Yamaha R-N2000A Hi-Fi Receiver Official Review Page!

gene

gene

Audioholics Master Chief
Administrator
My Yamaha R-N2000A bench test report has been updated to a full blown review with extensive listening tests.

 
T

Trebdp83

Audioholic Spartan
That is a very nice looking and performing receiver. It looks great around back as well. Look at those shiny speaker terminals!

If I may add some things here, it is that the HDMI port supports ARC, but not eARC, and requires HDMI-CEC to be ON in the receiver and the TV to work.

The ARC limitation is not the biggest deal with a two channel receiver but there can be a few limitations using some devices connected to the TV. Some devices require the full bandwidth of eARC even for transmission of two channel 192/24 signals and they will not work here.

Those connecting external devices to a TV and then the TV to the Yamaha must make sure that only two channel PCM signals are in play as the Yamaha only supports PCM using the coaxial, optical and HDMI ARC connections. Though, DSD is supported as well over a network connection.

It is a shame that the Yamaha web setup or onscreen setup when connected to a TV are not present here. There is no video output functionality at all. Like other Yamahas, Airplay 2 is featured but there is no Chromecast support and it is Roon Tested but not Roon Ready.
 
T

Trebdp83

Audioholic Spartan
Hey, if it ain’t broke… The combination of retro looks and modern tech on this thing are great. It just needs a few tweaks and a few added features in the tech department.
 
Will Brink

Will Brink

Audioholic
I wonder how it compares to the Anthem STR integrated, which is approx 1k more. "on paper" the anthem has more juice.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I wonder how it compares to the Anthem STR integrated, which is approx 1k more. "on paper" the anthem has more juice.
More juice?

Heck a lot of AVR has more juice ON PAPER. So it’s not just about paper juice. :D
 
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AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
Gene tested the separates, has not tested the integrated.
Your comment was that the Anthem seems to have more power than the Yamaha.

My comment is that the Yamaha isn’t about having or competing for more watts.

Even AVR’s like the Yamaha RX-A3080 can output about 300 Watts x 2CH into 4 ohms. The Denon X6800 AVR can output 250 Watts x 2CH into 4 ohms.

There are other receivers with more power.

So my point is, this Yamaha is not about competing for more power.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Your comment was that the Anthem seems to have more power than the Yamaha.

My comment is that the Yamaha isn’t about having or competing for more watts.

Even AVR’s like the Yamaha RX-A3080 can output about 300 Watts x 2CH into 4 ohms. The Denon X6800 AVR can output 250 Watts x 2CH into 4 ohms.

There are other receivers with more power.

So my point is, this Yamaha is not about competing for more power.
You are right, based on the linked review, some Yamaha avr can be as juicy as the Anthem integrated for practical use with 4 Ohm speakers, and for listening to 2ch stereo music. Hard to believe, but bench tests results don’t lie and are repeatable.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
You are right, based on the linked review, some Yamaha avr can be as juicy as the Anthem integrated for practical use with 4 Ohm speakers, and for listening to 2ch stereo music. Hard to believe, but bench tests results don’t lie and are repeatable.
And is the Anthem separates even stable down to 1 ohm, since we all know the Denon 3000's AVR was tested stable at 1-ohm. ;) :D
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
Really?! - do you have a link?
@PENG might have the link. I think he was the person who posted the link to the measurement. That was a few years ago.

But yeah, we’ve been using this example multiple times over the past few years.

The Denon 3000-series AVR was tested to be stable into 1-ohm when other separates amps failed.

So the lab measurements didn’t just show that the Denon 3000’s passed the 1-ohm test. It also showed that many separates amps FAILED this 1-ohm test.
 
D

dlaloum

Senior Audioholic
@PENG might have the link. I think he was the person who posted the link to the measurement. That was a few years ago.

But yeah, we’ve been using this example multiple times over the past few years.

The Denon 3000-series AVR was tested to be stable into 1-ohm when other separates amps failed.

So the lab measurements didn’t just show that the Denon 3000’s passed the 1-ohm test. It also showed that many separates amps FAILED this 1-ohm test.
I am well aware of the weakness of many amps into 1 ohm loads - just surprised that the Denon X3xxx's can remain stable into 1 ohm...
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
I am well aware of the weakness of many amps into 1 ohm loads - just surprised that the Denon X3xxx's can remain stable into 1 ohm...
The point was that all the failed 1-ohm tests by the separates amps served as a “Control” for the Denon AVR-3000s in this lab.

For example, if all the amps passed this 1-ohm test, then something is wrong and the Denon AVR passing the same 1-ohm test wouldn’t have as much weight.
 
D

dlaloum

Senior Audioholic
The point was that all the failed 1-ohm tests by the separates amps served as a “Control” for the Denon AVR-3000s in this lab.

For example, if all the amps passed this 1-ohm test, then something is wrong and the Denon AVR passing the same 1-ohm test wouldn’t have as much weight.
I did a little "googling" - this was referring to the AVR-3805 series (circa 2004) - quite a beast of an AVR.

There was some competition during that decade in the monster AVR category... Onkyo/Integra had some beasts in their range too.

