Yamaha A-S500

[sureesh40]

Hi

Where is the AS500 made, in China?

 

[Helmut80]

sureesh40:
Hi

Where is the AS500 made, in China?

handmade by innocent children on an organic farm in Northern Wales

 

[xtsili]

As far as I know the AS 700 is made in Malaysia

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, mine says "made in Malaysia" on the back. No mention of organic farms...

VMat

 

[Anonymous]

Most Yamaha audio stuff has been made in Malaysia since the mid 90's, I have an RX-300 and AX-300 that are made in Japan plus an AX-390 that is made in Malaysia.

 

[ear]

Yamaha fan yess?

 

[manicm]

What has the country of manufacture got to with the price of eggs? When Krell's latest CD player is made in You Know Where, you know the writing is on the wall.

Get over it.

 

[Anonymous]

ear:Yamaha fan yess?

No I ride a Kawasaki (and cut my lawn with a Honda) ;-)

Seriously I reckon Yamaha have always had it right regarding amps.

 

[Helmut80]

Childs1962:
ear:Yamaha fan yess?

No I ride a Kawasaki (and cut my lawn with a Honda) ;-)

Seriously I reckon Yamaha have always had it right regarding amps.

would be much better off riding a Honda of course

 

[GCE]

In hifi shop the seller told me "don't buy AS 500 for B&W dm1800 ( year 1990) speakers or you'll go crazy for the brightness and high freq of the amp; better NAD 326; i love the sound of my 2 way B&W, strong on bass, and i wish know difference between the 2 amps

 

[Cypher]

A-S500 ; a very revealing sound. Maybe a bit aggressive and cold sound, clinical. Lots of detail.

C-326BEE ; A very musical sound. Warmer than the Yamaha. Enough detail and the sound is never aggressive.

Just my opinion.

 

[GCE]

My actual amp pre & power are Quad 34 & 306 (1999), very musical and smooth, but lacking some input and perhaps in bass punch, so I think to change, budget 500? (430£) - I am afraid that Nad C326 has too dry high freq. and Yamaha A-S500 too present middle freq or annoying high freq. - in Florence they are selling in hifi shop: Yamaha 360 ? and Nad 470 ? + 90 prephono = 560 ? ( 480 £). I've listen to Yamaha A-S700 with 2-way floor st. Proac, it seemed articulated in low and not so bright and cold in middle-high - never seen the A-S500 - I'm waiting for any suggestion and comparison referred to these 2 amps: what's the best with my speakers (B&W 1800, 2 way reflex )?

 

[Zax89swe]

I had critizize the A-s500 when it arrived around a week ago, very much becouse of the harsh thing, This baby CAN be soft to the ears and let vocalist sing without killing the sound all with rythmic, details and dynamics.

For me around 3 a clock on loadness control and around half on bass seems to highly improve sound quality to my ears and setup (bx2), more softness and more air and little more details, With this settings the volyme is reduced much but I think its enought to "max" the speaker but its a risk of pushing "pure mode" when it might rise the sound pressure to very critical levels.
(My soundcard wasnt in full register mode and is now in 96khz but im not sure if it gave any benefits.)

 

[Zax89swe]

One of the bx2 speakers had wrong + - , changed it and im stunned... bass min, treble 7.5clock loudness 5clock like the only settings worth listen to at wrong setup. Only very little harsh at vocals else its sounds perfect, maybe complete burn-in take care of the rest... amazing quality on those tweeters...

Id probebly been childish when I express myself, here. but I found it quite odd that the transformer was running cold

Cant belive it sound this very nice scale......... Hans zimmer-mambosa loudest i can and not a muff or stuzz.

 

[GCE]

Can you post a picture of the AS 500's front to exactly show the positions of the tone and loudness controls? or send to me (labfis51@gmail.com) Can you describe the bass and treble response of this amp? thanks a lot

 

[Zax89swe]

Knobs http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/847/img20110606115043.jpg/

Full system http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/28/img20110606115104.jpg/

Im not beliving this is the absolute setting but it works well, think cd-input makes it clearer but also little more ss but im not sure, Drive through modded x-fi soundcard and bit correct witch clearly open up the sound.

The loudness was slightly 1mm less and it sound better very nice tone, im a small beliver that loudness should be at same angle as the chip inside but the bass seems to overpower.

Avatar sound much better then the cinema in the city, well not the scale but my room is small.

 

[GCE]

Due to the very dark (and poor ) pictures sent, I can't understand the tone knobs position, but it sounds like you are making an heavy correction of the sound... Why? perhaps are the high freq. to present or the middle tone to much in evidence? let me know - bye

 

[Zax89swe]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/809/img20110606155517.jpg/

 

[GCE]

IMO, if you set loudness and tone like this, the sound balance remain the same: with loudness you push up treeble and bass, but on the other hand, with this tone controls settings, you decrease them, vanishing the effects; if you have to much bass, try to change speakers position, far from walls, for example; and at last: what is wrong with the AS 500 "sound character", in your opinion? I am interested, because I'm thinking to buy this amp... 8)

 

[Zax89swe]

With overpower bass i mean that the bass distors, I play quite loud i think. If you dont like the sound you can return it back? Okey the top brightness isnt in full control SOMETIMES but rest is superb and my speakers isnt full burned in. Except big sound, dynamic, timings, details it can sound soft and give you the true feeling from voices so its a fine amplifier.

 

[Anonymous]

Well... just to let you know...after two days in agony waiting for my second speaker, that the airline left behind, I finally hooked up the A-S500 + BX5's + DacMagic and I have a small issue: I can't take this

off my face...

I can't compare the sound to other current kits because I haven't heard them, but I know I never had a cleaner sound at home. I noticed in particular that drums and cymbals sound amazingly real.

The buttons on the A-S500 are not as bad as some say, but yes, metal would be better. Another point I'd like to note is that I'd like to have some sort of feedback on the volume level, like a small led in the knob. The engraved pointer on the knob surface is very hard to see from a distance, and impossible to see at low light. However, I'm very satisfied with the looks and functionality. The loudness control works like a charm too (I've used it to listen to some vinyl before my wife woke up - CD's only in pure direct, so far).

Sorry, but I have to go. There's a pile of CD's here waiting to be listened to.

Thank you guys for the opinions.

Cheers!

VMat

I have the same issue on my as2000 amp with seeing the setting on the volume knob, and a led would have been a welcome feature.

Is there anything out there that could be adapted and would allow the setting to be viewed more clearly ?

 

[AmigaNut]

Most Yamaha audio stuff has been made in Malaysia since the mid 90's, I have an RX-300 and AX-300 that are made in Japan plus an AX-390 that is made in Malaysia.

I still have the excellent K 340 cassette deck and its a Jap model.

To deviate slightly but have seen mentioned in this thread,

I wish also that they would bring back analogue VU meters, manys the hour I spent in my youth watching the green backlit ones on my Sanyo music centre as it was playing TDK MA90 metal cassettes.

AmigaNut

 

[dr_snippy]

hi there just purchased a project debut carbon turntable and love it !!! problem is ive got it hooked up to an old akai amp from the 70s ... man ... aynwho was thinking of buying a yamaha a s500 and a set of b&w cm1 what are your thoughts ? i can get the yamaha new for $350 and the B&w cm1s for $1200 in australia.... or are there better options for my hifi turntable only system for this price? i listen to all types of music classical to nick cave to mr bungle.. if this helps and the room size is 50sqm.

thoughts and contributions please:?