I had to get a remote-controlled amplifier in place of the old one that didn’t have this convenience and that was already having problems, especially with the volume potentiometer, which made noise and distortion during use (dangerous for the speakers), and sometimes also a hum in one channel, or the sound would almost disappear in it, or only treble would come out, maybe distorted too, so that I could give it a good touch-up and make it like new, which was done.
But I’m going to stick with the remote-controlled one, of course, because it makes life easier.
I bought this budget Yamaha, which has received quite good reviews and had all the connections I wanted (I bought it a year to a year and a half ago, but I connected it only a few weeks ago because it was a big process and I kept putting it off, but it couldn’t go on any longer with the previous amplifier).
And now my opinion.
Flat, or (even worse) with pure direct, it doesn’t sound as good as it should, i.e. it doesn’t convince you (I changed my original wording so as not to be so harsh). It is a somewhat small, narrow, flat-surfaced, and slightly empty sound (very clean of course, but that is not enough; it lacks body, size, and the feeling that what you hear is real, actual), especially at low volumes. Turning the bass knob 75 to 90 degrees (or even quite a bit less) to the right, everything falls into place and it plays JUST FINE. It fills out, gains substance, becomes sweeter, and pleases you.
I had read in some test that this helps, but it doesn’t just help, it is necessary, as far as I can see.
If you have some huge speakers that dig out bass where there isn’t any and have a massive sound with a three-dimensional, vast soundstage, it will probably play without problems even flat, but that will be due to the speakers.
Its treble is not of the best quality either, but there is no particular problem (better, though, if your speakers are a little gentle in the high frequencies).
So, a budget amplifier with almost all the conveniences and connections, which needs help in the bass. Yes, for its category, good, but with the extra bass. I have no problem with it (my old one was more expensive and clearly on another level, but I don’t mind at all).
It has a freshness in its sound and a good midrange.
One more thing: this loudness is really baffling. In the classic loudness, with just a blessed little button you press, the bass and treble are boosted and, in the end, the volume too (since two ranges are boosted). Here, where it is adjustable, the more you turn it up, the more the output power drops, i.e. the sound gets quieter, and if you read the amplifier, at the maximum loudness we reach -30 dB. What is this thing? Apart from being incomprehensible, that is, if you set the loudness high and play at a high volume, if you make the mistake of suddenly turning it off, you’ll bring down the apartment building and the whole block, and you’ll also destroy your eardrum and burn out the speakers; a small matter, of course, since the entire apartment building will have been destroyed. Unless they have foreseen such a case and have safety systems (and Yamaha is very good at this, don’t ask me why I say that, I did find it out), or something I don’t know or don’t understand well (but at -30 dB there may no longer be the concept of “quite loud”/high volume; however, there will (logically) be, suddenly, the “extremely loud” if you can cancel loudness abruptly), I tried loudness only a little but I say I won’t risk it.
And I forgot: build quality, remote control, appearance, all seem excellent to me.
Although I don’t like an amplifier not playing flat the way I want, I have no reason not to consider it a good purchase since it plays the way I want it to, well, with bass boost. If some people absolutely want pure direct for the best, unhindered, and unaffected transfer of sound to the speakers (which gives another kind of clarity, that is undeniable), for me they should buy another amplifier. Unless they accept its sound as it is, which, as I can see, is what happens. I, however, find it hard to listen to it flat, and I have no issue as long as I hear it well enough to convince me, with bass boost (and I’m not even a bass fanatic; the midrange is the critical area for me, so I’ll play a little more with the bass boost, i.e. reduce that increase I’ve made a bit, to help the midrange area (the amplifier’s strong point), maybe it will be better, in other words to find the best compromise between body and midrange). In any case, flat, whatever we say, the bass is somewhat downgraded and does not fill out the sound so you feel body, substance.
In general, don’t expect miracles in a budget category and be disappointed. It is a truly VERY GOOD effort from YAMAHA (no one disagrees with that), it is worth the money, and yes, I am satisfied. It is an amplifier for 4 stars.
S.D.