I forgot my SPL meter is a-weighted. Which means it does give more emphasis to the higher frequencies because it rolls off below approximately 1 kHz. Therefore, I believe what I discussed in this video regarding the reason for me hearing a difference in the speakers is true. The high frequency was level matched, but because of the dependency of the WIIM, its midrange was approximately 1/2 a decibel below the Yamaha. SCIENCE!!🎉 If you'd like to buy this stereo receiver you can get it here: Crutchfield: howl.me/cmxM2cdIqg3 Amazon: amzn.to/3yanuws This link earns me a small commission at no additional cost to you which allows me to keep doing what I'm doing. Or you are welcome to use any of the generic affiliate links below: Amazon: amzn.to/3v6i6ov Audio Advice: www.audioadvice.com/?referral=erins-audio-corner Best Buy: howl.me/ck2IPpcOp1h Crutchfield: shop-links.co/cgZmmT81jmh Parts-Express: parts-express.sjv.io/Y9zoEB Newegg: howl.me/ck2IQg52L5b Samsung: howl.me/ck2IQ5qe16w Target: howl.me/ck2IRDNsIqn Thomann: www.thomann.de/de/index.html?offid=1&affid=2577 Emotiva: shorturl.at/pBEU9 Monoprice: bit.ly/3yAY6NH Arendal Sound: arendalsound.com/store/?refer=hardisj
So the spl matching is done with some kind of noise? Is it better than matching with a 1khz tone? Im thinking it might be more of a broadband level difference you are hearing than the actual difference between the amp and it might be less noticable with a more "fair" matching? I am just thinking out loud here to understand whats happening i might be totally wrong
@@jerkersandquist7244if one amplifier is load dependent and the other is not you will always get a difference left or right. Do you want the mids to be lower or do you want the highs to be higher? Matching on mids would give higher highs on the Wiim, matching on the highs gives a lower mid on the Wiim. Pick your poison
Nice explanation on the amp differences. SPL meter. UMIK and REW. You can have A,C or flat. No weighting. Much more useful for this type of measurement. C weighting is actually good enough for most music. Mark
@@caidNL i get that. What i was trying to say is that i think almost the entirety of the frequency response being lower is more audible even if its not the actual error. So you might say its an error in the level match more than the actual difference that is audible and audibility could disappear if you match at 1khz.
@@jerkersandquist7244 fair remark. There's probably plenty of amplifiers with small load dependencies or colourations that are more or less obvious depending how you SPL match them.
Exceptional, simple, easy to comprehend “review” of an amplifier without all the jargon that “professional” reviewers employ (ie terms like “fluidity”, “musicality”, “foot tapping” etc BS). It is wonderful how simply you can give the viewers your take on an amplifier accompanied with measurements that everyone can understand. I am a long time subscriber and supporter and I value your honesty. Well done 👍🏼👌🏼
Great review as usual. If Yamaha would be willing again to send you products,I think a lot of your viewers would appreciate reviews their speakers, I certainly would. Good job again!!
I bought the cheaper AS-1100 and couldn’t be happier. It’s built to last 2 lifetimes, great quality power supply and capacitors. Drives my MS Performance 6’s beautifully.
For those without $4000 to spare (And let’s face it,most of us, don’t), the Yamaha R-N1000a was bench tested by Gene from Audioholics to very good results. His biggest problem was that the volume knob is quite suboptimal for his taste, but at least in the objective metrics, it does as well as the 2000a.
Not much of an integrated amplifier enthusiast but I am right there with you on the aesthetics Every component I have is black If one is looking for an affordable entry level amplifier the Yamaha 301 is a good choice as opposed to the chip amps Your amplifier reviews are well done and I would say the best I have seen on RUclips It goes without saying that your speaker reviews are the best I would love to see you do some A/B testing of DACs and other components Why not ? I am weary of the hype reviews by desperate compromised RUclips channels
Great comparison and appreciate the informative videos. I have both the WiiM and the Yamaha. For my main listening room, it is the Yamaha. For my office, it is the WiiM (smaller room). I would have preferred the Black Yamaha R-N2000A but when the silver one went on sale in November last year, I grabbed it at $2,499.95 and have no regrets and I am still thoroughly enjoying it. I like both units for their specific uses/rooms. Please note that I may be biased as my guitar is a Yamaha, my Tenor Saxophone is a Yamaha, and I still have and use my Yamaha CDX 1100U.
Yamaha kept the cool design from the late 1970's. I bought a CR-2020 receiver in 1979. It was a beauty and sounded good. Loudness contour was similar already then.
These days it's possible to make a decent rig at any price point and be able to enjoy your music, within the capabilities of the equipment. I'm a Yamaha fan and have both the least expensive integrated amp, the A-S301 at $350, and the top model A-S3200 at $8,000. To be truthful at my age and hearing ability with modest listening levels I could actually live with either one. If all I could afford was the WiiM I'm sure I would be satisfied with the performance, if not the features and build quality.
I own and use 2 Yamaha Mx 1000 2 Yamaha M85 and 2 Yamaha M80 power amps. I love how they sound with all my different speakers. JBL S3100 my klipsch CF4 recently acquired Polk L800 legends and my Tannoy DMT 215. My next audio adventure is trying out different preamps and streamers! Keep up the great work Erin. Hopefully everything works out for you 🙏
@ErinsAudioCorner Really nice review, mate! 👍 Love the look and build quality of most of the Yamaha gear! And it's nice to know the SQ and power output are up to snuff as well. Cheers
I've been curious about this, thank you for the review Erin! I wish you could review the whole range (N800A, N1000A, N2000A) if you had interest in it and someone could send them to you. It seems they have a very similar feature set and the main difference is the quality of the components (and inner design), so I'm really curious how much difference there is in performance. If I can't hear the difference, I don't think I would pay more than double for a VU meter (going for the N2000A over the N1000A) or maybe I could even settle for the cheapest one (N800A).
Got the silver one, been using it for 8 months now, guess the RN1000A is where the bang for bucks is but I love the looks and the sounds of this amp. It made my Q Acoustics speakers sound a lot better. And on the price, I mean it has everything build in with high quality, buy that in single components and you might even pay more. Got it on the black Friday discount for 3k in Europe.
I got this unit (in silver) a few months ago, and I use it with Klipsch Cornwall IV speakers, purchased shortly after returning a pair of klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F II which didn't have the fullness of sound I wanted.
