She should slowly say YA-MAAA-HAAAA..... with emphasis sustaining the 2,3 and 4th A. That is the trick to the Ya-maaa-haaaaaa sound
Do you have your own 1 sentence "Yamaha sound" synopsis now that you have the gear to inform it? Perhaps you're still letting it come to you in time...You're still burning it in? As in you're running the gear at mid-output for hours and hours at a time? I've always been curious hearing those who say gear takes burn in time versus being ok right out of the box. If audio gear ages like wine...then I'll have to sip it slower...lol.
I have one of those budget amps. An AS-30 for a small space where I want to build a small and simple rig I combined it with a couple of Elac Debut 2.0 B6.2 For now I only listen to cd Something that seems to define those Yamaha amps is that it offers out clearly what comes from your cd player or turntable, there are no artifices there. So simple... good source, good sound. For the rest, I can add that the bass sound is phenomenal, very defined and the treble is not so bright. Very balanced. The loudness control is a nice addition, it does require some fiddling with the volume control, cool for some moment Overall for the price these are great amps
Totally unhelpful comment: when I saw the thread title, the first thing I thought of was the DX-7. I used a medium-grade Yamaha amp for about 20 years until finally replacing it with a Marantz, one year ago yesterday according to social media. It turns out that my universal player is too old for the new amp to play my SACDs, so I have to keep the Yamaha around, at least until I upgrade the player. I've always found it to be a reliable, sturdy piece of hardware. Fairly flat, which sometimes you want, but sometimes you miss having some added colour.
I use the HS5's in my studio and I like to think they sound natural/flat but not boring. Flat as in clear and honest. I can fit long hours in using them too. Headphones usually cause fatigue quicker, but speakers certainly can as well and these don't kill me after 3-5 hours.
How does the RX-500 compare to these higher end models? I've had an RX-500U for a long time which has always sounded pretty good to me.
It is the sound of butterfly wings softly flatting on a lovely spring day near Mt Fuji during the cherry blossom time. Ahhhhh.....
Three months late, but I run my Yamaha AS1200 with Linton 85th speakers, and it sounds great. I've A-B'd some other great amps like Audiolab etc, and imo there is a trade off where you get a bit more resolution on the top end, not to mention more conveniences like an internal dac if you are up Yamaha the range, but on the other hand with Yamaha you'll get a more open holographic sound, bass that digs deeper, bigger sound. I'm drawn more to the open soundstage and the "saturated tones", lets say, so it's an enjoyable listening experience for me. That's my finding with the Yamahas anyhow.
This question is in reference to the RX-75o and RX-950 (from around 1991-92) compared to the RX-500U (about 1984 I think). I cannot answer that question for sure as that series came before the RX-330, 530,730,930 series (1986ish) which came before the RX-_50 series like the 350, 750, 950(1992ish). I was lusting after the TOTL model from that lineup for a while and do like the styling of all the models in the -00 series ("early-mid"80s if memory serves). Having said that, my observations are that Yamahas "natural sound" is quite consistent between models of the same lineup, types of components, and even decades, so I suspect it probably sounds similar. I have an RX-530 that sounds really, really good(this would be the equivalent of your receiver in terms of power but from the subsequent lineup), like it was never used and "electronically preserved" under ideal conditions. Physically it is in brand new condition. I absolutely love the styling and color (champagne metal colored plastic, it also came in silver or black or both) as well.
I have an A-S801. Having compared it to a handful of (more expensive) amplifiers, I would say it sounds neutral and revealing. I would call the AS2200 smooth and full. So, I would not say that Yamaha (overall) has a sound.
That's about my story. I got my 501 new but from the "scratch and dent" department of Crutchfield. I think I paid a little more than $353. I like the slogan "natural sound". Thought, like you I can't comment on other higher priced amps in their or other lines, but I'm very satisfied with the sound I get. I have very modest speakers, Klipsch RP 160M's. (Again, a very good deal from Crutchfield.) Yet them seem to be a good match. The Klipsch are very efficient speakers, while providing a nice warm and detailed sound. Perhaps a little bright at times. The phono preamp of the 501 is fine and, as it seems to me is the headphone amp. Though about a year or so after I bought the 510 I did purchase a separate phonoamp. It was a big improvement. In all, I think the 501 is a good amp especially for one stepping into better a audio setup.
Very true regarding the newer mid level models. I have a Yamaha RXV-4A paired with a Yamaha 550 eq and Elac Debut b6 2.0 / 1010 subwoofer. To me, it sounds very warm with a rolled off high end which I quite enjoy. It seems to personify a 70’s era analogue sound, but I don’t know if that has more to do with the receiver or the speakers.
Yamaha has a natural sound. I've always liked their adjustable loudness switch. I've owned a 2040 for years. They always had great phono stages.
My first real HiFi Was a Yamaha A700 integrated amp Pioneer PL12 and Klipsch KG4 speakers around 1984 I think. I worked my ass off at my first High School job to buy it. I loved it. Best system of any of my friends. I moved on to bigger and better but used the Yamaha through college With better speakers and for a time after in a second system until it died and I couldn't see fixing it as I had so much other gear. Still think that amp sounded as good as anything since given its 100WPC limitations. I think Yamaha lost their way in a big way with their turn to Home Theater gear. I tried a couple of their AVRs and promptly returned them in the early 2000s because of various sound and incompatibility issues. The question what is the Yamaha sound really depends on the era and the line. I had a pro amp from around 2012 that sounded good and was powerful but nothing special (bested by cheaper QSC RMK) Their new integrated amps look great and probably sound good but I left integrated stuff for separates 25 years ago in all my systems and the value is questionable to me. Still I have a nostalgic soft spot and I hope they keep making them.
I have currently a Yamaha RX-797 100 watt Stereo Receiver. I bought it around 2010. It still works and I am using it. I am curious about the newer integrated amps Yamaha has A-s701, 801. Will these be an upgrade in sound or just a lateral move? I checked the specs of the newer ones and it's very similar to my receiver. I know not too many here probably has heard my receiver but might have heard a different one from that time period. If these are an upgrade, I might bite on one. Here's a picture of the 797: It does have features the newer ones have, the loudness switch, pure direct and CD direct. This unit has a lot of power and the bass is stronger than my other amp. But it is showing its age and I have been thinking about an upgrade.
If that’s one of the two-channel receivers, then I doubt a 701 or 801 would be much of an upgrade. You’d be better off with a pre-owned A-S1100 or 2100.