Late to the ball here but I thought I’d chip in. I have been listening to my S801 for a couple months and have grown very fond of it. Great sound, I like the silver retro look and it is just very consistently pleasing. I’ve compared it to the Denon PMA800, Parasound 200/275 amp and pre combo and their new Class D integrated. I prefer the Yamaha. The remote is good quality.
I am pairing it with Elac DBR 62 speakers with two small 8 inch Outlaw subswoofers (Not room for tower speakers). The cables are an important part of the picture for me. Audience Ohono interconnect and Ohono III speaker cable. Oppo 93 for a source. The sound is pleasing, and satisfying. I can listen all day long without fatigue or feeling I’m missing something. Not to say it’s boring. I love the sound, detail and musicality.
I do listen to some poor CDs as we all do so I adde a Schiit Loki equalizer into the system between the Dvd player and S801. When it is switched out of the system, I can’t hear it. If I put in some sixties ear splitter, I just flip the switch and some sonic correction goes in. More or less treble, midrange or bass with the four Loki controls. The one downside of the Yamaha is I don’t think the treble adjustment is that effective. The Loki is a fantastic tool for customizing sound. ($100 plus an additional cable)
I’ve compared the Elacs to Klspsch M600, PSB XB and Burchardt S300 speakers. I keep coming back to this Elacs. By the way, the Cable Company offers specials on the Audience Ohno cables now. Worth it to me.
For what it’s worth.
I am pairing it with Elac DBR 62 speakers with two small 8 inch Outlaw subswoofers (Not room for tower speakers). The cables are an important part of the picture for me. Audience Ohono interconnect and Ohono III speaker cable. Oppo 93 for a source. The sound is pleasing, and satisfying. I can listen all day long without fatigue or feeling I’m missing something. Not to say it’s boring. I love the sound, detail and musicality.
I do listen to some poor CDs as we all do so I adde a Schiit Loki equalizer into the system between the Dvd player and S801. When it is switched out of the system, I can’t hear it. If I put in some sixties ear splitter, I just flip the switch and some sonic correction goes in. More or less treble, midrange or bass with the four Loki controls. The one downside of the Yamaha is I don’t think the treble adjustment is that effective. The Loki is a fantastic tool for customizing sound. ($100 plus an additional cable)
I’ve compared the Elacs to Klspsch M600, PSB XB and Burchardt S300 speakers. I keep coming back to this Elacs. By the way, the Cable Company offers specials on the Audience Ohno cables now. Worth it to me.
For what it’s worth.