Onkyo or Yamaha?

Hi All,

I’ve been rocking an Onkyo TX-SR313 (low-end from 2012) into EV FR12-2 loudspeakers for years. My girlfriend’s dad is offering his 1982 Yamaha A-760. The specs seem close enough that I don’t know if my discerning ears would hear the difference. I don’t have a lot of listening experience outside of my own rig.

Also, I don’t care about surround sound and my follow up question will be about a good DAC if the Yammie wins.

The question is, I’d be getting the Yammie for free but is it worth the shipping from IL to AZ? I know numbers specs don’t mean everything so I’m hoping for some input from the hive mind.

Onkyo:

Front L/R 65 W/Ch
Center 65 W
Surround L/R 65 W/Ch
3 ohm 160
4 ohm 125
8 ohm 85
THD+N (Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise) 0.08% (20 Hz–20 kHz, Half Power)
Damping Factor (1 kHz, 8 ohm) 60
CD and TAPE Play 200 mV, 47 k ohm
TAPE REC 200 mV, 470 ohm
PRE OUT 1.0 V, 470 ohm
Frequency Response 20 Hz-50 kHz

Yamaha:

Power output: 80 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.01%
Damping factor: 55
Input sensitivity: 0.25mV (MC), 2.5mV (MM), 150mV (line)
Signal to noise ratio: 76dB (MC), 98dB (MM), 103dB (line)
Channel separation: 70dB (MM), 70dB (MC), 70dB (line)
Output: 150mV (line)
Semiconductors: 47 x transistors, 4 x IC, 8 x FET, 54 x diodes, 3 x LED
 
Greetings;
I love both brands and it's not just wattage... 0.01% thd on the yammi perks me. Yammi has a diff. sound than Onkyo but again I like both. Maybe his daughters b'day is coming up? lol.. shipping would be worth calculating but packing it very very well is essential.
bink
 
Greetings;
I love both brands.. 0.01% thd on the yammi perks me. Yammi has a diff. sound than Onkyo but again I like both. Maybe his daughters b'day is coming up? lol.. shipping would be worth calculating but packing it very well is essential.

Thanks! Can you define “different” in this case? I’ve never really switched out components within my system so I’m curious what I might notice between the two. My only other critical listening has been on a $50,000 rig at my local tube hi-fi shop, haha.
 
Your ears aren't hearing the specs, they will be hearing the difference in the sonic signature of the company that makes the unit with the limits they had producing the unit you try. They will sound a bit different, give the yammie a try, lots like it.

Now the Yamaha is a real stereo unit from the end of the first wave of quality solid state gear, 70s-1983. Should be a nice unit. The Oink is a lots of frills in a box, but I have two Onkyos in service here so not throwing stones.

If you can, listen, if you can't get the Yamaha and compare, keep what you like and store the other one in a second location where you need tunes. Then get more gear to make that 2nd rig. Wash and repeat until you are covered up in gear and know what you like and ready to downsize. That will be decades, enjoy the ride.

Differences can be bass fullness or impact, treble clarity or shimmer or harshness, midrange articulation, anything you want to listen to might show some differences. Some insist on double blind a/b testing but hell if you throw one unit in the rig and like it better the he!! with the blind tests. I have amps that jaws drop when they are put into the rig and the are going against some great gear...but they are tubes and damn fine ones to boot. So easy to tell they sound great.

Fedex wants 53 bucks, basic rate into, discounts for having an account and other things. The amp is worth more than that but then you might want to consider having some work done as everyone here is so excited to get under the clothes of their gear and get intimate with the internal parts and recap anything that crosses their threshold at home. Yes just like that first day of marriage. But it might work just fine and you can go with it as is.

If it isn't as good, sell it on and use the proceeds to hunt down something else.

I used Chicago to Tucson for Fedex number.
 
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Your ears aren't hearing the specs, they will be hearing the difference in the sonic signature of the company that makes the unit with the limits they had producing the unit you try. They will sound a bit different, give the yammie a try, lots like it.

