+1 for the Emotiva TA100. Just picked one up today and hooked it up to my Monitor Audio Bronze speakers. Very well made and good presentation. Sounds terrific. Tipping point for me was the optical input, which allows me to use a toslink on my Chromecast Audio. The Emotiva has a better DAC and the sound improvement is noticeable.
Integrated or Receiver?
That is the question.
As my luck would have it, my near 30 year old Denon PMA520 integrated amp is apparently on its way out. I've already spent $150 to fix one problem only to have one channel all but vanish (can hear some high end audio but it is faint) and the other channel cuts in and out. Since I had the unit cleaned just a few weeks ago and the noise that had cropped up in deep bass, I would have to believe this is another problem and would require additional servicing at additional cost.
The way I see it, this is throwing good money after bad. Will probably scrap this thing and will buy something new.
Since my budget is going to be under $400 right now thanks to a slew of other expenses that take priority, I am wondering if I should just settle for a basic entry level amp like the Yamaha 301 or Onkyo 9050 or purchase a Receiver from Yamaha or some other company that is fairly inexpensive and use that for a couple of years until I can buy a better integrated amp when I should have more money to budget for it.
Any thoughts on this?
As my luck would have it, my near 30 year old Denon PMA520 integrated amp is apparently on its way out. I've already spent $150 to fix one problem only to have one channel all but vanish (can hear some high end audio but it is faint) and the other channel cuts in and out. Since I had the unit cleaned just a few weeks ago and the noise that had cropped up in deep bass, I would have to believe this is another problem and would require additional servicing at additional cost.
The way I see it, this is throwing good money after bad. Will probably scrap this thing and will buy something new.
Since my budget is going to be under $400 right now thanks to a slew of other expenses that take priority, I am wondering if I should just settle for a basic entry level amp like the Yamaha 301 or Onkyo 9050 or purchase a Receiver from Yamaha or some other company that is fairly inexpensive and use that for a couple of years until I can buy a better integrated amp when I should have more money to budget for it.
Any thoughts on this?
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- 54 posts total
Somehow with the last series or two of amps, Yamaha has changed the sound. I don’t believe they changed the sound much, if at all. One reviewer compared the new A-S2100 to the old CA2010 and claimed they sounded identical. A member of another forum I frequent compared the 501 to his early 90s Yamaha (I forget which model) and claimed they were very close. I think some of the impressions of "bright" sound come from their cheap, BB level AVRs, which do have a "smiley face" EQ curve for home theater applications. When I bought the A-S500, I was replacing a $200 Yamaha AVR. The difference was night and day. I also think these claims are attributable to their accuracy with certain tones, like those from strings and piano. I have guitars, a viola, and an electric piano at home. Though I’m not the musician in my family, I know how instruments are supposed to sound, and the Yamahas nail it better than all other amps I’ve heard fore or since, with the exception of Exposure. Others lack the "air" of real instruments. I think some may mistake this for brightness. Lastly, some amps have an emphasis in the 200 to 500 Hz range that give an impression of warmth. The Parasound Halo does this. It’s slight but definitely there. I think some refer to this as "smooth" or "smoky." What they’re really hearing is an unnatural tonal balance. So when they hear a Yamaha amp through a YouTube video (where I suspect many are getting their "auditions"), they immediately dismiss it as "lean" or "bright." However, if these same folks were to strum a guitar or play a piano prior to their auditions, I have no doubt whatsoever that they’d find the Yamahas produce the more natural sound. I too have a very low tolerance for bright and fatiguing gear. Even though I’ve had subjectively "warmer" amps in my systems, they were far more fatiguing over sustained listening. Since you like your current Yamaha, I have little doubt that you’d have any issues with the new pieces. |
if you listen to fm broadcast then you should be happy with just about any yamaha reciever. i bought one a few years ago for my nephew as a graduation present and he is thrilled with it. if not, then i'd take a look at the Cambridge Audio Topaz AM10 Integrated Amp. audio advisor has it for $300 and it gets great reviews. it has an integrated phone stage input and bass/treble controls which i am a fan of. then go for a turntable and an am/fm tuner at a later date http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CATOAM10 |
I will follow through on researching some of the other suggestions later this week when I have a little spare time. Busy with work right now. Don't have a day off again until a week from Sunday. I just did a little test and found that bi wiring is clearly better than a single pair of speaker cables. I can hear instruments in more precise locations and notes that previously were either difficult to hear or not heard at all. I will only buy a integrated amp that can be bi wired at this point. |
- 54 posts total