Yamaha R-S202 Receiver Review

[TonyJZX]

yamaha like a lot of japanese companies, sells one set of products in japan, one set in europe and one set in the US

now the trope always is that typical 19 x 19 equipment does not sell well in japan because they dont live in 6 bed 4 car McMansions like we have here

and although many of us in the west love to think that this is the 'norm', lets not kid ourselves

people are learning to live with less, in smaller places

that's just the way things are

this isnt unusual.... the typical 2 bed, 1 garage apartment is typically $500k here

if you live in a top 10 city then this isnt surprising

and then you would have to ask yourself why china seems to love small box hifi - they dont all live in freestand houses

again this isnt the norm

and so what justifies a 10kg box like the above which is largely full of air? it doesnt actually do that much - in fact one could find a Chinese class d that does this and probably more with better specs... that i can hold in the palm of my hand.

 

[GXAlan]

Aw man, I was so looking forward to see how Amir tests AM and FM tuners. That would be swell.

Actually what surprises me is no phono input. This box is perfect for vinyl revivalists into the retro fashion but who don't want to deal with vintage electronics.

Agree about the phono. Maybe the goal is to get people to buy Yamaha record players with built in phono equalizers?

 

[beagleman]

I know it's a Yamaha branding thing, but what does Natural Sound mean?

Sound that is natural?

 

[mns3dhm]

This looks like something I’d happily use in a garage workshop or outdoor patio where it would be ‘good enough’ and I wouldn’t worry terribly much about its longevity.

 

[Joe Smith]

It's a decent price, but no phono, those spring clip terminals and tuner section....would make this a non-starter for me. If I were putting a basic system together, the A-S501 integrated amp would be worth saving money for in place of this. If I still used radio and really wanted a tuner section, there would be better receivers to get, I think.

But yeah, for some one on a very tight budget...maybe...?

 

[srkbear]

I used to have an old school Yamaha stereo when I had receivers! This was the eighties. Until I “upgraded” to Onkyo. I probably had 4,000 more hz available in my ears at that time and I swear I thought it sounded amazing—I also remember having to beg my dad for it because of what it cost.

I look back now at the age of 54 and imagine showing my teen self the tiny little FiiO DAC/amp portable I have now that handles PCM384 and DSD256, which would have blown my head off my neck back then—given that my receiver probably had a SINAD even lower than this thing made in 2016. I think it’s absolutely terrific what kids have accessible to them these days at teenage affordable prices. I don’t think they realize how lucky they are.

They should spend more time visiting this website instead of feeling crummy that they can’t afford something from Chord or Astell & Kern. How do we get the message to them?

 

[Berkut]

Now that the R-Nx000 line is out, you can find decent second-hand R-N803(D)s on the cheap (about $/€500) and be blessed with much better Sinad, get the phono preamp if you're into Vinyl, have a dedicated sub-out preamp, separate banana-plug terminals (plasticky though), and some control over the frequency response through the MusicCast App driving YPAO (single point though). That should get you right into a good ballpark, before applying some MiniDSP magic to the sub and/or before entering the receiver from your sources. I do this on the R-N402D with the Digital Version from the CD-S300. "Always do it in the digital domain if you can", or so they say...

 

[aagstn]

I looked at this one, but went with a much older Yamaha HTR-5650 to get the sub out and crossover support for $20. Hard to pass up everyone basically giving away their old audio equipment. The Yamaha I have also supports banana plugs. Can't stand those spring clips.

 

[CleanSound]

Great review. While the performance on this R-S202 is acceptable, particularly at this price point, it would be nice if these big brands start to break the status quo and start making more audibly transparent products, for example the power supply noise leaves very little excuse to exist.

If I am any indication of the growing objective and science based audio consumer, a time lapse of my systems over just the last 5 years, it went from your traditional main stream/big brand/high end brands of the likes of Adcom, NAD, Cambridge Audio, Marantz, McIntosh, Bryston to all Chinese DACs and Dutch or Danish Class D amps.

To be fair, I do own a Yamaha A-S2200, I love it because of the aesthetic looks, a century plus of Yamaha heritage and history along with the impeccable built quality. I don't know how it measures, but I will one day find out as soon as I get my Cosmos ADC based audio analyzer up and running. However bad the measurement may (or may not) be, I am pretty sure it is unlikely audible at reasonable listening levels. As such, I don't see myself parting ways with it. However, I don't think the old dog industry can survive on this alone. . .show me the SINAD!

 

[ROOSKIE]

It's a decent price, but no phono, those spring clip terminals and tuner section....would make this a non-starter for me. If I were putting a basic system together, the A-S501 integrated amp would be worth saving money for in place of this. If I still used radio and really wanted a tuner section, there would be better receivers to get, I think.

