Price Paid:  $400.00 from ebay

Summary:
I finally got the amp I wanted. Great in movies and music. First of all, I have to say that the amp is very heavy due to the quality of parts and large power supply used. Build quality as usual with Yamaha is top class, very solid construction and it looks like your typical Yamaha amp. There’s a knob you can turn for selecting inputs and an analog volume control. Apart from the above controls there’s only a power button and input mode button you can see. When you open the panel below, there are plenty of controls and inputs for Video and audio. The menus in setting up the amp are simple and probably there should be more. This is a problem with all Yamaha amps. There are more then enough inputs at the rear. The sound quality in stereo is very nice. It’s solid, powerful, detailed and the high end is clearly presented. Doesn’t sound dull as some people have said. I’ve listened to a few Yamaha and Sony AV amps and this has by far the best sound for stereo music. There’s a tone bypass button you can use for pure sound. In DTS and DD mode it’s amazing, there’s so much detail and it’s all there in your face, not laid back like some amps. The only way I think you can better DTS and DD sound is by having more power, so the sound is a little cleaner at realistic listening volume. But that’s a minor complaint, there’s very little hiss, it only becomes noticeable when the volume knob is after 1 o clock. After 1 o clock, the sound becomes a bit harsher but this is expected. But I can’t see anyone raising the volume above 12 o clock, unless you’re using it in a very very large room. In firewall tests done by homecinemachoice magazine it gives a very respectable figure of 95W, after this distortion starts setting in and affects the quality. Considering its rated at 100 w and the max figure obtained by the mag was 110 then you can see it’s a very powerful amplifier. You can pick up these amps for under 500 pounds off ebay or other second hand sources. If you want a better AV amp you’re going to have spend over 1000 pound. And at that price range, you’re going to want some very expensive speakers to notice the difference. I know I am going to keep this amp until it dies. My setup: B&W DM601 S1 (fronts) B&W DM110 (rears) Paradigm CC150 Yamaha YST SW205 As you can see my speakers are good but there's a lot better out there(mainly floorstanders) , but for me they are perfect.

Strengths:
Amazing quality in DTS and DD, very good music performance for an AV amp, loads of inputs, build quality, ease of use (very easy to use like most Yamaha amps).

Weaknesses:
As with all Yamaha amps, should have more setup options for speakers (e.g. speaker distance from listening position, adjustable crossover).

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha RX V396, Yamaha DSP AX620

Price Paid:  $490.00 from AAFES

Summary:
Dynamic, authoritative, and unequaled is how I choose to describe this AMP. The DSP cinema sound combined with either the DTS or Dolby Digital produces the greatest and fullest audio sound throughout the entire listening area. There are so many filters it would take forever to list. I have planned and researched AMP’s for a while and when I came across this deal I could not pass it up. My Set-Up AMP: Yamaha DSP-A2 (Black) Speakers: 2 Bose Acoustimas 15 Bass modules with 8 double cubes. (Black) Center Channel: JBL Studio Center DVD: Hitachi DV P250U VCR: 2 Hitachi F540 (7 head models) LD: Pioneer CLD-1070 Monitor: JVC 53” projection flat screen

Strengths:
Open the front page of the manual and read. Every thing on this puppy is more than you can fathom. The best sound I have ever thought I could hear.

Weaknesses:
No other AMP to compare it to. Although it is heavy, it is worth it''s weight in gold.

Similar Products Used:
NONE

Price Paid:  $900.00 from 2nd hand

Summary:
I USED A PIONEER VSX 808 BEFORE, I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD. NOW I HAVE BOUGHT A YAMAHA. WOW WOW WOW, A REALLY HUGE DIFFERENCE. THINGS THAT I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED;

1) VERY GOOD CHANNEL SEPARATION
2) VERY VERY POWERFUL
3) EXCELLENT BASS, VERY POWERFUL
4) EXCELLENT SURROUND SOUND
5) VERY GOOD DYNAMICS
6) UNRIVALLED BUILD QUALITY

THIS IS BETTER THAN BEING AT THE MOVIES ITSELF, THE SOUNDS IS SO GOOD, UNCOMPARABLE WITH OTHER BRANDS IN THE SAME PRICE RANGE.