Now the Yamaha is a real stereo unit from the end of the first wave of quality solid state gear, 70s-1983. Should be a nice unit. The Oink is a lots of frills in a box, but I have two Onkyos in service here so not throwing stones.

If you can, listen, if you can't get the Yamaha and compare, keep what you like and store the other one in a second location where you need tunes. Then get more gear to make that 2nd rig. Wash and repeat until you are covered up in gear and know what you like and ready to downsize. That will be decades, enjoy the ride.

Differences can be bass fullness or impact, treble clarity or shimmer or harshness, midrange articulation, anything you want to listen to might show some differences. Some insist on double blind a/b testing but hell if you throw one unit in the rig and like it better the he!! with the blind tests. I have amps that jaws drop when they are put into the rig and the are going against some great gear...but they are tubes and damn fine ones to boot. So easy to tell they sound great.

Fedex wants 53 bucks, basic rate into, discounts for having an account and other things. The amp is worth more than that but then you might want to consider having some work done as everyone here is so excited to get under the clothes of their gear and get intimate with the internal parts and recap anything that crosses their threshold at home. Yes just like that first day of marriage. But it might work just fine and you can go with it as is.

If it isn't as good, sell it on and use the proceeds to hunt down something else.

I used Chicago to Tucson for Fedex number.

This is exactly what I was hoping to get from this thread. Thank you so much. At the end of the day, my ears will be the deciding factor but it sounds like it’s worth the cost of shipping to give it a try. Worst case, I’ll sell it and maybe make a few bucks.

Never had issues with the Onkyo either. It’s just not particularly musical and I’m at the point where I want to grow beyond my original setup.

Also, you pretty much nailed it on the locations! I’m in Phoenix but shipping is generally about the same
 
I just thought of something.. maybe her Dad is enticing you to visit. :D

Haha, I thought about that too. We usually go up over Christmas but didn’t make it this past year. I’ll wait until spring at least to visit but I don’t think I can wait that long for the Yammie!
 
I don't have the Yamaha but suspect it sounds really good. And worth the cost to ship it. I don't know if I would ask for it to be packed for shipping. A damaged amp is no fun. I wonder if he would enjoy seeing you get it and play with it in person.
 
Haha, I thought about that too. We usually go up over Christmas but didn’t make it this past year. I’ll wait until spring at least to visit but I don’t think I can wait that long for the Yammie!
My brother used to work in Chicago, Dad retired to Tucson and well my brother visited tucson in the winters...seems normal...and you visit Chicago in the winter, seems backwards. Anyway after his wife left the company and set up shop in Tucson, she was house hunting and just with pictures to my brother they bought a place. He strated a more long term telecommute and then a couple years ago asked when he was coming back to Chicago as winter was over...that trigger retirement.

Maybe it's time to swap the Christmas visit for one in the nice weather times in Chicago.
 
If It's going to be shipped I recommend large bubble wrap. About ten layers of it. It's the only thing that has produced no damage for me. The problem with foam board is internal shock damage. I've received foam packed units with plugin circuit boards knocked loose, and other internal damage. The air suspension of the bubble wrap reduces the chance of that. And it's easier to wrap than to fit the foam.
Good luck with your Yamaha, I like my old CR-600.
 
If I'm not mistaken the A-760 (If it is the original and not the "760II" designation) is one of those that Yamaha had to discontinue after getting sued for using Carver's magnetic field tech.

Not super-rare but a lot different sounding than other Yamaha amps and people who have good working ones don't seem to let them go very often.

Definitely worth the shipping, which I can't imagine would run you more than $50 at most. Hell it's probably worth at least 5 times that.
 
Assuming a turntable is not a priority, but is a remote?
Sub in use?

I would bet the Yamaha will need at least some type of service.

I pitch my tent in the Yamaha camp often, but have a few Onkyo's in the stable.
 
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