Customer Reviews

Yamaha RX-397 100 Watt Natural Sound AM/FM Stereo Receiver

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Despite the current fad for multi-channel audio/video receivers, the majority of people still listen to music with two speakers and only need a two-channel stereo receiver to drive them. As fanatic audiophiles with excellent stereo speakers, my wife and I recently purchased this receiver because of very good previous experience with Yamaha electronics products. This is a superb receiver in all respects. Some people may think that they need more than this receiver's rated power of 50 watts per channel, but Yamaha's power ratings are extremely conservative and this receiver will drive virtually any speakers to deafening levels (which I don't recommend doing). More important than it's ample power is its very low distortion. Yamaha specializes in low distortion products for very clean sound. In addition to robust power and ultra-low distortion the RX-397 has a full complement of controls, plus an easy to use remote. But as a fanatic audiophile another feature, typical of Yamaha, which I particularly appreciate is a button which sends the signal from our CD player (or any other non-phono cartridge input) directly to the amplifier -- bypassing the preamp circuitry, which is not needed except when playing LPs (which most people rarely do these days) -- for the lowest distortion and best signal to noise ratio. There are plenty of slighty less expensive -- and less good -- stereo receivers available, but if you want suberb performance at a moderate price I highly recommend this Yamaha.

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 now 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 some of the others i was looking at. I love this system my music sounds amazing.

So like i said im 17 you think i would want to follow the trend and get another surround sound system, but trust me they cant compete with the old basic system of receiver. I love Jazz, Soul, Funk, Blues and R&B and they all sound great coming out of this system. I even played some ACDC and Pantera just to see how it sounds and i was blown away. For the most part i listen to Oldschool Hip Hop and most of my albums are originals which have not been remastered. I found a lot of times there albums dont sound great coming from my old system but on my new Yamaha receiver its like hearing the music for the first time.

right now i currently have a Record Player, 5 Disc cd Changer and an Xbox 360 hooked up and they all sound great. I forgot what it was like to listen to my Vinyl. I also have an old pair of Technic 12inch Floor Standing Speakers hooked up and they sound amazing, 10times better then when hooked up to a 5.1.

Stick to the basics as far as im concerned this new technology still can hold its own. Old speakers, record player and a basic receiver is all you need for a great system.

EDIT - I Should also mention that my parents own a Onkyo TX-8522 100 Watt Stereo Receiver which is currently the most popular receiver on amazon in terms of sales rank. We compared both receivers and all 3 of us came to the conclusion that we thought the Yamaha RX -397 was better then the Onkyo. We used the same speakers in the same room while doing the test.

So i strongly recommend this system to anyone looking for nice sound on a budget.


- Edit on July 30th 2008. While cleaning out my basement before moving i found an old pair of speakers under the stairs. I decided to try hooking them up to my receiver thinking i would turn it up and they would blow right away. Well they didnt so i know have this system hooked up to 4 Speakers, one in each corner of my room and now this system sound even better. the amazing thing is these new speakers i add are really good, actually i have never even heard of the brand. Accutech AR - 6LP is the model, then have 10 inch woofers. but anyways with both pairs of old speakers this sounds much better then when i only had the original pair.

-One Last Edit on Nov 7th. This receiver is now powering a pair of Soundstage 250 watt speakers. This 50 watt per channel system puts out more then enough power for the speakers.

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 sound. Of particular interest is the continuously variable loudness control. It works a lot better than the old push button (all or nothing) loudness controls.

The Pure Direct feature also is quite nice. I find that it works especially well with modern digitally mastered, digital source music. If your recording is clean and well balanced why muddy it up? The Pure Direct feature bypasses all of the tone controls. For certain recordings, it works very well.

I have a metal pole barn that pretty well blocks out radio reception. The digital tuner on the RX-397 is set up pretty "tight" (a good thing to exclude noise and unwanted signals). If you have a metal building or otherwise poor radio reception you may want to consider a stronger FM antenna. I have a TERK antenna on order.Terk FM-50 Indoor/Outdoor Dual-Drive Amplified FM Antenna (Terk FM50)

In conclusion, I wanted a simple, high quality receiver that I can understand and hookup without a lot of fuss. I wanted something with good sound. I wanted something that I can operate without my reading glasses ((((baby boomers are you listening?)))). The RX-397 does all of the above and exceeds my expectations.

Thanks to Yamaha for making the RX-397
and thanks for reading my review.

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!

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.

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 on/off loudness switch, this one works just like the bass/treble controls, giving you a full range of adjustment. Sweet.

I also wanted a phono input. Again, many newer, lower end units do not contain one. Since I'm old enough to have a large vintage LP collection, and not having any plans to throw them out or sell them on E-Bay any time soon, it made no sense to buy a unit with out one. This unit has one and works perfectly. Frampton comes alive once again......

As to the power, 50 watts/channel may seem low, but have no fear. If your goal is to rattle the windows or the neighbors nerves, this little beast will handle the chore with ease. I would also add that the tuner simply blows my old Kenwood unit away in terms of reception. I'm impressed. I'm just some middle aged guy who loves his music....and this receiver. Two thumbs up. I hope this review helped.

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 speakers.

A very good buy for the price. Highly recommended.

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.

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.

I purchased this receiver because we have two speakers (not 5, not 7), and an enclosed cabinet in which it must live (kids, you know). I wanted an efficient unit that wouldn't toast itself, but sounded great (we listen to a lot of acoustic stuff). The RX-397 fits the bill - driving my 6-ohm speakers (thank you, Yamaha, for the switch to set this), the sound is very clean and open, with plenty of power to capture the full resonance of an acoustic bass without muddying the rasp of fingers on strings. Our listening room is small (~15' square), and this unit has more than enough power to fill it. Yet, it only gets warm in its cabinet - not hot.