MY SET-UP;
PANASONIC 28 INCH WIDE SCREEN
YAMAHA DSP-A2
MISSION 70C1 CENTER ( PERHAPS A BIT SMALL, BUT IT DOES THE JOB, AND ALTHOUGH ITS ONLY RATED AT 70 WATT MAX. , IT NEVER STRUGGLED WHEN CONNECTED WITH THE YAMAHA )
MISSION 704 FRONT ( SUPERB, JUST ONE WORD )
ELTAX HT BIPOLAR SURROUNDS ( HOT ITEM, VERY GOOD SPEAKERS CHECK THEM OUT AT RICHERSOUND, I PAID $150/PAIR, AND THAT FOR DIPOLAR SPEAKER !!! VERY GOOD SOUNDSPREAD AND EXCELLENT BASS FOR SUCH A COMPACT SPEAKER !!! )

I FEEL NO NEED FOR A SUB, CAUSE MY 704 OFFER PLENTY OF BASS AND MY ROOM IS NOT THAT BIG. WHEN WATCHING MOVIES I ALWAYS USE THE "BASS BOOST", IT WORKS VERY WEL.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL THE PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE STEREO SOUND. YOU DONT HAVE TO COMPARE IT WITH A SIMILAR PRICED TWO CHANNEL AMPLIFIER !!! I HAVE AS YOU KNOW MISSION 704'S AND THEY SOUND VERY POWERFUL, DETAILED, REALLY NO COMPLAINTS, JUST AWESOME. ONLY PEOPLE WHO LISTEN TO VERY CRITICAL MUSIC, AS CLASSIC SHOULD OUGHT TO COMPLAIN, AND IN GENERAL THIS TYPE OF PUBLIC ARE IN MOST CASES NO REAL MOVIE LOVERS.

THIS IS A MUST LISTEN AND AFTER THAT A MUST BUY !!!! ONCE YOU HAVE LISTENED YOU WANT IT, THERE'S NO WAY BACK. THIS IS MY FIRST YAMAHA PRODUCT AND I AM SO SATISFIED, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING BETTER, I TRIED SEVERAL BRANDS AS DENON, SONY, PIONEER, ONKYO ETC. ETC. BUT NOTHING COMES CLOSE.

I HAVE NEVER LISTENED TO THE A1, BUT I THINK IT WILL SOUND QUITE SIMILAR, ONLY A LITTLE BIT MORE POWER. FEW MAGAZINES EVEN SAY THE A2 OFFERS BETTER STEREO SOUND THAN THE A1 !!!

IN TERMS OF PRICE / QUALITY THE A2 IS A FAR BETTER BUY IN MY OPINION.

I AM GOING TO FINISH; IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A HOME CINEMA AMP, BUY THIS BABY YAMMIE, IT WILL PROBABLY BE THE BEST BUY IN YOUR LIFE ( ITS CERTAINLY MY BEST BUY, WISH I COULD IT GIVE MORE STARS !!! )

Strengths:
POWER - CHANNEL SEPARATION - NO INFERIOR SURROUND CHANNELS - BUILD QUALITY - EXCELLENT DYNAMICS

Weaknesses:
NONE, MAYBE ITS A BIT HEAVY, BUT THATS BECAUSE OF THE HUGE POWERSUPPLY AND ALL THE OTHER GADGETS !!!!

Similar Products Used:
THERE ARE NO SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Price Paid:  $1100.00

Summary:
It is a reliable system, which brings cinema to your home
I am enjoying very much watching movies through this system
In the meanwhile it is gives you the best quality of digital sound of movies as well as CD audio and songs.

I strongly recommend this system, as it is the best.

Price Paid:  $1100.00 from Akers Mic, Norway

Summary:
I bough it 9 months ago, and I am very pleased with it.
WHen I play a dvd movie with DD5.1 it just blows me away.
It hass fricking great sound!

Like the others, I also think that the stereo mode (effect off) is kinda dull, though my C.Vega speakers dont know the first thing about details it still sounds a bit...off!
But there is great punch and firmness in the bass, and with my newly aquired sub the sound pictures gets really great if you arent a super detail realismo frick with the stereo.
I have a pc in the other side of the room next to the surround speakers and Id really like it if yamaha could have somehow manage to put in a reversation mode witch the speakers would in the back would become the front speakers so I could enjoy a decent game on the net with great sound. Feels strange when the the sound comes infront of you and you hear is from behind. Just a though.
I also miss the test tone the A1 has, cause it makes it easyer to detect stanting waves and that stuff. However one could easily buy a cd with such, and problem solved.

Love the surround dps programms, NOTHING get even CLOSE to the sound of ENYA in Raymount Church (mode)! It is UTTERLY mindblowing! A MUST HEAR!
THe movie dps prog. I seldom use, dont know why, just dont.
Great dot matrix display, easy to read, not does stupied strange cheep lcd calculator letters that looks more like numbers! What else..., Ahh, it ONLY has one coxaial digital input next to the RF input that I cant use cause of I dont have a ld/dvd player.

Thats all.

Strengths:
Nearly everything! Remote, DD sound, dts sound, movie dsp, music dsp, display, inputs outputs!

Weaknesses:
Lack of test tone, reversing the speaker setup(Dont think that one excists though..!) so the fron becomes the back sp.
Could have had one more coaxial digital input next to the cd, LD/DDV (RF!) inputs!