I got the 2000A back in February of this year. It’s the most expensive piece of audio equipment I’ve ever purchased but I’m very happy with it from the performance to the aesthetics. I may even buy the less costly 800A or 1000A for the rig in my home office since my Marantz may not hold out much longer.
Great review! The Yamaha is on my short list. Your explanation of the Loudness adjustments are excellent. Vincent 237 MKii or Buchardt i150 are also considered in this price range.
Thank you Thank you Thank you... You are the only reviewer that understands humans have very bad memories for audio... Humans cannot reliably remember sound quality for more than a few seconds... I've sold audio and setup A/B tests and only could hear real differences in systems when the comparison happens within seconds...
Thanks, Erin. These are good reviews. I enjoyed the comparison. I am going to be using a wiim soon when i move. I have been able to listen in complete privacy for 10 years. I am so used to 80db thst i am going to have to find a headphone amp. It's a generation x thing. My kids hate it.
I would love to see a comparison with Yamaha's own stereo amplifiers around $1.000. They're very close in the power output specs (some better, actually), without any frequency response change. It would give a better idea of what 1/4 of the cost in the same brand, to see if there's any real benefit besides the VU meters and aesthetics. 😉
I do not dismiss what you say, but I find it incredible that you found the differences in sound quality between a $4000 amp and a $300 amp hard to distinguish at times. That does not bode well for the Yamaha in my book. I have a $6000 tube amp and I have compared it to $8000 solid state amps that are highly regarded and it was easy to tell them apart (I preferred the tubes btw). I have compared my tube amp to much cheaper solid state amps too and as soon as they started playing I instantly could tell they were in a totally different league. Like you I do not have Golden ears, far from it, but I am able to discern noticeable differences. I was interested in this Yamaha based on the many positive reviews but am slightly disturbed that it is hard to differentiate between a far far inferior product. For what its worth I believe ALL reviewers should A/B blind test their products against cheaper and more expensive products for a balanced opinion so I commend you for that. I just wish the results had been a little bit more 'It was very easy to differentiate between the two'.
Thank you very much for making this kind of videos. I have been reading and listening to many people for years stating that class A amplifiers are better (and that there are significant differences in sound) than class D amplifiers, that the more expensive the amplifier the better it sounds (lol), but in my personal experience, with the amplifiers that I have listened to, I personally do not find a significant difference, only some slight, almost imperceptible changes. I wish there were more reviews like yours a long time ago, before I ended up spending on expensive equipment that doesn't really add any "improvement", but at least I'm happy for those who can learn from this and save some money.
Thank you so much for that.. I keep looking at the Yamaha..at.the internal build, at the machining of the knobs and keep thinking..it must be at least 3 times better than product xXx
Best motorcycle I ever owned, and great outboard motors too! My first acoustic guitar from 30 years ago and my latest electric from a few months ago are both Yam. PA speakers, guitar amps, pianos and bass guitars have all been perfect. I bought a mid 1970’s CR 1000 receiver? Also great. Let’s just say I’m a fan!😂
Looks like a good choice for those who can afford it. Thanks for the review! I once had a Hegel amp in the same price range, but honestly my later built DIY LatFET amps sounded as good to my ears and cost a fraction. Sold the expensive Hegel product.
So a 0.5db bump in high frequencies that could easily get corrected with a little EQ and more headroom. It doesn't take 10x the price to get that headroom for sure so I don't consider this a super endorsement for spending 10x the price. Look at the size of the thing too! Great work, as usual, Erin!
@AndyGrimm But the 20dB output capability difference between them is SIGNIFICANT and is something to seriously consider depending on the other metrics of your listening room size & distance, speaker sensitivity, and volume preferences that Erin mentioned. I'm personally using the ~$1300 USD Hypex Nilai500-based Stereo Amplifier from DIYclassD, and it has all the power I'll ever need and is also impedance load agnostic. Sounds d@mn good, too. But it is an amplifier only, not an integrated amp with a built-in multiple-input preamp.
@@bbfoto7248 Yes, that 20db *could* be significant, depending on your listening preferences. My point was more that there's a lot of options out there that aren't $4k. You could also combine the Wiim pre-amp with a dedicated amp and probably not even have that 0.5db boost in HF. But also, imagine combining this Wiim amp with some 95dB PSA MT-110-Ms. You wouldn't need a bunch of power.
Excellent explanation of the real power output of the Wiim. Unless one can really feed a high pre-amp input into it, it just cannot compete. Yamaha is really one of the only large manufacturers that have consistently gotten their loudness rotary knob contours almost always right.
The only way I’ve heard a difference with A/B comparison is quickly switching between A and B. Reviewers who claim to hear a difference based on memory, are most likely FOS.
The amplifier business is funny. We've known for decades what it takes to design an amplifier. They are much different than speakers. I've hosted blind listening tests with amplifiers/ receivers. A well designed amplifier with good parts is simply good. I don't buy into people fooling the into using them almost like an EQ. If an amp isn't neutral, it isn't right(for me anyway). People failed these blind tests most times. I hope to run into you as we transition from oil and gas to the defense business. We hope to be in the Huntsville area by this time next year. Houston is just too insane.
I hope they update the C-5000 with a loudness contour, ypao, and dac. I just love sperates especially the 5000 series. It would nice to see all the Japanese brands bring back this classic styling. I love Yamaha because they never stopped making 2 channel amplifiers unlike Pioneer and Technics.
20 decibels is craaaazy Is that down to Superior capacitor reserves of the internal power supply on the Yamaha? Thanks as always for the top-notch review!
Not sure. One of my patrons thinks it has more to do with the gain of the WiiM’s HDMI input and that it’s limited to keep noise down. This may be true. Had the same complaint when I did the review of the WiiM a couple months ago.
@@ErinsAudioCorner i thought the max 20db test at 13:09 was when you heard amps clipping or distort, but you said it was just not getting any louder on the wiim? example is dirac could reduce the output by 10dv when enabled, and then some amps would loose output capabilities.
Great Video as ever - 2 questions related to the A/B comparison. 1. Have you tried A/B tested or will you - the Yamaha against another 'cheap' class-D amp but one that has PFFB implemented (like the Aiyima A70 or Fosi Audio V3 Monos) - especially with their 48V10A power supplies (which should be a better match in Power) As I am curious if it is the load dependency that is the difference that you heard would you hear a difference when it should be 'solved' by these amplifiers 2. Given the WiiM Amp as EQ - did you try and level match the Frequency response (i.e. remove the extra brightness from the WiiM) and then try and do an A/B test?
