An audio gold rush 

In many ways, the mid-1970s represented the peak of the vintage audio era. It was a time when consumer demand drove “big stereo” into a big business, and everyone wanted a piece of it.

In the United States, conglomerates such as Teledyne Technologies, LTV Corporation, and Beatrice Foods bought their way in by acquiring trophy brands such as Acoustic Research, Altec Lansing, JBL and Harman/Kardon. In Asia, industrial giants including Matsushita, Mitsubishi, Kyocera, Miida, Sharp, and Marubeni also staked claims. These large Asian companies possessed the skills and resources to fabricate metal, print electronic circuit boards, and tool-up production lines, all of which are necessary to produce stereo components.  

Yamaha

Cue Yamaha. Originally a metallurgy firm nearly a century old at the peak of the 1970s stereo boom, Yamaha was already popular among acquisitive young consumers for its motorcycles, skis, and musical instruments. Stereo gear was a logical next step. The company's logo even represented three tuning forks, a promising sign of things to come.

The CR-620 Natural Sound receiver

In the early 1970’s, Yamaha introduced a line of Natural Sound stereo components which included four receivers. The line’s middle-child CR-600 quickly gained traction in audio salons as a go-to solution for high performance at the mid-priced level. In 1977, the company introduced a new five-model Natural Sound receiver line featuring a successor mid-model, the CR-620, which I personally owned.

Priced at $365 (all prices USD), Yamaha’s CR-620 receiver quickly became a sales workhorse, in part because its price fit comfortably into the popular $799 complete system price point. This receiver was bundled by dealers (including the retail chain Tweeter, Etc. where I worked) into every conceivable system configuration and was paired with everything from small bookshelf to full-sized floor-standing speakers.

The CR-620 incorporated electronic circuitry called “Supply Voltage Rejection” (SVR), which was Yamaha’s answer to competing receivers that touted higher-current amplification. Specifically, Yamaha’s design presented a direct challenge to Harman/Kardon’s popular and high-profile line of “twin powered” components, which contained dual independent power supplies (one for each amplification channel) for improved stability, headroom, and dynamic range.

As Yamaha explained in the CR-620’s brochure, “many receivers incorporate a dual power supply,” but “the new SVR power circuit [provides] excellent stability in the face of momentary supply voltage changes.” According to the brochure, “the result is a convincing improvement in bass response, assuring detailed accuracy during even the loudest passages.” SVR was an edge used by retailers to sell CR-620s over similarly classed receivers that were offered both in the retailers’ own showrooms and those of their competitors. At my own store, that’s how a 40-watt receiver hobnobbed with high-end speaker brands such as ADS (Analog & Digital Systems), KEF, B&O (Bang & Olufsen), Allison Acoustics and others.

On the input side, the CR-620 had an extremely formidable preamp section that not only surpassed that of other receivers that we had on display at Tweeter Etc. but even rivaled some of our dedicated preamplifiers. I took advantage of that at home to run an Ortofon moving coil cartridge and pre-preamp through my own CR-620, a combination that at the time cost more than the receiver itself. With a 20dB signal-to-noise advantage over many comparable receivers, the CR-620's phono stage was drop-dead quiet. This was easily demonstrated in the store by shorting inputs, plugging in a pair of headphones, and cranking up the volume.

Back when FM was often the second most-listened to source, the CR-620's tuner was an over-achiever that was exceptionally agile and capable in urban, suburban, and distant locations. By wrapping the CR-620s high-performance circuitry in a gorgeous walnut veneered cabinet, Yamaha broke the old sales rule that “nothing sells itself.” 

Today’s pricing 

Because Yamaha produced the CR-620 in high volume, it is relatively easy to find today. In good condition they can be had for $200 to $300. Due to their exceptional build quality, they might not need anything more than a good cleaning. While you have one open, check out the length of transmission shafts, which isolates the front panel selector knobs from their corresponding rear-mounted circuitry. That’s part of how Yamaha got their receivers to be as quiet as some separate component preamps. Burned-out dial lamps are a potential problem, but the expanse of clean aluminum behind glass provides ample viewing of the tuner-scale even without working lamps.

Earlier CR-620 production samples bear a “Nippon Gakkii” rear-panel mark, indicating that they were manufactured in Japan. While connoisseurs like to claim that these models are more desirable than the later ones labeled “Made in China,” keep in mind that this was the pre-President Carter era when everyone still talked about two Chinas. Yamaha shifted higher-volume production of its best sellers (including the CR-620) over to its Taiwanese facility, which was in the “other” China of that time. Ultimately, there is really no difference between the “Made in China” and the earlier “Made in Japan” units. Still, a savvy buyer might use that knowledge to knock a few more bucks off an already outstanding deal for a CR-620 that bears the “Made in China” mark.

I say “outstanding deal” for several reasons. First, unlike the high prices now being charged for Marantz, Pioneer and Sansui classics from the vintage period, a clean Yamaha CR-620 can, as noted above, still be acquired very reasonably. Second, unlike those other receivers, a Yamaha CR-620 has no sonic signature of its own– no Marantz warmth, no Sansui sweetness, no Pioneer edginess. “Natural Sound” wasn’t just a marketing slogan. It’s the hallmark of a vintage product that’s suited to the listening preferences of audio purists today. 

It’s for these reasons that Yamaha’s CR-620 stereo receiver should be on the vintage gear hunter’s short list. 

This column is sponsored by Audio Classics