What vintage Yamaha receivers should I be looking for?

mdaudioguy

Ok, you vintage Yamaha guys (mhardy...., keiko, among others), to compete my garage rig, I'm looking for a vintage Yammy to sit between my Squeezebox and Monitor 10s. You know, one of those beautiful, wood panel models. Something with enough juice to push the 10s, but I also want to be able to tune in a baseball game once in a while (next season...). I've seen the occasional vintage Yammy on CL for $50, plus or minus, but it's always hard to find specs on these things... Would you guys mind throwing some model numbers out there that might do the trick for me?

chumlie

yamaha cr-620 about 100-150 on ebay now. nice receiver.

cnh

Mike has your back above. Interestingly, I'm picking up some Monitor 10s this Friday and one of the vintage receivers I've collected is a Yamaha CR-800 (the predecessor of the 55 watt x 2 CR-820). So I can report back this weekend on how they mate.

The 800 is a nice piece, 50 watts x 2, a bit heavier than the CR-820, oddly enough. But as far as 'looks' and popularity, the CR-X20s are the most sought after. With Keiko, I'd say a CR-820 or better, the CR-1020 would do the job. The 1020 can be had for anywhere from 100-250 on ebay and probably cheaper, locally, on craigslist.

I got a pretty good deal on my CR-800 (all 31 lbs of it) at $50 or so.

But if you can find it, the CR-1020 would be the best price to power ratio!

One thing you might hear from Mark (mhardy) is about the CA integrated class As (and matching tuners). CA-800, CA-1000, and some later CA-10X0 series have a class A mode operation that goes to 10 watts or more before it kicks out. You can also find them at reasonable prices. But hey, if it's a garage rig?

Here is a SITE with some info on these Yamahas, and pics:

http://www.classicaudio.com/value/yam/index.html

I've been on a vintage receiver binge for months. So far, the 'warmer' sounding receivers I've found are the Pioneer SX-X2X and X3X, and SX-1010 models. Most Kenwoods KR-7600, 9600, etc., HK X30 series, etc.

The Yamahas are true to their moniker (Natural Sound Receiver). That is, the Yammies have a more neutral sound that I would not call 'warm' but it's not harsh either. Sort of smooth and detailed. A lot of people like Polk Monitors and Yamaha over at another forum including a guy who repairs Yamahas and is running the 'rare' CR-3020 and, I think, a set of Monitor 10s? mhardy knows more about this!

Not sure how much wattage 10s need. I know I put 45 x 2 on a set of Monitor 5As today and they were plenty loud (an old refurbed Realistic STA series with a Pioneer-looking face--some of those old Ratshacks are sleepers that can be had for low prices--sounded pretty good with the 5As).


Have fun....more later in the week?

cnh

cnh

I have to agree, Mike. I find the lower to mid level Yamaha AVRs bright, but not their integrated amps and 2 channel receivers, as a rule....even the newer stuff. I have a newer Yamaha Integrated, lower model, that sounds fine!

I also find the Higher Model AVRs also, better sounding. That 797 looks like a nice piece! Does Norm have a 797 as well? I know he runs an RTI HT and an LSI-9 Parasound/Bada two channel.

cnh

stuwee

I'd go for the big one

The CR-3020, whats another $150 (over the price of the lesser models) to have the biggest and the baddest of them all? It would be quite the show piece with the Polks in the garage, just my 2 nickels.

Power output; Like Rolls Royce used to say, plenty

gdb

I was one of the ones that suggested the Monitor 10s for your garage audio setup, I'll now suggest a Kyocera R-851 receiver as an alternative to Yamaha. Under rated at 85wpc with smooth mos-fet sound, similar to tubes. Beautiful wood veneer sides too.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kyocera-Quartz-Synthesized-AM-FM-Tuner-AMP-R-861-RC-101-Remote-Control-Center-/280743164496?pt=Receivers_Tuners&hash=item415d98ba50

I have read that the R-861 doesn't sound as sweet as the R-851 does. :-)

Fongolio

I have one of these sitting idle right now. CR-1000, a beautiful sounding beast. 75 RMS @ 8 ohms.

mhardy6647

(DISCLAIMER all of the following IMNSHO, of course...)

I am generally not a big fan of receivers as opposed to separate components, but I have a soft spot in my heart (and/or head) for the aesthetics and sound of the Yamaha receivers of the 1970s. The CR-x00 and CR-x020 are incrementally better built than the CR-xx40 or the later "R-xxxx" models; the CR-xx40 and some of the later models use some parts made of the purest Unobtanium and some of them (e.g., R-1000 and maybe R-2000 as well) had some engineering shortfalls (e.g., inadequate heat sinking) that exacerbate the problem of component failure.

If you can get past the Disco styling, the CR-1000 is a very, very good receiver, with a particularly nice tuner.

The CR-800 - more conventionally styled, quite elegant looking), and neither particularly common nor particularly sought after - would be a great, cost-effective choice if you can find one.

My personal all around faves are the CR-xx20 receivers; I've collected a vertical tasting of those :-) -- except for the big-boy, the CR-3020. The CR-3020 was a statement product dating to the last gasp era of the super-receiver power wars and was actually as I understand it a transition piece between the xx20 and xx40 lines they're big, heavy, uncommon, and expensive. I've yet to see or hear one in the... umm... flesh.

The CR-800 is a nice price/performance value proposition; the CR-1020 and CR-2020 are very capable receivers and well worth considering if they fit one's budget (my CR-1020 was $10 at a local garage sale).

HTH, at least a tad.


For Yamaha manuals, brochures, and info, a good resource is:
http://www.kallhovde.com/Njord%20Noatun%27s%20Vintage%20Audio%20Resources.html

more specifically, http://sportsbil.com/yamaha/

Yamaha in Japan also maintains a decent (but not complete) selection of legacy product documentation on-line at:
http://www.yamaha.co.jp/manual/english/

mhardy6647

(sorry, cannot resist; my apologies to all who've seen these before...)

top to bottom: CR-820, R-1000, CR-1020



R-1000 innards




Innards of the little entry-level CR-220 (nice little starter Rx @ 15 wpc)



CR-2020 (replete with holiday decorations, atop a Klipsch Cornwall and a barely-visible Allison One in the foreground)