ReportWire

Tag: amplifiers

  • Yamaha’s R-N1000A Packs Everything You Need for a Sweet Stereo Setup

    Yamaha’s R-N1000A Packs Everything You Need for a Sweet Stereo Setup

    It’s a great time to double down on stereo sound. Multi-speaker formats like Dolby Atmos get all the headlines, but if you’re building an all-in-one stereo or 2.1 system to elevate everything from your turntable to your TV, there have never been more options.

    With stereo streaming amplifiers and receivers popping up all over the audio sphere (not to mention tons of powered bookshelf speakers), it can be tough to know where to start. The R-N1000A makes things easy. Sitting a step below Yamaha’s flagship R-N2000A, the R-N1000A is pricey yet approachable, with a hardy mix of versatile connectivity, superb performance, and rocksteady usability.

    You might expect any legacy audio brand to provide consistent performance across inputs in the streaming era, but as our extensive testing has borne out, juxtaposing traditional audiophile components with conveniences like Wi-Fi and HDMI ARC is no cakewalk. The N1000A proves you can have it all in one box, showcasing uncommon stability in a powerful and downright fun package tailor-made for the modern stereo era.

    Old School, New Curriculum

    Pulling the hulking yet sleek R-N1000A from its packaging, my first question was, where is the display on this thing? Don’t get me wrong, I love the receiver’s sparkling front face with its tactile selector knobs, especially in the silver model I reviewed, but even the coolest retro design demands modern concessions.

    It wasn’t until I fired the unit up that I realized the demure black strip along its base is the display, offering a small but legible guide for source, volume levels, and other settings. It’s not as handy or as versatile as the large screens on pricier streaming amplifiers like Rotel’s RA-5000 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) or Naim’s Uniti Atom (8/10, WIRED Recommends), but it gets the job done without disturbing the vintage aesthetic. It helps that Yamaha’s MusicCast app, necessary for Wi-Fi setup, displays conveniences like album art and digital file resolution.

    Photograph: Ryan Waniata

    Style aside, the R-N1000A is crafted with performance in mind. It utilizes Yamaha’s TopART (Total Purity Audio Reproduction Tech) design, with a “meticulously symmetrical left/right circuit layout” and “special resin” to block vibrations. A double-bottom chassis with a 1-mm iron damping plate and anti-resonance feet further dull unwanted noises. The unit’s vented frame weighs a healthy 27 pounds and stands 6 inches tall, over 17 inches across, and 15.5 inches deep, so you’ll need plenty of console space.

    While the R-N1000A doesn’t get the giant toroidal transformer found in the R-N2000A (and other pricier rivals), its capable custom transformer and block capacitors provide potent A/B amplification at a claimed 100 watts per channel of continuous power at 8 ohms and 140 watts at peak power. Yamaha doesn’t publish continuous power specs at 4 ohms but claims 220 watts per channel of peak power. A 384-kHz/32-bit SABRE ES9090Q DAC provides topline high-resolution digital transference for hi-res sources with support for WAV and FLAC files up to 384 kHz and DSD files at up to 11.2 MHz.

    Locked and Loaded

    Even with stereo network receivers and amplifiers seeming to spring up autonomously, you’ll have a hard time finding one with better connectivity than the R-N1000A. The back panel is loaded with three dedicated digital inputs (two digital, one coaxial), USB-B connection, AM and FM tuners, three RCA line inputs (one for a CD player), HDMI ARC for your TV, a subwoofer output, Ethernet, and stereo pre-outs for a second amplifier. There’s also a solid phono input, though I actually preferred my Orbit Theory’s built-in pre-amp. Up front is a quarter-inch headphone out.

    A handy second speaker zone set below the gold-plated A-zone stereo terminals allows you to connect two pairs simultaneously, designated for 8-ohms only. One other note on impedance: If you’re connecting a single pair of 4- or 6-ohm speakers as I did, Yamaha recommends you navigate to Advanced Setup and change the impedance. It’s a minor pain, but takes just seconds.

    If you have other MusicCast devices, you can create additional playback zones from any connected sound source wirelessly in the app. There you’ll also find loads of built-in streaming services, including internet radio stations, Pandora, Amazon Music, Deezer, and Sirius XM, among others. The wireless suite finishes with AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth 4.2 in a pinch. Chromecast is notably missing, though with so many supported services, including both Spotfy Connect and Tidal Connect, Android users should be in good shape. The receiver is also “Roon Tested” for Roon’s dedicated server system.

    Ryan Waniata

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  • Rotel’s RAS-5000 Is A Great Network Amp That Needs a Killer App

    Rotel’s RAS-5000 Is A Great Network Amp That Needs a Killer App

    Network amplifiers are springing up everywhere these days, and why shouldn’t they be? A single device that facilitates everything from your favorite streaming services to TV content over HDMI ARC is fantastically convenient and shouldn’t be reserved for A/V receivers or powered speakers. For listeners after a versatile, high-quality stereo experience, it can make a lot of sense to get everything you need in one refined device.

    With a wide field of available options, choosing a heritage audio brand like Rotel also seems to make good sense if you have the cash, and Rotel’s newish RAS-5000 is well stocked for the task. After testing the amplifier for several weeks, I’m happy to report the sound quality is as excellent as you’d expect. Its Hulkish frame provides a similarly Hulkish punch for clear and dynamic sound, muscular bass, and enough wattage to get the most out of high-end speaker pairings.

    The RAS-5000 is a capable workhorse with plenty of playback options, but some of the tech is clunkier than I’d expect at this price. Options like Technics’ SU-GX70 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) provide a better user experience for less, with a much handier app. Still, the Rotel has all the tools, and its mix of tactful clarity and brute-force power is formidable. For those with speakers that crave serious power, this amp has plenty to spare.

    A Big Ol’ Block

    The RAS-5000 arrives in a very large box because it is a very large amplifier. Standing nearly 6 inches tall and 17 inches deep, it easily dwarfs my pint-sized Naim Uniti Atom (8/10, WIRED Recommends) reference amp, and its weight of almost 35 pounds officially requires back support for setup. The overall vibe leans industrial but its rounded edges and shimmering metallic finish add a touch of elegance.

    The aesthetic is similar to predecessors like the Rotel RA-1572 MKII, save for the big color screen at the block’s center, which adds a lot of personality. The screen lacks touch controls, a complaint I raised about the Naim Uniti Atom HE headphone amplifier (8/10, WIRED Recommends), but it’s less of an issue here since the RAS-5000 sits on a console, not a desk, and there aren’t that many settings to adjust anyway (more on that later).

    Photograph: Ryan Waniata

    I like the trend toward flashy screens for previewing album artwork, but the audio nerd in me is more enamored with the Rotel’s constant sampling and bitrate display for everything you play. It’s all the more handy since the RAS-5000’s ESS DAC supports hi-res audio files up to 384-kHz/24-bit when connected to a PC over USB-B with “any supported format by the PC Software.”

    How high you fly depends mostly on the source—audio resolution is limited to 192-kHz/24-bit over optical/coaxial input, while Airplay 2 tops out at 48 kHz/24 bit. The system also supports streaming over Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and Roon’s high-resolution music management software for those looking to build an accessible hi-res library.

    The RAS-5000’s monstrous enclosure leaves room for a similarly monstrous custom toroidal transformer, which will dramatically dim your lights when you fire it up. The hefty powerplant feeds an A/B amplification system that delivers up to 140 watts per channel at 8 ohms and 220 watts per channel at 4 ohms. That should be enough to suitably power virtually any high-end speaker pairing you’ve got (within reason).

    Ryan Waniata

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