Nice video. Would like to see more of you doing these double blind tests with different amps and DACs, especially when comparing different topologies (Tube vs. Solid state, Class A vs D or A/B, delta-sigma vs R2R DACs).
I just replaced an old Yamaha receiver with Wiim amp, and I can back up your findings. At high volumes in a big room, the Wiim runs out of steam where the Yamaha didn’t.
Yeah, small room isn’t a real problem. I discussed it more in detail in my video. But I personally would need something like the Yamaha for my living room setup.
Check your matching for the ABX with a meter at the terminals too. That should be more sensitive and reliable than the SPL given that you’re testing amps and not speakers
The speaker is the same. So targeting SPL makes sense unless there is a reason to believe the amp is extremely non/linear. Which is kind of the point of listening tests; to compare against data when a discovery is made. 😎
Thanks as always for this quality review. I don't quite understand why there would be a 20dB difference between Yamaha and Wiim, if the sine wave power tests are within 3dB 🤔 Especially because sine waves have a higher crest factor than music, so they they demand a more continuous power delivery, whereas music only needs intermittent power delivery. Any insights into that?
It’s been theorized that the input gain on the WiiM’s HDMI input is quite low to reduce noise. This seems to be the only explanation that makes sense so far.
This amp can be had on Amazon every now and then around $3200-3300. I look at it as though I’m paying 2500 for the amp section and 700 for its streamer section. I’m sure it can be had even cheaper second hand
If you're willing to spend $4k on an integrated amp, pickup a separate Michael Fidler MC Pro (or MM Pro) phono preamp for about ~$600 for an end game piece of kit that will match or best just about anything on the market under $10k. ;)
Personally owned several Yamaha components for about a decade from the mid ‘70s, and loved them all. The variable loudness contour has been a feature on their integrated amps and receivers since at least 1973’s CA1000 / and CR1000 the next year. First time I consciously heard a class A amp was my CA1000.
@@MadLadsAnonymous You mean variable loudness contour? I’m not sure about the entirety of audio componentry, but those Yammies were the only make I personally owned with that feature.
Yeah I’m tired of these fancy words from Darko and Andrew, if there is barely any difference then why pay more, only for features I guess. Is Marantz Cinema 70s load dependent? Is it worth switching to it from WiiM Amp? Speakers I’m thinking are either Elac Carina 247.4, KEF Q750 or Q5040.
Cool! I have that amp (they call it a receiver). I love it. Lucky for me I got it at a reduced price because I pre-ordered it. I was waiting for a year for it to come out.
@@UnitedRedDevil13 Erin would be able to give more info as I only use mine to power two large speakers for my patio to stream music with. It is perfect for that.
I have been looking at cheaper Yamaha models and this was very helpful. I still couldn't justify the price but I guess it takes REALLY good speakers to match them and hear the difference
Thank you! This is very informative and a bit surprising to see the data on decibel meter, if you have one of those small class D amps(like the Za3), for people with small rooms/close distance, what level on the decibel meter do you recommend people listen at to get full dynamics, for most songs?
Very surprising to see so huge volume difference. Was the volume on Wiim limited by gain or distortion (power)? If by gain, then if one would increase the input voltage could you reach higher output volume on the wiim or would it just fry the electronics? Kind of weird design if you can't get full power output with 2V input and 8ohm load. 🤔
If you're into equipment listening to music there are endless fantastic inexpensive options for you. If you're into the "hobby" of using music to listen to equipment. I hope you have an amazing income. One last thought, I love how just about all youtube reviews compare equipment worth thousands of dollars to equipment worth hundreds then talk about the "slight" differences. Save your money people. Cheers.
The YPAO Volume, an aurally correct loudness control works even better, you should also test it intensively! I have already experienced the yamaha R-N (R-N803/R-N1000A/R-N2000A) HiFI YPAO in many different rooms and with many different loudspeakers and it was ALWAYS a clear advantage in favour of YPAO! But you have to get to know the corrected sound image first. It's like switching from dynamic picture mode to film maker mode on a TV. Try the very good amplifier quality of an inexpensive Yamaha A-S301/501.
I’m sorry if I missed it, but did you say what speaker used for your testing and how loud you listen during your test? I think both factors will play a big difference in determining if you can hear a difference between amplifiers. I believe I have heard differences between amplifiers, but usually they are very different in design and on harder to drive speakers. I would love to test myself in an ABX test.
Still using a 30 year old Yamaha RX-V850 multi channel reciever as a straight two channel system. Good preamp in it and in two channel does seem to put out 80 watts with a generous amount of head room. There is some additional value over just it delivering a small but noticeable better sound quality. It could possibly last 10 times longer ( slight exaggeration ...maybe? ) . Anyway the Yamaha is going to have no problems driving 95% of the speakers made.
Great review! Yamaha’s excellent loudness knob is why I’ve kept my A-S801 vs upgrading to the 1200+. I find it really imparts a warmth during low level listening to have the low end and high frequencies without the midrange.
Laugh all the purebloods want but I have actually become fond of the way modern AV amps can use DTS X and alike to seperate vocals to the middle with instruments to the side and top in a 3.1.2 setup. Really creates a tremendous sound stage even in a small space where large speakers are not an option while also giving better seperation in the sounds. Mixed with proper room correction technology and a proper crossover setup the results are shocking compared to a traditional 2ch setup. You should look into this for a topic to discuss at some point. Or did you?
Erin, your speaker and component reviews are the ones to beat as compared to other reviewers... just excellent. I love the combination of both your subjective, and objective comments backed up with data. Two questions: 1) why don’t manufacturers provide a simple of measurement data like you do? (very helpful) 2) do you read the comments when someone sends you a PayPal donation? I support you by watching your videos all the way through and via PayPal donations. Any feedback would be appreciated, Brian
Thanks! 1) there could be any number of reasons. Maybe they know that the measurements wouldn’t look great and they are worried. They may scare off potential users. Maybe they just don’t have the ability to provide measurements. Or maybe they don’t feel like explaining why things measure the way they do. I could understand, some of this. 2) I do. I always send a thank you back unless I just somehow miss the notification from PayPal.
I encountered almost the same thing last night. Testing a lower tier Yamaha amp against a SMSL class d amp on the Fritz Carbon 7 which has an easy load and min crossover. The SMSL amp has a very light attack in the mid bass region vs the solid state. My 11 year old daughter noticed it. Perhaps it is too much damping….
