The Yamaha A-S801 is not a device you must sell your home before buying it but its set of feature makes it look this way. Packed with options, this integrated amplifier will serve you well, no matter the music source.
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The Yamaha A-S801's internal DAC uses an ESS Technology 32-bit ES9010K2M chip to play PCM files up to 384kHz/32-bit and DSD files up to DSD128. That is the range that encompasses most of the audio files from your computer. Status lights on the front panel indicate the sampling rate and DSD speed of a digital file being played. There are three digital inputs: asynchronous USB 2.0 on a USB Type B connector, coaxial on an RCA connector, and optical on a TosLink connector, which together will accommodate most digital sources.
You can add aptX Bluetooth connectivity by plugging Yamaha’s YBA-11 Bluetooth wireless adapter into the digital coaxial input jack. That lets devices such as smartphones and tablets - except iOS devices that don’t support aptX, sorry iPhone fans - connect wirelessly. There is also a USB Type A jack, the type you know very well from your computer. It powers the YBA-11 so you don’t need a separate power supply for the YBA.
The A-S801 has five analog line inputs: labeled Line 1, 2, 3, CD, and Tuner, and a moving-magnet phono input for true Hi-Fi fans. It has a single line-level output jack for connecting a subwoofer and it supports 2.1 speaker systems. The Line 2 and 3 inputs have both record and playback jacks and that will come hand for all you out there with a working tape deck. It is nice to see a support for a fature that once ruled the audio world: open-reel and cassette tape machines.
In order to effectively dampen the vibrations that have adverse effects on sound quality, the A-S801 chassis has a double bottom design with a 1 mm iron plate. In addition, the power transformer and heat sinks in the power amp section are supported by an extremely strong and stable ART (Anti-Resonance and Tough) base. With 100 W x 2-ch on frequency 20 Hz - 20 kHz, and all digital amenities it has to offer, The Yamaha A-S801 is an excellent way to step into Hi-Fi world for all music lovers that want superior sound at affordable price. ■
