Just bought a Yamaha CR-1020: what should I expect?

I'm a sucker for a pretty face. I also like hifi gear that has an elegant, classic appearance, which is a big part of why I bought a Thorens TD-124 and a Fisher 400.

So, when a serviced and minty Yamaha CR-1020 came up for sale on BT at a decent price, I hemmed and hawed for a few hours, and finally gave into the urge.

I haven't done solid state for a long time, and thought it might be fun to dip my toes back in. Plus the CR-1020 has two MM phono inputs, two headphone jacks, three neato UV meters, lots of buttons and those wonderfully distinctive knobs.

It's a real looker, but I have no idea how it sounds!

Reading user comments on the 'net, this receiver seems to be pretty well regarded, and it was close to Yamaha's TOTL in the late '70s, for whatever that's worth. Descriptions I've read usually use the words "neutral," "transparent," and "detailed."

I'm really looking forward to seeing how "audiophile" it really is. I briefly had a Pioneer SX-850 here and found it to be dry and two-dimensional. Hopefully the CR-1020 will sound more involving.

No matter; this will probably be used in a secondary system in the basement, along with a Dual 1219 and an AR-XA, and maybe an iPod sometimes. I recently found at Goodwill some battered c.1970 Realistic Optimus 5's (Japanese-made high-quality copies of KLH Fives) which I will be recapping and cleaning up, and those should be a good mate for the Yamaha. Just for the heck of it, I'll first probably hook it up to my KEF LS50's for a little while, just to see what it can really do.

I'd love to know what you all think of this receiver's performance capability.

In good working order - much better relative to my tastes than a Pioneer SX-(x)x50 receiver.
That "2D" sound, IMO, was pretty pervasive in the massmarket Japanese receivers of the mid to late 1970s.

CR1020 by mhardy6647, on Flickr

FWIW, I'd ahem recommend a pair of contemporaneous Polk Audio Monitor Series Model 7 or 10... just sayin'...

VERY nice!!

mhardy6647 said:

In good working order - much better relative to my tastes than a Pioneer SX-(x)x50 receiver.

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It should be in good working order... This is what the seller told me:

The receiver has been cleaned from top to bottom, All switches,Potentiometers and jacks have been treated with deoxit and lubed with high quality electronics lubrication. Internal measurements and adjustments have been made and idle current runs steadily at 10mV, inspected all components and solder joints and there is no sign of damage what so ever.

That "2D" sound, IMO, was pretty pervasive in the massmarket Japanese receivers of the mid to late 1970s.

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Would that apply to this Yamaha as well?

FWIW, I'd ahem recommend a pair of contemporaneous Polk Audio Monitor Series Model 7 or 10... just sayin'...

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Thanks for the tip! :thmbsp:

Unfortunately, it sounds like none of the passives (more to the point, the 35-ish year old electrolytics) were changed... it won't be "at its best". That said, mine is "as found" (except for control cleaning) and still sounds very (very) good.

no - the Yamaha will exhibit some depth relative the other popular brands of its day (IMO); thus did I declaim "most".

Glenn, as you know, I have a CR-1020 as well. I've done the same things to mine as your seller said he did to the one you are buying. I haven't changed any caps. It sounds nice to me. You are welcome to bring your CR-1020 here or borrow mine if you want to compare them. I have a Russound A/B 2.2 switcher you can use to easily switch a set of speakers between the two CR-1020s.

And for a limited time only, I also have a CR-820 here that I've gone through. It's ready to go to a friend of mine sometime soon. Want to make your head (and ears) spin by comparing THREE Yamaha CR-XX20 receivers? :screwy:

Stack them all up and your place will START to look like Mark Hardy's "Wailing Wall" or "Rocking Rack" of Yamahas.

Just bought CR-1020 as well...

I purchased a CR-1020 yesterday and plan to use it in my office. I thought about a MAC 1700 since I want a subdued retro wood case look for my office and especially excellent FM performance. I have a a great low power FM 60/70's rock station in my town that I love to listen to. The tuner specs on the CR-1020 are very good and it is a very nice look as well. I could not locate a nice original non-molested MAC 1700 (with wood case) in my desired or logical price range so I decided to roll the dice and try the CR-1020 based on the reviews I found. It was listed in excellent / almost mint condition with service performed recently. We shall see if it arrives as advertised...