Thank you Yamaha for sending this to Erin! It shows confidence in your great product! Great review! I really want this thing! You sold me on the power. I was a bit sceptical. Hopefully this fall I can get one! Thanks! 🤞🏼
I would likely buy the 1200, since you get the VU meters, and I'd guess that they sound very similar (or even the same). I'd rather put those savings in the loudspeakers. 😉
@@MrRocktuga I’m all about the all in one. And build quality you get with the 2000 over the 1000. For me there is some to be said for having a high quality piece! But yes the 1000 is definitely a fantastic bang for your buck for those who want
My take on this one: overpriced amp with exceptional design. I would buy it solely for the looks if I had enough money. I had a chance to listen to R-N2000a : sounds good (nothing exceptional tough), has plenty of power but the design (especially the silver one) is so good that I had urge to buy it immediately. Design wise it is an instant classic and extremely elegant. It will fit any room with style. Most of the time I'm not considering amp based on the looks but this time I was really impressed. Quality of device is exceptional too. Has hdmi arc which is something I really like and use all the time.
1. It's an integrated amp. 2. Most people don't need much more power than these provide (note that Erin already mentioned a 20dB real world differential between this Yamaha and the Wiim Amp). 3. 300wpc-400wpc is usually reserved for dedicated amps and/or monoblocks like Erin's March Audio P501. So if you know you will be using low sensitivity speakers in a large room, and want loud levels that will actually require that much power, there are plenty of options. There's obviously nothing wrong with having or wanting more power on tap, but most people simply aren't going to need that much power for 90% of their listening in an average size room with most speakers.
Erin you're an excellent speaker reviewer. I'm sure this Yamaha is a decent all in one Integrated amp. For those of us, who often listen to music at over 90 dbs via 4ohm speakers, great high current powerful amps are a must. For $4k the market has some excellent amps (Mono amp, Stereo amp, Integrateds). For example, your favorite speaker (KEF Blade 2 meta) will probably clip the Yamaha and definately the wimpy WIIM with a dynamic track at over 85 dbs. KEF, itself, loves to pair their Blade and reference lines with three high power amps (Hegel H390/590, McIntosh MA line, Musical Fidelity 500 and above amps). I've owned Yamaha amps, and their fine with speakers that are 8 ohm and at least 89db sensitive. They will struggle with 4ohm loads at over 85 dbs. Thanks nonetheless, for continuing to add amps to your reviews.
❤ ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! 👏 Listened to it through my WiiM AMP and learned more about it and that there’s room to grow. Yamaha looks bold though, just surprised there are no balanced inputs at that price point ... 🤔
@IvanITpro TBH, there really isn't much advantage to using balanced circuits & cables in home HiFi setups. The common mode noise rejection of balanced circuits & cables were designed for pro audio use where you have the potential for very long cables runs (100ft-500ft+) that carry very low level microphone signals in large concert venues & halls, and/or large professional studios, which both can be very hostile EMI & RF environments. There's obviously nothing "bad" about balanced per se, as I use them practically every day in my own home recording studio. But you're mostly dealing with line level signals in home audio, combined with just 1m-2m cable lengths, and not very low level instrument or microphone signal voltage levels over much longer cable runs. I do, however, like having the extra output power capability of my balanced headphone amp for my difficult to drive balanced headphones, so I "get it" for some applications.
@@bbfoto7248 thx for the insight! It’s just a piece of mind for some like myself - knowing that the signal is going to be clean no matter what, which puts my audiophile brain to piece. 😅 For some reason I do hear the difference in noise floor when using XLR regardless of cable length, it allows the sound to have more detail, clarity and dynamics in my experience - when using the same gear that has both BAL & SE connections. This is all important for audiophiles, but will settle for SE if there’s no option of course. 😉 Thx again!!
I forgot my SPL meter is a-weighted. Which means it does give more emphasis to the higher frequencies because it rolls off below approximately 1 kHz. Therefore, I believe what I discussed in this video regarding the reason for me hearing a difference in the speakers is true. The high frequency was level matched, but because of the dependency of the WIIM, its midrange was approximately 1/2 a decibel below the Yamaha.
SCIENCE!!🎉
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So the spl matching is done with some kind of noise? Is it better than matching with a 1khz tone? Im thinking it might be more of a broadband level difference you are hearing than the actual difference between the amp and it might be less noticable with a more "fair" matching? I am just thinking out loud here to understand whats happening i might be totally wrong
@@jerkersandquist7244if one amplifier is load dependent and the other is not you will always get a difference left or right. Do you want the mids to be lower or do you want the highs to be higher? Matching on mids would give higher highs on the Wiim, matching on the highs gives a lower mid on the Wiim. Pick your poison
Nice explanation on the amp differences. SPL meter. UMIK and REW. You can have A,C or flat. No weighting. Much more useful for this type of measurement. C weighting is actually good enough for most music.
Mark
@@caidNL i get that. What i was trying to say is that i think almost the entirety of the frequency response being lower is more audible even if its not the actual error. So you might say its an error in the level match more than the actual difference that is audible and audibility could disappear if you match at 1khz.
@@jerkersandquist7244 fair remark. There's probably plenty of amplifiers with small load dependencies or colourations that are more or less obvious depending how you SPL match them.
Exceptional, simple, easy to comprehend “review” of an amplifier without all the jargon that “professional” reviewers employ (ie terms like “fluidity”, “musicality”, “foot tapping” etc BS).
It is wonderful how simply you can give the viewers your take on an amplifier accompanied with measurements that everyone can understand. I am a long time subscriber and supporter and I value your honesty.
Well done 👍🏼👌🏼
Wow, thanks!😊
Yamaha does not make crap. I've taken a few tours around the sun and Yamaha is the only company that has earned the aforementioned statement.
I love blind tests. Did this with beer at home and ended up picking a beer I told everyone I disliked.
What beer?
😂😂
Confirmation bias and sunk cost fallacy are real, and powerful.
Bud Light
@@Mrcurci Coors light. It won a taste test of five light beers over three rounds, ten double blind taste tests per round.
Great review as usual. If Yamaha would be willing again to send you products,I think a lot of your viewers would appreciate reviews their speakers, I certainly would. Good job again!!
