Yamaha amplifiers

Just curious how you guys feel about yamaha amplifiers? Currently have a mx-630 with a nad 1130 preamp. have been looking at a c-70/m-70 setup but not sure on a price. Also open to other brands just not sure what to look for. I have seen a couple adcoms for sale im my area of minneapolis as well.
Monitor 4.6, 5jr, 5, 7, 10, 11. RTA 8TL. RTA 11T. SDA 2B.
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Comments

  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    Yammy's seem to be well received here ( I have a low class receiver in the garage at the moment that I can't really hate on) but I'm curious if you have ever put a NAD amp behind the NAD pre?

    I also just nabbed an Adcom from the FS section to play with. No impressions yet :/
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,475
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    I don't mind them.

    16013994074_3405e2a9d8_b.jpgDSC_0241 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    Ok but you must USE them.....
  • mn_polk_guy
    mn_polk_guy Posts: 102
    I havent seen a nad amp around yet, the nad and yamaha came together.
    Monitor 4.6, 5jr, 5, 7, 10, 11. RTA 8TL. RTA 11T. SDA 2B.
  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,776
    Stop showing off, Doc. It's unbecoming of a gentleman such as yourself.
  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    I havent seen a nad amp around yet, the nad and yamaha came together.

    I've had lots of good luck on eBay... Just saying.
  • Schurkey
    Schurkey Posts: 2,100
    edited May 2018
    I think Yamaha used to be better than they are now. I've never owned a Yamaha amp or receiver. If I was going to, it'd be an older one. And I'd be REALLY CAREFUL about verifying the 4-ohm specs.

    They can still build a competent amp...but you'd better be prepared to dig deep into the wallet before taking it home.

    Last I looked, if you wanted REAL 4-ohm capability, you were looking at $1600 and up. Phony 4-ohm capability was what the less-expensive offerings had--a switch on the back panel that strangles the power supply so the poor thing doesn't cook into a "low impedance" load. (I don't consider 4-ohm nominal to be "low" impedance...but Yamaha does.)
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    edited May 2018
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    I don't mind them.

    16013994074_3405e2a9d8_b.jpgDSC_0241 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    Ok but you must USE them.....

    Oh.
    Like this?

    15940929034_fa573ba218_b.jpgDSC_0184 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
    16563527245_48436966ec_b.jpgDSC_0182 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
    Or like this, maybe?

    12312777693_480440b67e_b.jpgP1020541 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    :)

    Vintage Polk Audio Monitor Series loudspeakers* like vintage Yamaha amplification, IMO/IME.
    ______________
    * or vintage a/d/s loudspeakers, for that matter :)

  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    Nope, neither of those was (a dump find).
    The CA-610II I bought new from Soundscape in Baltimore, MD -- in (if memory serves) 1978. It has served admirably for nigh-on four decades, with one repair (when we lived in California).

    The CA-800 I bought used but restored some years back. It is a very good sounding amplifier -- almost amazingly so when set to Class A operation (for something like 10 wpc).
  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 9,969
    Yes, a buddy up the road from me has a CR-800 that he bought new with Large Advents, and I am constantly amazed at how good that baby sounds. ;)
  • codycatalist
    codycatalist Posts: 2,662
    edited May 2018
    eaxdmh9s1t8c.jpg


    I found this AV34 at a thrift store for $25. It has served me VERY well in the two years I have been using it, a stout 100 watts that drives my SDA2Bs without strain. Although not a looker she sounds pretty good.
    Just a dude doing dude-ly things

    "Temptation is the manifestation of desire which equals necessity." - Mikey081057
    " I have always had a champange taste with a beer budget" - Rick88
    "Just because the thread is getting views don't mean much .. I like a good train wreck doesn't mean i want to be in one..." - pitdogg2
    "Those that don't know, don't know that they don't know." - heiney9
    "Audiophiles are the male equivalent of cat ladies." - Audiokarma Member
  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    eaxdmh9s1t8c.jpg


    I found this AV34 at a thrift store for $25. It has served me VERY well in the two years I have been using it, a stout 100 watts that drives my SDA2Bs without strain. Although not a looker she sounds pretty good.

    I believe that was my first surround sound receiver I ever bought new. Used it for 20 years! :pB):)
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    eaxdmh9s1t8c.jpg


    I found this AV34 at a thrift store for $25. It has served me VERY well in the two years I have been using it, a stout 100 watts that drives my SDA2Bs without strain. Although not a looker she sounds pretty good.

    I think that looks awesome! I love receivers with that kind of design for some reason. Kind similar looking to my new Technics:
    18uxnee68yz3.jpg
    Your Yamaha probably sounds way better though.
  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    Micah, I bought a Technics RS-M205 cassette deck in 1982. Just look at this beast! :p

    4lyctyhlcejm.jpg
  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    edited May 2018
    Viking64 wrote: »
    Micah, I bought a Technics RS-M205 cassette deck in 1982. Just look at this beast! :p

    4lyctyhlcejm.jpg

    :open_mouth: I wouldn’t even use that, but I want it just because it’s SO COOL! :tongue:
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    ahem. This is a Yamaha thread -- just sayin'.

