Yamaha As 2100 - any experience

[rmcin626]

Hoping to sort out my amplifer upgrade, one the amps that has been suggested is the Yamaha a-s2100 intergrated. I have a Yamaha av receiver but that's totally different.
Off work for a few days so a good time to sort out the amplifier.

[DSJR]

That's a lot of money for a happy Jappy amp. You could buy a home grown one for that much and some would say you'd get a better sound.

Yamaha are a huge international concern and DO have loads-a-money to throw at new products. I've always found their amps to sound rather 'grey' and spatially 'flat' over the years, but they measure very well and are reliable and stable over decades, if past experience is anything to go by (I go back to the CA 400/600/800/1000/C2-B2 era).

The only thing you can do is to try one and see for yourself. For similar money, you could bet a Croft 25/7 pre-power which is well liked around here, or a Sonneteer Alabaster, which I heard for the first time at hifi dave's place last week, sounding really lovely. The Rega Elicit R may be within reach and of course there's the NVA amps I help make too and a pre-power with mandatory speaker cables will happily fit the bill and sound truly excellent - if not they can be returned in mint condition within 30 days for refund...

Your choice obviously. Let us know how you get on...

[struth]

A lot of money Robin, for an unknown to you in your system. If you can get a home demo then maybe. Marco has been singing the praises of the big sony av amp he bought new for a fraction of that. He is using it initially as a stereo amp and reckoned it to be damn good. Maybe worth asking him about it.. kinda fancy one myself actually.

[hifi_dave]

I've had a couple of the latest yamaha amps here and whilst they look wonderful and built like they would withstand WW3, they sound flat and uninvolving. I have no idea why but are disappointing to my ears.

[rmcin626]

Thanks David and Grant, it was a bit of a left field suggestion by one of the Glasgow dealers, while we were discussing Primare amp and phono stage. Too be honest would much prefer to buy British and have tempted a a couple of deals but unfortunately they were all south of the border and not really within driving distances. I have been looking at the change to amplifer for far too long just need to get it sorted. Must have missed the thread with Marco and the Sony amp will have a look.

[rmcin626]

I've had a couple of the latest yamaha amps here and whilst they look wonderful and built like they would withstand WW3, they sound flat and uninvolving. I have no idea why but are disappointing to my ears.

Thanks David, could you move your business a few hundred mile north, as you a few interesting pieces.

[TazSob]

Would agree with the general views on the yammy... I'm using a rx-v675 and am forever trying to get it to sound right. Some days I'm happy with it but mostly I find it flat too, have to mess with the tone controls a lot. Only reason I've not sold it is because I'm afraid I'll not get back near as much as I paid for it.

[rmcin626]

Would agree with the general views on the yammy... I'm using a rx-v675 and am forever trying to get it to sound right. Some days I'm happy with it but mostly I find it flat too, have to mess with the tone controls a lot. Only reason I've not sold it is because I'm afraid I'll not get back near as much as I paid for it.
Hi Taz, I use the same amp for av duties,
Ive never had the sound 100% thought it was just me.

[struth]

Thanks David and Grant, it was a bit of a left field suggestion by one of the Glasgow dealers, while we were discussing Primare amp and phono stage. Too be honest would much prefer to buy British and have tempted a a couple of deals but unfortunately they were all south of the border and not really within driving distances. I have been looking at the change to amplifer for far too long just need to get it sorted. Must have missed the thread with Marco and the Sony amp will have a look.

Think its in the av studio.. started as a tv buy and he also got an amp. Might be a bit of reading. Could drop him a pm as well. Think its the latest on near latest 7.2. But does 2 and 2.1 well.
As said, the rega amps are good.. brian of mafia and cable fame runs one.. very nice it is too

[rmcin626]

Think its in the av studio.. started as a tv buy and he also got an amp. Might be a bit of reading. Could drop him a pm as well. Think its the latest on near latest 7.2. But does 2 and 2.1 well.
As said, the rega amps are good.. brian of mafia and cable fame runs one.. very nice it is too
I can demo the Rega amps in Glasgow but would still need a MC phono stage

[hifi_dave]

Thanks David, could you move your business a few hundred mile north, as you a few interesting pieces.

There is a marvellous invention called 'mail order' and I do reply to e-mail or phone.

