What amplifier does the Yamaha NS-C444 need?

Pick a speaker and tell us how loud you listen and how big the room is. We work out the power it actually needs, check which amplifiers can safely drive its impedance, and rank 196 amplifiers against it.

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Passive speakers only — a powered speaker already has its amplifier inside.
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Yamaha NS-C444
Yamaha NS-C444
Center Channel
89 dB · 6 ohm
$250 a pair
Full specs →
Power needed
13–200 W
per channel, into 6 ohms

To hit 95 dB peaks at 3 m from a pair of Yamaha NS-C444, you need at least 13 W a channel. Anything from about 25 W to 200 W a channel is comfortable; past that, more watts stop buying you anything.

Show the working
  • 95 dB target at the seat
  • +4.8 dB for 3.0 m of distance
  • -3 dB for a stereo pair
  • -85.8 dB effective sensitivity
  • 1.2 dB taken off to convert the 6 ohm 2.83V rating to dB per watt
  • 2 dB allowed for optimistic published sensitivity
  • Published sensitivity 89 dB, used as 85.8 dB per watt.

OSD Nero Stream XD2 with the Yamaha NS-C444

Workable with care
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean. Below the 100 W minimum Yamaha recommends for this speaker.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 120 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Full OSD Nero Stream XD2 specs · Clear this amp
 
$199 $10,500

150 integrated amplifiers suit the Yamaha NS-C444

Also show the 28 we do not recommend
1
WiiM Vibelink
WiiM Vibelink
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 100 W into 8 ohms · $299
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 3 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
2
WiiM Amp
WiiM Amp
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 60 W into 8 ohms · $299
Workable with care
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean. Below the 100 W minimum Yamaha recommends for this speaker.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 120 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
3
OSD Nero Stream ARC
OSD Nero Stream ARC
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 50 W into 8 ohms · $199
Workable with care
8 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean. Below the 100 W minimum Yamaha recommends for this speaker.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (50 W to 100 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
4
WiiM Amp Pro
WiiM Amp Pro
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 60 W into 8 ohms · $379
Workable with care
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean. Below the 100 W minimum Yamaha recommends for this speaker.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 120 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
5
OSD Nero Stream XD2
OSD Nero Stream XD2
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 60 W into 8 ohms · $400
Workable with care
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean. Below the 100 W minimum Yamaha recommends for this speaker.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (60 W to 120 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
6
FiiO AIR AMP
FiiO AIR AMP
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · ? W into 8 ohms · $300
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Balanced against the price of the speakers.
7
Yamaha WXA-70A
Yamaha WXA-70A
Integrated Amplifier · 55 W into 8 ohms
Workable with care
8 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean. Below the 100 W minimum Yamaha recommends for this speaker.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (55 W to 105 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
No current price on file for this amplifier.
8
SVS Prime SoundBase
SVS Prime SoundBase
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 75 W into 8 ohms · $699
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (75 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
9
Sonos Amp
Sonos Amp
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 125 W into 8 ohms · $699
Excellent match
12 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (125 W to 250 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Costs more than the speakers - worth it only if you plan to upgrade them later.
10
AudioControl Rialto 600
AudioControl Rialto 600
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 100 W into 8 ohms · $899
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
11
AudioControl Bijou 600
AudioControl Bijou 600
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 100 W into 8 ohms · $899
Excellent match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
12
Marantz Stereo 70s
Marantz Stereo 70s
Stereo Receiver · Class A/B · 75 W into 8 ohms · $1,000
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (75 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
13
Onkyo Muse Y-40
Onkyo Muse Y-40
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 75 W into 8 ohms · $1,000
Excellent match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (75 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
14
Denon PMA-3000NE
Denon PMA-3000NE
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 80 W into 8 ohms · $3,799
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (80 W to 160 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
15
Denon AE PMA-A110
Denon AE PMA-A110
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 80 W into 8 ohms · $3,999
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (80 W to 160 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
16
Rotel A14 MKII
Rotel A14 MKII
Integrated Amplifier · Class A/B · 80 W into 8 ohms · $1,600
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (80 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
17
Rotel S14
Rotel S14
Integrated Amplifier · Class AB · 80 W into 8 ohms · $2,499
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (80 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
18
Marantz Model 30
Marantz Model 30
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 100 W into 8 ohms · $2,999
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
19
Cambridge Audio Edge A
Cambridge Audio Edge A
Integrated Amplifier · Class XA · 100 W into 8 ohms · $6,499
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (100 W to 200 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
20
Cambridge Audio Evo 75
Cambridge Audio Evo 75
Integrated Amplifier · Class D · 75 W into 8 ohms · $2,499
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
Power nearly doubles into 4 ohms (75 W to 150 W) - a stiff supply that copes with hard loads.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.

Showing the best 20 of 150. Narrow it with the price range below, or a different budget split.

18 power amplifiers that would also drive them

Listed separately because they are not a complete system: a power amplifier has no volume control and no inputs to speak of, so you need a preamplifier or a streaming preamp as well. Worth it if you already own one, or if you want to buy the two halves separately.

1
Cambridge Audio Edge M
Cambridge Audio Edge M
Power Amplifier · Class XA · 200 W into 8 ohms
Good match
12 dB of headroom, far more than needed. No harm in it.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
No current price on file for this amplifier.
2
Marantz MM7025
Marantz MM7025
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 140 W into 8 ohms · $1,000
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 6 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
3
Rotel RB-1552 MkII
Rotel RB-1552 MkII
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 130 W into 8 ohms · $1,699
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
4
Onkyo Icon M-80
Onkyo Icon M-80
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 130 W into 8 ohms · $2,000
Good match
10 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
5
McIntosh MC152
McIntosh MC152
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 150 W into 8 ohms · $6,500
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 2 ohms - stable into anything this speaker will throw at it.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
6
Advance Paris X-A160 EVO
Advance Paris X-A160 EVO
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 160 W into 8 ohms · $2,499
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
7
TEAC AP-701B
TEAC AP-701B
Power Amplifier · Class D · 170 W into 8 ohms · $4,000
Good match
11 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
8
Audiolab 9000P
Audiolab 9000P
Power Amplifier · Class A/B · 100 W into 8 ohms · $1,499
Good match
9 dB of headroom over what this speaker needs - peaks stay clean.
Rated down to 4 ohms, comfortable with a 6 ohm speaker.
No 4 ohm power rating on file, so we cannot judge current delivery.
Far more expensive than the speakers. Spend it on speakers first.
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Sensitivity and impedance figures are the manufacturer's own. We read sensitivity as dB at 2.83 V/1 m and take 2 dB off it, because published figures run high. Treat the result as a well-founded starting point, not a measurement. Full Yamaha NS-C444 specs.