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CR-820 or CA-2010

yycdave

yycdave

New Member
I’m currently enjoying my CR-820 but have my eye on a CA-2010. Sorry if it seems like a basic question, but setting the higher power aside what sonic differences could I expect between the two? Are there in general in the Yamaha line differences between the amp in a separate and a receiver? Also I do use the variable loudness on the CR-820, does the Class A option on the CA~2010 provide for good lower volume listening?

FWIW I’m currently using JBL 4410’s.

TIA,
Dave
 
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CA-2010 hands down ..

Welcome to AK Dave

Dave
yycdave said:
does the Class A option on the CA~2010 provide for good lower volume listening?
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Yes..

The more power will increase your " headroom" . The 2010 has larger power supply reserve for those instantaneous transits.
 
The Class A should never be used. The micro switches go bad. I cannot detect any improvement using class A mode.
The CA2010 is heads above the 820. It was the only Yamaha silver faced unit with umph enough to handle low efficiency 4 ohm speakers. (Dahlquist DQ10)
 
Sorry to disagree but...

Nakdoc said:
The Class A should never be used.
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Don't see the point of owning a CA-2010, CA-1010, CA-1000 or CA-800 and not using the Class A.

Nakdoc said:
The micro switches go bad.
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Yes but mostly during hot switching. Before amp power up select class A (or normal for background noise) then power up.

Nakdoc said:
I cannot detect any improvement using class A mode.
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The operations swich changes transformer taps that feed the power amp, this ultimately affects the bias. If you are trying
to compare while hot switching then this is folly, it takes about 20 seconds for the bias to "change"/stabilize from one to
the other, so back and forth hot switching does nada... Agree that the difference is subtle but certainly there.

Nakdoc said:
The CA2010 is heads above the 820
Click to expand...
Haven't tinkered with the 820 but the CA-2010 is a beast.

Nakdoc said:
It was the only Yamaha silver faced unit with umph enough to handle low efficiency 4 ohm speakers.
Click to expand...
The owners manual has the 2010 using 8-16ohm speakers. ie, not recommended for 4 ohms. The CA-1010 is marked as
4 ohm capable.

Certainly a lot to like about the CA-2010 (and 1010, 1000, 800). Refurb'd 3x2010, saved me a fortune on gym mebership (22kg?)
 
mbz said:
The operations swich changes transformer taps that feed the power amp, this ultimately affects the bias. If you are trying
to compare while hot switching then this is folly, it takes about 20 seconds for the bias to "change"/stabilize from one to
the other, so back and forth hot switching does nada... Agree that the difference is subtle but certainly there.
Click to expand...
Hot switching the CA-800/1000 is not reccomended.
 
yycdave said:
I’m currently enjoying my CR-820 but have my eye on a CA-2010. Sorry if it seems like a basic question, but setting the higher power aside what sonic differences could I expect between the two? Are there in general in the Yamaha line differences between the amp in a separate and a receiver? Also I do use the variable loudness on the CR-820, does the Class A option on the CA~2010 provide for good lower volume listening?

FWIW I’m currently using JBL 4410’s.

TIA,
Dave
Click to expand...
I think you'll be pretty impressed by a properly performing CA-2010 and those JBLs -- not just at low volume, either.
There is really no comparison between the CR-820 and the CA-2010 as hifi amplifiers. The CR-820 is a nice middle of the road receiver. The CA-2010 was and still is a pretty serious piece of hardware, even by modern standards.

As some folks here know, I have this little nonlinearity when it comes to that era of Yamaha comsumer-level hardware. My opinion is a fairly well informed one (although still, of course, just an opinion).

DSC_0241 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
 
Semanon said:
Unfortunately, all I can see in the picture is the Otari MX5050B.
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Here, this'll help. Stare at this for 60 seconds, then look at the Yamaha pile. The Otari in the latter image will be invisible due to oversaturation of the retina. ;)

DSC_9662 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

I gave away the two on stands to local tape gurus (karma and all of that, you know?) & kept the rack mount one. All three were in working condition but rode hard & put away wet as they say. On the "plus" side, they were free, via a local radio station whose chief engineer was told to clean out a storage locker by whatever means necessary -- so he put up a CL ad, which was kindly pointed out to me by an AK member who lives up this-a-way.
 
Sweet...Good karma all around.

AND, the CA-2010 brings better karma than the 820. It has my vote from someone who received aural karma from both.
 
thanks for all of your replies.

I understand the concept of more power proving more headroom for instantaneous needs, however given that the CA-2010 has nominally twice the power of the CR-820 will this impact the overall sound outside of peaks? And how so at different volume levels?
 
The power differential is fairly minimal ("2x the power" = 3 dB more); it is the all around quality of the package that is the CA-2010 vs. the CR-820 that makes the difference.
 
mhardy6647 said:
it is the all around quality of the package that is the CA-2010 vs. the CR-820 that makes the difference.
Click to expand...
Bingo!

If the 2010 is well priced, buy it and see if you hear a difference with your set up. If you don’t like it you can resell it and for the cost of shipping you will have learned an important lesson about your listening self.

if it’s poorly priced or a fixer-upper, you should skip it.
 
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So to revive this thread the 2010 fell through however I was able to use a CR-2020 for a couple of weeks before it “broke” (refunded). I did find a noticeable difference with the 2020.

I have a line on a CA-810 that has been “done”. Again, would I notice any substantive difference between this and my CR-820 or am I better to wait for a CA-1010/2010 or a CR-1020/2020?

FWIW speaker wise I’m using JBL 4410’s and Athena AS-F2

Thanks for your input.
 
Is there something you don’t like about the 820 that you can put your finger on?

There is some sonic differences between the 810 and the 820, but the biggest differences is in the phono sections. If you want a better phono I put with more control, get the 810. The 2010 is a different beast with class A and better components. If you like your 820 well enough, then I’d search for a 2010. They are getting pricey, so your wait for a well-priced good one could be longer than you want. But a good 2010 is worth the wait.
 
Indeed, yyc=Calgary

When I had the 2020 it seemed to drive the speakers with more punch, even at lower listening levels. The 820 has been redone and recapped and while I'd say the midrange is equivalent the overall sound seemed "broader" with the 2020. I don't know if this was due to the additional power (although I rarely exceeded 3W) or the design of the amplifier section or ?
 
I’ve had the pleasure of spending some time in Calgary and surrounds, although not at this time of year.

I guess that’s the magic of this stuff, no telling why one sounds better to our ears than another. I love my 810, but it has been given garage duty while its big brother gets to be indoors. I had the 820 years ago and liked it very much and it’s similar to the 810, as best as I can recall. The 2020 is in another class. I mostly use it in class B unless I’m actively listening. Then I’ll switch on class A to get that subtle, noticeable detail difference.
 
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