Today we are comparing the Denon PMA-A110 and Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL – two very popular amplifiers that can take your home audio to the next level. Both the Denon PMA-A110 and the Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL are quite expensive, but they are held in high regard so I thought we would take a look at the style, price, and what they are offering you to see which one is best. We have not looked at a whole lot of Denon products here on the site, but we thought that this Denon DP 29F Turntable was pretty cool. Yamaha on the other hand, we have looked at loads to time such as this Sony HT-G700 vs Yamaha YAS-209 which is better? article we did recently.
The Price
We are stating this comparison of Denon PMA-A110 and Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL battle off by looking at the price of these things. Getting an amplifier of this quality is never going to be cheap. However, there can be deals found and that is what we are looking at today. We want to make sure that you have the best idea possible of how much these are going to cost.
Denon PMA-A110:
The RRP or at the very least, the average price of the Denon PMA-A110 is right around the four grand mark. It is currently priced on Amazon at $3,999.99 and that is for the “anniversary edition” which think is pretty cool. You are getting a serious piece of kit for your money here! Of course, we have to have a look at eBay and see what this is going for on there and as this is relatively recent (well as of me writing this of course) you are looking at pretty much the same price. No doubt, you may be able to save a few bucks if you do some legwork and shop around, but do not expect to get this for much more under the 4 grand RRP.
Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL:
I have always felt that Yamaha does a great job at making high end audio equipment and managing to keep the price reasonable. The Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL is more expensive as the average price for this can be close to 4 and a half grand! It is certainly one of the higher end amplifiers that Yamaha offer and that is reflected in the price. However, in my research, I did read that some people found this thing on offer for as much as a grand less!
The Verdict:
I think that this one is going to come down to personal preference at the end of the day for me the Denon PMA-A110 offers more of what I would personally want from an amplifier, plus the fact that it can be readily found for its RRP and it is a bit cheaper makes it a more attractive option in my humble opinion.
The Design
We come to a personal favorite category of mine next in our Denon PMA-A110 and Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL showdown. When you have an amplifier as epic as one of these two, you have it out in the open for the world to see. These are two very good looking and well made amplifiers and that is what we are taking a closer look at here.
Denon PMA-A110:
The Denon PMA-A110 is a very cool and sleek looking amplifier. Have a look at this HUPPIN’S | Unboxing the Denon PMA-A110 110th Anniversary Integrated Amplifier video and you can see just how cool this looks. The dimensions of this are 17.08” x 17.71” x 7.16”. So, it is a decent size and it certainly looks very, very cool. I think there is a silver version available, but it is the black one we are looking at today. The Denon PMA-A110 has a cool 10th anniversary logo on the bottom corner which I got a kick out of. I just love the whole design of this thing!
On the front, you have a nice big volume dial in the middle. There is no display on here, but to be honest, that is not a deal breaker here and I think it would have taken away from the sleek flow of this the Denon PMA-A110. There is a little LCD that lets you know what device you have on. You have dials for bass, treble, and balance at easy reach on the front. You also have small buttons for things like analog mode and source select. There is also a headphone jack in case you want to rock out when the kids are asleep!
On the back, you have your various hookups. You have four dedicated audio in ports that are clearly labeled. What I really like about the Denon PMA-A110 is that you have plenty of digital options too, there are also three optical ports along with a coaxial one too. In all, I think that Denon has done a truly amazing job with the design of this. I know that I would happily have this sitting out next to my record player.
Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL:
The Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL is available in black and silver, but it is the silver version I am specifically talking about here. I found this Best New VINTAGE Amplifier?! Yamaha AS3200 Integrated Amp Review video which does a great job of getting up close and personal with the amp so you can see all the finer details. I think that Yamaha has gone for a bit of an “old school” design with this and that is something I personally think is pretty cool. The dimensions of this are 24” x 23.5” x 11”. So, it is a bit bigger than the offering from Denon. Still, I think this is a very smartly designed amplifier and if you have a turntable that has more of a classic look, it would fit in great with that.
The front of the Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL is very busy and I like that. You have your retro style display that keeps you informed of how the amplifier is performing right in the middle of the unit. There is a nice big volume dial on the right side and then we have about a million other dials and switches. The bass, treble, and balance are controlled with a rather interesting switch type dial that I thought was kind of neat. You also have a larger dial for your input select as well as a few others to help give you more control over the sound you are getting.
When you see a picture of the back of the Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL, wow is probably what first springs to mind. It is packed with ports; you can hook up seven things at once to this and it even has stuff like mic inputs too. I think that Yamaha has done a really great job with what they are offering in terms of connection options…. However, there is a pretty big problem here and that is the complete lack of any digital connectivity! At this price range at the very least, you would be in your rights to expect at least one optical port.