But yeah, for some one on a very tight budget...maybe...?

Now that the R-Nx000 line is out, you can find decent second-hand R-N803(D)s on the cheap (about $/€500) and be blessed with much better Sinad, get the phono preamp if you're into Vinyl, have a dedicated sub-out preamp, separate banana-plug terminals (plasticky though), and some control over the frequency response through the MusicCast App driving YPAO (single point though). That should get you right into a good ballpark, before applying some MiniDSP magic to the sub and/or before entering the receiver from your sources. I do this on the R-N402D with the Digital Version from the CD-S300. "Always do it in the digital domain if you can", or so they say...

Make take, I just don't see the sonic benefit of buying an A-S501. You lose Bluetooth which is a major contemporary feature and likely gain nothing notable fidelity wise. The speaker terminals are nice but of no sonic use and the basic phono pre-amp might be okay but who is it for? Maybe the phono user who spent $400-800 to 'gain fidelity' over their stater AT kit and now is using that phono input? I like the looks of the A-S501 more though.
The R-N803 is a lot more money. You still don't have bass management and while the power is a bit more and the general measurements a bit better, I doubt this is very audible. The subwoofer output is nice and so are the streaming features but the $ is not comparable to this R-S202 which can be had at 50-75% of that $200MSRP at some point during pretty much any given month in the USA.($99-149)

I would buy either of those over the R-S202BL but I would buy the unit sitting just 1 level up...

My 2cents would be if the R-S202 is falling short, for $249(refub) $255(new for today only) you can buy the R-N303

YAMAHA R-N303 2-Ch x 100 Watts Networking Stereo Receiver

Yamaha Factory Refurbished

www.accessories4less.com

It is $255 today new @Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-R-N303BL-Stereo-Receiver-Bluetooth/dp/B074F246M9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=B3Z0TPPPOC9T&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BiarexyzP9LbkbB5mWXrY6PcAB0h2Cm5JcPK_CPeRQpJoC-S-apSpVZ_XsnuuWV6cR63EKGTV4ENwQ7iVBu2UQ0DTcRQBHU0WAI6F201HNOx8uhW611e2XQ9LvHCqsWs3TwysKDaMBWqeTpBWdGO6N_B1l1f2i957BYAEA_K_GoQp1WomCb5WczvWDPLflTQkRrYhi1NF4GoqVY_dgU2LsI-dq_Z0edzCs3W0Fz3w0exmA5oCJAyoMed4ZEgxK3A.Zl2eHjMJPxd3P4rtmAwQO2XyQxejpVS02LMRaoNEDjQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=YAMAHA+R-N303BL&qid=1709144872&s=electronics&sprefix=yamaha+r-n303bl,electronics,163&sr=1-1&ufe=app_do:amzn1.fos.18630bbb-fcbb-42f8-9767-857e17e03685

• it has binding posts
• phono input
• digital inputs
• streaming support (Wi-Fi, Wireless Direct, Bluetooth, Alexia and AirPlay)
• probabily a very similar internal amp to the R-S202
• NO sub out, so use a high level compatable sub(s) or a converter
• NO bass management

Agree about the phono. Maybe the goal is to get people to buy Yamaha record players with built in phono equalizers?

I don't know. I'm sure at this price point either folks have zero record players or record players with built in Phono Preamps, like your typical entry level Audio Techinca, Sony & Denon gear. Could even be a Crosley. (actually I have a one , a Crosley that is)
The R-S202 unit is of high enough quality to use with nice hi fidelity speakers and so if a vinyl enthusiast is using this unit with a nice record player then they get to buy a really nice external phono preamp of their choice.
In other words I can't see why this unit would need or benefit from an entry level built in phono preamp.

Also Yamaha ultimately needs to tier products to run a company that isn't chasing the bottom.

Who knows though.

 

[ta240]

Agree about the phono. Maybe the goal is to get people to buy Yamaha record players with built in phono equalizers?

I would think all of the turntables in a similar price range to this amp would have built in preamps.

A quick check showed all of the $350 and less turntables on Crutchfield have built in preamps.

 

[ta240]

well to me a device should be able to justify why its friggin' 19" x 19" x 2 ru

you either dont do much but you do it so well you dont have much to argue about... ie. a high performance power amp

OR

you do a lot in that 19 x 19, ie. a 7.2 atmos receiver with all the trimmings

and so this $200 box???? its neither here nor there

i could almost get behind that $99 Sony DH190 receiver but even that... why do i need something this mediocre and yet so large?

but yeh the chinese really have got us kind of used to small boxes that do a lot quite well

An advantage to more space is better cooling and that tends to lead to longer component life.
I know we've all gotten used to buying new 'small boxes' regularly, but components like this are from the era where you bought this for an apartment and then later you move it to a bedroom in a larger apartment and then later move it to the garage in a house and 30 years later you are still listening to it.

