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newbie interested in Yamaha CR receivers - where to start? what to be wary of?

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ignoramustot

Active Member
Hi folks

I'm new to vintage Yamaha equipment, other than my recapped NS-670 speakers, which I like very much. I'm currently driving them with Sansui AU-4900 and AU-555A amps, listening to a lot of 1950s-60s jazz, some 60s-80s rock and some classical orchestral, from vinyl and CD sources.

I also have a recapped Rotel RX-402 receiver driving some Sansui AS-100 speakers (can you tell I like sealed-enclosure speakers?). I love the look of many of the Yamaha CR receivers from the mid-late '70s and I am interested in trying the Yamaha NS sound, which I expect would be quite a step up from the Rotel, nice as it is, and different from the Sansui sound.

Sadly my budget doesn't extend to a CR-2020 or 2040 (the latter in particular an object of my desire), and probably not a 1000, 1020 or 1040.

Going on the specs, one of a CR-800, 820 or 840 looks a good target for me to pursue, or maybe a 600/620/640.

What guidance can those knowledgeable with these series of receivers offer, please?

What are the main differences between the 00, 20 and 40 series, both in terms of sound performance and in terms of reliability and ease of maintenance, given we are dealing with equipment approaching 50 years old?

Are there any particular sweet spots in the CR ranges to pursue, or any gotchas to avoid (or at least go into informed and forewarned)?

Thanks, Rob
 
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I have no experience with the x00 series but have repaired several x20's and x40 series. As Avionic already said, the x40 series are nice looking but if they go south, they are almost a doorstop. You can still use them as a pre-amp however if the amp section is toast. The STK output packs are still available last time I checked (however, it's been a few years so this may have changed), the real problem is the Yamaha proprietary pre-driver chips. These are unobtanium. I've seen a LONG, LONG thread about reverse engineering the pre-driver chips but don't have the patience right now to read through the whole thread.

As for the x20 series, the boards in each ascending pair are near identical. So the boards for the 1020/2020 are very close, the 620/820 are similar and the 220/420 likewise. This series is still entirely repairable.
 
Hi @nakmandan , that's really helpful advice, and should help others who happen across this thread in future, too. Thanks very much!

Anyone have any comments about differences in sound, capabilities and features between the models and series?

Cheers
 
I forgot to mention previously: I noticed there are quite a few service bulletins for the x20 series posted at Hifiengine. That they're posted is obviously very helpful, but does the fact that Yamaha had to issue those bulletins point to any underlying design or construction issues that one should be wary of 45 years later?

I guess my biggest concern is the long-term effects of heat in operation, given the equivalent CA series of amplifiers seem to be noted for running warm, especially those that had a class-A mode.
(Context: I'm currently in summer in Australia in a house without air conditioning so anything that tends to run hot, or runs best in a cool environment, raises some concerns for me.)
 
ignoramustot said:
I forgot to mention previously: I noticed there are quite a few service bulletins for the x20 series posted at Hifiengine. That they're posted is obviously very helpful, but does the fact that Yamaha had to issue those bulletins point to any underlying design or construction issues that one should be wary of 45 years later?
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Yes, the SB's suggested replacement of some resistors and transistors that tend to run hot. One has to assume that units brought into Yamaha service centers had been run hard enough to cause some failures. I have a 2040, and did the updates successfully. The unit ran fine before, and I do not run things hard (anymore-lol). I just wanted the peace of mind. I imagine that some rockers in the day did not pay much attention to ventilation either.
 
It may just be my bad luck, but I've had an R-700 and two CR-820s all with bad tuners. If you listen to the tuner it would be worth testing on a few stations before buying. One was very odd, it locked in on 89.3 but would not pull in 88.5 which was actually a stronger station broadcasting from the same tower. I seem to have bad luck with tuners in general but have had the worst luck with Yamaha tuners.
 
N8Nagel said:
It may just be my bad luck, but I've had an R-700 and two CR-820s all with bad tuners. If you listen to the tuner it would be worth testing on a few stations before buying. One was very odd, it locked in on 89.3 but would not pull in 88.5 which was actually a stronger station broadcasting from the same tower. I seem to have bad luck with tuners in general but have had the worst luck with Yamaha tuners.
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I have a cr-620, still alive & kickin' it, plus a cr-820, recently went tits-up, so it's in the catman junkyard/to revisit later pile, amp problem ( probably an easy fix, once figured out). My experience with both is that tuners are good, but the s-meter, aka sig-strength meters are notoriously stingy. Unless you're locked on to a station that nearly pegs the meter on any other rcvr, the yammies' needle likes to stay at rest. Maybe yours just need the fins on the varicap vacuumed, brushed out & a squirt or 2 of solvent spray.
 
Catmanboo said:
I have a cr-620, still alive & kickin' it, plus a cr-820, recently went tits-up, so it's in the catman junkyard/to revisit later pile, amp problem ( probably an easy fix, once figured out). My experience with both is that tuners are good, but the s-meter, aka sig-strength meters are notoriously stingy. Unless you're locked on to a station that nearly pegs the meter on any other rcvr, the yammies' needle likes to stay at rest. Maybe yours just need the fins on the varicap vacuumed, brushed out & a squirt or 2 of solvent spray.
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I tried that, gave them all away. R-700 I was told had leaky caps and was fixed. First CR-820 I took to a shop and was told it was not economically fixable. Second I took to shop and was told it was "operating as designed". Don't know if either of them was ever repaired.
 
N8Nagel said:
I tried that, gave them all away. R-700 I was told had leaky caps and was fixed. First CR-820 I took to a shop and was told it was not economically fixable. Second I took to shop and was told it was "operating as designed". Don't know if either of them was ever repaired.
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That's a pi$$er, man! The 820, when hitting on all 8 cylinders is a superb unit. Goes without saying that something that old & complex is gonna give you grief sooner or later. My 820, DOA for time being, will eventually be fixed by me or someone more competent. I got my $12 worth out of it countless times over- minus a cracked upper window pane in the living room. In the meantime, it takes up space...
 
avionic said:
Stay away from the CR-x40 models ( STK chipamps ). The CR-x20 are discreet amplifiers.. The CR-2040 is the only 40 series that has discreet amplifiers.
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I rather like the sound of both my CR-840 and 1040. True, the STKs are obsolete (I have spares), but as long as one "cranks responsibly (TM)", they will last just as long as the discrete CRx20 models. Just be wary to use only 8 Ohm speakers on A only. Running A+B at high volume can get you into some smoky trouble. :D Truth be told, I have had to repair far more discrete CRx20 than CRx40 over the years.
 
ignoramustot said:
Thanks @Skywatcher .... Not sure what the availability of those STK parts is like in my neck of the audio woods (Australia)...
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The genuine STK modules are as rare as hen's teeth in any neck of the woods. :dunno: I just happen to have a couple by luck, and they are either NTE, EGC,TGC, and one Sanyo NOS. :smoke: However the Chinese make lots of them. I wouldn't use the fakes myself though. Most tend to go POOF!. Some instantly, some not long after, but some lucky ones last a while. In your neck of the woods, I'd go with a CRx20 model.
 
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