Customer Reviews

Yamaha MCR-040BR Micro Component System (Brown)

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I originally chose this product for someone else, who tasked me to find a great bookcase stereo to give as a gift. I ordered it and received it within two days via Amazon Prime. I installed and tested it on Christmas Day. It truly exceeded my expectations in every way. Very attractive layout and veneer, intuitive controls, solid feel, great sound quality. I tested the radio first, then the CD player, then the iPod dock. In all three cases, the performance was very impressive for such a small system. I would compare this very favorably to the Bose system that gets so much advertising. I've listened to that system in several peoples' homes and although it's a good system, I feel the sound quality and appearance of this Yamaha system is superior.

I liked it so much that I immediately ordered a system for our home. I ordered the green color for my friend, but I went with red for our home. It's beautiful and looks very sharp. My wife and I both have iPhones, and we use this system to play our music libraries. It comes with a remote control, which is in itself a very nice little unit. Flawless performance and function. I really have nothing negative to say about this system. It is priced very fairly for its performance, build quality, and appearance. I see another reviewer commented that the speakers cannot be placed adjacent to the unit due to heat buildup. I don't get this at all. The unit never gets hot, and the speakers are placed exactly as shown in the product photographs, that is to say "attached" to the main unit. There are zero issues with heat. I love this little system and I'm sure anyone who takes the chance on one without physically seeing one in the store will be delighted. Anyone have any comments on their experiences or questions, feel free to leave a comment.

The sound quality exceeds my expectations especially in such a small package. It is an excellent mini system. I had been searching and auditioning mini systems over the last year for my specific application in our kitchen on top of the refrigerator and selected the Yamaha MCR-040.

It is built with high quality materials; metal face plates for the receiver and speakers, smooth action buttons and volume control; and a sturdy CD tray mechanism. The sound production is very well behaved at all listening levels. Sound quality is the most important performance factor for me. As an audiophile I am always skeptical about the ability to produce accurate and clean bass response with proper mid-range and treble balance from a single driver compact speaker system with no discernible intermodulation distortion; having exceptional bass depth a subwoofer is not necessary.

It has bass, treble, and balance controls with a subtle easy to read cyan dot matrix display (with two level intensity) and an included remote. The speakers have tuned ports on the rear with easy to use spring-clip wire connections and cloth front grills. An unpretentious front panel layout allows it to blend in unobtrusively with any environment unlike many mini systems that often look cluttered or like space age sneakers, yet it has all the necessary features to completely satisfy at a reasonable price point.

I seriously considered the Bose wave due to the small height, several friends have them, this Yamaha's sound quality is far superior in my opinion achieving much higher undistorted volume levels and better tonal balance, it is better than many other mini systems I auditioned from smaller to larger in size and cost. We use the analog audio input sourced from my digital 900 MHz PCM streaming home-wide wireless system, sometimes a 32 GB Kingston USB stick (full of MP3s) which it accesses fine, and the tuner. FM is still important to me and the sensitivity is excellent with superb signal to noise and 30 presets. Voice reproduction is excellent, strings, horns and piano all true to fidelity; Having a wide variety of music, spanning from Strunz and Farah to Jean-Luc Ponty, Led Zeppelin to Coldplay... jazz, rock, classical, blues, fusion, funk, and talk radio, we are very pleased.

The deep chocolate brown espresso is very elegant. There are many mini systems that look over decorated, are only available in black or silver, often flimsy build quality; and sometimes produce vibrations at higher bass volume levels. We are thoroughly impressed with its performance at very low levels and cranked up loud enough shake the windows and dance to, believe it or not - no distortion - no straining - no vibrations.

At about 4 1/2 inches tall and 17 inches wide with the speakers directly next to the receiver-amp (11 inches deep) it fits perfectly on the fridge top under the overhead cabinets. It matches our espresso cabinets as if it is designed for the room. The full function remote is very thin and light weight yet solid. I attached a thin magnet pad with double-sided tape on the remote bottom to enable storing it on the metallic fridge surface for easy access. The remote also works well when bouncing the IR signal off the ceiling when line of sight is inconvenient across the kitchen. One downside is some control functions are only on the remote not accessible from the receiver's front panel.

I highly recommend this high quality superbly engineered Yamaha mini system.



Update 2011-04-14

We still enjoy this Yamaha and continue to have guests comment on the great sound quality.

I have seen two users experiencing shut down after ~ one hour:

We have ours running every morning on FM, and weekday evenings from 5pm to 11pm, weekend days it stays on almost all the time day and night. We use FM in the mornings and portable (line-in) for our wireless streaming device otherwise; sometimes USB memory stick, CDs occasionally. Have never had a shut-off or overheat.

Is the automatic timer-off unintentionally set ? This will cause it to shut down at the preset time you select, and it will retain the setting after power-off. This is in the setup menu, scroll down and "Timer" is where the setting is. A handy feature for those who forget to shut it off.

Now I wonder if I had reset this timer feature when I initially set it up (does it come preset to 1 hour off-time perhaps for energy saving?)

