I purchased *gold* for only USD 1,700.- instead of USD 2,800 what reviewed in A/V online magazines. Unbelievable.
Good investment, last for next 3 years at least. The unit has 6 inputs for future external decoder.

The DSP menu - Hall, Church, Jazz club, Concert, Home theater, Movie, Dolby Digital (AC-3), Dolby Prologic, DTS are great. Even *Effect off*. You choose what you want.

It macthes my equipment: Marantz CD-17 (CD), Pioneer DVL-909 (DVD/LD combo), B&W speaker DM-604 (main), CC-6 (center), DS-6 (rear) and Philips 32PW987C (TV).

One thing I don't like; remote control. It looks not a universal remote control. It can not operate my Marantz, Philips and *OSD* on Pioneer. No real button to switch equipment over.

I have owned a Yamaha DSP-E300 for 8 years, since i recently replaced it with a DSP-A1 so i can play DVD movies from my Toshiba SD2108.
I compare this untit whith Denon 5600 DTS, HK AVR85, an some top of the line Sony ES, an it outphase all, this is an incredible piece of equipment, it has everything you can imagine, it only lacks an input for your microwave oven to make some popcorn.

But the best part off all it´s the Sound, i really can imagine how does anybody could find a piece of equipment with these versatility an sound quality.

The improvements in DSP form yamaha are incredible, compared to my old DSP-E300 the difference its really noticeable.

As we say in Acapaulco: Esta de pelos !!!!!! Es otro Pedo!!!!!

This amp is so good that i have to say again, big and loud.

!!!!!!!!!! No tiene madre !!!!!!!!!!!


How bad this thing don´t accept big and red fonts.

If you are considered having a system for both audio and home theatre then this should form the hub of your system imo.My current setup is DSP-A1, Denon DVD 3000, JBL HT1 MKII THX approved speakers.
DD DVD's awesome with the enhanced DD 7 channel.
Audio reproduction is excellent with the numerous DSP modes. I challenge anyone to fault the sound reproduction from any other combo system. I listen to all sorts of music from house.hip hop to classical and there is a DSp mode to enhance any type of music. Plenty of optical inputs. More i/o than you can shake a stick at.
Go and demo one and be amazed.!:)

**Brand new at $1,440, no kidding!**
After reading the reviews here, traveling to Japan and Hong Kong on vacation, I bought one in HK for US$1,440. Gold body. Brand new. The store was a chain store called "Fortress". (It was on sale for about US$ 1,600, and I got a further 10% discount just for asking).

Haven't fully set it up yet. Intend to mate it with Legacy Focus speakers and a Sony 5-CD/DVD player as I slowly upgrade my system. This model is rated at 5 x 150 W plus 2 X 45 W (as opposed to the 5 x 110 W plus 2 X 35W for the US model), and has a few more gizmos (selectable NTSC / PAL output, worldwide voltage capability etc). The power goes way up when speaker impedance goes down (240Wpc at 4 ohms, 340 Wpc at 2 ohms) - in every way its a veritable beast.

Will keep you posted about how it goes. It retails for about $2400 in Tokyo at a few stores I went to.

If the best price you can get it for in the US is about $2,000, I even suggest hopping on a plane to HK (roundtrip tickets start at $500) and you get a free holiday in the bargain! Yes, there's that messy issue of US warranties and service, but I think these things are rock-solid and wont really have a problem in the years ahead.

Happy listening, all!

M

What more can I say.....this beast sounds awesome ! Yamaha has done it again ! Try knocking this amp with DTS materials and take my words for it, there can be no better amp this point in time.
However, audio seems to be kinda average...though that's not the stuffs i'm after in this amp. RGB plugs should be included as well...but i'm not complaining hey :)

An excellent home theater amp. Definitely the current best buy. Too bad the built quality is not as good as older models. This is most apparent with the flimsy plastic remote. Anyway, why spend more than $1000 when you can get these for under $100 along Jakarta's streets? You can also get top of the line DVD players for practically nothing there. The best deals can only be had in the most chaotic places. Unfortunately HK is too stable.

Congratulation to MARK and BEGINNER AUDIOPHILE IN SEATTLE! You get really good prices from Hong Kong. In my opinion, there is not much to worry about warranties. Nowadays most mass market electronics manufactured by reputable brands are reliable enough to work fine even many years after the warranty period. However, THE AMPLIFIER SECTION OF THE H.K. MODEL IS ACTUALLY THE SAME AS THE U.S. MODEL. The apparent higher amplifying power was only due to different measurement standards adopted. So do not abuse your gear.
The DSP-A1 is incredible. At affordable price (in Hong Kong), it sounds exceptional and it also provides maximum versatility and convenience features. Its processing power is truly state-of-the-art and has no shame comparing with most reputable standalone processors. The processing section alone could worth its cost, if not higher. The amplifier section is also fine and is among the best in its class. The power is more than adequate for most applications but higher power could provide better dynamics. The DSP-A1 sounds stunning on movie soundtrack and equally well on stereo music. I am totally satisfied. 5 stars for value and processor/preamp, 4stars for power amplifier.

BTW, HK is a well known shopping paradise. I get my DSP-A1 for US$1,470 (at US$1=HK$7.8, same for the rest), Pioneer DV S9 (Elite DV-09 in champagne finish with no THX) for US$1,020; and Marantz RC2000 for US$130, all NIB. Good prices are readily available here. So if one has a friend in HK, do not hesitate to ask for help. Or if one is planning a trip to Asia, be sure to visit HK as well.

Hello,I also have the Hong Kong Model which i Paid $1765 Shipped to me from Hong Kong. It pumps out 150 Watts instead of 110 also. I got it in Gold with the Wood Sides.

I'd give the DSP-A1 a 5 Star Rating at $2,799 (Retail) and a 50 Star rating at $1,765
It really sounds Great(More than Great really) and with Center EQ you can get the Voices to sound as Warm or a Bright as you like. Thats the only reason why i didnt get the RXV-2095. *(It sounds to Harsh in he Voices).

You can get a DSP-A1 in Gold at this URL www.xceltech.com.hk or E-Mail them at xceltec@hk.super.net

Get the DSP-A1 if you are a Serious Listener that likes the sound to be personalized, but if you just want high Quality out of the Box sound then settle for the 2095.

I bought this amp back when they first came out, waaaaay back in 82. It was a novelty item at the time, an audiophile integrated amp at a time when separates were the norm. A friend and I bought these machines at the same time and both have stayed the test of time. We have been unable to find anything that can come close to matching the purity of these amps, with out having to venture in the multi thousands of dollars range. I know these reviwes are mainly for new items but I think the A1 is worthy of a posting. If you ever get the chance to pick up one of these quality pieces in the used section of an audio shop, snap it up and save yourself a couple of thousand bucks...........Five out of Five for lasting quality....