I bought the cheaper AS-1100 and couldn’t be happier. It’s built to last 2 lifetimes, great quality power supply and capacitors. Drives my MS Performance 6’s beautifully.
same, bought it secondhand and every time i listen to it i am amazed
Yes, I bought it a few years ago. When you pick it up it's almost 50kg it's ridiculously heavy.
Fun vid, thanx Erin. Diminishing returns kick in hard!
For those without $4000 to spare (And let’s face it,most of us, don’t), the Yamaha R-N1000a was bench tested by Gene from Audioholics to very good results. His biggest problem was that the volume knob is quite suboptimal for his taste, but at least in the objective metrics, it does as well as the 2000a.
Not much of an integrated amplifier enthusiast but I am right there with you on the aesthetics
Every component I have is black
If one is looking for an affordable entry level amplifier the Yamaha 301 is a good choice as opposed to the chip amps
Your amplifier reviews are well done and I would say the best I have seen on RUclips
It goes without saying that your speaker reviews are the best
I would love to see you do some A/B testing of DACs and other components
Why not ?
I am weary of the hype reviews by desperate compromised RUclips channels
Great comparison and appreciate the informative videos. I have both the WiiM and the Yamaha. For my main listening room, it is the Yamaha. For my office, it is the WiiM (smaller room). I would have preferred the Black Yamaha R-N2000A but when the silver one went on sale in November last year, I grabbed it at $2,499.95 and have no regrets and I am still thoroughly enjoying it. I like both units for their specific uses/rooms. Please note that I may be biased as my guitar is a Yamaha, my Tenor Saxophone is a Yamaha, and I still have and use my Yamaha CDX 1100U.
I've been running the A-S1200 for two years, and it has been an end-game integrated amp for me.
Love blind test. Erin, you are amazingly honest. Thanks
It cannot be overemphasized: any non-blind comparison is rubbish! Thank you.
Yamaha kept the cool design from the late 1970's. I bought a CR-2020 receiver in 1979. It was a beauty and sounded good. Loudness contour was similar already then.
These days it's possible to make a decent rig at any price point and be able to enjoy your music, within the capabilities of the equipment. I'm a Yamaha fan and have both the least expensive integrated amp, the A-S301 at $350, and the top model A-S3200 at $8,000. To be truthful at my age and hearing ability with modest listening levels I could actually live with either one. If all I could afford was the WiiM I'm sure I would be satisfied with the performance, if not the features and build quality.
I just learned recently that there's an a-s201, unless it's just an older model and no longer made.
@@Artcore103
Yes, I believe that's the case and it has been superseded by the A-S301.
best implementation of loudness out there
for yamaha? i think they do it totally diff than other manufacturers…
I own and use 2 Yamaha Mx 1000
2 Yamaha M85 and 2 Yamaha M80 power amps. I love how they sound with all my different speakers. JBL S3100 my klipsch CF4 recently acquired Polk L800 legends and my Tannoy DMT 215. My next audio adventure is trying out different preamps and streamers! Keep up the great work Erin. Hopefully everything works out for you 🙏
@ErinsAudioCorner
Really nice review, mate! 👍
Love the look and build quality of most of the Yamaha gear! And it's nice to know the SQ and power output are up to snuff as well.
Cheers
I've been curious about this, thank you for the review Erin!
I wish you could review the whole range (N800A, N1000A, N2000A) if you had interest in it and someone could send them to you. It seems they have a very similar feature set and the main difference is the quality of the components (and inner design), so I'm really curious how much difference there is in performance. If I can't hear the difference, I don't think I would pay more than double for a VU meter (going for the N2000A over the N1000A) or maybe I could even settle for the cheapest one (N800A).
Got the silver one, been using it for 8 months now, guess the RN1000A is where the bang for bucks is but I love the looks and the sounds of this amp.
It made my Q Acoustics speakers sound a lot better. And on the price, I mean it has everything build in with high quality, buy that in single components and you might even pay more. Got it on the black Friday discount for 3k in Europe.
I got this unit (in silver) a few months ago, and I use it with Klipsch Cornwall IV speakers, purchased shortly after returning a pair of klipsch Reference Premiere RP-8000F II which didn't have the fullness of sound I wanted.
And how do you like the RN2000a, is it fairly powerful?
I got the 2000A back in February of this year. It’s the most expensive piece of audio equipment I’ve ever purchased but I’m very happy with it from the performance to the aesthetics. I may even buy the less costly 800A or 1000A for the rig in my home office since my Marantz may not hold out much longer.
Great review! The Yamaha is on my short list. Your explanation of the Loudness adjustments are excellent. Vincent 237 MKii or Buchardt i150 are also considered in this price range.
Thank you Thank you Thank you... You are the only reviewer that understands humans have very bad memories for audio... Humans cannot reliably remember sound quality for more than a few seconds... I've sold audio and setup A/B tests and only could hear real differences in systems when the comparison happens within seconds...
Yessir!
Thanks, Erin. These are good reviews. I enjoyed the comparison. I am going to be using a wiim soon when i move. I have been able to listen in complete privacy for 10 years. I am so used to 80db thst i am going to have to find a headphone amp. It's a generation x thing. My kids hate it.
I love your approach to reviewing based on honesty and scientific principles. Unlike many of the "fluff" reviews out there.
I would love to see a comparison with Yamaha's own stereo amplifiers around $1.000.
They're very close in the power output specs (some better, actually), without any frequency response change.
It would give a better idea of what 1/4 of the cost in the same brand, to see if there's any real benefit besides the VU meters and aesthetics. 😉
With a blind test, Yamahas 199 dollar offer would be preferred equally with the 5000 series. Blind tests give junk a huge leg up.
I do not dismiss what you say, but I find it incredible that you found the differences in sound quality between a $4000 amp and a $300 amp hard to distinguish at times. That does not bode well for the Yamaha in my book. I have a $6000 tube amp and I have compared it to $8000 solid state amps that are highly regarded and it was easy to tell them apart (I preferred the tubes btw). I have compared my tube amp to much cheaper solid state amps too and as soon as they started playing I instantly could tell they were in a totally different league. Like you I do not have Golden ears, far from it, but I am able to discern noticeable differences. I was interested in this Yamaha based on the many positive reviews but am slightly disturbed that it is hard to differentiate between a far far inferior product. For what its worth I believe ALL reviewers should A/B blind test their products against cheaper and more expensive products for a balanced opinion so I commend you for that. I just wish the results had been a little bit more 'It was very easy to differentiate between the two'.