I too am interested in what speakers to pair with it. I have seen numerous recommendation for the Polk Audio 7's and some for the Yamaha NS series (found nice set of NS4's I could pair later in bigger room). For now I need a smaller size for my office. Thinking of a smaller Polk Audio, small original Advents, and I have a mint set of original version Bose 301's as well... I have noticed since becoming a AK member the Bose lineup is widely disrespected and I'm not huge fan except I do like my old mint 301's and I have a good friend that has an early mint set of 901's that sound pretty sweet paired with a big Marantz.

Any other bookshelf speaker recommendations for the CR-1020 for 60/70's FM listening? Thank you!

I also found a number of recommendations for the ADS lineup as well to pair with the CR-1020...

LexDM3 said:

You are welcome to bring your CR-1020 here or borrow mine if you want to compare them. I have a Russound A/B 2.2 switcher you can use to easily switch a set of speakers between the two CR-1020s.

And for a limited time only, I also have a CR-820 here that I've gone through. It's ready to go to a friend of mine sometime soon. Want to make your head (and ears) spin by comparing THREE Yamaha CR-XX20 receivers? :screwy:

Stack them all up and your place will START to look like Mark Hardy's "Wailing Wall" or "Rocking Rack" of Yamahas.

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Sign me up for that, Dan! :thmbsp:

brentj4 said:

I also found a number of recommendations for the ADS lineup as well to pair with the CR-1020...

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It figures... I sold a pair of L9e's this past winter. :sigh:

The caps are probably in far better shape than the paranoids believe. Listen for any sign of hiss or static indicating noisy transistors. It's rare, but it happens. I wasn't happy with my 620 tuner section, but after an alignment it's the sweetest thing around. No idea if the 1020 holds alignment better or not, but make your first judgments with a know signal source, tuner or LP and go from there.

ConradH said:

The caps are probably in far better shape than the paranoids believe.

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I trust the seller when he told me that he evaluated it and found no reason to recap it, that everything measured OK.

mhardy6647 said:

no - the Yamaha will exhibit some depth relative the other popular brands of its day (IMO); thus did I declaim "most".

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Oh, good!

ADS would be a fine choice, too -- as should the KEFs etc. of the same era. Nice clean, neutral loudspeakers that will complement the pretty accurate output of the Yamaha.

I won't debate capacitors but I will say:

1) the electrolytics of today really are better (not to mention smaller) than those of the mid 1970s.
2) the intended lifespan of electrolytic caps in the 1970s wasn't really meant to be 40 years (i.e., they're past their actuarial life, so to speak).

That said, I tend to be of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" school of thought - 'specially in terms of solid state capacitors with zillions of electrolytics in 'em (because I am very lazy)... but that said, it's probably safe to assume that 40 years have had some impact on the performance of these components.

EDIT: As a postscript, FWIW, my CR-1020 was a $5 garage sale find in my own neighborhood back in MA, quite a few years ago... I've done nothing to it but clean it up a little. It sounds very good to me.

I have a CR-1000 that's all fixed up, that would make an interesting comparison as well.

I Love Mine

You may find this becoming your favorite receiver. I know mine did.

brentj4 said:

I also found a number of recommendations for the ADS lineup as well to pair with the CR-1020...

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Glenn, do you think you know anyone who: 1) Lives near you, and 2) Has a CR-1020, and 3) Has ADS L1290/2 speakers? Yes you do! Come on down if you want to try out that combo.

39cross said:

I have a CR-1000 that's all fixed up, that would make an interesting comparison as well.

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got one of those, too... and (FWIW) one of the later, somewhat touchier, R-1000s, as well.


anyone 'here' (northern New England) got a CR-1040?
..."we" could do an interesting 'vertical tasting'.

There is a fellow in Maine (on Club Polk) who has a CR-2040...

bandg69 said:

You may find this becoming your favorite receiver. I know mine did.

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I don't expect it to surpass my Fisher 400 (which was upgraded/serviced by Audiodon), but your enthusiasm is very encouraging!

LexDM3 said:

Glenn, do you think you know anyone who: 1) Lives near you, and 2) Has a CR-1020, and 3) Has ADS L1290/2 speakers? Yes you do! Come on down if you want to try out that combo.

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:yes:

The phono section might... I've never thought much of the phono sections in those 1960s Fisher vacuum tube receivers (FWIW).

mhardy6647 said:

The phono section might... I've never thought much of the phono sections in those 1960s Fisher vacuum tube receivers (FWIW).

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I understand what you mean, in their stock form there is an upper bass/lower mids boost that gives them a kind console-like boomy character.

Don upgraded mine to give it a flatter frequency response, and he did some other mods that I can't begin to explain intelligently (I know too little about this electronics theory), but the net result is my 400 now has a VERY good phono stage.