Bought this new in 2001 for €600 to use in my home cinema after reading many reviews in the press. As an integrated it is build to a high standard and it suprisingly uses very high quality componetents inside, found usually only in high end equipment, if you take a look under the top lid. The sound is clear, dynamic, balanced and powerful, but nothing exceptional, just a good sound. The reason for the latter being the preamplifier which is loaded with every imaginable feature, something that comes at a price in the sound quality. However if one uses the AX-592 as a power amplifier here is where dividents are paid for the very high quality parts used and the super efficient dual mono design. The sound of the power amplifier is very modern, super clear and transparent, with a tight, deep and accurate bass, perfect middles, and super smooth and strong highs. It is impossible in todays market to aquire a 2x100W power amplifier of this quality for less than €2000, and it is still doubtful that it will better the 592. In todays used market these units can be purchased anywhere between €150-€250 and this is a steal! My advice is to buy it and use it as a power amp, as it will bring out the very best of any quality preamp! It is also very important to use the B speakers as these have board mounted posts, not the A ones as they are cable linked!

I've waited 14 years to comment on my AX-592. I purposely bought it for the sizable transformer, which I believed would mean longevity. I was right, its a rock. I think it will thump for another 14 easy.
I was never blown away by the sound character. It doesn't have that brilliant shimmer in the mid and upper highs that can create that live stage effect. But it also doesn't have the accompanying brittle crashing tones that can be so tiring after time. In fact, the human ear naturally reduces sensitivity to those crackling, glass breaking tones after even a short exposure. So Yamaha was smart in softening the upper registers by design. I can listen to this amp very loud for 3, 4, 5 hours straight. Till the neighbors can't take it.
I use a fairly inexpensove equalizer to fine tune the sound and it really is a marvel played through my 1995 Infinity Kappa 5.1s. The Direct in has minimal effect usually, imo, but I use it for live accoustic music. The guitar and pianos are just a bit more crisp and full. Very neat.
Finally, it looks as tough as it is built. Sometimes when I'm listening to music, I stare at its simple black elegance with lust. I'll never let you go...

Just got this on Ebay.Owner all of less than 1 week lol ! Very nice Integrated for a great price.It suprisingly produces a nice clean warm sound from class B..It's chock full of good Elna and Nichicon capacitors-rare in this price range especially from equipment this day.Has robust speaker terminals,impedance switch,tone controls,a+b speaker switch,contoured loudness pot,140 watts for both channels,and a honker transformer thats uber quiet ! Very nice !

The bass is good considering this has two 12000uf power caps,then a couple of 3300uf caps further down the circuit path.Not a lot but enough to get you there bass wise.Mids are Yamaha smooth,treble is nice and clean where one can hear the distinction of symbles instead of a constant distorted noise.

The chassis is also a nice touch for those like me that dig into the circuits-underneath the circuit boards is an extra plastic frame,then of course the bottom plate of the chassis.Exceptional build quality that i'm not use too this day and age.This review is from 2009 and the Yammy is from 1998.

I've begun replacing a lot of the 11 year old capacitors with more current good quality offerings.Sounds even better than it's original condition and by doing this i'm extending the life of the component.It's a safe precaution I take with any older equipment but the ax592 responded very well to the new capacitors.So much so I'm constantly looking forward to using it.

I doubt you'll find this kind of build quality in any current offerings of similar products in the $500-$600 dollar price range.The ax592 is not audiophile quality or high end equipment but just darn good bang for the buck STUFF THAT SOUNDS EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD !

I wonder if Yamaha made a current version around the same price if it would exceed this remarkable amp.I highly recommend anyone to buy one if it can be found in good condition.This one stays with me till it dies or when my time to wear a dirt blanket happens.

It's discontinued!!!!

Awesome piece of equipment!!!!!! I had a Kenwood integrated amp from 1980-1985 then Los Angeles had an earthquake and I lost my amp. For fifteen years I was looking for something to replace my amp. I tried make of stereo possible nothing matched my amp. Then I made the biggest mistake of my life I purchased a Kenwood Surround Sound Reciever top of the line the unit drove me nuts. I hit every store asking the sales rep does any of the audio companies make an integrated amp two channel and I was told no. So I started hitting the internet looking and I discovered that Yamaha still made one. I ran to my local Good Guys one rep tells me we don't carry it. I went to another Good Guys the amp was in the furniture dept the sales rep had no idea what the features were on the amp nor could he explain the subsonic filter on the amp. This amp is the greatest: the sound is awesome. I want another one!!!!!!

