Which is better for a turntable?

The R-N600A. It has a built-in phono preamp, so a turntable plugs straight in. The A-S301 has no phono input, so you would need a separate phono stage.

Do I need the R-N600A if I already have a streamer?

No. If your streamer or TV already feeds optical or coaxial into an amp, the A-S301 does the same job for $429.95 at Abt Electronics as of November 7, 2026.

Is the R-N600A worth the extra $370?

Yes if you want Wi-Fi streaming, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and a phono stage in one box. If you only need amplification, the A-S301 covers that for less.

Which has more power?

The R-N600A, at 80 W per channel into 8 ohms versus 60 W for the A-S301. Both drive most bookshelf and floorstanding speakers in normal rooms.

Which has lower distortion?

The A-S301 on paper, at 0.019% THD at 50 W into 8 ohms versus 0.07% for the R-N600A. Both figures are low enough that most listeners will not hear a difference.

Can either play hi-res files?

Only the R-N600A. Its ESS SABRE ES9010K2M DAC plays FLAC, WAV, AIFF and DSD up to 32-bit/384kHz. The A-S301's DAC is limited to its optical and coaxial inputs.

Yamaha A-S301 Integrated Amplifier vs Yamaha R-N600A Network Receiver Amplifier

Buy the R-N600A if you want one box that streams Spotify, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth and has a phono stage for a turntable. Buy the A-S301 if you mainly play a TV, CD player or streamer through digital and analog inputs and want to spend less. The gap is real: $429.95 at Abt Electronics for the A-S301 versus $799.95 at Best Buy for the R-N600A, both as of November 7, 2026.

Today the Yamaha A-S301 Integrated Amplifier costs $370.00 less at its best price.

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