Yamaha A-S801 Integrated Amplifier

Yamaha has been shaping the acoustics of concert halls and crafting instruments since 1887 — a depth of acoustic fluency that quietly pervades every circuit decision in the A-S801. Where most amplifiers at this price point are spec sheets looking for a chassis, the A-S801 is a complete engineering statement: 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms, a precision-built power supply anchored by a custom transformer and 12,000 µF of block capacitance, and a symmetrical I/O layout drawn directly from Yamaha's ToP-ART (Total Purity Audio Reproduction Technology) philosophy. The result is an amplifier that doesn't merely move enough air — it does so with the composure and dynamic authority that traditionally costs significantly more.

The built-in 32-bit ESS SABRE DAC (ES9010K2M) handles native DSD at 2.8 and 5.6 MHz alongside PCM up to 384 kHz/32-bit via USB, plus optical and coaxial digital inputs for a TV or Blu-ray source — making the A-S801 a genuine all-in-one hub for a modern analog-and-digital front end. Engage Pure Direct and the signal path is stripped to its essentials; engage CD Direct Amplification and the volume and tone circuits are bypassed entirely, leaving the source as close to the output stage as the design permits. Both modes exist because Yamaha's engineers understood that the shortest, cleanest path is the most musical one.

The physical platform reinforces everything happening in the circuits. A double-bottom chassis — iron plate under aluminum panel — combined with the ART (Anti-Resonance and Tough) Base decouples the internals from the listening room's own vibrations. Extruded aluminum heat sinks manage thermal load without fans or compromise. Gold-plated speaker binding posts and RCA terminals, dual speaker output switching (A, B, or A+B), a phono MM input, subwoofer output, and a continuously variable loudness control round out a connectivity specification that's genuinely thoughtful rather than just comprehensive. The A-S801 is the rare piece of Japanese precision engineering that sounds as considered as it looks.

ToP-ART Symmetrical Circuit Layout. Left and right channels mirror each other perfectly around a center axis, minimizing crosstalk and keeping the signal path as direct as physics allows — the single biggest reason this amplifier punches above its class on spatial coherence.

Custom Power Supply. A purpose-wound transformer paired with 12,000 µF of block capacitance delivers the instantaneous current headroom that dynamic passages demand — 140 W into 8 ohms, 220 W into 4 ohms on peaks — without sagging or hardening at the frequency extremes.

32-bit ESS SABRE DAC with Native DSD. The ES9010K2M handles every major digital format the modern source world throws at it: DSD64, DSD128, and PCM up to 384 kHz/32-bit via USB Type-B — without sample-rate conversion that smears transient detail.

Pure Direct and CD Direct Modes. Two independent signal-path shortcuts let you remove tone controls, loudness, and even the volume stage from the chain, leaving your source material and the output stage with as little between them as the design allows.

Double-Bottom ART Chassis. A 1 mm iron plate bonded beneath the aluminum top panel, combined with the ART Base, acts as a mechanical filter — damping resonances before they modulate the power supply rails or smear the analog stage.

Phono MM Input + Full Digital Hub. One box handles a turntable, a digital-file playback system (via USB DAC), a TV or Blu-ray player (optical/coaxial), and conventional analog sources — all switchable without compromise, all feeding the same high-integrity output stage.

Specifications

• Configuration: Integrated stereo amplifier with built-in DAC
• Continuous Power Output: 100 W + 100 W (8 ohms, 20 Hz–20 kHz, 0.019% THD)
• High Dynamic Power Per Channel (8/6/4/2 ohms): 140 / 170 / 220 / 290 W
• Frequency Response: 10 Hz – 100 kHz, +/−1.0 dB
• Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.019% (50 W, 8 ohms, 20 Hz–20 kHz, CD input)
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 99 dB (CD input, input shorted, 200 mV)
• Damping Factor: 240
• DAC: ESS Technology ES9010K2M, 32-bit, 2-channel SABRE Premier Audio DAC
• USB DAC: Native DSD 2.8 MHz (DSD64) and 5.6 MHz (DSD128); PCM up to 384 kHz / 32-bit
• Digital Inputs: Optical (TosLink) × 1, Coaxial (RCA) × 1, USB Type-B × 1
• Analog Inputs: 8 total — Phono MM, CD, Tuner, Line 1, Line 2, Balanced XLR (not confirmed — see note)
• Analog Outputs: 2 (Record Out + Subwoofer Pre-Out)
• Speaker Outputs: A, B, or A+B (gold-plated binding posts)
• Phono Input: MM (Moving Magnet)
• Subwoofer Output: Yes
• DC Output: Yes
• Pure Direct Mode: Yes
• CD Direct Amplification: Yes (bypasses volume and tone stages)
• Loudness Control: Continuously variable
• Speaker Switching: A / B / A+B
• Bluetooth: Compatible with optional YBA-11 Bluetooth adapter (coaxial digital input)
• Power Consumption (Standby): 0.5 W
• Auto Power Standby: Yes (8-hour timeout)
• Dimensions (W × H × D): 17-1/8" × 6" × 15-1/4" (435 × 152 × 387 mm)
• Weight: 26.7 lb (12.1 kg)
• Finishes Available: Silver, Black
• Remote Control: Included