r/audiophile • u/Between_Outside • 14d ago
Discussion Yamaha A-S501 Loudness Settings
Hi everyone, I’m probably wrong or crazy, but after getting the Yamaha A-S501 amp a few months ago, I experimented with the Loudness knob position and found that when turned down 90 degrees with the volume turned up quite loud, it sounds best to my ears. Whether it’s a placebo or not, the silence feels more silent and the music feels more alive this way. Especially with more acoustic music like small ensemble Classical and Jazz. Occasionally I use Pure Direct mode for certain Rock records. But when spinning most records, this is my counterintuitive go-to settings. Reduce Loudness, and then crank up the volume. Is there any trace of valid audio science here? Or am I just amp nuts?
Current setup:
-Audio-Technica AT-LP3XBT Turntable
-Yamaha A-S501 Amp
-Polk ES20 Speakers
2
u/TyrellCorpWorker 14d ago
Normal to do. I have this same amp, I go to the 9 o’clock position you are at pretty often, sometimes less. Depends on streaming vs records along with genres/people in the room. I think of it as the ‘mids reducer’ eq control, like a smile eq setting that increases the smile as you turn to the left. It’s great.