Yamaha CR-1000

A minor classic, nowadays not really rare but not abundant either because of a limited distribution : for ten CR-1020 or CR-2020 you'll find, there will be only one or two CR-1000s...

However, it is one of the very few "big" receivers which was not planned as an export-only item : it was distributed in Japan and thus not planned as a low-end whatever for westerners with lots 'o knobs to fiddle with. At 180,000¥ in 1974, the CR-1000 was high-end.

A massive biggie with a sane layout, select parts (for the vintage), the variable loudness inherited from the original CA-1000 and Yamaha's only crowded frontplate that looks like it is crowded (C-1 excluded).
The CR-1000 is almost B&O-like, but vertical - very interesting. And much better than B&O :)


The power-amp section is an DC dual differential amp in complementary Darlington circuit ; the reserve caps are two 10,000µF ELNAs, the two output transistor pairs are Sanken's 2SA747 & 2SC1116.

Two protection circuits may kick in : one monitors the output transistors' dissipation and lowers if necessary the input signal, the other has a realy cut the output if blue meanie DC signal gets to where it shouldn't.
The relay also works at power-on and power-off for no more loud bass thump in da woofers.

The preamp section starts with a shunt regulated push-pull input and ends with a single-ended push-pull with FET coupling ; tone controls are three-stage DC coupled.

The tuner section has a dual-MOS-Fet 5-gang varicap ; the IF amplifier is built a discrete dual-differential circuit followed by two ICs which each hold six differntail amps and three phase-linear dual ceramic filters.

The MPX section is based on an NFb loop linking transistors : one part of the L and R signal is (re)mixed with the original composite signal. This had a Yamaha patent pending in 1975. (Granted ?)

AFC helps better tuning by switching in as soon as the tuning knob is released, too.

The entire tuner section, located at the top of the enclosure, can be easily pivoted from the back for easy servicing - dial scale and pointer included !


The CR-1000 is almost B&O-like but vertical very interesting and much better than B&O :)

A full restoration with nudies aplenty at audiovintage.fr ; a 1976 UK review can be read here.