Yamaha R-S202D
£199
For a while, we’ve struggled for any great wealth of budget stereo amplifiers we can wholeheartedly recommend. Yamaha appears to have taken it upon itself to expand that list in recent months, and its latest integrated amplifier, the R-S202D, is another welcome example.
In other situations the term ‘budget’ might signify a stripping back of features or a scaling down of the attention to detail, but the R-S202D is budget only in terms of its price tag.
Yamaha has taken the same care building this amp as it would any more expensive component. There are signs in the weight of its volume dial and sheen of its brushed aluminium fascia that this has not been cobbled together to cater for the mass market.
Where the R-S202D does have mass-market appeal, however, is in its range of features. Bluetooth is arguably the most important one, meaning you need add only a comparatively priced and comparably talented pair of speakers to create a basic, but worthy, system.
There is also an FM/AM radio tuner built-in and, on the UK model we have on test here, DAB radio too. The US model drops the DAB tuner and hence the ‘D’ from the name, but that’s the only marked difference between the two.
Yamaha has also included two sets of speaker terminals, allowing the R-S202D
to be used to power two separate systems. These will take only bare wire, however. As well as Yamaha saving on production cost, it means you don’t have to spend on terminating speaker cable with banana plugs or similar, though you are limited to thinner cables.
Those speaker outs sit just to the right of four stereo RCA inputs and one lineout on the back of the unit. The front is reserved for the volume dial, a strip screen displaying input information, headphone output and buttons for switching between speakers, inputs and tweaking bass and treble response.
Taking things forward
If that’s the kind of build and feature set you’d expect from Yamaha, the R-S202D’S sonic performance will be equally familiar. It is a marginally more forward presentation than we heard from the similarly priced A-S301, but it retains that even-handed, pleasantly mellow bent without colouring the music too much.
Its main competitor, Onkyo’s A-9010, possesses a treble that is easily provoked with the wrong partnering kit. The R-S202D’S softer approach means pairing speakers and sources should be a breeze.
It isn’t particularly rolled off, though, and the balance generally is even. It’s full-bodied, with plenty of bass weight for an amplifier at this price, offering warmth to vocals in particular. It avoids overly clinical analysis in favour of an easy, but generally entertaining, listen.
The R-S202D doesn’t quite snap in time or make the absolute most of dynamic shifts in the same way the A-9010 does, but the latter is a formidable opponent whose considerable talents should not serve to belittle Yamaha’s gallant attempt.
While it doesn’t quite harness the same excitement as the Onkyo, we are happy listening to the R-S202D throughout our testing time. There’s enough detail to pique our interest, and that extra punch – especially with a little more bass dialled in – makes this Yamaha worthy of being turned up loud.
And we can’t ignore the inclusion of Bluetooth. While the Onkyo has a built-in phono stage to cater for the vinyl resurgence, if we had to choose between the two, we’d opt for the inclusion of the wireless technology. Besides, we’d probably want to upgrade with an outboard phono stage in time.
The one for you?
If the R-S202D offered a little more in terms of timing, dynamics and general organisation, we’d be tempted to give it five-stars. But the fact that it doesn’t, does not automatically mean that Onkyo’s A-9010 is the better option for everyone.
The R-S202D’S warmer, smoother presentation might be just what your system needs, especially if there are components already within it with lively treble response. And if your main source is to be a smartphone, the inclusion of Bluetooth makes life much easier.
So, the R-S202 isn’t just expanding our list of recommended budget amplifiers, it also represents a true alternative to everything else on that list.