Yamaha's are well made machines!

[skinnybeard]

I took apart my Yamaha M-4 and C-4 the other day to clean them, and I must say, of the three or four receivers I have cleaned so far since picking up this new hobby, the Yamaha's were definitely built the best. I think perhaps the most genius thing I have seen, was that the preamp was organized upside down, where all the circuitry boards actually started from the top of the equipments, which does two things really: it protects all the electrical components from dust build up, and it helps protect it from the heat of the amplifier below it. Having seen this, and knowing how much dust I have seen accumulate on the electrical boards of other receivers so fast, which undoubtedly effects connections over time, I am wondering why more companies don't go this route when designing their components? Even the brand new receivers made by Sony and Denon that I have looked at still use the traditional method of placing the circuitry boards on the bottom of the device. I think a lot can be said of Yamaha's method. When I opened it up, having to remove the bottom to even be able to get to anything, all the boards and pieces were still as shiny and new looking as the day they were made. The pots still need cleaning however, because I guess the thing isn't dust proof, but I still stood back and marveled at why other companies are not making their pieces this way.

 

[Jon_Logan]

You are correct, sir.

You did happen to take apart a couple of peices from Yamaha's golden era, IMO.

 

[fiddlefye]

They are nicely made stuff, aren't they? On top of coming from Yamaha's golden age they were also pretty far up the food chain. I was impressed by my C-4 as well. As to pots getting dirty; it really isn't so much dust that's the problem as oxidization. Unless the unit's kept in a vacuum that's just going to happen, right?

 

[idigvintage]

That's one company I would like to understand more. They make more products than any other brand name I can think of and none of it is crap.

 

[DCinDC]

That's one company I would like to understand more. They make more products than any other brand name I can think of and none of it is crap.

QFT. Amazing isn't it?

Check out the volume control! If you could find it being made new it would likely cost over $50 just for that one part! And you use it everyday and it performs exceptionally everyday. Yamaha used extra gangs to turn down the input as well as the output simultaneously. It improved the S/N tremendously.

Something Phase Linear should've done....

 

[Arkay]

At their best, back when they were seriously "doing" audio, Yamaha made some great gear, very innovative in design.

Just think of the beryllium domes on the NS-1000 series speakers, the self-healing capacitors in some of their top speaker models, or the massive laminated plinths on the GT-2000 turntables, or the massive gun-metal CD compartments on the GT-CDs. When they applied their engineering prowess to suspended TTs, they came up with the PF-800/PF-1000 TTs, adding the innovative dual-tube tonearm. Ever compare one of them to a Thorens or Systemdek, or even a Linn? You'll want the Yamaha! How about the innovative circuitry in the 101M that nearly eliminates all distortion (down to inaudible, almost-immeasurable levels)? Who else made an amplifier with 100 percent all pure silver wire connections throughout (the M2), and still sold it at a remotely affordable level?

For a large, well-managed conglomerate with metallurgical expertise (motorbikes), musical instrument expertise (pianos, woodwinds, etc...) and electronics expertise (various products), it wasn't hard for them to assemble a team of very good engineers who could come up with GOOD designs and design tweaks for audio, when they wanted to.

Unfortunately, once the market began to shift, as we moved into the BPC era, they didn't want to any more. PLUS they had a natural handicap to overcome: people saw Yamaha as a motorbike and heavy machinery company, and had a harder time accepting them as a serious "hi fi" company. To some extent, that (mis)perception still holds true today; I've encountered people who, upon hearing that I have some Yamaha gear, tell me that I should get something better, that Yamaha never made really good stuff, etc...

I have to admit that I, too, thought that, until I learned better. I had to overcome a poor initial perception of Yamaha gear, but now major components of my best system(s) are Yamaha, and I'm a "fan" of their (best) stuff.

Yamaha did make some good gear. Some VERY GOOD gear, indeed, back when they wanted to! :yes: :thmbsp: