CR-1000 Styling: Love or Hate?

[gadget73]

I think my uncle's Yamaha is that model. Its been a long time since I've seen it but it sure does look familier. I've never been a fan of slide controls on anything, partially for style reasons but mostly because of how dirty they get inside. Seems like they get nosier faster than a standard rotary. They also seem to break too easy for my liking.

 

[arrow 68]

I think my uncle's Yamaha is that model. Its been a long time since I've seen it but it sure does look familier. I've never been a fan of slide controls on anything, partially for style reasons but mostly because of how dirty they get inside. Seems like they get nosier faster than a standard rotary. They also seem to break too easy for my liking.

Yep! If I found one, it would go.

 

[rickon66]

It looks like it is more "Love it" or "Don't Care" kind of thing!! :scratch2:

 

[vintagestereo]

It looks like it is more "Love it" or "Don't Care" kind of thing!! :scratch2:

It sure does. Guess there aren't as many who hate it as I supposed.

 

[Wornears]

As much as I am a long-time fan and owner of vintage Yamaha gear, I find it hard to believe the CR-1000 came from the same designers.

Looks like they went for some hard drinking with some JVC JR SXXX guys and drew the CR-1000 on a cocktail napkin at the end of the night.

 

[Duffinator]

C'mon, it's ugly.

Even Merrylander had to get "used to it." I love the Yamaha look, but the CR 1000 needs a blindfold to listen to it. The CR 1020 is a classic. The CR 800 is a beauty. The CR 1000 is a creepy, maladjusted beast. I'll admit it is a "prince" on the inside, but from a looks perspective, it has a face for radio.

Yech...

That's pretty much how I feel about it. Most of the other Yamaha's are much nicer looking. I voted

 

[roseskunk]

aww, c'mon boys. she may not be the prettiest oe at the dance, but she's got a great personality! i voted :yes:

 

[EricC]

Its one of my favorite ara:

 

[xoaphexox]

I love it! It makes me feel like I am docking a shuttle to the space station.

 

[the-real-mandak]

There is just something noisy about it, too many buttons all over the place. I don't hate it (I have 2 of them); it is ok but not super.

A funny thing is that it seems Yamaha has been sneaking around in the northern part of Denmark, like around Bang & Olufsen's design center. The Beomaster 3000 was released in 1969, the pic shows a 3000-2 witch came in 1972 (there is a 3000 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York). It is possible to see how Yamaha got inspired by B&O but some how got stock between new and old design. Later Yamaha got a much better balance in the design.

 

[Brad Muller]

Great sounding unit! Not my favorite looking receiver, but the sound is terrific! Hard to pass up when found cheaply. Brad

 

[Brian]

I'm not into sliders either as they are open to the environment. I prefer it to may units that designers decided to fill the front up with useless controls and the result is a morass of disorganized knobs with no logical placement. It at least looks balanced and well made. When I got my Philips units the seller had 1 of these on the shelf also and live it looks less pleasing than in the photos esteticly. Between it and say my JVC the 1000 wins.

 

[vintagestereo]

There is just something noisy about it, too many buttons all over the place. I don't hate it (I have 2 of them); it is ok but not super.

A funny thing is that it seems Yamaha has been sneaking around in the northern part of Denmark, like around Bang & Olufsen's design center. The Beomaster 3000 was released in 1969, the pic shows a 3000-2 witch came in 1972 (there is a 3000 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York). It is possible to see how Yamaha got inspired by B&O but some how got stock between new and old design. Later Yamaha got a much better balance in the design.

I've got a 3000-2 and I really don't see it as having all that much in common with the CR-1000, except for the levers, which are virtually identical, although the 3000-2's are metal and the Yammie's are (gasp!) plastic. Otherwise, sitting in each other's presence, the Yammie is clearly the attention getter, although the case on the 3000-2 is GORGEOUS. Performance-wise, it's not even a contest.

I'm a big fan of B&0's design and have my 3000-2 hooked up to a 4002 TT. They do look sensational.

 

[OldSchoolAudio]

There is just something noisy about it, too many buttons all over the place. I don't hate it (I have 2 of them); it is ok but not super.

