Among receivers, Yamaha are probably among the heaviest out there. But for a 9.1-channel amp rated at 170wpc to weigh a measly 66 lbs betrays an underpowered condition. My old 5.1 Onkyo 100wpc weighs about 50 lbs and there's only a 16 lb difference???
A ROTEL power amp, the RMB1095 is conservatively rated at 200 watts CONTINUOUS power into 5 channels, all channels driven, and weighs 75lbs and actually has optional wheels under it. Even the Aragon 8008x5 amp which is a 200wpc 5-channel amp weighs in at more than 100lbs.
Nothing impressive there then, for only 2 channels of amplification, the Yamaha MX-1000 at 260Wx2 continuous at 8ohms weighs 68lb and has 10000 mF of capacitance with dual 750VA transformers. It is miniscule compared to Yamaha's MX-2000 which weighs and even heftier 78lb and only delivers 130W or the mightiest of them all the Yamaha MX-10000 at 151lb delivering 330Wx2. Point is that HT amps dont have to put up 170x9 simetaneously and when Audioholics tests the Z-9, I am sure it would meet their criteria to the specs.
You may get awed at the power torroids and caps on the Z9, especially if you've seen other similarly underpowered designs. But they look the same on some stereo power amps of slightly higher ratings. In fact the Z9 brochure boasts of a couple of 28,000 mf caps, rated at 90 volts. I know of some 2-channel amps that uses FOUR 23,000mf caps rated at 120 vots. Nothing impressive about the Z9 in this regard. They're heavy alright. But they should be heavier for the touted 170 wpc into 7 channels.
As long as they deliver close to their rated wattage, the requirment would be sufficient and 170W is no mean feat.
But forget about weight. Check at the power consumption figures. Many jap receivers like the Pioneer VSX-D811 has a power consumption of 280 watts but it is shamelessly rated at 100 watts into 6 channels. How can a reciever deliver 600 watts when it eats only 280 watts? Same with some of the newer Pioneers, Onkyos, Kenwoods and Denons. They overstate their power rating but their power consumption betrays the lie.
It isnt only Jap receivers per se, many so-called mega bucks Euro as well as US made receivers take the same liberty as Pioneer and the power consuption rating in the back is for nominal only, not peak as in case of the Yamaha Z-9 as well as their MX-1000 amp, the back says 450VA on the MX-1 as nominal, but the brochure rates the peak rating at 1500VA as the twin 750VA transformers would indicate. Do you really think the manufacturers would jeopardize their name for this kind of fallacy? Check the RXV-2400 brochure for the peak power consumption rating and you will see it is much higher than the one printed on the back of the unit. This is where you just jumped the gun without even checking all the facts.
Just to illustrate in contrast, the British ROTEL RMB-1066 is a 6-channel 60wpc amp that consumes 750 watts of power. The US-made Acurus A250 is a 2-ch 250wpc amp that consumes 1,200 watts. The US-made Aragon 800X5 in the above example eats more than 2,500 watts of electricity. You want more?
Does that speak of power efficiiency? BS. You tell me the japs have learned how to extract blood out of turnips? IF they can extract 1,000 watts total CONTINUOUS out of a power conumption of even 800 watts, they deserve a NOBEL prize in Physics for overcoming the immutable law that says, "you can't give more than what you took in." Period.
No Japanese dont have the mental capacity to even come close to the superior European brain, as a matter of fact no Asian can even dare to go into that territory.
If you read those technical specs of most jap recievers and amps, you'd notice most of them are rated at 1khz and they are at least candid enough not to indicate "ALL channels driven". MEasuring a power output at 1khz with only one channel driven can extract the largest figures if you want to impress. That's because all the power available from the transformers are channeled into just that one amp channel driving just one frequency.
That is what an ideal HT situation decrees as one never sees a situation where all channels are driven.
A CONSERVATIVE power rating is one that states the power as CONTINUOUS into 8 ohms, 20hz- to 20Khz, ALL CHANNELS DRIVEN. In this regard I can only name NAD, Rotel, Harman-Kardon who use this parameters as being conservatively rated, together with the Acurus, Aragon, Bryston, Fasse, Parasound, and other US and European brands.
In many tests done by various European magazines, Yamaha and Marantz consistently test with higher power ratings than the names you mention above.
Yamaha brochure states their rating at DIN 20Hz-20KHz as well as at 1KHz.
Pls don't get me wrong as being critical of Jap receivers and amps. Let me reiterate that my criticism is against thier technical write-ups, not their units. What for? I can only imagine to mislead the unwary and uninformed. Like i said, in overstating the facts, they betray some degree of insecurities about their otherwise excellent products.
