Yamaha R-N803 Smart Receiver Review

[biglebowski]

I like this receiver, I mostly use the toslink in and the internal streamer (I think Musiccast is great to use). I also use the phono in, but never tried the CD or Line inputs.

What I find really annoying is that the Pure Direct mode will turn off the LCD screen when activated !
Like really ? Powering on the LCD screen would degrade the audio signal ? I don't understand why they did that, or maybe it just look more "Pure" with the screen off ?

I want to use this mode, because I don't use neither the integrated EQ nor the loudness function, and of course I like the idea of getting the most direct signal path. But I don't use it often because I don't want to lose the information the screen is showing (source, volume level, and knowing the system is powered on)

I think it's too bad we cannot keep the screen on and Pure Direct at the same time.

 

[burak82]

thanks @amirm for the review. I am just curious on something, you tests are based on analog CD input. How about digital inputs? Especially when high quality music is played via network or attached drives. I am totally newbie on this but super curious.

 

[ehabheikal]

Does anybody know if its subwoofer management also works in pure mode??

 

[Vincentponcet]

Does anybody know if its subwoofer management also works in pure mode??

subwoofer output is enabled in pure mode.
to have the calibration, you need YPAO, which is disabled in pure mode.

 

[KKL]

I have been looking at this amplifier for some time now. What holds me back is that it is out since 2017. Does anybody know when to expect is successor? And what should we expect from it: more recent streaming software and hopefully still hifi audio quality?

 

[Spinitch]

I am also looking for a similar, wifi, streaming pre-main stereo amp usd$1K or less. Not aware of any similar newer successor model from Yamaha. Yamaha does not even feature the R-N803 on its main page, just its best seller R-N602.
https://jp.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/hifi_components/index.html
Best seller according to Kamakura.com directional anyway. Yamaha pushing AVRs and their higher tier stereo A-S1200,2200,3200 no wifi, streaming, of course easy to add a Pi or other but then no single convenient app. The AVRs app gets worse with newest models.
Bic Camera: R-N803 S JPY 69800 with 10% tax plus delivery.
RX-A2A 88,000 (10% points so 80,000 net).
Denon does not sell X3xxx in Japan. Would welcome A basic upgrade to the R-N803, but seems a lower demand segment not worth Yamaha efforts. The WXA-50 ranked 23rd the R-N803 at 32nd in pre-main on Kakaku.com, not precise but a good indicator of popularity.

 

[Paspolc]

Hi all, I tried to read a few pages of the discussion but it turned out to be too much technical for me. I just simply need to know if the Yamaha R-N803 can drive without problems, and I seemed to understand that it can, but I'm not too sure, also because I'm not a native English speaker, a pair of Elac dbr62 speakers that I have just bought. I mainly listen to 70s rock music in a 300 square feet room. I do not disdain listening to music in streaming with my Ipod touch which I connect via bluetooth to my Denon pma600ne.

if you think that the Yamaha rn803 is too demanding for me, consider that I live in a condominium and that I cannot exaggerate with the volume too high, I would like you to suggest other amplifiers as an alternative, but I must be able to listen to music either with the turntable, CD, Amazon music from TV, and also with bluetooth or other streaming options. Thanks to anyone who wants to help me in the choice. at the moment my amplifier, I repeat, is a Denon pma600ne, with a turntable Denon dp300f, speakers Elac b6.2, Schiit loki, Subwoofer Mivoc Hype G2.


Thanks to all
Pasquale

 

[macauley86]

Yes, the Yamaha will drive the Elac speakers just fine. You'll go deaf well before the Yamaha starts having issues with them.

 

[Paspolc]

Hello, do you think i will be able to connect a Schiit loki to the Yamaha, and eventually to which output?
Now on my Denon i connect it to the recorder in output.
Thanks
P.

 

[Paspolc]

Yes, the Yamaha will drive the Elac speakers just fine. You'll go deaf well before the Yamaha starts having issues with them.

Yes, the Yamaha will drive the Elac speakers just fine. You'll go deaf well before the Yamaha starts having issues with them.

You know, i got it and i noticed that as volume it seems much lower and less powerful than my previous amp, the denon pma600ne, and i changed the impedance to 4ohm. I could not increase the volume of the Denon beyond 1/4 of the knob, the Yamaha feels much less powerful.
P.

 

[Overseas]

I kind of have both amps, meaning Denon Pma 600ne and AS701 which is quite the same amp as RN803D (still a bit less powerful than 803). Yamaha is more powerful BUT you have to know that the movement of the knob is not standard between brands.