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood,

Very cool design. Dynamic and clear sound with a good "punch". Versatile, plays both rock/grunge and jazz/funk very well.

A tiny lack of bass when the CD Direct or Pure Direct switches are on.

I've had this amp for about 7 months and i'm still very satisfied with it. Recently i discoveret that a minor plastic-piece on the side of the amp, is "flapping" a bit It IS a very small detail, but it annoys me anyway when i've offered, what is a lot of money for me, on this product. But I guess this is the diffence between Yamaha and fx. Luxman or NAD......
But beside that i still think that it was the right buy for me. I considered buying NAD 319 but that would cost me about 200 dollars more and I like the variable loudness control that features on the AX-592. It makes it possible to get just a bit more bas and dynmamic when playing at low levels.
Conclusion: I can strongly recommend this product, no matter if you are listening to pop, rock, jazz or classical.

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None that compares (Small RACKs)

clean & detailed sound.Poweful Output.Strong build.

Lacks bass at lower volumes.

This amplifier takes some getting used to.It slowly grows
on you.I added an active yamaha subwoofer to improve base and the amp along with my B&W speakers is impressing many of my friends with superior systems.

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Technics

power,options,cost

not enough to mention

decided nothing on TV or movies worth watching so changed from home theater setup to 2 channel amp for music only. Have a life with mortgages, electric bills, and family expenses. Couldn't afford or justify thousands for an amplifier. You go into mid to high-end stereo stores and most are running speakers through Yamaha receivers or amps. What do they know that you don't? What is with this mushy crap? This amp performs well. It is a power supply, it is only as good as the equipment you power it with. If it sounds crummy it is because the rest of your equipment sucks. It runs for hours with no heat build up. Let's not put too much emphasis on the power source. Put your money on the CD player and the speakers. All I know is it powers my four speakers with ample balls. How loud do you need? Louder does not mean better. If you have to blast your system to enjoy it, you are missing some element of a truly nice package.

Similar Products Used:

yamaha prologic receiver

Power, look, build quality, minimalist approach, direct imput switches

I wanted so much to like this product. I am admittedly a mass fi person who is trying, with small steps to upgrade my system. I had been using an HK receiver that burned up during a loud session. I wanted something for the time being and at the store I came across this piece. it is built like a tank, huge, heavy, sturdy, good power. all for five hundred bucks, only two hundred more than the reciever it replaced. I got it home and all I can say is UGGHHHHHH, The sound was very strange, like East Germany, very unispired, flat, dull, soupy, mushy, gruel. The bass sounded like my speakers had flatulence, bass notes were not discernable, much much worse that my HK receiver for three hundred dollars. I took it back the next morning, and got the Rotel 971 integrated amp for the same price. only 60 watts x 2 compared to the 100 from the Yamaha but at least it sounded like articulated music, not mush, yeah the yamaha is powerful, with a lot of amperes of reserve power, but mush is mush, who wants it to play loud. They made my speakers sound like corpses. 2 stars for the power at an inexpensive price, but sound was ugggghhhhhh.<|>Less than 1 month

Effortless and precise reproduction of sound at wide range of power levels.

None

For the price this is a great amp. Using it with a Yamaha 765 CD changer, it sounds fantastic. It is a solid product that exceeds my expectations every time I use it, always gives a little surprise. Give it some great speakers!

It has bass, treble, loudness, panning, subsonic filter controls hidden behind a panel, or you can leave it pure direct mode to bypass all these controls (which you normally do unless you playing LPs or something, phono preamp is included). 6 stereo inputs, two switchable speaker outputs. It can drive 4 ohm loads without any trouble whatsoever.

A quality engineered product that should last a lifetime! Forget the gimmicks of other brands and price ranges and multichannel amplifiers.

I blinded bought this Ampli a year ago. I'm pleased with though I definitively don't like Yamaha raw sound (I'm using JM LAB Symbol 12 speakers). I notice this sound as soon as I wired it an used it the first time. Now I'm looking to get a Dolby Digital Ampli, and will certainly not choose a Yamaha one. On the other hand, it's a very good ampli, strong built and good power. Remote control's quite nice too. Just try out before purchasing.