Yamaha RX-397 100 Watt Natural Sound AM/FM Stereo Receiver
Yamaha
- RX397
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Reviews
(24)
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This is the second RX-937 I've purchased. Great sound quality, simple feature set. No problems. Its just a traditional stereo receiver, which is all I wanted.
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The Yamaha RX-397 wa exactly what I was looking for. I wanted and Tuner/amplifier to replace a very old one that died. Did not want all the video stuff that seems to be on most amplifiers today. Very happy with the purchase
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First, the Amazon title is wrong: the Yamaha RX-397 is stereo, 50 watts per channel, not "100W". I was sold on Yamaha's "Natural Sound" amps after buying the AX-497 for my livingroom system (see my review). So, when I started looking for a smaller bedroom system, they were at the top of my list. The price is persuasive too. My bedroom is 10x16, and I use the RX-397 with a pair of Polk RTi4 bookshelf speakers. The sound is fantastic: tight low end, clear, natural presentation across the rest of the spectrum. Yamaha's power ratings are not inflated, so the 50 watts is real, and ample for my room+speakers. It's just a great combination that doesn't call attention to itself, ever, which is what I now consider to be "hi-fi". "CD/DVD Direct" bypasses the useful tone and loudness controls. With the radio as source I don't notice much if any difference though. FM sounds great, and it pulls in stations pretty well here in NYC (90% of the time it's on 96.3 classical). Build quality is very nice.
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This product does everything I wanted it to do. The sound quality is excellent. I can use all my components and receive all the AM and FM stations I want without any external wiring. Have CD, phono and tape decks attached. All work and sound fine.
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The "raw direct" button simply bypasses the front panel controls, so you can quickly switch back and forth to see what you have done to a sound. The continuous "Loudness" knob is just a midrange control. The more "loudness" you use, the more you have to turn the "volume" back up. OK--I just feel it's a little over-marketed. This unit seems to support Yamaha's reputation for conservative specs. The quality is excellent, the tuner sensitivity fantastic, and the 50 watts per channel seems more like 75. It performs as represented.
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My not so old (10y) old Technics receiver gave out suddenly, and I needed a replacement with a phonograph input and would work with two old Dynaco speakers. The Yamaha seemed a modest unit at a modest price which filled the bill. I works OK, although I find the setup for station presets is awkward, and the tone quality is not as full bodied as with the Technics. (I play mostly classical music, instrumental and vocal.) Also, it seems to me that the sound of speech doesn't have the clarity desired---distortion present?.
I'm modestly satisfied with my purchase, but not impressed. These kinds of stereo receivers seem to be going out of style in favor of fancier ones to be used with video and surround sound (with no phono input).
I'm modestly satisfied with my purchase, but not impressed. These kinds of stereo receivers seem to be going out of style in favor of fancier ones to be used with video and surround sound (with no phono input).
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A few months ago I bought a Yamaha RX-497 (75 watts/channel) to replace a 15-year old Denon that powered 2 pairs of speakers in a living room and dining room. I like it so much that I got this Yamaha RX-397 (50 watts/channel) to replace a 20-year old Pioneer receiver supporting 1 pair of speakers in a small den. I wanted something simple, reliable and able to support a turntable, reel-to-reel tape deck and CD player. 50 watts/channel is more than adequate, even when I crank up the volume. Most receivers sold now are surround sound / home theater rather than a straightforward am/fm stereo receiver. Most also do not have a built-in pre-amp for a turntable. The Yamaha RX-397 is perfect in every way, and easy to set up. I'm not a techie and the reviews previously posted were very helpful. Be careful though to only buy from an authorized Yamaha dealer since the Yamaha warranty specifically excludes coverage from product purchased from any other source. I'm very pleased with my purchase.
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I was in need of a simple 2 channel stereo receiver to replace a 20 plus year old Kenwood unit that was having some right channel issues. After a thorough internet search of various units and manufactures, I settled on this unit. I also own a Yamaha surround sound receiver for my primary noise maker and was very happy with the performance.