A funny thing is that it seems Yamaha has been sneaking around in the northern part of Denmark, like around Bang & Olufsen's design center. The Beomaster 3000 was released in 1969, the pic shows a 3000-2 witch came in 1972 (there is a 3000 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York). It is possible to see how Yamaha got inspired by B&O but some how got stock between new and old design. Later Yamaha got a much better balance in the design.

I have a couple of B&O receivers myself. The design of the Yammie may be inspired from B&O but its kinda ugly. Nothing compared to the insanly good B&O design. I must say that the danes did make some really good architecture, furniture and hifi designs in the 60's and 70's. Almost as good as the swedes

 

[thedelihaus]

I find sliders on vinage Marantz to be the only sliders i really like. And I do like that weird "manual remote mirror control from a '69 buick Riviera" stuck in the center of some Phase linear gear.

But the Yammie, well, I can't say it's my favorite.

Yes- a beautiful receiver- just not my type.

I can say that with honesty- it's hard to argue people like Julia roberts and Nicole Kidman are anything less than attractive.

But I don't partiularly like either. at all.

Same for the styling of this Yamaha- elegant, attractive, charming.

Just not anything special to me. Not anything special to my tastes.

 

[the-real-mandak]

I've got a 3000-2 and I really don't see it as having all that much in common with the CR-1000, except for the levers, which are virtually identical, although the 3000-2's are metal and the Yammie's are (gasp!) plastic. Otherwise, sitting in each other's presence, the Yammie is clearly the attention getter, although the case on the 3000-2 is GORGEOUS. Performance-wise, it's not even a contest.

The entire row of levers is just about a copy of the B&O, next notice that all the other adjusting on the B&O are sliders. The B&O uses 5 sliders; Yamaha used the same idea but needed room for 10 sliders so they had to come up with something smaller. The principle of using a slider to adjust the sound is the same on bought models, only the "buttons" are different looking (the mechanics behind the faceplate is also different, but that is another story).
Just imagine another row of sliders on the B&O, place the frequency indicator on top and… The CR-1000.

One last thing, look at the actual freq. indicator of the CR-1000, the small plastic slider. Hmm... Wander if the ones on the B&O can be used as spar parts.

 

[pmsummer]

The entire row of levers is just about a copy of the B&O, next notice that all the other adjusting on the B&O are sliders. The B&O uses 5 sliders; Yamaha used the same idea but needed room for 10 sliders so they had to come up with something smaller. The principle of using a slider to adjust the sound is the same on bought models, only the "buttons" are different looking (the mechanics behind the faceplate is also different, but that is another story).
Just imagine another row of sliders on the B&O, place the frequency indicator on top and… The CR-1000.

One last thing, look at the actual freq. indicator of the CR-1000, the small plastic slider. Hmm... Wander if the ones on the B&O can be used as spar parts.

I don't think there's any doubt that Yamaha looked to Danish/European design for inspiration, which is why Yamaha is the least "Japanese" looking of all the mainline Japanese manufacturers. Sure was a better place to look than the Realistic/Pioneer look almost everyone else copied.

The CR-1000 does not have 10 sliders, only six. Four of the "sliders" are three position toggle switches layed horizantal to "simplify" the lines.

rather than Yamaha copying B&O on the dial, both the B&O and Yamaha copy slide rules (remember those? I do) for their tuner scale.

Looking at my CR-1020 and my CR-1000, to my eyes the 1000 is a much cleaner design. The 1020 has nine different control styles, the 1000 has only 4. To an industrial designer, that's a big deal. They both have WAY too many buttons and switches, but that was the market ("We're going to the Moon in Stereo!").

 

[the-real-mandak]

The CR-1000 does not have 10 sliders, only six. Four of the "sliders" are three position toggle switches layed horizantal to "simplify" the lines.]

You are right about the 6 sliders; I just wanted to indicate the visual similarity. If you look at the CR-1000 a little from the distance you don't see if it is a slider or a toggle switch.

rather than Yamaha copying B&O on the dial, both the B&O and Yamaha copy slide rules (remember those? I do) for their tuner scale.

Interesting, do you have any pictures?

 

[pmsummer]

Interesting, do you have any pictures?

 

[the-real-mandak]

Yep can't say anything to this, cool observation PM.