Yamaha A-S3000 arrived...

Even the non-budget Yamahas are a great value, in my opinion.

 

Like the Halo going for $2500 while the Mac goes for $7000 ...

 

I can't speak for such a comparison. The only time I've experienced a Mac amp was during an audition of some awful sounding GE Triton speakers.

As for the A-S500, if my other amps disappeared tomorrow, I think I could happily live with it long term, it really is that good.

I think this review/test accurately describes its capability and sleeper status:

http://i.nextmedia.com.au/avhub/aus...aha_as500_amplifier_review_and_test_lores.pdf

 

One of my buddies wants to buy a A-S3000 to replace his big McIntosh tube unit-

 

How much does that big McIntosh tube amp weigh again?

 

I don't know exactly but it is no lightweight.

 

For Mac, even its first Class D model will weigh 70 lbs ...

 

I have been hesitant, after hearing several reports of the A-S3000 going into protection mode, not turning back on and requiring a lengthy repair. How common is this problem? Does this malfunction also affect the A-S2100?

 

Well, im ordering my 3000 in December.

Ive heard reports of the odd problem but I've had problems with every brand I've ever owned so go figure!

 

I also don't care about resale value as apart from Naim & Linn, nearly every brand loses value. I had an Arcam A49 fir a few weeks and when I sold it I lost over half the value!

 

Why Yamaha doesn't offer silver faceplate in combination with brown side panels? Or it maybe does for some markets?

 

I think they did/do for the 1100, but not for the higher end models? I would've preferred it to the silver w/ piano black on my 2100.

 

I have dark brown on mind, as seen on the black models. Think there wasn't such combination.

 

Have never seen a dark brown, only the piano black and "natural".

 

Found another one, kind of cool-

 

I just write to thank you and contribute to the forum that helped me.
I've had a Yamaha a-s2100 for three years. To those who wonder how it sounds, I have to say that wonderfully. Never shiny or aggressive. Deep and open. I've got him hooked up to a B&W CM9. As a player I use an Oppo 105. Turntables with Denon MC 301II capsule.
A few days ago, there was a small "blink" of electrical energy and the Yamaha stopped working and was left with the power light blinking. The rest of the components continued to function normally, but my A-S2100 didn't work anymore. It wasn't overheating, because my listening room is air-conditioned and it's been there for three years and nothing had ever happened before, plus I was listening at a low level.
That's when looking for information I found this wonderful forum and especially the data provided by PTW who revealed the procedure of turning the balance knob, while holding the attenuator switch down and turning on the gear.
I did that. But to my sad surprise, it didn't work.
I disassembled the equipment and checked the fuse. Everything's perfect and there's no smell of burning. I put it all together again and prepared it for Yamaha service.
The next day, in the morning, and remembering the PTW sharing procedure, I decided to try other combinations of buttons and switches. After several failed attempts, I found one that worked!!

This is the combination that worked.
Balance button: Totally right.
Bass button: Totally right.
Treble button: Totally right.
Attenuator button: Hold down.
In this state, turn on the equipment and ... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! He's turned it on!!

Now it's working perfectly, as usual.
I guess it'll come in handy for someone.

Analyzing what happened and taking into account what I could learn from the internet, I came to the conclusion that there must be a particular sensitivity to the power supply current.
So, I guess it would be wise to take precautions and install a power conditioner or UPS.

Thank you PTW. Without your input, I would never have imagined that there would be a combination of buttons to reconfigure an A-S2100 to factory settings.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

 

I just write to thank you and contribute to the forum that helped me.
I've had a Yamaha a-s2100 for three years. To those who wonder how it sounds, I have to say that wonderfully. Never shiny or aggressive. Deep and open. I've got him hooked up to a B&W CM9. As a player I use an Oppo 105. Turntables with Denon MC 301II capsule.
A few days ago, there was a small "blink" of electrical energy and the Yamaha stopped working and was left with the power light blinking. The rest of the components continued to function normally, but my A-S2100 didn't work anymore. It wasn't overheating, because my listening room is air-conditioned and it's been there for three years and nothing had ever happened before, plus I was listening at a low level.
That's when looking for information I found this wonderful forum and especially the data provided by PTW who revealed the procedure of turning the balance knob, while holding the attenuator switch down and turning on the gear.
I did that. But to my sad surprise, it didn't work.
I disassembled the equipment and checked the fuse. Everything's perfect and there's no smell of burning. I put it all together again and prepared it for Yamaha service.
The next day, in the morning, and remembering the PTW sharing procedure, I decided to try other combinations of buttons and switches. After several failed attempts, I found one that worked!!
This is the combination that worked.
Balance button: Totally right.
Bass button: Totally right.
Treble button: Totally right.
Attenuator button: Hold down.
In this state, turn on the equipment and ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!He's turned it on!!
Now it's working perfectly, as usual.
I guess it'll come in handy for someone.

