Yamaha DSP-A1 5.1 Channels Receiver
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- Number of Channels: 5.1 Channels
- Type: Receiver
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Still worthy in spite of new formats.
Pros
7-count'em-7 channels, clean sound, 39 DSP modes, solid, reliable and user friendly
Cons
Unlike some models(B&K) you cannot add new formats easily. Slightly dated now.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Strongly recommended as a good all-around performer. You will have to spend a lot more to get more. Effects are defeatable and useful on films and music.
I purchased this unit from an audio salesperson, along with most of his system, several years ago. This 7-channel surround integrated(no tuner) has been left on and has been reliable to say the least.
The rest of the system consists of Phase Tech PC500 towers, surrounds, left and right channels, front effects speakers, and three separate powered sub(two 10" and one 15 ")cabinets.
As the main towers have 12" powered subs of their owns, suffice it to say bass is not a problem.
In all fairness, I also acquired an Adcom GF-6000, 5-channel power amp, which shares duties with the Yamaha.
This is not to say that the Yamaha's power maps are not up to the task, but this arrangement may partly explain why the Yamaha never runs hot, even after hours of DVD action, and being left on constantly as previously mentioned.
The flexibility of this unit is first rate.
Not only do you have Dolby Digital and DTS(superior) decoding, but an additional 39 DSP selections. Want to hear a jazz club? No problem, Yamaha took samples from the Village Vanguard, and two other clubs to design the acoustic illusion. Cathedral? We got them - Freiburg, Tokyo, etc. Movie-relevant selections include Adventure, SCi-Fi, Spectacle, and of course Pro Logic, a clean but boring effect. Arenas? Lofts? Sports? Disco(this last sends equal sound to all speakers for that you are at the disco experience).
OK, so it is good on movies. How about a DTS encoded music CD? I played the BoyzIIMen collection and it was eerie to hear the harmonies as well as separation appear around me.
The display on the Yamaha is readable from across the room, and the remote is excellent as well, allowing you to control anything and everything without having to touch the amp itself. At it's original price of almost $ 2600, this was a pricey unit, but one of the two best at the time, (the Denon 5700 being the other)short of separates. It is still a great deal if you can find a used one in good shape - they age well, so don't be afraid.
One of the advantages is the ability to send sound out to more than five channels, as well as the LFE outputs and video capabilites. When watching and hearing horses go from the front of your room to the back, as in The Postman, or wondering how a helicopter can actually be flying overhead as in The Bone Collector, or feeling like your house is actually being depthcharged, watching U-571, one understands the need for extra channels and bass.
Would another few speakers(side effects, extra rear center) be an improvement? Sure, but the sound from this system is good enough that you may want to save a few grand and still be thrilled. If this unit was more easily upgradable for new formats, it would be perfect. Of course, you could always use an external decoder, but that defeats the purpose of an excellent all-in-one box.
I have a Mitsubishi Diamond and Toshiba Progressive Scan DVD and the video quality on movies is first rate as well.
How about unimportant things? OK, it looks gorgeous in black. The back input/output section is intimidating, but whose isn't? And the extra front cover that flips up or down slowly to reveal an input selector, etc. is pretty trick.
As for specs, the main 5 channels are good for 120 watts, and the effects channels around 35, more than adequate for their purpose. Throwing in an inexpensive power amp, such as Adcom makes, will give you a killer setup, but you can do
quite nicely with just the A1.
The rest of the system consists of Phase Tech PC500 towers, surrounds, left and right channels, front effects speakers, and three separate powered sub(two 10" and one 15 ")cabinets.
As the main towers have 12" powered subs of their owns, suffice it to say bass is not a problem.
In all fairness, I also acquired an Adcom GF-6000, 5-channel power amp, which shares duties with the Yamaha.
This is not to say that the Yamaha's power maps are not up to the task, but this arrangement may partly explain why the Yamaha never runs hot, even after hours of DVD action, and being left on constantly as previously mentioned.
The flexibility of this unit is first rate.
Not only do you have Dolby Digital and DTS(superior) decoding, but an additional 39 DSP selections. Want to hear a jazz club? No problem, Yamaha took samples from the Village Vanguard, and two other clubs to design the acoustic illusion. Cathedral? We got them - Freiburg, Tokyo, etc. Movie-relevant selections include Adventure, SCi-Fi, Spectacle, and of course Pro Logic, a clean but boring effect. Arenas? Lofts? Sports? Disco(this last sends equal sound to all speakers for that you are at the disco experience).
OK, so it is good on movies. How about a DTS encoded music CD? I played the BoyzIIMen collection and it was eerie to hear the harmonies as well as separation appear around me.
The display on the Yamaha is readable from across the room, and the remote is excellent as well, allowing you to control anything and everything without having to touch the amp itself. At it's original price of almost $ 2600, this was a pricey unit, but one of the two best at the time, (the Denon 5700 being the other)short of separates. It is still a great deal if you can find a used one in good shape - they age well, so don't be afraid.
One of the advantages is the ability to send sound out to more than five channels, as well as the LFE outputs and video capabilites. When watching and hearing horses go from the front of your room to the back, as in The Postman, or wondering how a helicopter can actually be flying overhead as in The Bone Collector, or feeling like your house is actually being depthcharged, watching U-571, one understands the need for extra channels and bass.
Would another few speakers(side effects, extra rear center) be an improvement? Sure, but the sound from this system is good enough that you may want to save a few grand and still be thrilled. If this unit was more easily upgradable for new formats, it would be perfect. Of course, you could always use an external decoder, but that defeats the purpose of an excellent all-in-one box.
I have a Mitsubishi Diamond and Toshiba Progressive Scan DVD and the video quality on movies is first rate as well.
How about unimportant things? OK, it looks gorgeous in black. The back input/output section is intimidating, but whose isn't? And the extra front cover that flips up or down slowly to reveal an input selector, etc. is pretty trick.
As for specs, the main 5 channels are good for 120 watts, and the effects channels around 35, more than adequate for their purpose. Throwing in an inexpensive power amp, such as Adcom makes, will give you a killer setup, but you can do
quite nicely with just the A1.
