Yamaha DSP-A1 Amplifier
Review written by Ernie Roberts on 1-Nov-1998

Oooh aaahhh...

Why, oh why did I put up with that RXV-493! I was looking for a good amp. Future proof kind of stuff, you know, what everyone wants. I wanted 6-channel input, prologic, dts, dolby digital, and I wanted all 5 outputs to be of equal power. What a time I had trying to find all this in one unit. If you want something to meet these criteria look no further, your search is at an end.

For music (2ch - stereo), this amplifier excels in every area. Absolutely crystal clear stereo. Put on "Bohemian Rhapsody" or "Lemon" or Celine Dione and you just will never be disappointed with the sound that comes out. It never sounds "breathless" and always comes out just the way it's supposed to - loud and strong.

Yamaha invest a lot of time and energy into their DSP modes, and if you plug in a VCR, DVD or a LD and Turn on the Dolby Digital, DTS or Prologic mode you really start to appreciate the differences a TOP quality unit makes to the performance on-screen. It's worth pointing out at this time I don't have front effect speakers, so all conclusions come from the standard 5.1 setup. I always though the DSP modes, to me at least, were a little bit of a joke, but no more. Turn on Sci-Fi mode, whether the input is from you VCR, a 2-ch or a 5.1 channel digital source and the DSP-A1 is able to add a depth that really has been missing from the movies. Once again, the sound becomes warm and enveloping, just like at a really cinema (and my room is FAR from the acoustics of a cinema).

However, all is not roses when it comes to setting up your DSP-A1. There are far too many options to modify, and the manual gives alarmingly vague descriptions of what to do with them. I was helped a little to setup delay timing from my DVD manual, but without some outside guidance your flying blind.

The remote control is definitely worth a mention. Whoever designed it should be shot. Far too few buttons to allow replacement of all other hi-fi related remotes. You can't program the TV into without some serious re-thinking of what buttons do what, and if your like me, you don't want the amp on ALL the time, and hence setting options like volume control and channel changing are nearly impossible. Not to mention the 3 settings on the remote which are pre-programmed for Yamaha gear and you cannot overwrite them. Buy yourself a decent universal remote and shelve this one.

Overall, this is by far the best amp I have EVER seen or heard (even though it heard me A LOT to pay nearly $4k for it). Don't waste your money diddling around with amps that nearly do everything you want, just buy a DSP-A1 and be done with it! You'll never look back.

Yamaha DSP-A1 Amplifier Features
Power:	FRONT - 20Hz to 20kHz, 0.015% THD, 8 ohms = 110W
	CENTER - 20Hz to 20kHz, 0.015% THD, 8 ohms = 110W
	REAR - 20Hz to 20kHz, 0.015% THD, 8 ohms = 110W
	FRONT EFFECTS - 1kHz, 0.05% THD, 8 ohms = 35W
Dimensions:	BLACK MODEL - Width = 435, Height = 191, Depth = 473
	GOLD MODEL - Width = 473, Height = 191, Depth = 473
Audio Processing:	Dolby Digital, DTS, Prologic & 39 DSP modes.
Inputs:	5 x Audio (CD, TAPE1/MD, PHONO, TUNER, TAPE2)
	5 x Video/Audio (LD, TV, VCR1, VCR2, VCR3/DVD - ALL S-Video)
Other:	Sub-woofer output, dual center speaker output, pre/main coupling on all channels, 6-ch external decoder input, 5 optical & 4 coaxial digital inputs, 1 optical output, monitor out, learning remote.
Ratings:	Value: 6/10 Stereo: 9/10 Prologic: 10/10 Digital: 10/10