Analyzing what happened and taking into account what I could learn from the internet, I came to the conclusion that there must be a particular sensitivity to the power supply current.
So, I guess it would be wise to take precautions and install a power conditioner or UPS.

Thank you PTW. Without your input, I would never have imagined that there would be a combination of buttons to reconfigure an A-S2100 to factory settings.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

 

I know this is an old thread but couldn't find a more appropriate place to post...

I'd dearly love the 3000 (because I like the larger meters and the more stylish top plate!) but my budget won't stretch.

So I am trying to decide between the 1100 and 2100. Apart from the bit of extra power, what's the difference?

I will only be using the phono input. Is it exactly the same on all models?

 

Probably best if someone with experience of both models answers your question, but from what I know, the main differences between the two models is that the A-S2100 has a discreet headphone amp with volume control and an extra (balanced) input. The input sensitivity figures appear to be the same between them but the A-S2100 has slightly better S/N figures for both line-level and phono inputs: the latter plus the addition of a front panel switch to change between MM/MC phono cartridges makes me think the A-S2100 may also have a slightly different & better phono stage. Both models appear to have identical power output figures.

I bought an A-S1100 a year ago - at that time there was £1000GBP difference in price between the two and I'm doubtful that the differences would have necessarily justified the extra for me. However, if the price differential is less significant now, the A-S2100 may be worth the extra.

 

I love my 1100. The phono stage is easily on par with my Lounge LCR. The 2100 has a better S/N ratio, but the 1100 is the quietest amp I've experienced and it's hard for me to imagine it can be improved upon in any audible sense. The 2100 does have larger power supply caps, so it should have more balls for dynamic swings, but OTOH, the 1100 has 72,000 microfarads, which is almost double that of most amps in this range.

 

I would have liked to buy the a-s3000, but my budget doesn't allow it. I've had an A-s2100 for a few years, and I'm very happy.
The obvious differences between the A S-2100 and the A-S1100 are in the phono preamplifier, and the balanced inputs. (Surely many more) I use both and it's great. If you want to use moving coil cartridges, choose the a-s2100.
In my case, Oppo 105 connected by balanced inputs and Vinyl with the Denon DL310II capsule. Pleasure to meet you. to my ears, vinyl sounds better than Tidal with this configuration.

 

What's the figure on the 2100? Where it is mentioned? Can't locate it in the manual.

Any source for this? I can see only the different mm/mc switch position, but can't find info if the phono board is different.

 

I believe it's 80k or 88k. I came across the spec once but can't find it now. It definitely has larger caps than the 1100.

 

The A-S2100 integrated is fully balanced from input to output. It sports a single pair of traditional XLR for full-fledged balanced but also does internal conversion of the single ended inputs to balanced. The junior sibling A-S1100 moves to a layout of entirely separate circuits for balanced and single ended and gives up the conversion.


Power supplies on the A-S2100 and A-S1100 are somewhat different. Caps in the 2100 spec out at 22'000µF per cap x 4 vs. 18'000µF per cap x 4 for the 1100. Between the 2100 and flagship 3000, the most interesting divergence lies in the transformer. It shows that Yamaha aren't playing a deceptive bigger-is-better numbers game. "The A-S3000 has actually a slightly smaller toroidal transformer of 626VA vs. the slightly larger EI in the A-S2100 but the 3000 in fact sounds more powerful because its internal impedance is very low." Each of the models offer left/right symmetrical designs in escalating levels of sophistication and also attacks resonance control with increasing levels of mechanical isolation and rigidity in relation to their price tags. The flagship A-S3000 and the A-S2100 receive the benefit of height-adjustable spiked feet with the ingenious incorporation of removable magnetic padded caps for a choice of contact interface on whatever surface they will rest upon.