Sadly, it bears no relationship to the current Denon generation.

The X6800 has decent capabilities but I would be cautious about recommending it for speakers that dip to or below 2 ohm (and wouldn't recommend the X3800/X4800 for such speakers at all)... I would rate the X6800 as a maybe on such speakers.
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
I am well aware of the weakness of many amps into 1 ohm loads - just surprised that the Denon X3xxx's can remain stable into 1 ohm...
I don't know how many times I have to explain this, under certain conditions, just about any amps can remain stable into 1 ohm, even a near short circuit if the output voltage is maintained at a low enough level.

Simple Ohm's law/Power formula, I cannot understand why so many experienced audiophiles don't seem to understand this V, I, P relationships for resistive load. For highly reactive load, there's obviously other things to consider but that should be dealt with separately. Suffice to say, regardless of the Ohm's law, most midrange AVR amps could output more into 4, 2, even 1 in some cases than into 8 ohms for short durations such as when playing music that has contents dip into such low impedance momentarily, if longer than "momentary" the amp obviously would not be able to sustain the current, in those cases, clearly amp that has much more capable power supplies and output devices such as the Anthem STR amps, would be able sustain such very high current for a little longer, but not literally continuously though as people are often led to believe.

For example, if the Denon is truly rated for say, 100 W into 8 ohms, 0.05% THD+N, then it could be rated for 12.5 W into an 1 ohm, 25 W into 2 ohm, 50 W into 4 ohm load. Yes, if an amp can do just that, then clearly it is a weakness because 12.5 W into 1 ohm is quite a bit less than 100 W into 8 ohms, no argument there, but that's just one example. In the case of that Denon, it's the AVR-3805, that managed to output about 160 W into 1 ohm at 0.8% THD, front channel and almost 170 W at 1% surround channel. Obviously the test duration must be very short but it wasn't specified, I posted the link a few time already, but for you, here it is:

Report
 
P

PENG

Audioholic Slumlord
Sadly, it bears no relationship to the current Denon generation.
We don't know that, different test benches use different methodologies, if the current Denon, such as the X4800H or Marantz Cinema 40 were tested the same way AVtech did back in 2004, they might be able to get the "Pass" grade too. May be Amir could do one of such test some day, then we'll know.

Integrated amps didn't always do better in that test, the Yamaha A-S2000 also pass but at about 180 W 0.8% THD, it only better the Denon by a small margin.

One Krell integrated did about 180 W into 8 ohms but dropped to only about 130 W 1 ohm, worse than the Denon!

The Onkyo NR906, that should be very similar to the 805, 875 etc., did very well in the 4 ohm tests but got the "failed" grade for the 2 and 1 ohm test, with no explanation given, my guess (only guess) is it might have to do with how the protection acted, e.g. too fast?? If not the protection, I am sure those heavy weight Onkyo could do at least 200 W into 1 ohm for the same duration they used on the other duts.

The bottom line, is, such so called high current tests, as well as the claimed capabilities are tricky stuff, it has a lot do with the test conditions, one being the duration of such tests.

Another popular integrated amp, the Marantz PM7003, so presumable would apply to the 7004, 7005 etc., too, failed the 2 ohm test. If one spent time reading, one will find that the belief that integrated amps are always, or even in most cases, more "powerful" than AVRs are sort of a myth, in the case of 2 channel stereo use cases, obviously.
 
D

dlaloum

Senior Audioholic
We don't know that, different test benches use different methodologies, if the current Denon, such as the X4800H or Marantz Cinema 40 were tested the same way AVtech did back in 2004, they might be able to get the "Pass" grade too. May be Amir could do one of such test some day, then we'll know.

Integrated amps didn't always do better in that test, the Yamaha A-S2000 also pass but at about 180 W 0.8% THD, it only better the Denon by a small margin.

One Krell integrated did about 180 W into 8 ohms but dropped to only about 130 W 1 ohm, worse than the Denon!

The Onkyo NR906, that should be very similar to the 805, 875 etc., did very well in the 4 ohm tests but got the "failed" grade for the 2 and 1 ohm test, with no explanation given, my guess (only guess) is it might have to do with how the protection acted, e.g. too fast?? If not the protection, I am sure those heavy weight Onkyo could do at least 200 W into 1 ohm for the same duration they used on the other duts.

The bottom line, is, such so called high current tests, as well as the claimed capabilities are tricky stuff, it has a lot do with the test conditions, one being the duration of such tests.

Another popular integrated amp, the Marantz PM7003, so presumable would apply to the 7004, 7005 etc., too, failed the 2 ohm test. If one spent time reading, one will find that the belief that integrated amps are always, or even in most cases, more "powerful" than AVRs are sort of a myth, in the case of 2 channel stereo use cases, obviously.
I had an Onkyo 876 (and its later derivative the Integra DTR70.4) and I can vouch that they could and did drive 1.6ohm speakers very well indeed...

However I've seen no indications that the current X3800/X4800 models have the type of capabilities that the much lauded AVR3805 had... I believe the current equivalent to the 3805 is probably the 6800....
 
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