Over the previous couple of years, we’ve written about such icons because the The Fisher 800-B from 1961 and the 70s-era Marantz 2500 and Sansui 9090DB — every a masterpiece in its personal proper.
In the present day we flip our consideration to a different 70s-era tour de power: the Yamaha CR-2020.
Yamaha launched the CR-2020 in 1977 and it rapidly turned one of many model’s best-selling fashions. Boasting a good output of 100 watts/channel into 8 ohms with “not more than 0.05% complete harmonic distortion,” the CR-2020 was one step down from the flagship CR-3020, a veritable beast that put out 160 watts a aspect and supplied a barely extra refined lineup of options and controls.
Picture: SkyFi Audio
Yamaha was so laser-focused on eliminating distortion that its engineers got here up with a brand new approach of measuring it. They referred to as it Noise Distortion Clearance Vary and it required “all pertinent measurements [to] be made underneath precise listening situations; by all amplification circuits utilized in precise listening (i.e., Phono Enter to Speaker Out), and on the quantity management settings most popular for regular listening ranges.”
In a gross sales brochure, Yamaha tied its measurement strategies to an general design philosophy: “To us at Yamaha NDCR is greater than only a measurement. It displays the design method to all our music merchandise. As a result of we pay such shut consideration to their sound in precise use, our engineers developed this evaluation methodology to assist construct in the identical tonal response for house audio enjoyment.”
Like most receivers of that point, the CR-2020 was large, weighing in at round 41 kilos and stretching 21 inches throughout, 6.5 inches tall, and 16 inches deep. And like many higher-end fashions, it’s housed in a stunning solid-wood case that amplifies its attraction. By comparability, the CR-3020 was virtually twice as heavy at 77 kilos (owing largely to its bulkier energy part) and measured 24 x 7 x 19 inches. A beast, certainly. And at $1,500 (the equal of round $7,000 right this moment), the CR-3020 price twice as a lot because the CR-2020, which explains why it didn’t promote very properly and why it’s so laborious to search out as of late.
CR-2020 options of be aware embrace transferring magnet (MM) and transferring coil (MC) phono inputs, pre-out/main-in connections, unbiased audition and recording modes, two front-panel headphone jacks, connections for 3 units of audio system, and a constantly variable loudness-compensation management as a substitute of the same old in/out button: turning the dial counter-clockwise reduces the amount with out upsetting the pure steadiness between high and low frequencies. The speaker connectors are of the spring-clip selection, which had been widespread within the ’70s however decidedly tacky by right this moment’s requirements.
Along with the same old bass and treble knobs, the receiver has a Presence management for adjusting mid-frequencies (centered at 3 kHz) and supplies selectable turnover frequencies of 125/250 Hz for the bass management and a pair of.5/8 kHz for the treble management. As Yamaha places it within the proprietor’s guide, “The particular Presence management gives direct management of those frequencies, readily compensating for data which have a heavy or skinny midrange attribute, and providing new prospects for delicate tonal coloration.”
There’s additionally an Audio Muting button subsequent to the massive quantity dial — one other hallmark of basic receivers — a Defeat button that removes the tone controls from the sign path, and front-panel switches for partaking steep (12 dB/octave) cutoff filters: 70Hz/15 Hz (Low) or 8kHz/12kHz (Excessive), each defeatable.
Within the proprietor’s guide, Yamaha calls out a handful of “particular options,” a number of of that are quoted right here:
• Direct Evaluation of Differential Achieve. This subtle method permits Yamaha to mix excessive station-getting capacity, razor-sharp tuning, and ultra-low distortion within the tuner part.
• Optimum Tuning System. The OTS system will take over from you the fine-tuning wanted to acquire minimal distortion and most stereo separation, so that each one FM stereo packages are heard at their finest.
• Multi-Perform Meters. Quick-response wide-level meters point out energy output ranges from 0.05 W to 200 W (for 8-ohm audio system), with the appropriate channel meter doubling as sign power and (on FM) sign high quality meter.
• Tremendous Low-Noise MC Head Amp. This IC unit makes the superior efficiency of low output transferring coil cartridges yours with out the price of a separate step-up transformer or head amplifier.
In case you search the web, one can find a great little bit of commentary and knowledge on Yamaha’s ’70s-era receivers in addition to a handful of authentic CR-2020 models on the market. They vary in worth from $1,000 for a unit in “good situation” that will or could not work to $3,000 for a close to excellent, single-owner specimen that has been totally serviced with up to date parts, together with transistors, resistors, and power-supply capacitors. You may learn in regards to the latter at skyfiaudio.com, the web site for New Jersey-based classic audio specialist SkyFi Audio.
For extra on this spectacular blast from the previous, click on right here for Mike Levine’s fascinating case research, “Classic vs. Trendy Yamaha Receivers,” which seems on Yamaha’s web site.