The main thing I wanted was a loudness control switch. Seems simple enough, but I found that many of the newer, lower end receivers did not contain one. I suspect it's simply a price concession. This unit is to be used in my home office, located on the second floor of my home. Because I frequently work later at night, when other people tend to be sleeping, I can't always crank the tunes. For those unaware, the loudness switch allows you to boost the lower frequencies at lower volume levels, giving a much fuller sound when the volume is low. Indispensible in my opinion.
This unit has a variable loudness switch. Unlike older units that simply had an
The main thing I wanted was a loudness control switch. Seems simple enough, but I found that many of the newer, lower end receivers did not contain one. I suspect it's simply a price concession. This unit is to be used in my home office, located on the second floor of my home. Because I frequently work later at night, when other people tend to be sleeping, I can't always crank the tunes. For those unaware, the loudness switch allows you to boost the lower frequencies at lower volume levels, giving a much fuller sound when the volume is low. Indispensible in my opinion.
This unit has a variable loudness switch. Unlike older units that simply had an
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This is the second Yamaha receiver I've owned. I bought #1 30 years ago...and replaced it with this slick unit three weeks ago. Crisp clear sounds---great radio reception (we live in very mountainous country)and great price. Other customer reviews were correct. Why spend more?http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000COW90I/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title
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This is my first review.
A couple of weeks ago, I purchased the Yamaha RX-397 receiver to replace one of my old receivers from the 1980's. (Back then, stereos actually had knobs that you could get a hold of).
Most stereo equipment sold these days has a lot of "fluff" without much "substance". Everything seems to have unwanted channels, frilly complicated displays, cheap tiny push-buttons (that you can't see), and remote controls so complex that they should be able to control the space shuttle.
The Yamaha RX-397 is refreshingly different. It has rotary controls with a nice professional feel, a clean simple layout, quality jacks in the rear ----- just like a real stereo receiver should. One of the most impressive things are the speaker hookups. They are large heavy duty screw type knobs with excellent wire protection and separation.
The RX-397 is now at home in my backyard woodworking / hobby shop.
My shop has difficult acoustics but the tone controls all work very well and I get great
A couple of weeks ago, I purchased the Yamaha RX-397 receiver to replace one of my old receivers from the 1980's. (Back then, stereos actually had knobs that you could get a hold of).
Most stereo equipment sold these days has a lot of "fluff" without much "substance". Everything seems to have unwanted channels, frilly complicated displays, cheap tiny push-buttons (that you can't see), and remote controls so complex that they should be able to control the space shuttle.
The Yamaha RX-397 is refreshingly different. It has rotary controls with a nice professional feel, a clean simple layout, quality jacks in the rear ----- just like a real stereo receiver should. One of the most impressive things are the speaker hookups. They are large heavy duty screw type knobs with excellent wire protection and separation.
The RX-397 is now at home in my backyard woodworking / hobby shop.
My shop has difficult acoustics but the tone controls all work very well and I get great
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My 120 watt Harmon Kardon-amplifier finally gave up the ghost after over 30 years of service, so I replaced my old separate FM tuner, preamp, and amplifier with the Yamaha. (Each one of those components cost more than the Yamaha when I bought them 20-30 years ago.) The Yamaha was a great choice. It performs better than the H-K driving very high quality 4-ohm speakers (Braun), even though at least on paper it is not as powerful.
It is easy to set up and use - all the connections, knobs and switches are self-evident. It has knobs where it should, ie. the big volume knob. The remote is also sensible and easy to use. The "Pure Direct" feature results in a noticeable cleaner sound if your speakers are clean and crisp. In short, I love it, and for the price I don't think I could have done better.
