Yamaha AX396

This amplifier is outstanding for a variety of music genres. Whether it's soft rock, electronic, classical, or metal, the clarity it provides is truly remarkable. The amp's complete analog design ensures that the sound remains free from any digital artifacts, with minimal, if any, distortion. I currently have it paired with Wharfedale Valdus 400 speakers, and they are a perfect match in terms of power, impedance, and frequency range. No matter what you play through it, this amp reveals intricate details that might be lost with many other amplifiers. Gus Woltmann

I really cannot remember when I bought my Yamaha AX 396 but it must be at least 20 years. It was fabulous then and still is, all that has happen is the sources have been replace over time. With two Cambridge Audio floor mounted speakers... A Bluetooth receiver, Google chromecast audio,TV and CD player it does everything I want it to do with my new tech and superb sound quality... I don't need a sound bar, and a new amp, I will pass thanks. When it blows up then I will be in the market, till then I am good

This amp is fantastic for everything, i listen to a range of music, from soft rock to electronic music, from classical to metal, and the clarity is amazing. It doesn't matter what you're listening to through it, you'll hear intricacies that are lost with many other amplifiers. As the amp is completely analogue, the sound doesn't sound digital and there is very little, if any distortion. I'm currently using it with a pair of wharfedale Valdus 400 speakers, which are a perfect match for this amp, with power, impedance and frequency range matching.

I have owned my Yamaha AX-396 for nearly 3 years now & it has been trouble free! I run x2 Kef Q15's & x2 Musical Fidelity MC4's and it works wonders, sounds lovely (speakers probably have an awful lot to do with it) I had a Technics Amp before this (unsure of spec) and the Yamaha out does it...by miles! Alot warmer sound, and alot more clout when turned up. Overall for the money (I paid £70 for mine) The Yamaha AX-396 is an excellent unit, with excellent sound quality. Doesn't do anything flash, but hasn't gone wrong in all the time I have had it, and my friend had it before me since new, and he went on to buy an even better Yamaha Amp!!...

Quality can only be fully appreciated with suitable input from CD, phono or tuner - and of course good speakers. My Rogers LS20a's have never sounded better !

Great sound for pound rating on the Yamaha AX396, one of the best amps for the price EVER

After 2 years of great listening to the Yamaha AX-396 I can honestly give this unit the "thumbs up" for its ability to give beautiful audio reproduction. It has never faultered once and no matter what audio track you listen to, it sounds just perfect. It has enough bass to make the glass in my windows shudder and yet still reproduce those real low notes wihout distorting and the mid-range to high end audio (sometimes where it really counts) can compliment lots of speaker systems and make ever poor ones sound great. You can use the very best headphones on this amp too and appreciate just what can be reproduced into them and into your ears. This amp, I would refer to as "neutral", both in its ability to be be used with many other components and with its abilty to faithfully reproduce the signal going into it. Because of its neutrality, I have found that a quality Graphic EQ can be nicely matched to this amp to compliment its output to the 'enth degree. No matter which way you use it, you can rest assured that you can sit back and enjoy the resultant output.

With its clean lines, it looks mean, just like the neighbourhood bully and yet is surprisingly charming to listen to. Whoever designed this amp from head to toe, did a wonderful job. Whichever way you choose to describe its looks, the AX-396 does what it is designed to do, superbly. No bones about it, it is a champion in its class and would certainly take some beating. Apart from its bigger brother, the AX-596, I would say this is the best amp I have ever owned.

10 out of 10...

I was really surprised by the Yamaha AX-396, before this I had a Yamaha reciever and I got to say the differents was night & day....

The reciver uses complicated digital processing technology that enables to listen the music in 5 or 6.. channels but increases the sound distortion making the music or movie sound like electrical.

When I bought the AX-396 I compared it with the reciever and the difference was big. AX-396 was able to produce the sound with so much clarity & purity that the vocals and the harmony of the play could be felt in the room, like i was at the front row :)

With the AX-396, ex. listening instrumental sounds like Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton or John Mellencamp, it leaves very good rythm and treble was soft and clear.

The AX-396 can be used with the reciever also, (for the mains), but that depends on the listeners taste I think.

for speakers i would suggest Audes-speakers (jazz, blues, 037.1) - it has what they say "profeSsional sound".

If harmony & natural sound is important to you, then I would suggest Yamaha's amplifier: AX-396 or higher. (it has Total Harmonic distortion in CD/DVD: only 0,008%) - can you imagine that :)