Yamaha A-S301 vs Pioneer Elite A-20

A-S301 vs Elite A-20 comparison chart

Overall
Yamaha A-S301
8.2
Pioneer Elite A-20
7.7
8
8
10
10

Yamaha A-S301 vs Pioneer Elite A-20 review

Yamaha A-S301 vs Pioneer Elite A-20

Yamaha A-S301 review

Yamaha A-S301 output power is two times higher than Pioneer has. Look at it: 60W vs 30W (8 Ohms). The model was created on the principle: simplicity in everything. This was reflected in the equipment in a positive way. The front panel is made of aluminum. It successfully located all the necessary levers for control. When creating the equipment, ToP-ART technology was applied. Thanks to it, the sound quality is constantly growing up. The signal transmission is not affected in any way by noise or distortion. When creating the device were used parts of the highest quality. Yamaha A-S301

Pioneer Elite A-20 review

On the attractive brushed aluminum front panel, you've got the basics including a volume knob, tone and balance adjustments, a loudness button, a "direct" mode button, speaker A/B selector, and a headphone jack. That's it; there's no LED display, no attempts to simulate surround sound, etc. Flipping over to the back panel, you get four pairs of standard 5 way binding posts, six analog inputs (including one phono input), a tape output, and a control in/out which allows centralized control of other Pioneer components via the A-20's IR sensor. Both models have no bluetooth and XLR inputs. Pioneer Elite A-20

Yamaha A-S301 pros & cons

Pros

  • The device will not be idle for more than 8 hours, it will go into standby mode
  • It is possible to turn off the tone, balance and loudness controls (Pure Direct mode)

Cons

  • The built-in DAC was a little disappointing: with a high-frequency response it produces a signal with a rather high THD

Pioneer Elite A-20 pros & cons

Pros

  • This unit produces very clean power. I have it driving a set of very high-end in-ceiling speakers. The sound is amazing
  • I love the "Loudness" mode. It really boosts the lows at lower volumes which most of the time is how we play it

Cons

  • No digital, "techy" gimmicks to deal with

Votes 12 12
Rating 3.4 3.4
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Common

Product

Yamaha A-S301
Pioneer Elite A-20

Model

A-S301
Elite A-20

Brand

Yamaha
Pioneer

Reviews

378
43

Amplifier

Channels

2
2

Power output (RMS), W/Ohm

120/8, 140/6
60/8, 100/4

Power output per channel, W/Ohm

60/8, 70/6
30/8, 50/4

Output Impedance, Ohm

8, 6
8, 4

Frequency response

20Hz-20KHz
5Hz-100KHz

THD in stereo, %

0.01
0.01

Signal-to-noise ratio, dB

99
102

Audio features

Digital to analog converter (DAC)

Speaker A/B switching

Pure direct mode

Connectivity

Wi-Fi

Bluetooth

Ethernet (RJ45)

Control

Bass

Treble

Balance

Remote control

Extensive connection

Optical digital input/output

1/0
0/0

Coaxial digital input/output

1/0
0/0

Phono (MM) input

1
1

Subwoofer output

1
0

Headphone outputs

1
1

USB

0
0

Preamplifier outputs (pair)

0
0

Main inputs (pair)

0
0

Line level inputs (pair)

8
6

XLR inputs (pair)

0
0

Record outputs (pair)

2
2

DC trigger output (12V)

0
0

Remote control input/output (IR)

0/0
1/1

RS-232

0
0

Additional features

Auto power off

Built-in display

Power

Power consumption, W

190
135

Power consumption standby, W

0.5
0.3

User manual

Manual

Dimensions

Size W x H x D, cm/inches

43.5 x 15 x 38.7/17.1 x 6 x 15.2
14.2 x 5 x 17.1/7.6 x 3 x 8.9

Weight, kg/lbs

7.9/19.8
8.1/15.87

Other

Release year

2014
2014
Yamaha A-S301
Pioneer Elite A-20
Yamaha A-S301
Pioneer Elite A-20

Integrated amplifiers CHooseratoR comparison rating

  • better
  • worse
  • 8.2
  • 7.7
  • 8.2Yamaha A-S301
  • 7.7Pioneer Elite A-20