Yep.My mid 2000s TOTL Yamahas pushed all my 70s receivers out of the main listening spots.The sweet spot for sound and build is middle 2000's, IMO.
I'm using a Yamaha RX-V995 for strictly 2 channel use and I like it just fine.
I third. Bought one new in mid 80's. Still sounds very nice. Gave it to my son for his new place.THIS one stood out right away.
I was looking at a Kenwood KM-X1000 and matching pre/tuner KC-X1000 for beer money. Haven't pulled the trigger but I'm curious how it would compare to my Hafler 280. Similar wattage (130 vs 140).
Anyone have thoughts?
I third. Bought one new in mid 80's. Still sounds very nice. Gave it to my son for his new place.
I was looking at a Kenwood KM-X1000 and matching pre/tuner KC-X1000 for beer money. Haven't pulled the trigger but I'm curious how it would compare to my Hafler 280. Similar wattage (130 vs 140).
Anyone have thoughts?
I think you're thinking of a different model. The 995 was released ~1999.
Source: I grew up with one.
Me too.
These are mostly what I see.
The pre-HDMI, and early HDMI.
So cheap that flipping them is difficult .
With HDMI and 4K upgrades, I see a lot of these being retired by high end AV installers.
I end up with so many that I now have to scrap working units.
I didn't even bother to test many of the last two pallets full. I just scraped them.
I get mostly Denon and Yamaha.
FWIW, the Yamaha with phono would be excellent for that.
Yamaha natural sound works very well for me for phono.
I've never tried phono much on the AVR stuff but would expect great results.
My issue with the AVR sound performance is that the sound is too clean, clear, clinical.
Too crisp, sharp, edgy. It seems like something is missing. The old cap coupled vintage gear sounds better to me and cap coupling should be less accurate and crisp and clean by nature. So it may be completely a personal preference.
I can tell immediately when I switch from the newer stuff to the 70s vintage.
The warm, soft, fuzzy sound that has some soul to it is instantly obvious.
But, if this thread is about vintage AVR, then, yes, mid 2000, pre HDMI was still mostly analog and discrete component and built well. The remote standby system and digital interface and display and menu systems I don't care for, but the main power supply and amp systems are quite nice.
Clean "bigger" is good.No direct experience but I would expect there to be little difference. I find that good power amps generally just make whatever you feed them “bigger”.
Kenwood did make decent gear and some of the better AV stuff was very nice.
I had a couple of these, i bridged them..... They were good, but a bit on the clinical side for my taste? Paired up with the right speakers who knows.... They have very good specs on paper!I was looking at a Kenwood KM-X1000 and matching pre/tuner KC-X1000 for beer money. Haven't pulled the trigger but I'm curious how it would compare to my Hafler 280. Similar wattage (130 vs 140).
Anyone have thoughts?
Pioneer VSXD1S sounded very good! 160 wpc to bootOK, sounds like we may have at least on AVR that belongs on the list. Even blhagstrom with pallet jacks full of AVRs agrees it's pretty good. Let's get some more.
1) Yamaha RX-V995, 1999
Pioneer VSXD1 sounded very good! 160 wpc to boot
My McIntosh MX 135 sounded really good as a 2 channel control center.
They were good, but a bit on the clinical side for my taste? Paired up with the right speakers who knows....