 

[Overseas]

Now I also got RN803D which I just tested vs AS701, with Q Acoustics 3050i.
First impression 803 sounds better out of the box, by streaming some quality net radio.
Strangely, I favor non Pure Direct over Pure Direct, probably it is my biased preference.
Second I kind of blind tested Ypao. Did the calibration. Without looking at the remote, switched Ypao ON/OFF several times randomly. Then, without looking at the display, I listened around 15 min several melodies, switching between var1 and var2. Until it crystalized into: var1 raw, more strident, voices not pleasant vs. var2 more controlled, round sound, good separation. When I decided that I like var2, only then I looked at the display - it was Ypao ON ! In my case, it works and it is recognizable, of course not dramatic but beneficial for night audiophile sessions.

 

[Paspolc]

Now I also got RN803D which I just tested vs AS701, with Q Acoustics 3050i.
First impression 803 sounds better out of the box, by streaming some quality net radio.
Strangely, I favor non Pure Direct over Pure Direct, probably it is my biased preference.
Second I kind of blind tested Ypao. Did the calibration. Without looking at the remote, switched Ypao ON/OFF several times randomly. Then, without looking at the display, I listened around 15 min several melodies, switching between var1 and var2. Until it crystalized into: var1 raw, more strident, voices not pleasant vs. var2 more controlled, round sound, good separation. When I decided that I like var2,
only then I looked at the display - it was Ypao ON ! In my case, it works and it is recognizable, of course not dramatic but beneficial for night audiophile sessions.

I did the same more or less kind of blind test on Ypao,but i don't like how it sounds,neither pure direct.

however it seems very convenient to use it late at night because the tones are higher and clearer, and therefore use a lower volume of output.

 

[Overseas]

Well, Ypao was the main reason to try 803, though I had the surprise to like it over 701 anyway. I had no major expectations other than Ypao, so I think I am not that biased. I was also decided to return it should Ypao make no difference (meaning what ? that I have a perfect room ?) but it is not the case. Still rambling about Ypao, I see no other alternative at this price level around me, for a STEREO receiver. I inquired about a separate room correction tool, something like 150 minidsp + 80 mic = 230 euro plus software and lots of abilities for a nontechnical guy by formation.

 

[djigibao]

What are the dimensions of the listening room?

 

[Overseas]

It's an open space part, the side of a quite big living room, 2.8m height.
3m triangle position, with speakers 40cm from back wall and sufficient space sideways, open space behind the listening position.
Ypao seems to have an audible effect but not quite on the bass, I would say.

 

[kerouack]

I understand the test was done with analogue signals and enabling the DSP, , but what if we use digital inputs and use the DSP to do YPAO correction ? in that case the signal will not be transformed from analogue to digital, so in that case will be a degradation in quality ?

 

[MRavioli]

If using one of these effectively as a power amp, what volume setting is best .. 0db? Noticed that Amir used +3db for his measurements...?

 

[jjk1]

I understand the test was done with analogue signals and enabling the DSP, , but what if we use digital inputs and use the DSP to do YPAO correction ? in that case the signal will not be transformed from analogue to digital, so in that case will be a degradation in quality ?

I have this amp.
I don’t have any testing equipment but what I have found is that the difference between pure direct and non pure direct is inaudible to me at any level.
I’m also guessing that the measured difference is dominated by noise. With pure direct NOT enabled - If I put my ear near the one of the speakers (within about 4inches) I can hear a slight hiss if the amp is cranked past about +5db (the amp has a -80db to +15db volume scale) - this is only true if I have an analog input selected. If I have a digital input selected, I hear much less of a hiss with the amp cranked up. This leads me to believe that the amp might measure better (pure direct vs non pure direct) without the initial ADC tested here using the analog cd input.
speculation for sure.


regardless - for me in my room this amp is able to do what better measuring equipment can‘t do.
it can fix or Improve reflections and echoes and it provides a dead perfect phantom center for TV dialogue - this is something I was not able to achieve with any other amp and speaker placement alone. YPAO nails it.



I always use the room correction feature for TV, and for loud music listening. I actually prefer no room correction for late night low volume acoustic music (Depends on what else I’m consuming)

 

[nn_in]

Now I also got RN803D which I just tested vs AS701, with Q Acoustics 3050i.
First impression 803 sounds better out of the box, by streaming some quality net radio.
Strangely, I favor non Pure Direct over Pure Direct, probably it is my biased preference.
Second I kind of blind tested Ypao. Did the calibration. Without looking at the remote, switched Ypao ON/OFF several times randomly. Then, without looking at the display, I listened around 15 min several melodies, switching between var1 and var2. Until it crystalized into: var1 raw, more strident, voices not pleasant vs. var2 more controlled, round sound, good separation. When I decided that I like var2, only then I looked at the display - it was Ypao ON ! In my case, it works and it is recognizable, of course not dramatic but beneficial for night audiophile sessions.

Is the Ypao on/off done only via the remote ie press setup on remote ,then scroll Ypao ,then on /off . Is there a easier way? Thank You