YAMAHA A-S2000
Integrated amplifiers
The local Yamaha's dealer website contains one nice sentence: „Many music collectors recollect the old good stereo times with sentiment. The amplifiers used to have only 2 channel and listening to vinyl was a late night ritual, accompanied by a good book or a glass of wine." I have nothing to add.
Function and form
The A-S2000 is like a flashback into 70's with its precisely machined knobs, toggle switches and wooden side panels aesthetics. Just by looking at it I felt the vibe of the era and my expectations were set high for the sound too.
The front panel allows connecting headphones with output control within -6 to +12dB range. Two pairs of speakers can be connected to the A-S2000 and the listener can switch between them (or the binding posts can be used for bi-wiring by the push of a button). Tone controls - when set at 0 - are defeated. Into 4 ohms the A-S2000 delivers 2x150W, into 8 ohms it is 2x90W.
Bass management
Internally the A-S2000 is a symmetrical device from input to output, including the power transformers that are carefully isolated and shielded. The heatsinks are hidden inside the amp's chassis which is perforated to convey the thermal energy out. In theory, if you take a saw and split the A-S2000 into two halves, these two halves should be identical.
Clarity & delicacy
The Yamaha CD-S2000's sound is equally proportional to how the player looks and what it costs. I auditioned the player in tandem with the Yamaha A-S2000 amplifier and the combo could control hungry small Dynaudio speakers with ease.
Tonal accuracy
During the auditioning the A-S2000 played as if it had a small lift at either of frequency extremes. The bass was punchy, deep and weighty and the amplifier had very good control over the speaker cones. The bass guitar or cellos filled my room with ease and listening to symphonic music was delight, not pain like with some competitors in this pricing range. Also the highs, though tilted up, never crossed the red line to become too prominent, and they blended well with balanced midrange. To my taste the midrange should be a bit warmer - the A-S2000's presentation was a little distant and less involving, nevertheless it was very transparent and accurate without any euphony and colouration. It is up to your preference to decide which shade of grey is your choice.
Spatial resolution
If I should have some reservation then too much self control would be it. The music lacked drive, spontaneity and passion. Yes, it was accurate and neutral and studio-like and transparent but it was not alive. I recommend to find a good partnering components including audio cables to possibly feed a bit of warmth and build a great performing system around the A-S2000.
Recommended resellers
K+B Expert, Praha tel. +420 272 122 259
Manufacturer's website: http://cz.yamaha.com
Associated components
- Sources: Yamaha CD-S2000
- Amplifiers: Yamaha A-S2000
- Interconnects and speaker cables: Cardas Cross, Nordost Flatline, Nordost SPM Reference, Dynaudio OCOS
- Loudspeakers: B&W 703DM, Dynaudio Contour C1.1
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