yamaha as500 as good as pioneer a400

[admin_exported]

yamaha as500 as good as pioneer a400 when partnered with mission 751's ? suitable cd player too ?
system to reside in a standard sized kitchen
listen to all types of music

 

[audioaffair]

Welcome to the forum. Tricky question as the A400 is well loved and still considered a classic today. To my ears, I would suggest the Yamaha A-S500 is better but haven't listened to them side by side. The A400 can be had for less but with the A-S500 you get the full warranty and more of a guarantee it should last being trouble free (whilst I loved the A400 it is 20 years old now!)

You could always take a punt and try both?

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers audioaffair for the reply,

I bought a brand new Pioneer A400 when they first entered the market, I loved it but as you have pointed out it is now 20 years old! With the Yamaha at least you get a Manufacturer's Warranty and are able to demo it in a shop. I have seen the Pioneers sell for anything from £80-£150, whereas the Yamaha sells from £225-£330!

Wondering as to which Speakers/CD Player would have great synergy with the Yamaha ?
I have got a pair of Mission 751's!

Cheers

 

[audioaffair]

You could use the Mission's with the Yamaha but again, you could try something newer to see if you think its worth an upgrade in both areas - the Wharfedale 10.1 are a good match for the Yamaha A-S500. I'd suggest listening to this combo against your A400 and Missions.

 

[plastic penguin]

Cheers audioaffair for the reply,

I bought a brand new Pioneer A400 when they first entered the market, I loved it but as you have pointed out it is now 20 years old! With the Yamaha at least you get a Manufacturer's Warranty and are able to demo it in a shop. I have seen the Pioneers sell for anything from £80-£150, whereas the Yamaha sells from £225-£330!

Wondering as to which Speakers/CD Player would have great synergy with the Yamaha ?
I have got a pair of Mission 751's!

Cheers

Take the Pioneer into the dealers and compare with the Yam. Alternatively, buy a Yam from a dealer (most have a returns policy) and see how it stacks up...

 

[Memphismusic]

Hi,

I have an A400, a Yamaha AV amp AX863SE and also a new Marantz 6003 amp.

The A400 is still the best all round listen and seems to work well with any speakers i have thrown at it.

The newer Marantz sounds tighter than the A400 and has good stereo image, but i wouldn't say better. The AS500 is meant to be better than the PM6003 - When i contacted a dealer he told me it was a more airy lighter sound than the 6003, so i avoided it.

I would strongly recommend going in and listening to the AS500 with a decent set of new speakers like the MX2's or MA RX2's as i am finding most new Hi-Fi kit lacking compared to equipment like the older - Cyrus 1 amp, A400 amp, Wharefdale 420's speakers, Pioneer PD8700 CD (one of the first stable platters) which i could listen to for ever without any low or high problems.

I hope this helps

 

[matthewpiano]

I've had both the A-S500 and the Marantz PM6003 and would say the Marantz is the better all-rounder. The PM6003 is a great amp and my favourite of all the £300 options.

 

[the record spot]

You could use the Mission's with the Yamaha but again, you could try something newer to see if you think its worth an upgrade in both areas - the Wharfedale 10.1 are a good match for the Yamaha A-S500. I'd suggest listening to this combo against your A400 and Missions.

Must admit AA, if the 10.1s outgun the Missions, I'll eat my hat. The 751s take some beating even today, nearly 20 years on. I wouldn't put the Wharfeys in the same room myself, no matter how good a designer Peter Comeau is or what he managed to do with the budget available!

 

[audioaffair]

I recommended trying the Wharfedale 10.1 as they are some of the most impressive sub £200 speakers I've heard in the last year - if budget permits, the Mission 792 (still available) or 792SE are an impressive option.

Like in many cases though, I'd recommending bringing your amp and current speakers to your dealer to try against some alternatives.

 

[eddie_baby]

I would love to do a side by side of the newer yamaha amp and the A400, the A400 was and still is a superb amp for high quality detailed, clear audio the only thing that bothers me with the A400 now is its age.

And Ive owned both those speakers the wharfdales will not touch the mission 751, speaker technology hasnt changed that much and the mission just outclass them especially with other stereo audiophile gear. But again they are mechanical things and have moving parts and age is a factor that might put me off buying a set now, but if they work well I wouldnt change them, unless you needed bigger speakers.

 

[eddie_baby]

Had a quick demo of the yamaha amp today, not a side by side in depth test but its a great amp, i feel though the orignal A400 was a better amp, for me personally (when it was new that is).

But it is hard to say without demoing them side by side.