Continuous Vintage Failure: Please Recommend New "Modern" Amp

[peterp1]

Nothing ambiguous here. Just an old school Stereo FTC power rating.

• 100 W per channel (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz, 0.06% THD, 2-ch driven)

From a 2018 Yamaha RX A880 7.1 Channel Dolby Atmos Network streaming AVR.

Probably closer to 50 wpc with all 7 channels operating. Which if you're using a sub to reinforce the bass, will produce a very satisfying HT experience with the right speaker package.

Yamaha has legit specs (distortion & frequency range specified for power rating) for the RX A880 7.1 for 2-channel performance. I have this same AVR model in my home theater, I'm using it as preamp only to replace my failed Emotiva UMC-200 preamp and am quite happy with it for music and theater.

The second line in amplifier specs is the only one that is meaningful -- this measurement (with distortion and FR) is omitted on the receiver I posted earlier to make that receiver look better than it is. Few people will notice that they are giving meaningless stats on the Yamaha page.

If you follow the 3 examples below, the "specs games" are quite evident. You would expect any manufacturer to at least provide uniform stats across its models, but there is no consistency whatsoever and games are being played to make performance look far better than it is.

RX-A880 - Specs - Yamaha USA

Versatile Functionality. Packed with functionality, this 7.2-channel AV receiver offers seven HDMI inputs, dual-HDMI outputs, Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X™, Zone 2, Phono input, Wi-Fi, YPAO™ with multipoint and much more.

usa.yamaha.com

This is the R-S202 receiver stats -- performance is totally obscured (it suggests FR is 10-100khz, more likely 40-20khz at best, power output is totally obscured, only shows peak output with 1khz signal at 10% distortion:

R-S202 - Specs - Yamaha - United States

Yamaha, the most trusted brand in home audio, adds Bluetooth® compatibility in this Hi-Fi receiver for easy wireless access to streaming music services and music on your smartphone or other devices. Enjoy the connectivity and the outstanding and legendary quality of Yamaha natural sound.

usa.yamaha.com

If you go up one model to R-N303, you can see that the even better model only does 40hz-20khz. Should a $330 receiver be able to go down to 20hz????? I think so. That lack of low bass is very audible in my experience with the R-S202, even with a sub (because the speaker-level output to the sub are affected by the amp's limitations).

R-N303 - Specs - Yamaha USA

We are pushing our Hi-Fi engineering ideas to extend into this entry-class network receiver with modern day wireless connectivity and the nostalgia of vinyl with a phono input terminal. The R-N303 is the perfect blend of technology and timeless design elegance.

usa.yamaha.com

 

[charles 1973]

One spec I'd like to see with AVR's is an FTC power rating with all channels driven. It's understandable however that most don't because the marketing team would not be on board with that. For the general population more advertised power can be the deciding factor.

Marantz has a 70% power guarantee with most channels operating (5 - 7 depending on the model) on some units. Kudos to them.

A little research on actual power tests done on some recent AVR's show anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 power with all channels driven. That said, many recent midrange AVR's from Yamaha and others, seem more then capable of providing a very satisfying home theater experience with a good speaker package and a sub to reinforce the bass.