The Verdict:
I have to say that for me the Denon PMA-A110 takes this round and it takes it pretty easily. I just love how cool, sleek and modern it looks and this is coming from a guy who loves his old-school tech! The Yamaha is great in its own right and the build quality and look is something I like. However, I think the lack of a digital port and the fact that the Denon looks so awesome really does make this a fairly easy win for Denon. Yet, I must admit I could easily see why someone else may prefer the design of the Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL.
The Sound
Bringing life to your favorite music and movies are what an amplifier is all about and that brings us to the next comparison round in our Denon PMA-A110 vs Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL contest. We are going to have a look at how these things work to try and give you a better idea of what you can expect for your money.
Denon PMA-A110:
We are starting with the Denon PMA-A110. This is a fantastic piece of kit and I hooked this up to my Sony PS-LX310BT and I was very impressed. I recommend you check out as many videos as you can such as this Denon PMA-A110 Integrated Amplifier Review – Sounds Great Just Looking at It? video here. I was sure that the Denon PMA-A110 was going to be great the moment I took it out of the box. The Denon PMA-A110 did not disappoint me when it came to the sound. It provided me with some serious power and I was pretty blown away at how much bass my prized Motley Crue Greatest Hits Exclusive Crimson Red Smoke Vinyl had when it was pumped through this thing.
When I first used the Denon PMA-A110 I left the dials right in the middle to see what its “natural” sound would be like and it was pretty damn solid. I did, of course, play around a bit with the settings (thanks to the handy remote), and overall, I managed to get the sound just the way that I wanted. No matter if it is hard rock like Poison – Poison’s Greatest Hits (which comes on this gorgeous yellow and green vinyl) which is a great album! Or something more mellow for a nice romantic night with the wife like Boyz II Men. Actually, speaking of “mellow” this gives vocals a really natural and studio kind of sound which I thought was great.
Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL:
Next up we have the Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL. I found this great Did it blow me away? Yamaha AS2200 Integrated Amp review video that talks about the capabilities of this very well. The Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL does cost a fair bit more than what is being asked for the Denon and you have to decide if you think if it is worth that extra money or not. Before we get to that, I want to give my thoughts on the sound this provided. I used the same turntable to test this one out and the first album that I gave the pleasure was Jay-Z: Vol 2. The Hard Knock Life. I know many people prefer The Black Album or The BluePrint, but this is MY Jay-Z album. Anyway, it sounded fantastic through this amplifier. It really did sound clear, crisp, and awesome. It also has some serious bass too which was great to hear.
I am also a huge fan of live music and I was in the mood to listen to something live and as I was testing this I thought it was a great idea to listen to One Nite Alone… Live! By Prince. I love Prince and this is a truly hidden gem of a live album on vinyl. The way that it came through my speaker’s thanks to the technical wizardry of the Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL really did make me take notice. Overall, I was very impressed with what this offered and of course, you can tinker with the sound to get it just the way you want.
The Verdict:
I spent the better part of a day playing around with these two amplifiers. They both are great in their own way and I could see why anyone who has one of these will tell you that their one is the winner. For me, I have to say if I had to buy one or recommend one to a friend or a cool dude like yourself on the internet. I would have to pick the Denon PMA-A110. Not just because of the lower price, but I just preferred the overall sound I was hearing, plus the Yamaha does not have any digital ports on the back of it.
The Remote Control
We are looking at a real personal favorite category of mine next, the remote control. I think this is a fun way to bring this comparison contest to a close and I can tell you right now that both of these come with a fantastic remote control.
Denon PMA-A110: The remote control that the Denon PMA-A110 comes with is really cool. It is a nice and long (that’s what she said) remote that feels great and has a nice build quality to it. The thing that makes this a remote control that I love is that it is packed with buttons! It gives you complete control over your device and allows you to play around and get the input you want and make sure the sound is to your liking.
Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL: I also really like the remote control that the Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL comes with. It has a kind of similar design and profile that the Denon has. It is once again nice along (that’s what she said again!) and it has a solid build quality about it. While I usually prefer more buttons on my remote control, I think that the organization of the buttons on here are a tad better.
The Verdict: These are both awesome remote controls and I would certainly be willing to use any one of these. However, as close as this round was, the Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL only just edges this as I think that the button placement is more user friendly than what Denon has done. Again, I really like both of these and it was a very close round.
What Is The Best?
This Denon PMA-A110 and Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL showdown has been a lot of fun to do. Anything that gives me an excuse to listen to a lot of music is cool in my book. I think that they both offer you a great way to give your music some extra power and sound just like it was intended to. However, for me personally, I preferred the overall package that the Denon PMA-A110 offered. The Yamaha Audio A-S2200SL is great too and if you look online, those who have this swear by it. At the end of the day, something like an amplifier is a real personal kind of thing, sound that I think is amazing might not quite do it for you. That is why you need to research as much as you can. However, for me, Denon takes the win here!