Would be great if you could get your hands on the AS3200. AB test between these two would be interesting.
Thank you very much for making this kind of videos.
I have been reading and listening to many people for years stating that class A amplifiers are better (and that there are significant differences in sound) than class D amplifiers, that the more expensive the amplifier the better it sounds (lol), but in my personal experience, with the amplifiers that I have listened to, I personally do not find a significant difference, only some slight, almost imperceptible changes.
I wish there were more reviews like yours a long time ago, before I ended up spending on expensive equipment that doesn't really add any "improvement", but at least I'm happy for those who can learn from this and save some money.
Thank you so much for that.. I keep looking at the Yamaha..at.the internal build, at the machining of the knobs and keep thinking..it must be at least 3 times better than product xXx
Dope, your videos are execptionally well made and interesting.
Glad you like them!
Best motorcycle I ever owned, and great outboard motors too! My first acoustic guitar from 30 years ago and my latest electric from a few months ago are both Yam. PA speakers, guitar amps, pianos and bass guitars have all been perfect. I bought a mid 1970’s CR 1000 receiver? Also great.
Let’s just say I’m a fan!😂
I bought the R-N1000A, A great Amp built like a tank !
Looks like a good choice for those who can afford it. Thanks for the review!
I once had a Hegel amp in the same price range, but honestly my later built DIY LatFET amps sounded as good to my ears and cost a fraction. Sold the expensive Hegel product.
So a 0.5db bump in high frequencies that could easily get corrected with a little EQ and more headroom. It doesn't take 10x the price to get that headroom for sure so I don't consider this a super endorsement for spending 10x the price. Look at the size of the thing too! Great work, as usual, Erin!
@AndyGrimm
But the 20dB output capability difference between them is SIGNIFICANT and is something to seriously consider depending on the other metrics of your listening room size & distance, speaker sensitivity, and volume preferences that Erin mentioned.
I'm personally using the ~$1300 USD Hypex Nilai500-based Stereo Amplifier from DIYclassD, and it has all the power I'll ever need and is also impedance load agnostic. Sounds d@mn good, too. But it is an amplifier only, not an integrated amp with a built-in multiple-input preamp.
@@bbfoto7248 Yes, that 20db *could* be significant, depending on your listening preferences. My point was more that there's a lot of options out there that aren't $4k. You could also combine the Wiim pre-amp with a dedicated amp and probably not even have that 0.5db boost in HF.
But also, imagine combining this Wiim amp with some 95dB PSA MT-110-Ms. You wouldn't need a bunch of power.
Excellent explanation of the real power output of the Wiim. Unless one can really feed a high pre-amp input into it, it just cannot compete. Yamaha is really one of the only large manufacturers that have consistently gotten their loudness rotary knob contours almost always right.
The only way I’ve heard a difference with A/B comparison is quickly switching between A and B. Reviewers who claim to hear a difference based on memory, are most likely FOS.
The amplifier business is funny. We've known for decades what it takes to design an amplifier. They are much different than speakers. I've hosted blind listening tests with amplifiers/ receivers. A well designed amplifier with good parts is simply good. I don't buy into people fooling the into using them almost like an EQ. If an amp isn't neutral, it isn't right(for me anyway). People failed these blind tests most times.
I hope to run into you as we transition from oil and gas to the defense business. We hope to be in the Huntsville area by this time next year. Houston is just too insane.
I hope they update the C-5000 with a loudness contour, ypao, and dac. I just love sperates especially the 5000 series. It would nice to see all the Japanese brands bring back this classic styling. I love Yamaha because they never stopped making 2 channel amplifiers unlike Pioneer and Technics.
20 decibels is craaaazy
Is that down to Superior capacitor reserves of the internal power supply on the Yamaha?
Thanks as always for the top-notch review!
Not sure. One of my patrons thinks it has more to do with the gain of the WiiM’s HDMI input and that it’s limited to keep noise down. This may be true. Had the same complaint when I did the review of the WiiM a couple months ago.
@@ErinsAudioCorner that makes sense! Didn't even think about the different input path through the Wiim
@@ErinsAudioCorner i thought the max 20db test at 13:09 was when you heard amps clipping or distort, but you said it was just not getting any louder on the wiim?
example is dirac could reduce the output by 10dv when enabled, and then some amps would loose output capabilities.
@@sudd3660 correct. That’s the loudest I could get it.
No shocker here Erin, I can 100% relate to and endorse your conclusions based on my experiences. 👍
Great Video as ever - 2 questions related to the A/B comparison.
1. Have you tried A/B tested or will you - the Yamaha against another 'cheap' class-D amp but one that has PFFB implemented (like the Aiyima A70 or Fosi Audio V3 Monos) - especially with their 48V10A power supplies (which should be a better match in Power)
As I am curious if it is the load dependency that is the difference that you heard would you hear a difference when it should be 'solved' by these amplifiers
2. Given the WiiM Amp as EQ - did you try and level match the Frequency response (i.e. remove the extra brightness from the WiiM) and then try and do an A/B test?
Nice video. Would like to see more of you doing these double blind tests with different amps and DACs, especially when comparing different topologies (Tube vs. Solid state, Class A vs D or A/B, delta-sigma vs R2R DACs).
With the price difference there should be more than a slight difference...
I just replaced an old Yamaha receiver with Wiim amp, and I can back up your findings. At high volumes in a big room, the Wiim runs out of steam where the Yamaha didn’t.
Great review, sounds like the Wiim mould be fine for 60-70DB in a small room
Yeah, small room isn’t a real problem. I discussed it more in detail in my video. But I personally would need something like the Yamaha for my living room setup.
I have a Yamaha amp from the late 80's early 90's and love it. Still sounds awesome.
20dB is equal to 100x the power, ... so this isn't about output capability.
Something else is at play, specific to the WiiM's gain signal path.
That's not directed at Erin, he addressed this. It's for all those commenting on the 20dB.
Nice work on this comparison and the presentation of the info!
Check your matching for the ABX with a meter at the terminals too. That should be more sensitive and reliable than the SPL given that you’re testing amps and not speakers
The speaker is the same. So targeting SPL makes sense unless there is a reason to believe the amp is extremely non/linear. Which is kind of the point of listening tests; to compare against data when a discovery is made. 😎
Thanks as always for this quality review.
