Yamaha AX-497 Amplifier
Yamaha keeps on developing its technology Top-Art with the use of the smallest length of audio path and powerful supply transformer. In the amplifier AX-497 everything is intended for playing phonograms with expanded frequency and dynamics ranges. Audiophiles' digital formats, DVDAudio and SACD, suit greatly in the mentioned category. Beside this, the device is equipped by built-in MM/MC phono preamp for vinyl player's lovers, and also by disconnectable equalizer and loudness. The remote control is very small, but functional. Special features of the model are three sockets for connection of external audio components and gilt CD player input. This is fascinating! Yamaha can do such amplifiers, which instantly engage the listener in music! No matter if you love waltzes of Strauss, jazz player Keith Jarret or thunderous Sepultura, recently shaking speakers of all hard-metal fans. In any cases a perfect tone balance and clear, juicy tones will accompany you. Truly, Yamaha has one "family" feature - nevertheless, its sounding should be admitted to be harsh, but this is only for choosy audiophile. If not to be too strict, we can say that this amplifier will be a great variant for fanatic audiophile, who doesn't want to set multi-channel system at home.
Listening to the music with the help of Yamaha AX-497 gives a powerful, positive shot due to perfect dynamics and quite funny way of playing. The only minus is not very friendly relation to chamber compositions. They sound not as cosily as it wishes to sound. Only careful fitting of acoustics, which can make this amplifier "softer", will be the solution of the problem.
Certainly, you can use the device for sounding of film soundtracks on DVD, but music is the main destination. A try to mix multi-channel audio into two channels is only compromise, which more often leads a furious admirer of high-qualitative sound to another disappointment. Concerning with analogue, but multi-channel AV receivers will be evidently against the last-mentioned. Their sound is fuzzier, and stereo panorama is not clear. There's nothing to be done, everyone is different. Musical amplifier is intended for work with traditional stereo and is good for this.
