The Yamaha A-S301 is the muscle of the ranking: the most powerful of the five, with 60 watts per channel, and the most versatile on the digital side, with a DAC and optical and coaxial inputs. It is the amp for those who want to push demanding speakers and connect several sources — vinyl, TV, a Blu-ray player — in a solid, well-built machine.
There is, however, a buying trap to make clear at once: it is the A-S301, not the A-S201 nor the A-S501 — three models of the same series that are easily confused, as we will see.
Context
Yamaha is a giant of audio, and the A-S "Natural Sound" series is its line of traditional integrateds: serious build and full controls. The A-S301 sits in the middle of the series, above the A-S201 and below the A-S501, and it is the one that adds the DAC and the right power for the entry class.
In our ranking of integrated amps it takes fourth place, with the top-pick badge. It is not fourth for want of merit: it is the most powerful and one of the most complete. On sound, What Hi-Fi? credits its midrange and voices as its strong point, but faults it for some lack of drive and engagement.
Design & build
The build is serious, in the best Yamaha tradition: an aluminium front panel with a hairline finish, quality knobs "borrowed from the top models", a custom transformer, 6,800 µF capacitors and aluminium heat sinks. Inside is the ToP-ART technology (Total Purity Audio Reproduction), with a symmetrical signal path from input to output and an anti-resonance base to keep vibration at bay. It is a machine that gives an impression of solidity and durability.
On the feature side it is rich: 60 watts (the most in the ranking), a built-in DAC with optical and coaxial inputs for a TV and digital players, the MM phono stage, the Pure Direct mode that bypasses the controls for the cleanest path, continuously variable loudness, and dual speaker outputs (A/B) to drive two pairs or two rooms. There is also a subwoofer output. It does not, however, have built-in Bluetooth: wireless needs the optional adapter.
What reviewers say
The sound character on this page does not come from our own listening: we report it from published reviews, with the name of the person who wrote them.
What Hi-Fi? (February 2019 review) describes it as assertive and full-bodied: the midrange is its strong point, with warm voices, and bass is not lacking; dynamics are good for the price and timing decent. The limits: it lacks some drive and engagement, it is less musical than the Onkyo A-9010 and offers a touch less detail. The phono stage was not assessed by ear.
SECRETS (Indiana Lang, February 2021), in a short review published on the hometheaterhifi.com blog, reports a warm, almost valve-like, full sound, with solid bass and crisp treble. The limits: the soundstage is narrow, and a little more power would help. Here too the phono stage was not assessed.
Vinyl performance
On vinyl the A-S301 has an MM phono stage with RIAA, so you connect the turntable directly without an external preamp; neither of the reviews we cite, however, assessed it by ear. With demanding or low-sensitivity speakers its 60 watts give more headroom than the Rega's 30.
Like the others in the class it is MM only: with a moving coil you need an external MC preamp. For those with thirsty speakers, the 60 watts are its main argument.
Value & competition
The A-S301 is the most powerful and one of the most versatile in the ranking, and this explains an apparent oddity in the scores: on the mean of the four criteria it reaches 7.4, level with the Cambridge AXA35 (third) and the NAD D 3020 V2 (fifth) — yet it stays fourth. It is not a contradiction: the power and the specification keep its mean high, while on sound What Hi-Fi? faults it for some lack of drive and engagement.
Against the others: the Rega io (first) has half the power; the Marantz (second) also has a DAC and costs more; the Cambridge (third) costs less. The Yamaha answers with power and flexibility: 60 watts for difficult speakers, digital inputs for more sources. It is the choice of power and versatility.
In the vinyl chain
The A-S301 is the right amp when the speakers ask for power. Its 60 watts, with a 4-ohm minimum load, drive even the most demanding speakers of our speaker ranking well — the low-sensitivity or slightly thirsty ones, where less powerful amps struggle. With the dual A/B output you can also run two pairs of speakers or two rooms.
On the source side it is flexible: a turntable with an MM cartridge in the phono input, a TV or Blu-ray player in the digital inputs, plus line sources. It is the centre of a system that is not only vinyl but also home entertainment — less suited, instead, to the purist chain in the style of the £800 system, built around vinyl alone.
- The most powerful in the ranking: 60 W that drive even demanding speakers
- Built-in DAC with optical and coaxial inputs: versatile with more sources
- Serious Yamaha build: aluminium, custom transformer, ToP-ART
- Pure Direct, variable loudness, dual A/B output, MM phono stage
- Some lack of drive and engagement for What Hi-Fi?, a narrow soundstage for SECRETS
- MM-only phono: with a moving coil you need an external MC preamp
- No built-in Bluetooth (the optional adapter is needed)
- Hard to find new abroad: Amazon UK carries the A-S201, not the 301
Speakers: bookshelf or floorstanders, even demanding or low-sensitivity ones — the 60 W (4-ohm minimum load) give headroom. Turntable: any with an MM cartridge, into the phono input. Sources: a TV and Blu-ray player in the optical/coaxial inputs, plus line sources. Multiple speakers: the dual A/B output handles two pairs or two rooms.
Verdict
Buy the Yamaha A-S301 if you need power and versatility: it is the most powerful in the ranking, it drives demanding speakers the others struggle to move, and with the DAC and digital inputs it handles more sources beyond vinyl. The build is serious and the price honest. For those with thirsty speakers or a mixed system, it is among the most capable of the group.
On sound, keep in mind the limits the reviews point out: What Hi-Fi? faults it for some lack of drive and a touch less detail, SECRETS for a narrow soundstage. And remember the golden rule: look for the A-S301, not the A-S201 (inferior) nor the A-S501 (superior).