I don't quite understand why there would be a 20dB difference between Yamaha and Wiim, if the sine wave power tests are within 3dB 🤔 Especially because sine waves have a higher crest factor than music, so they they demand a more continuous power delivery, whereas music only needs intermittent power delivery. Any insights into that?
It’s been theorized that the input gain on the WiiM’s HDMI input is quite low to reduce noise. This seems to be the only explanation that makes sense so far.
Blind tests are the Best. I will keep waching you.
This amp can be had on Amazon every now and then around $3200-3300. I look at it as though I’m paying 2500 for the amp section and 700 for its streamer section. I’m sure it can be had even cheaper second hand
Do you have any comments on soundstage & depth differences if any? Thanks for the video.
I didn’t notice any.
I believe the phono stage on the Yamaha only supports moving magnet cartridges, no moving coil.
If you're willing to spend $4k on an integrated amp, pickup a separate Michael Fidler MC Pro (or MM Pro) phono preamp for about ~$600 for an end game piece of kit that will match or best just about anything on the market under $10k. ;)
The loudness feature or tone controls are essential if you listen at lower volumes.
Those Fletcher-Munson curves are not without significance.
Personally owned several Yamaha components for about a decade from the mid ‘70s, and loved them all. The variable loudness contour has been a feature on their integrated amps and receivers since at least 1973’s CA1000 / and CR1000 the next year. First time I consciously heard a class A amp was my CA1000.
@@fonkenfulOther than Yamahas, which other brands are known for including variable tone controls?
@@MadLadsAnonymous You mean variable loudness contour? I’m not sure about the entirety of audio componentry, but those Yammies were the only make I personally owned with that feature.
I have this amplifier for 5 months, great sound at low volumes using loudness tone control
Older ones, I know Proton amps had it built into the volume control with defeat button.
Also the Bose compact amp would have it lol@@MadLadsAnonymous
I wish the adjustments on the front were circular instead of rectangular, because it can look very wonky/nonsymetrical when you use them.
The new Yamaha gear is incredible. This particular piece is a work of art.
Yamaha's variable loudness knob is great fun and nice for late night listening
Yeah I’m tired of these fancy words from Darko and Andrew, if there is barely any difference then why pay more, only for features I guess. Is Marantz Cinema 70s load dependent? Is it worth switching to it from WiiM Amp? Speakers I’m thinking are either Elac Carina 247.4, KEF Q750 or Q5040.
Waiting for your Wiim Ultra review 🔥🔥
me too !
Cool! I have that amp (they call it a receiver). I love it. Lucky for me I got it at a reduced price because I pre-ordered it. I was waiting for a year for it to come out.
I bought a Wiim amp last week, it is awesome
It really is!
What are situations where the Wiim may come into play in a setup of we already own an AVR? Keep hearing how good the Wiim is. Thanks in advance.
FYI. I have a 5.1.4 setup and use for home theater, vinyl, Apple Music.
@@UnitedRedDevil13 Erin would be able to give more info as I only use mine to power two large speakers for my patio to stream music with. It is perfect for that.
I have been looking at cheaper Yamaha models and this was very helpful. I still couldn't justify the price but I guess it takes REALLY good speakers to match them and hear the difference
Thank you! This is very informative and a bit surprising to see the data on decibel meter, if you have one of those small class D amps(like the Za3), for people with small rooms/close distance, what level on the decibel meter do you recommend people listen at to get full dynamics, for most songs?
Lots of good insights in this review. Thanks Erin.
Love your videos. Earn as much as you can from it and keep such quality! 👌
Yes! Loudness needs to become an easy thing again! Given all the advancements it could be done very very well.
.5 dB matching is not good enough, nor is using an SPL meter. Even so, given the load dependence, hearing something isn’t totally unreasonable.
Very surprising to see so huge volume difference. Was the volume on Wiim limited by gain or distortion (power)? If by gain, then if one would increase the input voltage could you reach higher output volume on the wiim or would it just fry the electronics? Kind of weird design if you can't get full power output with 2V input and 8ohm load. 🤔
20db is HUGE. This is where all these high wattage high current amps come in to play. Way more headroom!
Please review Evo 4.2! There are no Klippel measurements for it although they are a pretty popular cheap set of speakers.
That's just awesome, and once again, confirms that you don't need to get hugely expensive amplifier to get great sound.
If you're into equipment listening to music there are endless fantastic inexpensive options for you. If you're into the "hobby" of using music to listen to equipment. I hope you have an amazing income. One last thought, I love how just about all youtube reviews compare equipment worth thousands of dollars to equipment worth hundreds then talk about the "slight" differences. Save your money people. Cheers.
The YPAO Volume, an aurally correct loudness control works even better, you should also test it intensively!
I have already experienced the yamaha R-N (R-N803/R-N1000A/R-N2000A) HiFI YPAO in many different rooms and with many different loudspeakers and it was ALWAYS a clear advantage in favour of YPAO!
But you have to get to know the corrected sound image first.
It's like switching from dynamic picture mode to film maker mode on a TV.
Try the very good amplifier quality of an inexpensive Yamaha A-S301/501.
I’m sorry if I missed it, but did you say what speaker used for your testing and how loud you listen during your test? I think both factors will play a big difference in determining if you can hear a difference between amplifiers.
I believe I have heard differences between amplifiers, but usually they are very different in design and on harder to drive speakers.
I would love to test myself in an ABX test.
@billythestalker
Yes, he did. Watch the video again. ;)
It would be a good comparison with the Advance Paris A12
Looks like a awesome product. Great review.
20db is a stark diff. Now thinking about Aiyima as mono blocks for a smallish room. Im just not going to spend like I did 20 yrs ago.
Still using a 30 year old Yamaha RX-V850 multi channel reciever as a straight two channel system. Good preamp in it and in two channel does seem to put out 80 watts with a generous amount of head room. There is some additional value over just it delivering a small but noticeable better sound quality. It could possibly last 10 times longer ( slight exaggeration ...maybe? ) . Anyway the Yamaha is going to have no problems driving 95% of the speakers made.
Great review! Yamaha’s excellent loudness knob is why I’ve kept my A-S801 vs upgrading to the 1200+. I find it really imparts a warmth during low level listening to have the low end and high frequencies without the midrange.
Laugh all the purebloods want but I have actually become fond of the way modern AV amps can use DTS X and alike to seperate vocals to the middle with instruments to the side and top in a 3.1.2 setup. Really creates a tremendous sound stage even in a small space where large speakers are not an option while also giving better seperation in the sounds. Mixed with proper room correction technology and a proper crossover setup the results are shocking compared to a traditional 2ch setup.
