I auditioned 2 of the new Yamaha integrateds the 3200 and the model down and they sounded fine but I suppose my question about this leads me back to Parasound. For less money (considerably less money) you can buy an A23+ ($1500) or even an A21+ ($3,150) power amps and one of their preamps (P6 is $1,495). You get more power and more stability into low impedance loads - For not much more you can get the JC-5 ($6000) power amps and a preamp and have substantially more power. So if you pick up a P6 and a A21+ you have separates for $4,645 list. 300 watts x 2 @ 8 Ω RMS, both channels driven 500 watts x 2 @ 4 Ω RMS, both channels driven 1000 watts x 1 @ 8 Ω, in bridged mode Stable to 1.5 ohms And you get more flexibility as in you can buy a tube preamp down the road or run a few different power amps from your preamp to change it up. If I can accomodate separates in a smaller space - surely Americans with huge houses and apartments can fit a preamp and power amp in the rack???
The Yamaha AS3000 was my first super integrated... my first journey into hi-end having previously only owned Denon and Marantz entry level stuff which id really enjoyed (its much easier to enjoy inexpensive hifi imo). At first i was in love... the positive reviews and looks were enough to seal it when i found one for half retail i went for it. At first sight in my system it was love... the build and style were beyond reproach for what id paid and i told myself it sounded as good as these qualities too. Fast forward about a year and i just wasnt really listening to my system or should i say that when i was listening to my system... i was just listening to my system! Music had lost its life, its colour, its joy. Had i changed? A little while later i was looking at valve amps and had become curious enough to try one. A Unison Research Triode 25 had come up at two thirds retail at a UK dealer. I didnt hesitate to try it because i figured i could move it on for little if any loss. Baring in mind this amp cost less than the Yamaha at the prices i paid to say it trounced the Yamaha for musicality and reinvigorating my love for music is not an overstatement. Soundstage opened up, tonality returned eveything sounded better... much better. 90% of my music is not boring audiophile laboratory test music and this is part of why the UR was such a revelation. I just found myself enjoying music again. The moral of the story and what i learned quickly is that price is not an indicator of sound/taste nor. Nor should one ever buy on looks or reviews. I not long later tried a Luxman L550AXii and it also sounded thin and lacking in colour/tonality. Again the reviews conned me but this was a demo and an easy return. Since then ive pretty much been a valve man for amplification duty even despite their obvious flaws Its a lot of fun this hifi game but enjoying music is not about spending vast amounts of money nor i feel about accuracy or measurements in ones components (well in amps at least i realise turntables its quite important!). Just my two pennies!
I'm gonna review a Honda Accord Touring and bitch that it doesn't accelerate as well, hold corners as well, and brake as well as my Acura NSX. That's some high value content there, folks.
integrated, in keeping with your analogy = Honda Accord wagon (tsx sports wagon in North America) I love wagons and integrateds
So much has been made of this silly review. The top end Yamaha gear has always been great sounding, nicely measuring, well made gear. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Sure. Who cares? I for one am not a fan of Unison Research, I think it and a few other of the fairly new tube darlings of the hifi press sound like they measure, very bad. But some people really dig them like the poster above. I can think of several tube brands producing first rate gear, in my opinion, today but lots of people would call them sterile. Individual preference will always determine, or at least it should, what we buy in this hobby. Reviews are supposed to be balanced, well reasoned opinions by knowledgeable writers, that help the consumer single out things to listen to. Too bad these days most are drivel like the review that started this thread. Though it was really funny to see Stereophile list it as class A to try and make up for the hit job or incompetence or whatever was responsible for their original, over the top review.
Integrateds all day over separates. The fewer the boxes, with in reason, the better. I dig simplicity.
I had a AS3200 for six weeks. Liked it a lot. Build quality is especially nice, and who doesn't love meters? Sonically. I liked it better than Luxman amps I have heard at shows. It's a livelier, but still very coherent (and not bright) presentation. Ultimately, I returned it and got an Ayre AX5 Twenty. Convincingly beats the Yamaha sonically, but doesn't have the features, some of which I miss. Choices.....
I had the original Kinki EX-M1, I disliked it, it had many flaws (transformer hum, super high gain, etc) so it had to go! maybe you can live with these things and wobbly knobs ?
The review doesn't surprise me, I was never a big fan of Yamaha equipment, less than natural sounding, imo.
Two fingers playing drums on a piece of wood is musical. How can an amp that plays music not be musical? I don't get it.
Ironically they claim to be Natural Sounding. What is "natural sounding" ? My amp sounds natural or in general like an AB amp.
I did just that myself a couple of years ago - I was thinking of getting a Yammie integrated, then bought the P5 and A21, partly for the reasons / logic stated in your post. Other part was budget.... the fact it was cheaper had a say in the decision too. I've since moved on to Accuphase preamp / amp separates, I still have the A21, it is tough to sell it.
Integrated - to maybe save $$$, or space, or prefer the simplicity Separates - you don't care about the $$$, the space, or the simplicity
Any 3200 owners read the just released What Hifi review of the amp? Seemed generally favorable but wondering if owners would concur with the comment that the amp stands on the lean side of neutral, particularly through the midrange?
I can tell you that the A-S3000 (the predecessor to the 3200) has a gentle V-shaped EQ curve. The bass and midrange may have a slight boost to provide greater resolution, but the midrange is still very much present enough to present male vocals (for example) and other dominant midrange instruments with authority. I find the overall house sound to be very engaging and dynamic.
I just got to a point where I out grew the separate mindset and figured that if I could get close to the same quality of sonic reproduction in an integrated I would make the switch. In addition to that I was just sick of the tube disease. So, I would venture to say that the driving factor could be boiled down to "needs." My "needs" changed and when I received the repair quote for my PV5 that pushed me to make a change, which to this day I regret not making earlier. M~
I do not agree with it. I think neutral to many people sounds a little lean, but I also think my 3200 has world-class bass, especially upper bass punch/control. Perhaps the midrange feels a bit pulled back in comparison. IMO, just like treble can be harsh without being excessive, the issue here is that the texture of the bass stands out and the midrange is extremely neutral—just listen to any vocals. Thing is, I think many people prefer a little warmth in the midrange and you don’t get that here. I’m also listening with B&W speakers that are known to be a bit v-shaped, but I can say that I don’t feel that the 3200 exaggerates this.
I haven’t heard the 3200 but I have owned the 3000 for several years. It is certainly not lean in midrange or otherwise.
