catzoo

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I bought this amp after auditioning several sub-$500 models, including lower priced Yamaha models, Harmon Kardon and possibly one other brand. I chose the RX 797 because, in the showroom, it sounded far cleaner and richer than the other models. However, after 2 years of use I can't say I'm satisfied with my system's sound. Though clearly cleaner, smoother and richer than the other amps I tried that day, it nonetheless has a cold, sterile sound overall that I've never taken great joy in, and which I can't listen to for all that long before I become I get worn out. The overall sound is simply thin, with the exception of a few extremely well engineered albums that do come through as rich sounding.
I have to add one big caveat, however. I run this amp through a 20+ year old pair of Yamaha speakers (NS200MA) that are very, very cold. I have often wondered what would happen if I ran the Yamaha amp through a modern pair of speakers that had a warm sound. Possibly then I'd be satisfied with the sound.
I can say that the Yamaha is a wonderfully built piece of equipment - soild, good feel to controls and an excellent FM tuner. In fact, I often prefer listening to music via the tuner since it sounds generally warmer.
My music is Apple Lossless and MP3 files streamed through a Squeezebox Classic hooked up to a Cambridge Audio DAC Magic external DAC. The external DAC was a huge improvement over the internal DAC in the squeezebox, but hasn't been enough to overcome the coldness in the amp and/or speakers.
My next move, when I get money together, will be to replace the speakers. It would be great if that's all I need and I can continue to use the Yamaha amp. In spite of all I've said against the AMP, for some reason I do like it (maybe its simple honesty of design and intergrated FM tuner), and hope better speakers will do the trick.

critter

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 5.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
1bought this Yamaha 797 to replace my old Kenwood km-205 power amp an control amp.(1987)I have owned Yamaha stuff through the years and was really suprised at the total lack of 2 cahannel amps out there.I'm running a pair of Cerwin 715s and have finally found a real solution to my tired old Kenwood.In a word,clean,even at high listening levels this amp rocks.From Diana Crawl to the Band this amp never fails to deliver a soild clear sound even with my old vinyl collection.100 watts seems to be plenty to drive the old 15 inch woofers with outstanding bass respones,still a little bright in the mid to high range,thats what tone controls are for right? The cd direct is a nice touch and seems to work well.With a tuner like this i can't see myself paying extra for the XM radio subscription,the fm tuner is amazing.I'm hearing music as i have never heard it before.Really happy with this baby and would recommend this to anyone looking for great value at an oustanding price.One thing i would do right away is go and spend the money to get yourself really good connectors for cd,tape, turntable ,etc.Really make a big difference in the overall sound quality.Buy this puppy you will be truly amazed

Zvukoljub

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.94 of 5, 16.00 votes

Price Paid:  $670.00 from 4audio, Serbia

Summary:
I grew up with old, analog Sansui receiver and a pair of Pioneer AS303 DIY floorstanders (both around 35 yrs old), so it is a bit specific type of sound that I used to listen. I value depth, precision, dynamics and everything, but above all, I value the live-sounding system. When time has come to buy a new amp, I was sarching for similar sound, and that was not an easy thing to find. Tried many products in that price range (NAD, Rotel, Denon, Cambridge Audio, HK etc) and almost lost hope, really... So I consider this Yamaha as a saviour of my music-listening.

RX-797 has a simple and functional design, looks great, and has great build quality, too. Display is large and clean (orange is absolutely best for display color, it reads much better from the distance than blue or green), and all functions are easy to use. Also, there is plenty of inputs and outputs, everything you could need, I think. The sound is great: powerfull, precise and deep bass, rich mids, clear and balanced high frequencies. CD direct AMP is superb. FM tuner has strong and clean sound. In fact, this Yamaha is as they asked me what I expect from a stereo receiver in any possible way, and I believe that says it all.

Strengths:
Sound quality, looks, build quality, functions and abilities.

Weaknesses:
Remote could be a bit bigger (for better handling in the dark).

Similar Products Used:
NAD C320, NAD C352, Denon PMA-700, Technics, Rotel RA-02, Harman HK970, Yamaha AX-596 etc

Price Paid:  $450.00 from Thomsun Electronics

Summary:
I bought this receiver, and hooked it up with a Yamaha equalizer EQ-70, with Yamaha NS-777 for the speakers. I was really amazed at the sound quality, the depth and richness of the sound. Exactly that I was searching for and its worth every penny...go for it.

Strengths:
Great sound
Affordable
Right looks

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha HTR 6030

carlscast

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.79 of 5, 19.00 votes

Price Paid:  $368.00 from New on E-BAY

Summary:
Bought the Yamaha RX-797 to replace my old dependable Yamaha R-100. Hooked up to my R-100 is a ADC stereo frequency EQUALIZER , model SS-315X. Since I record albums from vinyl to CD transfer, this set up has provided me with countless hours of enjoyment while listening through my Bose 301 speakers. As advertised, the RX-797 can be used to connect an equalizer by using the COUPLER jacks provided. I run the IN/PLAY jack of the SS-315X to the PRE OUT of the RX-797, and the OUT/REC of the equalizer to the MAIN IN jacks of the 797. To record the Lp, I find that it is necessary to connect the REC/IN jack of my PIONEER CD RECORDER to the LINE OUT of the EQUALIZER. I have tried several different connections and i cannot seem to get the RX-797 to produce the sound from out the speakers as I once did on my R-100 receiver. With my equalizer connected as described, I am able to record the Lp using my headphones connected to the PIONEER CD RECORDER PDR-609. ALSO, the equalization settings are able to be adjusted as needed to enhance the Lp sound. After recording the Lp, it is only a simple matter of replacing the COUPLER PINS and using the RX-797 as the default receiver to play the CD created. Of course, you will be using the CD inputs on the receiver to again use the Cd player. Nice Cd features are included on the RX-797, which IS a step better than the old R-100 !!!

Strengths:
Phonograph ready!!! CD enhancement features!

Weaknesses:
Speaker Cable wire connection a bit awkward.

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha R-100 Stereo Receiver