New A-S501! First Evening Impressions.

Klappco

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Wow! Arrived today. This replaces my CR-640 that has been struggling for a while. It has a channel that is troublesome and I am tired of fixing and cleaning it out. Got the Silver version.



Looks: Beautiful - a very classic look and has metal knobs (some had stated it might have plastic). An understated elegance to the look. AS one who came of age in the 1970's I appreciate this look. Looks like the amps the rich guys in my fraternity house had back then. :D



Sound: Clear and tidy. Paired with my Klipsch KG 2.5 speakers it sounds very nice. Good balance of sound. I have listened to LP versions of Crime of the Century, Random Access Memories, and Grover Washington Jr's Winelighting on my UTurn Orbit Plus with a Grado Blue cartridge and 8MZ stylus. Will be trying some classical later on but all of these sounded more alive than I have been used to. I am hearing nuances to the recordings that were lacking, something I was suspecting was due to the speakers needing to be recapped.



I have mostly been running in the Pure Direct mode which sounds really good to me. In regular mode with tone controls adjusted a bit is sounds good too. I will be spending a great deal of time playing around with this.



DAC: I have been using a Maverick DAC with upgraded tube and chips for digital playback from iTunes through my Apple TV box. The DAC in the Yamaha sounds good. I will be doing a comparison seen. DAC input has quite a bit more volume that the phono input. Very clear sound.



Tuner: I have an Adcom GFT-555 II that I will be hooking up in a few days. Looking forward to hearing it.



CD: Using my Sony Bluray player for CD. Tried Tommy Emmanuel's Christmas album (was on top of the pile) and it sounded great. Acoustic guitar is very realistic. Will be trying others soon.



Summary: I am exceptionally pleased with this amp thus far. I give it high marks in all areas at my initial impression. Will update soon as I try more things. And gosh does it look wonderful. I am a musician by training, now retired from that biz, and it is important to me that instruments sound like they really sound in the recordings I listen to. This unit seems to do just that. :tresbon:
 
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thank your for your first impressions, I'm looking forward for a full review!
I really like the A-S501 for its look and so I'm glad to know it sounds good too!
IMHO it has only three minor design flaws:
- the "blank space" on the left should have been used for a couple of VU-meters
- Yamaha should have used regular knobs for loudness and tone controls and the "signature" vertical selector for inputs, not the other way...
- the side panels should have been mad of wood, or at least Yamaha should sell wood side panels as an option (also after-market)
I hope to have the chance to listen to it very soon and to buy to replace my old Denon PMA-320.
 
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Congrats! As an AS500 owner, though in black, I think the sound is very effortless and pleasing. I think you will be in for a long, beautiful ride with this amp!
 
I'm sure I will be settled for quite a while. It was this or a planer for my workshop. The amp won out.


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Congratulations! I too run a a-s500 and love it's sound; classic Yamaha! I'd love a 501 for the dac but I have the iPod dock and that sounds great. If you love the Yamaha sound you're in good hands:yes:
 
Always been a Yamaha lover. Been through several CR units over the years.


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