Yamaha
R-N2000A Stereo Community Receiver
USD $3,999.95
Yamaha’s new R-N2000A receiver is bound to be fashionable, because it offers audiophiles precisely what they want in right this moment’s digital-dominated age. It is a second-generation product from Yamaha’s R-N line, following and enhancing on the R-N803D receiver and the discontinued R-N303D. Positioned much more upmarket and with better flexibility, it feels a really mature product. Consider it as an A-S1200 built-in amplifier, with a MusicCast community system, FM radio, and DAC included.
Yamaha has invested considerably in its MusicCast vary of {hardware} merchandise and the accompanying software program app through the years, and it is now a feature-rich system. This streaming and multi-room audio platform is now constructed into lots of the firm’s merchandise, which embrace AV receivers, wi-fi audio system, sound bars and extra. It permits the streaming of music over Bluetooth or the house community, with management by way of Alexa or Google Assistant, Apple Airplay 2 for Apple Music, or an app in your handheld machine.
UP CLOSE
The R-N2000A’s streaming performance contains the lossy variations of Spotify, in addition to lossless high-resolution Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music HD and lots of extra. Its onboard ESS Sabre ES9026PRO Extremely DAC can be utilized by way of USB (B-type) with assist for DSD 11.2MHz native playback and 384kHz playback, in addition to two optical and one coaxial S/PDIF inputs as much as 192kHz.
With the addition of DAB and FM Radio, NET Radio and a shifting magnet phono enter, this product has nearly each supply lined. There may be even an HDMI ARC terminal for connecting to your TV to vastly enhance the sound. Three analogue line-in RCA inputs are fitted, plus a single subwoofer output and preamp out for connecting to a different energy amplifier. The receiver has each a wired RJ45 connection and the flexibleness of Wi-Fi.
The entrance panel makes use of the acquainted Yamaha structure that is dominated by two pretty meters that may be dimmed and set to learn both VU or peak ranges. The steadiness, treble and bass controls are a useful addition, particularly when listening to a variety of genres with variable supply high quality. A loudness management with a variable quantity of impact (attenuation at 1kHz) from flat to -30dB can boost the sound at low listening volumes. All of this may be bypassed with the Pure Direct change that provides essentially the most direct sign path for max constancy.
A small OLED show window with easy-to-read white textual content exhibits the supply, quantity stage, speaker outputs and all else important for a unit of this complexity. It has an always-off perform, lighting for a number of seconds upon person enter earlier than disappearing once more. On the black-faced evaluate unit (silver can be out there), the show seems to be hidden, which retains the entrance face look clear and understated. The edges of the receiver are mirror-finished piano black wooden sidings which look most elegant.
Basically the R-N2000A makes use of a lot of the amplifier internals from the A-S1200 built-in. Nevertheless, I am instructed that the general sound is tailor-made to be nearer to that of its massive brother A-S2200, with the big toroidal transformer positioned on a 3mm thick spacer made from brass, which prevents vibrations from travelling down into the chassis. Claimed output energy is 90W RMS per channel into 8 ohms and 145W into 4. With a weight of round 22 kg, it is a substantial and stable little bit of equipment.
Not like the A-S1200 – which is greatest matched to bookshelf audio system – the best pairing of the R-N2000A is Yamaha’s new NS-2000A floorstanding tower. In response to head engineer Susumu Kumazawa, “the R-N2000A is ready to drive the NS-2000A effectively, as a result of we tuned it to be the perfect match.” This mix was first proven on the 2022 StereoNET Hello-Fi & AV Present.
A ‘Fast Information’ is included with the receiver, and though solely eleven pages in size, is sufficient to get most new customers up and working. A QR code hyperlinks to a much more complete 150-page person handbook do you have to want additional directions. With the facility, FM aerial and loudspeakers linked to the community receiver, you’ve got a selection of utilizing wired web connection or organising the Wi-Fi. Both means, you have to to obtain Yamaha’s ‘MusicCast Controller’ app to your machine. Most fashionable iOS or Android handheld gadgets are appropriate. This accomplished, you may add sensible residence choices like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, add streaming accounts, edit sources and extra. Being a model new pattern, the menu then requested if I wish to replace the firmware, which took round 5 minutes to finish.
Yamaha’s Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer (YPAO) is fitted, which measures room acoustics and calibrates the R-N2000A accordingly. A small microphone is positioned on the seating place and listens for pulses of sound – that are then fed into the digital mind, and the sound is tailor-made accordingly. That is particularly helpful when a subwoofer is getting used, because it units the best speaker and subwoofer crossover frequencies and low-frequency lower. It calibrates the speaker output in 0.5dB increments and adjusts timing so that every speaker’s sound reaches you concurrently. It generates exact equalisation in your room and may even routinely alter the steadiness between the bass and treble ranges along with the amount management. The calibration operates between 31.5Hz to 16kHz, and settings will be disabled throughout the app; the method solely takes round thirty seconds to finish.
THE LISTENING
Yamaha’s new R-N2000A is a formidable performer within the sonic stakes. It has energy aplenty, together with wonderful bass grip, management and pace; the midband is tidy and detailed, and the treble clean and fatigue-free. The general impact is a product that makes music enjoyable, and likes to rise up and boogie. It has a pleasing and barely heat total tonal character that is positive to please most individuals. I by no means obtained the sense that the sound has any annoying brashness, which makes it good for lengthy listening classes.