    ;)

    ok1rqv43dkiu.png

    (In the interest of full disclosure -- the Yamaha TC-1000 looks considerably more impressive than it actually is. Yamaha did make some pretty good cassette decks, though... like the K-1000, an example of which, sadly, I do not have.)
  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    ahem. This is a Yamaha thread -- just sayin'.

    ;)
    Duly noted, sir. :)

    ddirnodmfb88.jpg

    53hx79liky7e.jpg




  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    Viking64 wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    ahem. This is a Yamaha thread -- just sayin'.

    ;)
    Duly noted, sir. :)

    ddirnodmfb88.jpg

    53hx79liky7e.jpg




    Getting closer, at least your in the Yamaha category. Just gotta work on that whole “correct company branch” thing. :tongue:
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    ^^^ much better. :p


    32123265053_78f0e3cd7b_b.jpgP1030008 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
    32575671260_8043de3163_b.jpgNS15frontal by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    mlistens03 wrote: »

    Getting closer, at least your in the Yamaha category. Just gotta work on that whole “correct company branch” thing. :tongue:
    :p

    Here's a link to another good Yamaha thread to get us back on track.

    http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/181126/yamaha-then-and-or-now/p1

  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,475
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    ^^^ much better. :p


    32123265053_78f0e3cd7b_b.jpgP1030008 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
    32575671260_8043de3163_b.jpgNS15frontal by Mark Hardy, on Flickr


    Interest peaked... spill it Doc !
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    edited May 2018
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    ^^^ much better. :p


    32123265053_78f0e3cd7b_b.jpgP1030008 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
    32575671260_8043de3163_b.jpgNS15frontal by Mark Hardy, on Flickr


    Interest peaked... spill it Doc !
    What, really? You never saw one of Yamaha's famous ear speakers? :p

    7dfb9pkeu7db.png
    4r3tlqoz9t6o.png

    That is a single NS-15. Found it at the dump and ultimately gave it away -- what were the odds of finding another single? :)

    Yamaha sold several variants of the same basic design -- many were for pro/commercial audio (sound reinforcement) but some, like the NS-15, were for domestic use.

    The NS-15 is particularly interesting as it is essentially just an open baffle. Here're some photos of the flip side.

    32123264943_07f871d760_b.jpgP1030011 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
    32123264933_3edfd02583_b.jpgP1030013 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
    32123264973_1ea6d57545_b.jpgP1030009 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    "How does it sound?" I hear you ask. :)

    Actually, I thought it sounded decent. Very sensitive -- it wasn't the kind of loudspeaker I'd build a mono system around, though... and it wasn't anything so special it seemed worth waiting a decade or two to find a mate. Besides, chances are I'd have found a pair... and then I'd have had three, which wouldn't be an improvement ;)

  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,053
    edited May 2018
    Yamaha = boring to me. The "M" amps were pretty over-hyped then, and still are, IMO. So were the pre's that went with them. I'd take a Nak CA-5 over a Yam C-70 any day.

    Natural Sound = lifeless and boring.

    I never connected with any Yammy stuff. Sold it for years because that's what people wanted back in the day. A sales commission is a sales commission, but personally I preferred Nakamichi, Luxman and Adcom of the day.

    Just my .02c since you asked

    H9

    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    Not to derail the thread, but I can't seem to find any Nakamichi anywhere anymore.

    But anywho, I agree with heiney, my yammy is rather lifeless, that's why it's in the garage and being replaced.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,475
    nope never seen nor heard them Doc. interesting.

    I liked my Yamaha integrated amps I had. I never had any amps. But those Nak's were and still are very nice..
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,053
    edited May 2018
    The only problem with the Nak stuff and to a certain extent the older Yammy stuff is they need refreshing by now. I had a Nak CA-5 pre for quite awhile (built in 1987, IIRC and bought used in about 1990) and I had to have some caps replaced on or around 2007-2008 before I sold it. They started making noise.

    This older gear is sometimes not worth the hassle unless your good under the hood, as paying a tech to do it gets pricey fast. Or they've been verifiably serviced.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • codycatalist
    codycatalist Posts: 2,662
    Viking64 wrote: »
    Sometimes I listen to Yammy amplifiers and sometimes I listen to Laurel amplifiers.

    I see what you did there =P
    Just a dude doing dude-ly things

    "Temptation is the manifestation of desire which equals necessity." - Mikey081057
    " I have always had a champange taste with a beer budget" - Rick88
    "Just because the thread is getting views don't mean much .. I like a good train wreck doesn't mean i want to be in one..." - pitdogg2
    "Those that don't know, don't know that they don't know." - heiney9
    "Audiophiles are the male equivalent of cat ladies." - Audiokarma Member
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,926
    edited May 2018
    No good Nak stuff here, unfortunately.
    I have a Receiver One that was given to me by an erstwhile co-worker. Nice looking, hefty piece of hardware, but it suffered a lightning strike and one channel's power amplifier is nonworking. Preamp sections work, tho'.

    Also have a dump find OMS-7 CD player. It works fine, but is a bit beat up and, presumably, like most of those old Nakamichi CD players, the laser is on borrowed time.

    Couple of completely unremarkable Nakamichi two-head cassette decks rounds out the paltry collection here.