[Beobloke]

I'm surprised at some of the comments here as, although I must admit I've not heard the AS-2100 at length, I spent a good deal of time with its predecessor, the AS-2000 and this was a fine amplifier, IMHO. It was definitely not 'grey and dull' and, if anything, could occasionally be a little over-exuberant!

I would be very surprised if Yamaha had drastically altered the amp's tonal character when they changed it for the AS-2100, so would say it would be worth auditioning at the very least.

[Macca]

I'm surprised at some of the comments here as, although I must admit I've not heard the AS-2100 at length, I spent a good deal of time with its predecessor, the AS-2000 and this was a fine amplifier, IMHO. It was definitely not 'grey and dull' and, if anything, could occasionally be a little over-exuberant!

I would be very surprised if Yamaha had drastically altered the amp's tonal character when they changed it for the AS-2100, so would say it would be worth auditioning at the very least.

No-one appears to have heard the actual amp in question, the grey and dull comments were about Yamaha amps in general. It is a shedload of money, though, you could buy some really fine amplification second hand for that outlay and avoid the 50 percent depreciation.

[Arkless Electronics]

A bit off topic but I would say that, with notable exceptions, it is mainly old wives tales that brand x amps all sound so and so whilst brand y amps all sound such and such...
Often the designs of different models or ranges will have little in common and may well have been designed by different designers or design teams...

[Beobloke]

No-one appears to have heard the actual amp in question, the grey and dull comments were about Yamaha amps in general.

I have a Yamaha PC-5002M. Grey and Dull it most certainly isn't! :D

[rmcin626]

There is a marvellous invention called 'mail order' and I do reply to e-mail or phone.

Hi David, I would have no problem dealing with you by email or phone and mail order, but usually I like to hear what I'm buying first otherwise I am buying from reviews and word of mouth.

[rmcin626]

I mamnaged to obtain a short demo the first morning although we never got to the Yamaha amp. I was listening to the Primare i22 and Primare i32 with the Primare r32 phono stage. The i32 and phono stage were much closer to my budget and sounded very good although not a big improvement on my current setup. Things changed when the i32 was introduced, marked improvements all around and as I was listening at low levels was very encouraging. Only problem being the budget is blown and ran out of time before the Yamaha could be introduced.
The primare was the main recommendation of the dealer before we started with the Yamaha as a possible one box soloution.

[DSJR]

There is another amp range I've been much too scared of mentioning lest I get myself into trouble here, and that's NVA, which should be more musical than all the others discussed here so far. Also available via mail order and there's a thirty day return if not delighted.

For your budget, you could have the one of the top power amps, the middle preamp with stepped attenuator and some half decent interconnects, as well as speaker cables as required for warranty use (they work with other amps beautifully too and better than shop-bought confections at several times the cost ime).

[rmcin626]

There is another amp range I've been much too scared of mentioning lest I get myself into trouble here, and that's NVA, which should be more musical than all the others discussed here so far. Also available via mail order and there's a thirty day return if not delighted.

For your budget, you could have the one of the top power amps, the middle preamp with stepped attenuator and some half decent interconnects, as well as speaker cables as required for warranty use (they work with other amps beautifully too and better than shop-bought confections at several times the cost ime).
Thanks David, I am aware of those amps but again would be buying without hearing them first even with the 30 day return. But they have not been completely ruled out yet.

[DSJR]

There's no obligation to keep them if you buy and don't like and no 're-stocking fee' or other such nonsense. Anyway, the simple signal path circuit can have major sonic benefits over some imported stuff with everything including the kitchen sink chucked in for good measure ;)

[Marco]

There is another amp range I've been much too scared of mentioning lest I get myself into trouble here, and that's NVA, which should be more musical than all the others discussed here so far. Also available via mail order and there's a thirty day return if not delighted.


Dave, first of all, as I've said many times before, there's no reason to be "much too scared" of mentioning NVA, when or where it is appropriate to do so, which unfortunately on this thread it isn't. It's about a Yamaha As 2100, and so nothing to do with NVA. I'm simply reacting to complaints we've received on the matter.

Therefore, please save your (understandable and justified) enthusiasm for the company's products, for discussions where the thread topic relates to NVA and/or it is justified in some way for it to be mentioned (such as someone asking directly for specific advice on amps or cables), otherwise you've got a cheek talking about the "shilling" of Bumpy and/or SW1X! ;)

Same goes for your input here: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?47531&p=802203#post802203

Ta! :cool:

Marco.