Yamamoto A-08S and Audio Note ANe

> Most AN speakers are driven by high $$$ amps to bring out the
> best in the speakers and not by cheaper amps.

Yamamoto A-08S is $3200. I guess that makes the Atma-sphere S-30 a cheap amplifier and the First Watt amplifiers cheap too.

There is certainly a wide continuum of pricing out there, and one person's cheap is another person's expensive, but anything over $2K would not be called cheap by me.

I've been doing this audio thing for 50+ years and believe there is a mild positive correlation between price and performance.

However, it is not a hard and fast rule by any means that high price equals high performance. Far from it in fact.

IMO

As with any amp-speaker matching question it depends HIGHLY on your room size and listening levels. What are they?

I've had HE AN/Es (the Kit 3s) and they are wonderful with the Yamamoto 45 or any 45 SET if you can accept mild volume restrictions. In my very large room I could play at 85 dB or so; any more than that and dynamics were clearly suffering. As a matter of fact the Yamamoto importer loved them with that speaker as did David Cope, former Audio Note importer.

(A 'crazy' idea would be to get two and bi-amp. You would not really be getting twice the power but there would be an improvement.)

The Yamamoto A-08S is a great amp but it does not have sufficient power to drive the AN speakers properly. Neither do the Wavelength Lightning 45 or the Audio Note Neiro.

I have the speakers in my showroom and have had all those amps here for extended periods.

Believe whom you choose.

Dealer disclaimer

Audiofeil,
Your comment regarding the correlation between price and performance in high end audio rings so true. To a certain(but limited) degree you do get what you pay for, however they`re many exceptions to this rule. It takes patience, good advice and mostly trusing your ears, otherwise it`s very easy to spend lots of money yet end up with a poor/ mediorce sound and much frustration/disappointment.