Yamaha MX-D1

Anyone ever hear this? It's suppose to be a good sounding amp. Seen a couple pop up for sale of late. It looks pretty impressive from a build quality standpoint. Stereophile actually give it a good review.

Have not yet heard a class d amp I really liked, but this could be different. 500 WPC is nothing to sneeze at.

I don't think Yamaha made any money with it, but they do that with their statement pieces from time to time. I'm kind of surprised they didn't pursue Class D further.

I've used a Yamaha MX-D1 for extended periods in my main system. It's a superb amplifier.

Thanks, Mark. I have a pair of excellent sounding (but very hungry) ATC SCM 19 speakers. I would think they would benefit nicely from the extra power provided by the MX-D1. It will be connected to a Innersound (Coda 05R) preamp.

How does it compare with amps like the Pass Labs X series, or the MX-10000?

Freo-1 said:

Thanks, Mark. I have a pair of excellent sounding (but very hungry) ATC SCM 19 speakers. I would think they would benefit nicely from the extra power provided by the MX-D1. It will be connected to a Innersound (Coda 05R) preamp.

How does it compare with amps like the Pass Labs X series, or the MX-10000?

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Having heard all of those amps I can say the biggest difference is that the Pass Labs X series and MX-10000 have better bass slam. The MX-D1 is a powerhouse that drives any load with ease. It is far more rugged than the Pass in that regard.

Good to hear. The ATC speakers are monitors after all, so they are used with a SVS 13 Ultra for the bottom bass register.

The Pass Labs gear sounds very good, but honestly, I actually think the Yamaha A-S2000 sounds better than the INT-150 (better perceived dynamics). Looking forward to trying out the MX-D1. :thmbsp:

An AK'er friend of mine with a MEE was quite impressed with the digital technology in the MX-D1. In his opinion the amp is still state of the art. Yamaha has a long and deep history with digital processing.

That's good feedback. Over at another audio site, there is a Hypex crowd that thinks only NCore amps are worth (class D) owning. They get pretty touchy if you do not agree with them, as they take it as a slight on this product. :tears:

I have not heard a class D amp I've wanted to keep yet. Something in their presentation is just off. I'm hoping the MX-D1 is what I'm looking for. It certainly looks like it has what it takes from the engineering standpoint.

The old Sony S-Master Pro sounded pretty good for class D, but Sony abandoned it. I hope Yamaha comes back and makes more audiophile class D amps.

Mark B said:

An AK'er friend of mine with a MEE was quite impressed with the digital technology in the MX-D1. In his opinion the amp is still state of the art. Yamaha has a long and deep history with digital processing.

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I found this quote from Bruno Putzeys which frankly, seems a bit opinionated, which is surprising to say the least:

" Apparently the MXD1 uses a flash converter followed by a digital pulse width modulator. This is of course an unnecessary complication. The same result is obtained by an analogue PWM circuit.

It is a typically Japanese phenomenon to add circuitry for the sake of "more proprietary technology" without reaping any technical benefit. Usually the results are worse than what the simple solution would have done. Sometimes a large number of extra measures have to be taken in order to counteract the negative effects produced by the added technology."

If anything, I would think this design feature is one of the things that separates the sonic signature of the MX-D1 from other class D amps.

Other than this, it seems that there nothing but positive press on the MX-D1. I hope Yamaha re-enters the high end class D market at some point.

Michael Fremer's Stereophile review of the MX-D1 in April 2005 was quite positive. I found it decidedly odd however, that the sample MX-D1 that was reviewed was not fully functional.

In the "Measurements" section of the review, John Atkinson remarked:

"Although the MX-D1 features XLR jacks for balanced drive, these didn't appear to be functional on our sample. I ran tests using only the unbalanced RCA jacks, therefore."


I think you will be very pleased with the MX-D1.

Thanks, Mark. It should arrive tomorrow. Will post observations in a week or so, but expecting the amp to sound great.

Amp arrived today. It looks much more impressive in person than it does in pictures. I have to do some serious listening, but so far, I'm very impressed.

Sounds quite different than the other class D amps I've heard, much more musical. No 2D with this, as it has lots of depth. I think this is definitely a keeper!

Glad that it arrived safely.

Looking forward to hearing your impressions.

First impressions are summed up in one word: "WOW". Had no idea that any amp (especially a Class D amp) could sound like this.

I still love my tube amps, but this amp can provide a very satisfying musical experience.

After listening to this for a few days, my initial impression is that the MX-D1 is one of the finest sounding solid state amps I've ever had the pleasure to audition. You would never peg the sound coming from it as anything but incredibly musical, and certainly not typical Class D.

The sound from the amp exhibits a natural presence that very few amps can match, with a warmth that I've never heard from any Class D amp to date. It is a real pleasure to hear the positive effects 500 watts can have on the music reproduction. There is also real depth to the sound stage (at least with my speakers). I also find the imaging to be quite good. Instruments seem to be presented with fairly precise location, and a symphony sounds very much like one hears at a symphony hall. The bass does not have the last bit of slam, but, I think it is ACCURATE. It sounds very much like what one hears live, where bass is felt as much as heard (no mid bass hump).

In summary, I can't understand how this amp didn't see more success. Yamaha got this one right, to be sure. I wonder if Yamaha were to introduce an updated audiophile Class D amp in today's market, would it see better success? I would think the market has changed since it was first released, and perhaps it would be better received in today's environment.

I'm very happy to get this amp, which will not be going anywhere anytime soon.

still kicking myself for not giving the amp a chance to burn in before i ditched it in favor of a B-1. if you want to briefly relive the unboxing of a NIB MX-D1, click here and flip through the next few photos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/112229697173063763134/SpeakersEtc#5415937715492447314

Would you mind posting an update on your MX-D1?

Mark B said:

Would you mind posting an update on your MX-D1?

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Sure.

Most of my initial listening impressions remain. It is an outstanding sounding amp, and can play music a bit louder and still sound clean due to its high power output.

The only knit I have is that I'm finding that lower level detail sounds like some of it is missing compared to a conventional Class A amp, such as a Electrocompaniet A2-120. I attribute this to the unit being a Class D amp.

On the positive side, it has a midrange presence that is similar to a high quality tube amp.

In summary, still a step above the norm, but not quite at the top. Very musically satisfying, and the best Class D I've heard to date. :thmbsp:

Thank you for sharing your impression of the amp.