It is easy to set up and use - all the connections, knobs and switches are self-evident. It has knobs where it should, ie. the big volume knob. The remote is also sensible and easy to use. The "Pure Direct" feature results in a noticeable cleaner sound if your speakers are clean and crisp. In short, I love it, and for the price I don't think I could have done better.
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This stereo amplifier is a must for owners of old school speakers. It has enough power for some old KLH model 24 speakers, which I recently acquired from my grandparents. KLH has a reputation for great sounding speaker systems at reasonable prices. The speakers and amplifier are almost built for each other. Great clarity of audio and easy to use controls. Great price, since the msrp off the Yamaha website is $299.99. If you have old school speakers and want to really make them sing, buy this amp!!!
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The first receiver i ever purchased was a Sony 5.1 500 watt surround system, that was when i was only 13 years old and didnt fully understand the little differences. Well im now 17 years old and im getting sick of the surround sound because for the most part i only use the stereo setting. So i had some extra money and thought i would pick of a new receiver. But what to get i looked at many different ones and even thought about getting a 7.1 pioneer. Then i realized its kind of a waste being that i only want to continue using 2 speakers. So i went to the store looking for a Stereo Receiver. I found some by Denon, Sony and Onkyo as well as Yamaha.
I have no had it for a week, which may not seem long but after hearing the difference in quality between this and my old system i had to write something. While my old system had more bass, this system has a cleaner tighter bass, not to mention the volume can go a lot high here. I loved having all the controls laid out without being Digital like
I have no had it for a week, which may not seem long but after hearing the difference in quality between this and my old system i had to write something. While my old system had more bass, this system has a cleaner tighter bass, not to mention the volume can go a lot high here. I loved having all the controls laid out without being Digital like
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I've always been a Sony girl with respect to purchasing electronics. But when it was necessary to replace my old tuner/receiver, I decided to depart from that mind-set based on reviews I read on Amazon about the RX-397. I'm delighted with this receiver and would highly recommend it to anyone in the market for one. Sallye
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If you're looking for an inexpensive slice o' stereo heaven that is happy producing all types of music, read no further, this is your baby. The Pure Direct mode is incredible, especially with a turntable.
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A sweet receiver with a big volume knob, a phono pre-amp, and no provision for "video" inputs. This is for record players and other stereo RCA-jack-equipped audio components. Nothing that would surprise a guy who bought his last stereo in the 1980s--I should know. Sound is fantastic. It has a couple of knobs and buttons I haven't had before, but I understand what they do and they are truly useful. Having bought this, I look forward to stubbornly refusing to upgrade my gear (or own a television) for another two decades. Music! Music!
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The Receiver work ver well. Using just an indoor antenna the system picks up many local stations. We are in an area that is mostly country and even local stations are wide spread. The sound is exceptional, this system is a pleasure to listen to. The sound is truly natural.
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Ok, I'm a bit old-school in that I think today's audio electronics (unless you spend 10's of thousands of $) really lack good, hi-fidelity sound. I really miss the days of going to big-name stereo distributor, grabbing a nice Pioneer off the shelf, then head over to RSL for some sweet floor speakers.
While shopping for a stereo for my son’s room, I was horribly unimpressed with the junk systems being sold. All the receivers out there are 5:1 or 7:1 home theater systems, which are great if your prime interest is watching movies. If you're looking for high quality audio, what you find at the popular electronic retails stores is not going to cut it (again, unless you plan to spend thousands).
However, this receiver, when combined some quality speakers, sounds absolutely fantastic! If you're looking for great sound at a great price, start with this unit.
While shopping for a stereo for my son’s room, I was horribly unimpressed with the junk systems being sold. All the receivers out there are 5:1 or 7:1 home theater systems, which are great if your prime interest is watching movies. If you're looking for high quality audio, what you find at the popular electronic retails stores is not going to cut it (again, unless you plan to spend thousands).
However, this receiver, when combined some quality speakers, sounds absolutely fantastic! If you're looking for great sound at a great price, start with this unit.