It is also punchier than its A-S1200A built-in amplifier cousin, which struggled to drive my JBL HDI-3800 floorstanding loudspeakers; this receiver had no such downside. Yamaha’s MusicCast app proved to be steady and dependable in on a regular basis use, rapidly discovering playlists and presenting me with all of the choices and management that I may ask for. The result’s a receiver that simply will get on with the job of delivering musical enjoyment.
This massive receiver did a fantastic job of peeling again the layers of the efficiency, with even lossy streaming sounding very acceptable to hearken to – and CD or higher streaming being fairly pleasant. Hello-res tracks from Qobuz and Tidal have been much more detailed, with better spatial info. It did not maintain something again or make every thing sound the identical.
With YPAO room optimisation switched in, there was no ‘evening and day’ dramatic enchancment in my atmosphere, in all probability as a result of its acoustics are already effectively sorted, however nonetheless, it offered a noticeable enchancment. Issues sounded clean and effectively built-in, with a little bit extra midrange fullness and higher stereo unfold and soundstage width. I do not use a subwoofer, however think about that this calibration can be invaluable if one have been used.
The Yamaha does not draw back from classical, jazz or blues, however well-recorded pop music actually shines and suits the life-style demographic very effectively. Billie Eilish’s Unhealthy Man had a balanced presentation regardless of the monitor’s bass-heavy content material, little doubt because of its evenness all through the frequency vary. The 4 repeating syncopated bass notes in Crystal Ball by Carolin No proved clear and well-defined. Though they sounded comparable, the variations in all 4 notes have been simply heard, in tone, depth and soundstage presentation. This Yamaha receiver punched above its weight and worth level with regards to bass definition and accuracy.
The Yamaha displayed wonderful definition proper by the presence area – so each female and male vocals sounded pure and expressive. For instance, Boz Scaggs’ Thanks To You sounded clean, with bass notes digging deep. His voice can come over as darkish and muffled by tools that has a mid-bass hump, however not right here. Treble was energetic and coherent, with only a slight softening of high-frequency extension and sparkle. It is laborious to think about one other amplifier at this worth level that does higher.
Daft Punk’s Lose Your self was delivered engagingly. The background was quiet sufficient for the layering and element within the complicated guitar work to be correctly resolved. I additionally loved the transparency of Africa by Totoand the fantastic sense of area and air across the performers. The Yamaha succeeded in retaining the monitor sounding full, densely packed and full with tons happening, and all of it being carried higher than anticipated.
Bass notes had wonderful assault and transient pace, with pretty lengthy decay tails. Temptation by Diana Krall sounded immaculately clear and exact by the Yamaha, and it performed with wonderful rhythmic cohesion and a way of timing that was spot on. The identical went for Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Personal Method – a monitor I’ve heard a whole bunch of instances earlier than. The Yamaha did not disappoint with the quick tempo of the music carried concisely, in order that the drums, bass and guitars performed in a splendidly tight formation with a excessive stage of precision.
The R-N2000A is effectively able to carrying the area and proportion of a recorded acoustic, as proven by its dealing with of In A Sentimental Temper by Duke Ellington and John Coltrane. Right here, the 2 central performers had a pleasant sense of air between them, with the saxophone sounding notably practical. The efficiency did lack a smidge of front-to-back element, barely diminishing depth perspective, however that is as anticipated from a product of this worth. Woman Gaga’s Shallow had an upfront high quality to vocals, however lacked some definition to the sound of the viewers behind her.
I used the FM radio, DAB+ and Internet Radio at instances after I could not be bothered to search for particular content material to stream, all of which labored effectively. To my ears, FM radio sounded extra musical than DAB+, which regularly comes over as obscure and closely compressed. Internet Radio proved far nicer, with Spotify-like tonal accuracy, a wider frequency vary, higher imaging and musicality.
Bluetooth connectivity was simple to arrange and proved dependable with a great vary of distance. The sound from my Android machine streaming Spotify premium over AAC was greater than adequate for dinner events and occasional use. Nonetheless, it did not have the identical constancy and listening ease as the identical songs streamed by way of the app and Wi-Fi.
I used to be impressed with the standard of the phono enter, with a reasonable Audio Technica shifting magnet cartridge sounding surprisingly full and wealthy. As an illustration, George Benson singing Give Me the Evening was dynamic and punchy, with a clean top-to-bottom combine and a broad and spacious soundstage. It definitely did not appear to be an afterthought and is probably going pretty much as good as something in its worth vary.
With my pair of Sony WH-1000XM3 cans, I attempted the headphone output of the R-N2000A. It routinely muted the speaker output, then served up a clear however barely undynamic sound. It felt prefer it was struggling a contact to drive these telephones with their acknowledged 16-ohm nominal impedance (in passive mode), so I substituted a pair of Telefunken Audion headphones with a 64-ohm impedance. Issues then sounded significantly better, which is not shocking as most built-in amplifiers sweat a bit with low-impedance headphone masses. When care is taken to make use of the correct cans, superb outcomes will be heard.
THE VERDICT
Yamaha’s new R-N2000A delivers high quality hi-fi sound to a wider viewers, because it completely caters for contemporary existence that demand high quality and accessibility. Sonically, it has loads of energy and an inherent steadiness and management which can be addictive. Construct high quality is superb, as you’d anticipate. So for a lot of potential purchasers, it is a standout worth proposition.
