

My wife and I have quite a nice collection of records. But had no real proper way to listen to them. A month ago I started the process of trying to build a budget HiFi set-up. I spent the most time researching integrated amps.I don't remember exactly how I stumbled on this amp, but appreciated the simplicity of its features. All I wanted was clear stereo sound. Nothing more nothing less. Oh boy does this thing deliver. Its not often where I drop money in the hundreds of dollars range and feel 100% satisfied with my purchase, but this amp was easily worth every single penny.I am still learning more about what I like from audio. In general, I really enjoy very clear mids. I have this amp paired up with some old Polk Monitor 5 Jr+ (Series 2) speakers and I have never heard audio sound this crisp at this level of volume. This amp really makes my speakers sing and sound beautiful. Unfortunately I do not have any other speakers to test this amp out with, but from my personal set up I find the midrange to be superb.I find the DAC to work great as well. I digest a lot of music via Spotify on the old smart TV and it sounds fantastic. Another strong reason I bought this amp was because it offered direct digital connections. No complaints on that front.I have not tested the Phono stage as my turntable (AT-LP60 yeah yeah I know...) has a built in pre-amp. That being said, I have never heard records sound so clear and full. I found myself nodding with a huge grin on my face listening to the clarity coming out of my new system.I finally feel like I have a proper stereo HiFi system. This amp drives the whole thing and everything sounds wonderful. If you are looking for a budget amp, look no further. You will not regret picking this up.

The A-S301 is simply awesome! Completely clean sound, pure power. Lots of connectivity options. Remote is well designed. Love that the volume ramps down and up when you mute or power on rather than a sudden blast. 4.0 Yamaha!

I preface this review letting everyone know to give this amplifier a week to open up from a sound perspective. That has been my experience before making an assessment:Aesthetics: 4/5. I like the minimalistic look of this amplifier. However, I dislike Yamaha's decision to make tone controls rectangular. That decision baffles me actually, because many people who are critical of their audio sources tend to have OCD, like myself. Round tone controls would have made more sense.I purchased a black amplifier in order to avoid the asymmetrical look of the tone controls while in use.Build Quality: 5/5. At this price point, considering it is the 21st century, I find the build quality acceptable. It's on par with the Technics sl-100c. This means that even though this Yamaha may not be built as sturdy as in the past, it's still pretty good considering the price point and the century we live in. If one is looking for build quality from the days of yore, one will have to pay many times as much for a new amplifier.Note that if one is expecting an fm radio/tuner, they will have to buy it separately.Sound Quality: 4/5. This portion of a review will always be subjective.Normally, I have always enjoyed an open, lively sound. This amplifier doesn't meet that criteria. However, it has it's own unique sound, which when paired with the right equipment, can become addictive.This amplifier may not present all the sound details that one may be used to, but it manages to accentuate the details that matter. The sound is very clean, and I have heard details on occasion that I haven't noticed before.I must note that I don't use this amplifier for digital music. I only use it for vinyl playback and optical on occasion. The internal phono preamp is not that bad. Vocals sound fantastic. It definitely is not noisy, and records in worse condition can sound better through this unit. Perhaps that is why it may not sound lively at times; in order to produce less static and noise, Yamaha may have done this on purpose.I think Yamaha could have produced this amplifier without a phono preamp, and let folks decide on which one to purchase in order to better suit their tastes.In conclusion, I think this amplifier may appeal to those who are interested in a good, but different sound. I think Yamaha could have hit it out of the park with this product, if for a lower price the tone controls were round, and an internal phono preamp was not included. Still, I am enjoying the different sound that this amplifier produces.