Multitest: Seven integrated amplifiers 5000 – 6500 euro

Yamaha A-S3000

Old-fashioned… one of those Yamaha amplifiers with VU meters… Or isn’t it? Well, uh… if we have to talk about surprises, the Yamaha in this test is spot on. Man… this thing sounds exactly right. This box makes music! It’s almost like it’s created for the Focals. A love-couple.

From instrument to living room

A big advantage of a brand like Yamaha, is that they know the chain from instrument to living room. Yamaha makes world-class pianos, can be found in many studios and makes high quality audio equipment. So if there’s one manufacturer who can test the sound, it’s Yamaha.

And that’s audible, we think. The A-S3000 has a very neutral and smooth presentation. Perhaps even at the level of the Ayre EX-8. If we listen to the guitar in Adele’s Lovesong, for example, we almost hear the type of string used. That’s how defined and refined the sound of this A-S3000 is. This way of presenting provides a special experience with many of our test tracks. Goosebumps.

However, if we go to something a bit more rough – think of some house music – then we notice that the power of Yamaha doesn’t lie with these electronic genres. Massive Attack is fine by the way, but techno, trance… not really. It’s missing push and ‘torque’ at the bottom-end. Other models in our test perform better there. However, if you like vocal, acoustic or progressive work, this Yamaha is a particularly interesting choice.

Imaging is very precise with the Yamaha A-S3000. We hear a ‘razer-sharp’ Adele in front of us, the effects of Opéra flying around us and perfect voicing in Pariah. Pin point. We look at the notes and we see “high-end aspirations”… Yeah. this A-S3000 does have that. However, don’t forget that you need a high-performing source with ditto cabling. So you’ll be over 10,000 euros in no time if you want to put together a nice stack. Anyway, then you’ve got something special!

Judgement

This is quite a surprise in our test. We always try to go into a test without prejudice. And that’s very nice and all. But we always have to expect something. And boy, were we wrong about this A-S3000. This is a very musical device. And an amplifier you shouldn’t skip if you’re looking for something in this price range.

Specifications