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I purchased this receiver to replace an Onkyo that died. It is worth every penny paid; in fact I'm not sure what you could improve on w/more expensive receivers. The radio has incredible sensitivity compared to my Onkyo. I live 40+ miles from any major city and get great reception now with the provided wire/loop antennas. I listen mostly to pipe organ, choral and classical music. Listening to my pipe organ CDs, you'd swear you're sitting right in front of the pipes --- unbelievable clarity.
The amp has no trouble driving Bose 301 8 ohm 75watt speakers, easily filling a large room with beautiful sound. The other reason I purchased this reciever was the low level phono input for my turntable input. Works perfectly. I've tried, but do not use the equalizer control -- not needed in my opinion.
The amp has no trouble driving Bose 301 8 ohm 75watt speakers, easily filling a large room with beautiful sound. The other reason I purchased this reciever was the low level phono input for my turntable input. Works perfectly. I've tried, but do not use the equalizer control -- not needed in my opinion.
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My RX-595 just died on its 10th birthday. Its grandchild, the RX-397, was at the funeral and I hired her on the spot. She is a worthy successor -- pure, clean sound for my classical collection and noise free reception from distant FM stations. With other reviewers I hightlight the "pure direct" feature which can bypass all treble, bass, and loudness filters, including balance control, to give the listener the most perfect sound possible. At its $200+ price there is simply nothing in its price range that can compete.
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I'm very satisfied with the performance of this receiver. I was looking for a receiver with medium power and one which did not have all the extras such as surround sound, etc. The Yamaha RX-397 design is simple but yet provides everything I need. I especially like the continuous adjustable loudness control which allows for low power settings without sacrificing bass or treble.
FM signal performance is outstanding even with the simple single wire antenna that's provided with the receiver.
Another feature of the RX-397 which is difficult to find nowadays is its tape monitor circuit. Since I have a set of Bose 901 speakers with an active equalizer, a tape monitor which provides a continous signal is a must as the equalizer is hooked into the monitor loop. Most receivers do not make this provision. (The 901s will sound flat without the active equalizer hooked up.)
The RX-397 has plenty of power to drive two sets of speakers and also features an output impedance switch to match your
FM signal performance is outstanding even with the simple single wire antenna that's provided with the receiver.
Another feature of the RX-397 which is difficult to find nowadays is its tape monitor circuit. Since I have a set of Bose 901 speakers with an active equalizer, a tape monitor which provides a continous signal is a must as the equalizer is hooked into the monitor loop. Most receivers do not make this provision. (The 901s will sound flat without the active equalizer hooked up.)
The RX-397 has plenty of power to drive two sets of speakers and also features an output impedance switch to match your
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I've had this reciever for two days now and I'm thrilled with it's performance. It took the place of a Pioneer 110watt 5 channel unit. I don't have time to listen to it during the day, so I bought a set of headphones for night listening.(didn"t want to wake the wife). The Yamaha rx-397 fits the bill with it"s two channels and headphones. I don't need more then 50watts, but it will drive speakers with aplumb!. AM and FM are very good also. And I like the knobs. Would recommend it to anyone.
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If you are in the market for a classic two-channel stereo receiver (and on a budget) the Yamaha RX-397 would be the one to get. The sound from this unit is crystal-clear and distortion-free, even when played at a high volume through my cheap old speakers.
As for the service, I placed the order on a Sunday night and the item was delivered the following Tuesday.
A pleasant shopping experience in every way.
As for the service, I placed the order on a Sunday night and the item was delivered the following Tuesday.
A pleasant shopping experience in every way.
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I have been very pleased with the overall quality and functionality of this receiver. Yes, I am old school and I still need a phono input with a preamp section in the receiver, but I also am new school with digital input from a CD player, and a Linksys wireless music bridge that allows you to stream output (mp3, wav, etc) from your computer to your receiver. The RX-397 handles both old school and new school to perfection.