I am curious to find out more about this, I find it hard to believe Yamaha would have a defect of this kind, though all manufacturers can have issues; it seems to be a random occurring issue, but at this time appears to be 1 hour, not more or less, not every user appears to be experiencing this.

I wish I could rate this unit separately based on sound quality and functionality. Sound quality would be a definite five star, but a tad of a design/functionality flaw I'd rate it 3.

The sound quality of the unit is absolutely amazing! Such a tiny thing producing such awsome sound! One of the nice things about it is that you can move the speakers away from the unit. This way the stereo sound is even more enjoyable, and more pronounced. It has a very nice, deep bass, and clear highs. However, you can customize it to your liking, because it has adjustable, bass, treble, and balance controls. You can also dim the display panel - if you wish.

It stores 30 FM preset radio stations. Comes with an FM wire antenna that you can conveniently plug in at the back of the unit. It does not have AM reception - in case you wonder.

As you prolly read from the details by now, it plays MP3 and WMA sounds/music from CD-R/CD-RW discs, USB flash drives, iPhone/iTouch/iPods, and from an external/portable source. Unfortunately it does not read songs/MP3s stored on DVDs only CD-R/CD-RWs. If you plug in an iTouch/iPod, you can navigate it via the remote control. Eg, you can scroll the songs up/down, you can navigate outside/inside to a different folder/category/play list etc. The LCD display can display the playing time, remaining time, artist name, song name, album name.

It does have an alarm that you can set to wake up to your iPod/iPhone/iTouch, CD, radio or USB drive. It also have a sleep function.

Now here is the bad part, or should I say, inconvenient part. When you turn the unit off, it does not display ANYTHING on its display panel. It means that if you have set an alarm you will not know it because you'll be staring at a blank display. If you have an alarm set and the unit is ON, it will display an indicator that you have a timer set. Also, if the unit is off, it does not display the time either. As a matter of fact, even if the unit is on, it only displays the time when you hold the "DISPLAY" button on the remote for 2 seconds, and even then, the time will be displayed for only a second or two, and then it will switch back to display info about the currently playing media. So this is a disappointing reality.

I think this is the only thing about this unit that is annoying. If the unit incorporates a wake up timer and a sleep timer function (not to mention a clock), why on earth I am not able to see it or have it displayed when the unit is off!? This design flaw is a definite three star (or less)!

(Also just as a comment, you can use it only on one voltage setting. Eg, if you bought it in the states (110V) but plan to move or use it in Europe for whatever reason (220V) it won't work.)

Otherwise it's a great little unit that provides very good sound quality.

After hesitating with bigger mini component systems from onkyo, denon and even yamaha, I bought this one, the majority of positive comments I read on this page had me convinced.
I must say that I am a CD lover, and even though I have ipods and / or iphones, I enjoy listening to my CDs. So I was looking for a small qualitative audio system with a CD player. The integrated ipod dock was an interesting feature, I must admit.
I previously had a nice mini audio system from TEAC with an amazing set of Bower and Wilkins speakers, I truly rediscovered my music with it. I moved and had to change my audio set, so before being able to buy something new I had to use a crappy old and small sanyo for the past months. since this afternoon I own this yamaha mcr 040, and I am really happy to rediscover quality sound: it is rich, warm, it has a lot of depth, the bass is suprisingly strong and deep, and I again notice details I didn't hear before with my "normal" audio system (as opposed to this one which is a high end one). That's the sign that tells me it is a quality audio system: hearing small details you never heard before with the previous / "normal" Cd player.
The power of this unit is also surprisingly good for its size, really enough for me, as I'll use it in my bedroom or studio. I figure I could use it also in my living room even for a party.

There is ONE THING THAT DISAPOINTED ME though, which I didn't read anywhere prior to this purchase: some functions are only accessible thru the remote, this is the only reason I give it 4 stars instead if 5.

- clock settings, timer, sleep functions, etc are only accessible with the remote; I'm ok with that since this is a micro component, so they probably have to keep the fornt panel simple and not saturated with a bunch of buttons.
- Equalization is only accessible through the remote (you can only change bass and treble settings, no mids, which is not that of a problem for me considering it is a small size system, so I wasnt expecting it to be extremly complete);
- fast-forward and rewind of a track are functions only accessible through the remote,
- and - this is a major issue for me- even skipping to next or previous track !!!!! The front panel of the unit only has a play-pause button and a stop button. I find stupid having to use the remote to use some basic functions while the unit is right just next to me, at the reach of my hand. And I'll probably find it even more stupid when the remote will run out of batteries... not being able to skip to the next track with a button... come on !

I have to add also that the system lacks of any auxiliary input; I did know that before purchasing it, it's not that much of a problem for me, cause it has the ipod connection. An aux. input would only be of use to plug in my laptop, and I have my itunes music on my ipod so... And I did buy this thing to listen to my CDs, not to play my itunes library. Could have been interesting to have the Aux. Input, but I can live wihtout it.

So in terms of sound quality, definitley 5 stars considering the size of this component, and the design is really cool yet sober. In terms of the rest, you have to keep in mind all of the above before making your purchase. I will get used to using the remote for almost everything, and I am very excited to be able to enjoy my CDs with this quality of sound again, but I insist, the remote thing was an unpleasant surprise.

