Yamaha R-S202 Stereo Receiver
ôStereo receiver is very popular class of equipment in the 70-ies of the last century, which are called the Golden era of audio. This is the combination of amplifier and tuner in one case. For half a century since then broadcasting has migrated to the Internet, but radio stations still work. This means that stereo receiver has not lost its applicability.
In the list of Yamaha there are highly-developed stereo models of receivers (R-N402 and R-N602), equipped with developed network functionality. Today we discuss the younger model of Yamaha stereo receiver with R-S202 index. The main difference from the older brothers, except smaller price, is the lack of network opportunities. There is no Ethernet port or Wi-Fi adapter, so you can't integrate it into home computer network. Yamaha R-S202 is a classical stereo receiver with simple tuner, which is able to work with radio signal in AM and FM. The tuner is equipped with the memory for storing presets. But technological progress didn't come by this affordable model - Yamaha R-S202 is equipped with Bluetooth, which is able to receive digital stream from mobile gadgets without any wires. That means that coming back home in the evening you can continue the listening of favorite album on big stereo system from your smartphone, which you listened to on the way.
The front panel's design is similar to the facade style of R-N602. The only significant difference is the controls of timbre and balance - in the older model they are rotatable, but here they are electronic, controlled by a couple of buttons. The informative display takes the central part, to the right of which there is a large arm of volume control. In left part near power button there is the connector for headphones and switch keys for speaker systems - the receiver allows connection of two pairs of speaker systems at the same time, corresponding number of speaker terminals are mounted on the back panel. Under the display small buttons, controlling secondary functions, are lied in a row and under them there are large keys of timbre regulator and input selector.
However, in most cases for control over the receiver you will use the remote control - this is more convenient and it provides much more opportunities for adjustment.
Discrete output terminals of the receiver are made on Sanken transistors (2SA1695 and 2SC4468) and work in A/B class. A finned radiator, which takes the central place inside the receiver's body, is used for their cooling. The power supply is provided by large and heavy transformer by Bando. The back wall of the body is traditionally given for switching. Speaker terminals disclose the budget class of the device - there are four pairs for connection of two pairs of speaker systems, but they are, unfortunately, spring. Yamaha R-S202 is equipped with four liner RCA inputs and one output.
Yamaha R-S202 offers a very comfortable presentation of musical material with a slight accent on the middle part of audio range. Music stage is well dispersed in depth - solo parts of instruments and vocal are put in the front. Both male and female voices are sounded quite naturally, with neat elaboration of smallest overtones. You may complain only about slight loss of resolution in the upper part of the range. Low-frequency spectrum gives solidity to sound picture in the required degree - bass is albeit not tectonic, but elastic and fast. Everything that refers to rock, electro, blues or alternative music is played brilliantly and festively. And good micro-dynamical abilities of the receiver allow you to relax in the evening, listening to acoustic folk, jazz, light symphonic music or meditative electro music.
