The A-S301BL brings to the table many of the best qualities of a Yamaha integrated stereo amplifiers and comes with an affordable price tag.
Pros
- Refined balance
- hefty presentation
- feature-rich
Cons
- Less of a warm tone than more expensive Yamaha amplifiers
- no built-in Bluetooth
This budget integrated amplifier is available in a sleek brushed silver or black finish for the faceplate with thick dimensions of 5.94 x 17.126 x 15.23 inches.
It is not a discrete unit that could put some buyers off but it looks great and would be a standout in an eye-catching hi-fi system.
The front of the unit has dials for loudness, left/right balance, bass, treble, and input selection.
There is also a headphone output, speaker selection, and Yamaha’s patented pure direct mode which bypasses tone controls to send the signal directly to the speakers.
Sound
You will achieve a familiar Yamaha sound from this amplifier although some users report that the more expensive models produce a slightly warmer tone. It has a hefty yet refined sound that has a particularly strong mid-range.
The out of the box balance is fairly neutral but you can play with the dials to get a tone that is more suitable for your listening preferences. The dynamics of this amp are also more than acceptable for a budget amplifier displaying an adequate comprehension of large shifts and precise movements.
Specs & Features
- RMS power @8ohms 60w, @4ohms 70w
- Max power 190W
- Frequency response 10 Hz-100kHz
- Dimensions (h.w.d) 5.94 x 17.126 x 15.23 inches
- Weight 19.84lb
This unit comes with a range of inputs including several analog RCA connections, one coaxial, one optical connection and a phono stage to accommodate turntables with a moving magnet circle.
In terms of outputs, there are two speaker terminals and one subwoofer output. The back of the unit also has an impedance selector and DC USB power terminal. There is a built-in DAC with this amplifier to convert your digital music from streaming services.
Yamaha A-S301 vs Yamaha A-S501
The Yamaha A-S501 is the more powerful version of the A-S301 with an RMS power of 85 at 8ohms compared to 60w on the A-S301. The inputs/outputs, appearance is exactly the same with an almost identical sound output aside from the extra power and volume from the larger unit.
Yamaha A-S301 vs Marantz PM5005
The Yamaha unit offers higher output and a lower frequency response range of 60w at 8ohms and 20Hz respectively. The Marantz unit is running 40w at 8ohms and a frequency range of 40Hz to 200KHz. The Yamaha is also cheaper than the Marantz PM5005 and has digital inputs that are lacking in the competition. The PM5005 has a warmer tone than the Yamaha amp and could be more suited for analog listening.
We also compared Yamaha vs Denon receivers here.
Video
You can find an in-depth review of of the A-S301 here
Last update on 2022-03-01 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API