HELP! Yamaha CR-840 or A-700?

[isRelative]

So in my quest to find a 80+ WPC vintage receiver/integrated amp, I've stumbled across these two. I heard that the CR-840 is an amazing receiver but I heard that it uses Integrated Circuits (ICs) that are unobtanium if it breaks (Big turn-off). The A-700 on the other hand seems more reliable and people say the sound is nice and detailed. Help me Yamaha Forum! Which one would you choose and why?

 

[avionic]

A-700 100watt class AB / 5 watt class A...discreet amplifier.:thmbsp:

 

[4seatPilot]

A replacement for the unobtanium IC pre-pack has become available - it's built out of discreet components, but is reported to work well. So it looks like all the 640 / 840 / 1040 doorstops can be resurrected... and you are right. It's a very nice receiver.

The A-700 will give you better sound - I haven't heard that one specifically, but others very close to it - and detailed is exactly how I would describe it! Very nice amp.

Living room / bedroom... go with the 840 - it looks nicer, and sounds great. A more dedicated listening space... A-700.

My two cents...

 

[cnolanh]

The CR-840 not only sounds great, but is also a beautiful piece of industrial art (excepting the cheesy vinyl veneer). I love the green glow, clean lines, and feel of the controls.

The A-700 is a more advanced amplifier, but for most purposes you can't go wrong with either of these two classics.

 

[isRelative]

Oh god this is a hard one. Do I go with aesthetics or sound?

 

[cnolanh]

Well, I don't think you're going to regret the sound in either case, unless you're pushing things to the limit. Will you need the bit of extra power (65 WPC vs. 100 WPC: not even 3 dB difference)? On the other hand, if you can hear a difference when the Class A button is engaged, you might particularly enjoy the A-700 at low volumes when it stays in Class A.

Any chance you can get both and see what works best for you? Or can you at least test both out?

 

[isRelative]

I've been asking around and people are telling me that amps that supply low WPC could potentially induce "clipping" which damages tweeters. I'll be running 2 Sansui SP-X2U bookshelf speakers (they're a little bigger than most, Max Input Pwr: 200W Impedance: 3 Ohms) so nothing too extensive. I guess I could try both out and sell the one I don't like, but I'd rather get it right the first time. I'm new to the audiophile world so the more info I learn the better haha

 

[andylsun]

That's a hard one. I have an A-1000 but really want a CR-2020 (as I had one a long time ago). I fully expect that if I ever get my hands on a CR-2020, the A-1000 will remain king from a sound perspective. It's just an awesome amp. Ugly as sin though.

 

[TomInTacoma]

Join the asylum - get both!