No mistake, this is a very petite bookshelf system, proportioned like a single audio component. Amazon's Product Details shows the outside proportions of the box it ships in.

Unpacked it's actually:
17" wide
4" high
12" deep

It's loud, has good range and strong bass. You can separate the speakers with the long wires included for a better picture. CDs sound great on it, and FM radio. An iPod sounds OK too. FM stations were easy to set up. This had to replace a great stereo system I lost in a move, and it suits me perfectly. I can put it on a bookshelf and forget about it, use the handy remote. With the remote you can switch almost instantly between sources. The design is Dieter Rams-inspired, atomic-retro and very crisp. It complements Jonathan Ive's Apple iPod designs beautifully. It looks like a laboratory audio instrument, not a playback unit. A little bit clinical, industrial and way cool. The design restraint, attention to detail and usability is excellent - the best of Japanese industrial production.

I have been looking for a mini sysytem for my home office for months. I looked at Cambridge and Bose and while researching ran across the Yamaha Micro. I have the Bose 321 system for my flat screen but I wanted something portable, sounds full and rich and looks good. The Yamaha hit all three. The sound from this system is fantastic..good base, treble and it does not sound tinny. I am glad I purchased this system...besides I love the Orange and it has button controls as well as a remote....bonus!!!!!1 I recommend!!!!!

I am a very enthusiastic, experienced, audiophile, having listened to and owned numerous audio systems over the course of many years. I purchased the Yamaha MCR-040 on 12/02/10. It was delivered on 12/08/10, ahead of schedule. I bought it without listening to it, (could not find a dealer in my area that had a demo to hear). I made this decision based on expert and new owner reviews. I have never done this before! I always listen to audio products before I purchase them. However, when I opened the nicely packaged box, a beautiful, well made unit was revealed (I chose Dark blue). It was easy to set up. It's feature laden with a CD player, Fm radio (30 presets), Apple ipod dock, USB input, mini jack for portables and a credit card size fully functional remote, and more. But the main reason I buy any audio system is the sound quality. This unit has a surprising high level of sound quality! The sound is clear, with crisp highs, clean vocals and the absolute best bass response for the price I have ever heard (listening to a high quality CD)!!! As a comparison, several years ago I bought a Bose Wave radio/CD player for my daughter ($500.00). I'm not knocking Bose, they make high quality products. But for $258.00 (that I paid) about half the price of the Bose, the Yamaha MCR-040 equals the overall sound quality of the Bose and delivers much better bass. If you purchase the Yamaha MCR-040, You won't regret it, You will love it, even if you don't listen to it first.

Sound is A+. But, I'll get back to that. Ordered this on a Thursday morning and it showed up on my doorstep Friday evening. Are you serious?

Anyway, this competes with the Bose Wave any day of the week and twice on weekends. Very affordable. Solid quality. That's Yamaha.

Simple to use features -- a little bizarre that you can't forward your CDs from the console (have to use the remote). But everything works seamlessly... you plug in your iPod and you're off. The sound quality is very very solid. I've got a Yamaha component receiver with big ol' speakers. This little thing delivers a roomful of sound to rival that easily. 15 Watts per channel with Yamaha is a far greater equivalent with other brands. Some reviews on other sites say this isn't going to "fill" a BIG room with sound. Well, I'm in one that's 20' x 20' with high ceilings... it fills it with room to spare! It's certainly an entertainment option at a cocktail party of 25... perhaps not a blowout party with 100+, though. Works across genres, as well. Very strong with classical, metal, electronica, etc. It simply has top-notch sound. If you're on the border... do it. You'll be pleased with it's reasonable size (it's got some "heft" to it, as well). By far and away no cheap shelf stereo. This is good, simple-to-use technology at it's finest.

Just received and set up this good-looking Yamaha. Took only minutes, including unpacking. Sounds great, and the FM reception, which is notoriously bad in my area, is wonderful. The hissing present on the radio it replaces is gone! Be aware of the dimensions. It's small but if you really want tiny, this is not. It is deeper than you'd think, from the pictures, but the size is stated (though one line in the Amazon description overstates the height while another is accurate).

I agree with another reviewer that it is kind of a pain to have to use the remote for some functions (changing stations and adjusting bass or treble), but having a nice, clean face is nicer. Hate equipment with lots of buttons in view. One person said his got hot if the speakers were against the receiver, but mine is barely warmer than when off, and even then only over the top ventilation grid.

Once I decided to buy it, the hardest thing was choosing a color. Finally went with deep blue. Very nice.

I bought this for 3 reasons: Small foot print, MP3's play back and I hoped, good sound. For a small 15 watt amp, the sound is great. Not like my 3' tall paradigms. But for music and radio during the day - great sound.
My only minor complaint: I wanted a machine that would play MP3 disks so I could load it up with about 120 songs (about 9Hrs of music. So it doesn't remember the last song played, so you'll never here the last song unless you skip through songs already played. Also, the shuffle play seems to play some songs more that others - both minor complaints. I payed $279.