 

[ta240]

reddit:

I wonder what twisting the power wires would do for the noise.

 

[ta240]

I got a kick out of using single sided board and having to put all those jumpers in there. Years ago there was a big difference in cost of single vs double sided PCB. I think it is a lot less premium today, making that choice dubious. With double sided PCB they could optimize the layout much more than with jumpers.

It is funny that in a world where DIY people do PCB layouts for fun, someone at Yamaha is going "we can't justify paying our people to redo this when it is working"

I guess their logic may be correct though, would it make an audible difference to spend the money on redoing the layout? Improving the test numbers slightly would likely only impress the people that have already commented on here that they wouldn't buy it anyways.

Or maybe someone at Yamaha ordered a lifetime supply of those boards.

 

[Kevinfc]

Not something I’d ever consider buying for myself, but still a competent product and a good value.

 

[Kevinfc]

where i am AM isnt a 'thing' unless you are like older than boomers and still listen to right wing radio... OR its horseracing OR its the "dags" ie. greyhound racing... OR you are regional

FM isnt really a 'thing' either given its most very very MoR breakfast radio... you know... Nickelback, Taylor Swift....

DAB didnt take off here... it just mirrors FM... ie. they rebroadcast FM in 80kb/sec (!!!)

I keep saying... I've bought cars that I never bothered to auto tune the radio... sold the car with an untuned radio... and this was decades ago!

For this unit I suspect adding in a cheap BT receiver w/ inbuilt low end dac is cheaper than copying whatever phono they have in the AS201... and guess what people will use these days.... even if its a cheap BT 4.2 unit with only SBC/AAC...

Sports is on AM.

 

[carsknivesbeer]

Needs a Sub out and base management.

The A-s301 and up have sub out, phono, and digital in.

 

[ROOSKIE]

where i am AM isnt a 'thing' unless you are like older than boomers and still listen to right wing radio... OR its horseracing OR its the "dags" ie. greyhound racing... OR you are regional

FM isnt really a 'thing' either given its most very very MoR breakfast radio... you know... Nickelback, Taylor Swift....

DAB didnt take off here... it just mirrors FM... ie. they rebroadcast FM in 80kb/sec (!!!)

I keep saying... I've bought cars that I never bothered to auto tune the radio... sold the car with an untuned radio... and this was decades ago!

For this unit I suspect adding in a cheap BT receiver w/ inbuilt low end dac is cheaper than copying whatever phono they have in the AS201... and guess what people will use these days.... even if its a cheap BT 4.2 unit with only SBC/AAC...

I listen in the car a little, not much at home though. But many still do ....

"In an increasingly congested media landscape, AM/FM radio continues to be resilient. Now in its second century, Nielsen’s most recent Radio Today report revealed on average AM/FM radio reaches 91% of U.S. adults 18+ each month. The reach figure is greater than live and time shifted (90%), smartphones (87%), connected TV devices (86%), PC’s (79%) and tablets (57%).

The reach of AM/FM is strong across all adult age groups. For example, Nielsen found for the hard-to-reach adults 18-34 demographic, 87% listen to AM/FM radio each month. Among older age groups the monthly reach is higher. For adults 35-49 the reach is 93% and for older adults (age 50+) the reach is 92%.

The monthly reach of AM/FM radio easily exceeds other popular music sources (both ad supported and subscription based) across all age groups. According to Nielsen, among adults 18-34, Spotify has a monthly reach of 43%, YouTube Music has a monthly reach of 35%, Pandora and AppleAAPL -0.7% Music both have a monthly reach of 18%, The reach of Amazon Music is 13% and Satellite Radio has a 10% reach."

Nielsen: AM/FM Radio Reaches 91% Of U.S. Adults Each Month

On average 91% of U.S. adults listen to AM/FM radio each month. Despite its popularity. less than 5% of ad dollars are allocated to radio and only 3% of political ads.

www.forbes.com

 

[amirm]

The thing about radio usage in US is that majority of it is in the car. People use them during the commute (as I do). Just looked up the stats and the next location is at work: https://www.westwoodone.com/blog/20...ricans are reached,ad-supported Spotify (17%)

"44% of all AM/FM radio listening occurs in the car. 19% occurs at work and 2% occurs in some other place."

Yeh, they seem to not know any math as the above doesn't add up to 100%!

 

[Endibol]

Thanks for the review.
Interesting device.
That's plenty of power for the price !

In Europe, I see the R-S202D (the same but with with DAB tuner instead of AM, if I'm not mistaken) around 300€.

I see them for 239 euro including 21% VAT.