Yamaha A-S1100 Owners?

So how good is the as1100...has it got a deep smooth sound...what about the build quality and the feel of the tone controls
 
I've had the as1100 for about 1.5 years and really like it. Just went to a mc cartridge from mm and the onboard phono stage is excellent, imho.
The difference between the 1100 and the 2100 is the 2100 has balanced inputs. That is about the only thing different. If you aren't using balanced inputs, I can't see a reason to get the 2100. Output is the same with both, as are most of the specs. Sounds wonderful with my Fortes.
 
I am considering A-S 1000 or 2000. I end up doing fair amount of headphone listening later at night. Any word on headphone output quality and if much time, thought, expense was put into headphone aspect?
 
I've owned some incredible Yamaha pieces over the years but it's been a long time since I've had any in the house. I've gotten out of the vintage game and my system is mostly modern gear, other than the turntable.

However, I find myself interested in the new A-S1100 integrated amp. I demoed it this morning at the one and only remaining audio shop here but their room and speaker set up was crap and the music sounded lousy. The sales guy kept turning it up louder and I kept turning it down as it sounded so bad. I don't believe what I heard what representative of what this amp is capable of.

Anything I can find about the S1100 on the net says it sounds great and folks are generally pleased with it. I'd like to hear from AK owners of this amp so please feel free to share your impressions with me, likes/dislikes, strengths/weaknesses etc. Thanks!
I have had my AS1100 for nearly a year now and felt like selling it several times. It was just very disappointing on a number of fronts for an amplifier of this build quality. It was very 2d in its presentation, although you could hear the distance cues of instruments and there was no definitive layering in the soundstage or sense of space. I tried the Yamaha with Focals, Jamo D570, Kef Coda 7 and B&W 603s3. I also have a Yamaha rxv2700 and found it was better in most respects to the 1100 when it came to listening enjoyment, soundstaging and detail except for in combination with the B&W for which both amps were equally unacceptable in their own ways. My brother in law who is a diy enthusiast picked up a second hand Denon surround amp for 10 dollars and he bought it over to show me for a bit of fun, so we hooked it up and what do you know the sound is suddenly a big improvement and I bought it off of him and put my 1100 up for sale. Still feeling jaded about the 1100 I thought this can't be right and before anyone bought it I tried one last time to get decent sound out of it by trying my speakers (603) in lots of different positions. Now just remember that they are normally 3 feet from the front wall, 4 feet from side walls and about 7 feet apart and 9 get from my ears. This has given me very good results with my other amps. What I found with the 1100 was that I got all of what I wanted/expected with the 603s 6 1/2 feet out from the front wall. They look ridiculous out there in the room and most wives would probably go nuts about it but I have an understanding better half. I have never had to do this with any of my amps before but am keeping it for now as I am really enjoying the results, but the fact that it has required such extreme speaker placement as compared to my other amps to me just makes it weird for what it is. I should say that in the past I have had electrostats, Maggie's, polk lsi15, Dali, Jamo, Nad and Denon POAS10 mono blocks.
Anyway this has been my experience and I hope it helps if you have an 1100 and just aren't getting the performance out of it that you expect.
 
Thanks for that input. What I really wanted was the 3000 but just can't justify spending that much.
Picked up a new Hegel H90 a few weeks ago, an absolutely superb amp.
 
Thanks for that input. What I really wanted was the 3000 but just can't justify spending that much.
Picked up a new Hegel H90 a few weeks ago, an absolutely superb amp.
Happy to hear you have found an amp you are happy with. I always hear good things about Hegel. I am impressed with my Yamaha now and would be hard pressed to sell it.
Enjoy your new setup.
Darren.
 
Anyone had a chance to compare with Sony TAA1ES ? I heard one in Japan and while it was paired with top of the line speakers, i really liked it.

I am tossing up between the 1100 and the Sony.

I have the Sony and for a second system I'm putting together, I'm looking hard at the A-S2100 or 3000. I think they would be very comparable in sound quality - smooth and accurate. The Sony is pretty stark with no phono, no tone controls, no meters, etc. The Yamaha has those things and a comparable power rating. The Sony does have a better transformer. Love the wood on the Yamaha.

I'm very happy with my Sony although with the Spendor A6R speakers, the pair can be a bit vanilla.

That's why the next speakers will be Klipsch Forte IIIs or the like.
 
So how good is the as1100...has it got a deep smooth sound...what about the build quality and the feel of the tone controls
Hi Jason,
I would say the 1100 is a next level amp once it's set up right. The build quality is excellent. Everything feels purposeful and the sound is neutral. Some might say it is slightly warm depending on your definition. It doesn't sound thin or whispy and dynamics have real sustain and solidity. There are better amps but the Yamaha does an awful lot right when setup correctly.
I could go on but I hope this gives you some more useful information.
Best regards
Darren.
 
Has anyone gone for the a-s1100 over vintage integrated monsters? I’m thinking of changing from a Pioneer sx-1010 and Kenwood ka-9100. But as an earlier post mentions, the Yamaha does not feature loudness or subsonic filter switch or a high cut. I’ve grown quite accustomed to these fine adjustments on the old Pioneer, which literally shakes my walls with bass from restored Polk Monitor 10s. The appeal of the new Yamaha would be no more worry about restoration of old caps, etc. I have the itch to modernize but without losing the fun or sound quality of the oldies :) How does the Yamaha do with heavy stuff, hip hop, reggae, etc.? Any need for finer control than the front panel knobs? Thanks!
 
Bump with the same question as JesseS above. Anyone move from a classic ‘70s amp to one of these? I’ve got an AU-9500 that I paid dearly to have fully restored a few years back. Love it like crazy, but every once in a bike an amp like this makes me wonder how it would stack up!
 
Thanks drasp! Seems we’re still the only two reading here. I’m still curious, getting tired of the scratchy push buttons on my SX-1010, and I’m just not up to removing the front panel to DeOxit clean them again so soon after the last time. I did just order a Yamaha AVS-700 input selector, thinking I might have some luck running everything into a tape input with one cable to avoid the push buttons entirely. That A-S1100 is seeming more and more enticing, but I haven’t yet heard a modern amp that I actually enjoyed. Let’s hope some owners chime in here! Be well! :)
 
I replaced my 1977 Yamaha CA-2010 with the A-S1100 last year and am happy I did. I loved the 2010 and think it looked better but after already having put $300 into repairs it was losing a channel again. I just didn't want to keep messing with it and was able to sell it for a good amount to someone that could work on it. I haven't had any regrets with the switch and I think it sounds great. I'm playing through KEF R300 speakers and love the match. Hope that helps.
 
I am still wondering if the A-S1100 or even the A-S801 would have the oomph and fullness and sparkle like a Pioneer SX-1010, a beast. I sat and listened critically to my Kenwood KA-9100 and quickly switched back to the Pioneer. Both need work / restoration. Does the power / clarity of the Yamahas feel as warm powerful and inviting as these vintage watts? I see the 801 is literally a different class, but does it hold up?
 
I am still wondering if the A-S1100 or even the A-S801 would have the oomph and fullness and sparkle like a Pioneer SX-1010, a beast. I sat and listened critically to my Kenwood KA-9100 and quickly switched back to the Pioneer. Both need work / restoration. Does the power / clarity of the Yamahas feel as warm powerful and inviting as these vintage watts? I see the 801 is literally a different class, but does it hold up?

You might want to do a search over at the Steve Hoffman site. There's lots of info on the Yamaha A-S series of amps there.
 
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