You should look into this for a topic to discuss at some point. Or did you?
Erin, your speaker and component reviews are the ones to beat as compared to other reviewers... just excellent.
I love the combination of both your subjective, and objective comments backed up with data.
Two questions:
1) why don’t manufacturers provide a simple of measurement data like you do? (very helpful)
2) do you read the comments when someone sends you a PayPal donation?
I support you by watching your videos all the way through and via PayPal donations.
Any feedback would be appreciated,
Brian
Thanks!
1) there could be any number of reasons. Maybe they know that the measurements wouldn’t look great and they are worried. They may scare off potential users. Maybe they just don’t have the ability to provide measurements. Or maybe they don’t feel like explaining why things measure the way they do. I could understand, some of this.
2) I do. I always send a thank you back unless I just somehow miss the notification from PayPal.
Great review, Erin. Thank you!
I encountered almost the same thing last night. Testing a lower tier Yamaha amp against a SMSL class d amp on the Fritz Carbon 7 which has an easy load and min crossover. The SMSL amp has a very light attack in the mid bass region vs the solid state. My 11 year old daughter noticed it. Perhaps it is too much damping….
Thank you Yamaha for sending this to Erin! It shows confidence in your great product! Great review! I really want this thing! You sold me on the power. I was a bit sceptical. Hopefully this fall I can get one! Thanks! 🤞🏼
Glad I could help!
I would likely buy the 1200, since you get the VU meters, and I'd guess that they sound very similar (or even the same).
I'd rather put those savings in the loudspeakers. 😉
@@MrRocktuga I’m all about the all in one. And build quality you get with the 2000 over the 1000. For me there is some to be said for having a high quality piece! But yes the 1000 is definitely a fantastic bang for your buck for those who want
Did you ever review Buckeye Amps?
A 50% increase in power equates to 1.76 dB.
My take on this one: overpriced amp with exceptional design. I would buy it solely for the looks if I had enough money. I had a chance to listen to R-N2000a : sounds good (nothing exceptional tough), has plenty of power but the design (especially the silver one) is so good that I had urge to buy it immediately. Design wise it is an instant classic and extremely elegant. It will fit any room with style. Most of the time I'm not considering amp based on the looks but this time I was really impressed. Quality of device is exceptional too. Has hdmi arc which is something I really like and use all the time.
I am rabidly iconoclastic and I'm seeing WiiM in my feed way too often. Good or not, they're pretty much off my list now.
Hmm. At that price level, I would expect balanced inputs and balanced circuit topology.
Yeah, I was surprised they don’t have balanced input as well.
Idk why those stereo amps have such a low power. 200w a channel? Why not at least 300-400w? For inefficient speakers and peaks in dynamic songs
1. It's an integrated amp.
2. Most people don't need much more power than these provide (note that Erin already mentioned a 20dB real world differential between this Yamaha and the Wiim Amp).
3. 300wpc-400wpc is usually reserved for dedicated amps and/or monoblocks like Erin's March Audio P501.
So if you know you will be using low sensitivity speakers in a large room, and want loud levels that will actually require that much power, there are plenty of options.
There's obviously nothing wrong with having or wanting more power on tap, but most people simply aren't going to need that much power for 90% of their listening in an average size room with most speakers.
So,i wish you to make same test with RN 2000a against Marantz M1
you should measure crosstalk and multitone square wave rendering..
Would if I could.
These were 25% off on prime day! There’s always cyber Tuesday for those holding out for a deal.
Erin you're an excellent speaker reviewer. I'm sure this Yamaha is a decent all in one Integrated amp. For those of us, who often listen to music at over 90 dbs via 4ohm speakers, great high current powerful amps are a must. For $4k the market has some excellent amps (Mono amp, Stereo amp, Integrateds). For example, your favorite speaker (KEF Blade 2 meta) will probably clip the Yamaha and definately the wimpy WIIM with a dynamic track at over 85 dbs. KEF, itself, loves to pair their Blade and reference lines with three high power amps (Hegel H390/590, McIntosh MA line, Musical Fidelity 500 and above amps). I've owned Yamaha amps, and their fine with speakers that are 8 ohm and at least 89db sensitive. They will struggle with 4ohm loads at over 85 dbs. Thanks nonetheless, for continuing to add amps to your reviews.
If memory serves, the SVS i listened to these electronics with is a harder to drive load than the KEF Blade 2. But I’d have to double check.
I would like to put that statement to the test in a blind test.
@@mw3640 I would, too. But I don’t have either of the speakers on hand. You can, however, reference the impedance data.
@@ErinsAudioCornerCheck out this sound demo of Blade 2 meta driven by Michi preampand Michi Mono amps: ruclips.net/video/H5IHsWnjw6E/видео.html
I love my Yamaha products, but YPAO has always been trash and I only use it for timing a output matching, not to EQ.
That Yamaha is a very nice looking amp! Feels like a luxury item these days at $4k though. In a more just and rich world I would buy this!
❤ ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! 👏 Listened to it through my WiiM AMP and learned more about it and that there’s room to grow. Yamaha looks bold though, just surprised there are no balanced inputs at that price point ... 🤔
Glad you enjoyed it!
@IvanITpro
TBH, there really isn't much advantage to using balanced circuits & cables in home HiFi setups.
The common mode noise rejection of balanced circuits & cables were designed for pro audio use where you have the potential for very long cables runs (100ft-500ft+) that carry very low level microphone signals in large concert venues & halls, and/or large professional studios, which both can be very hostile EMI & RF environments.
There's obviously nothing "bad" about balanced per se, as I use them practically every day in my own home recording studio.
But you're mostly dealing with line level signals in home audio, combined with just 1m-2m cable lengths, and not very low level instrument or microphone signal voltage levels over much longer cable runs.
I do, however, like having the extra output power capability of my balanced headphone amp for my difficult to drive balanced headphones, so I "get it" for some applications.
@@bbfoto7248 thx for the insight! It’s just a piece of mind for some like myself - knowing that the signal is going to be clean no matter what, which puts my audiophile brain to piece. 😅
For some reason I do hear the difference in noise floor when using XLR regardless of cable length, it allows the sound to have more detail, clarity and dynamics in my experience - when using the same gear that has both BAL & SE connections. This is all important for audiophiles, but will settle for SE if there’s no option of course. 😉 Thx again!!