Integrated Beast to say the least ! Yamaha AX 500

I have thrown many different drivers from 87 to 94db 4, 6, 8 ohms and waiting for the kick drum to die off let alone different styles and formats of vinyl to cd's. only crappy recordings i heard it lost, just because it wasnt there in the first place.

Vinyl was just full and not bright more just right
Cds was tight & could get bright though it boils down to recordings i found.

9 o'clock dial was pretty loud across many speakers
Jazz, Natural, Classical, Electronic, Rock

Its simply alive but flat if that makes sense, its basically great value for money whether its an upgrade or your going back into time to hear whats its all about. Given the equipment is not overly complex, very quiet operational design, this would lead into High Fidelity territory easy.

Its a big amp Respect it
Expect to pay $400 au for a good original one used or more for one with hi end parts.

If you like to get involved with your hifi this is the one.

this integrated is a beast. i have no doubt its under rated as far as power goes with the spec sheet showing 85 watts rms @ 8 ohms. alot of great features variable loudness, cd direct, mm/mc cart selector and preouts if you want to piggy back a seperate amp and really rock. it also has 3 outlets on the back so you can turn off everything by just powering off the amp and more connections for components than the average user will need. i compare it favorably with my nakamichi receivers sr3a/ta2a. it has a very neutral and clean sound that makes even low to mid quality speakers sound good and good speakers sound great. downsides no remote and no sub channel but it was made in 1989 so i wouldnt expect those features. add an external crossover if you must have a sub. if you can find one of these under $150 id buy it.

This review is for the ax 700 110 watt amp.It's from 1986.It was chock full of Elnas and some Blackgate capacitors in stock form. I replaced every electrolytic cap in it with Panasonic fc/fm,Nichicon Muse KZ,Elna Silmic II,Panny t-up, etc... since they were 27+ years old and .Man,this is truly one beautiful sounding integrated amp that staying with me permanently. It drives two pairs of 8 ohm modified Polk Audio bookshelf speakers without breaking a sweat which i'm sure is dipping below 4 ohms

I've had other Yamaha integrateds in the past that I loved but this one tops the list.Yamaha list these amps as "natural sound" in their advertisements and with reason ! A great feature on most Yamaha equipment is the variable loudness potentiometer vs. just an on/off switch.

Also,this amp has a "cd direct" switch which is great as it bypasses some of the preamp circuits signal path components.Strange, due to the fact the tone controls still work in this mode but it cuts outs the l/r balance pot.It adds slightly more air to the sound.Very faint but noticeable.

The amp puts out a strong signal with solid bass and very nice but not harsh treble.What I really love is the midrange it exudes in spades that's very clean.I mainly use it for tv,I listen to Pandora thru it all the time, and of course burnt cd's and sounds wonderful.

Listening to smooth jazz is a match made in heaven.It really does wonders with clarity of the instruments and separation with this genre.Sometimes at the end of a blu ray when the music starts up I'm in awe. My only regret is not having the funds to purchase one of their new amps for comparison.If you can find one used I highly recommend it to anyone who is a music lover.Out of all my audio equipment this one is my favorite.

Bought this on second hand for 100 bucks and could not be happier to get real natural sound with low noise amp.This classic amplifier manufactured by Yamaha has very high power delivering to speakers that could burn any expensive ones (be careful with power)

I am very pleasured to have one because i can't think about getting better sound than this one.
In addition,classic Yamaha design makes it looking very sexy.

And who the hell needs 7.1 or SPIDF O/I today?;)

Pros:
1.High power (85 watt RMS) 140 watt for 8 oHms
2.Low noise (100 dB SNR)
3.Classic design by Yamaha

Cons:
None

I love this amp! Combined with my NS-10m Pro's I couldn't be happier.

Pro's
The loudness knob adjusts for a really warm sound.

Con's
I wish I had two of them.

I've had this amp since 1989 and wouldn't dream of swapping it for anything else.
The rating of 85 watts is misleading, since this refers to the RMS, the peak output is much higher than that.
With 2 pairs of speakers connected (mix of Mivoc and Revox) it can re-arrange your internal organs.
The pre-amp for vinyl is great and allows for MC and MM pickups, which allows for pretty much any record player or deck. It's currently hooked up to my PC via the Tape 1 button, allowing me to record and play back sounds and I use it to transfer audio to CD and mp3. It's a great workehorse and near indestructible.

Lots of power to push my 6 ohm speakers, classic Yamaha design.

I purchased this amp new in 1989 along with a TX-500 tuner. It has been a solid performer for the last 13 years, and the only problem to date has been with the MM/MC phono switch sticking.

Similar Products Used:

Technics

Great sound, very low noise levels

no preamp output

Bought the amplifier in 1990 ($350) and have had excellent results with it, great sound, very low noise, very flexible, totally stable and rugged - takes a full power short circuit in stride. Have compared it with substantially more expensive amps but have decided against upgrading since it actually sounds so good. In combination with my old Maggies (MG-IA) it has a very musical and at times (depending on source) incredibly realistic sound.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood, JVC, Dynaco

This is a naturally sound beauty although it is only 85 watts. At this configuration really is a good buy. However, this model is not longer manufactured by Yamaha. Bring on the heavy weight speakers and this amplifier can tear any speakers apart with it Natural Sound Processing. All thumbs up for this amplifier!