Despite the onslaught of product announcements the High End Munich show blesses us with, one brand that will always find a way to break through the noise is Yamaha.
Today, the Japanese company has drawn the curtain on its Hi-Fi 2000 Series component range, which (for now, anyway) comprises the R-N2000A network receiver and NS-2000A floorstanding speaker.
The 2000 Series comes in below the company’s existing Hi-Fi 5000 and 3000 offerings with the aim of bringing its advanced technologies to what we can only imagine is more affordable prices (pricing for both components are yet to be confirmed). Yamaha stresses that both new components nail its performance ethos, which concerns ‘tonal balance’, ‘dynamics’ and ‘sound image’, sonic elements which together represent Yamaha’s ‘True Sound’.
The R-N2000A streaming amplifier utilises a “variety of technologies adopted from our flagship Hi-Fi amplifier”. The use of a large toroidal transformer is borrowed from Yamaha’s top-ranging components, as is its Mechanical Ground concept, which, in a bid to prevent unwanted vibrations affecting performance, sees the heat sink, power transformer and block capacitors directly bolted to the chassis, and the bolts of the feet welded straight into the chassis too.
The power amplifier circuitry, including the power supply, has been installed completely independent from the ground, while Yamaha says it has worked hard to eliminate the effects of minute voltage fluctuations and external ground noise in its original Floating and Balanced power amplifier technology. The R-N2000A also benefits from Yamaha's original automatic calibration technology YPAO (Yamaha Parametric Room Acoustic Optimizer), which works to optimise the amplifier’s performance to the room it sits in.
Yamaha loyalists won’t be surprised to read that the company’s MusicCast network platform handles the R-N2000A’s streaming skills, which includes access to Amazon Music, Tidal, Spotify and Qobuz, among other music services. Digital connectivity – fed by a ES9026PRO DAC that supports PCM 384kHz and DSD 11.2MHz – includes USB and HDMI ARC sockets, too.
As for the R-N2000A’s gorgeous aesthetic, well, the analogue level meters and LED display do most of the talking, don’t you agree?
Moving on to the NS-2000A floorstanders, there is more inheritance of flagship engineering. In an effort to produce tonal consistency throughout the frequency range, the NS-2000A employs the company’s newly developed proprietary Harmonious Diaphragm drive units, made from a blend of Zylong, which Yamaha says has excellent sound velocity and minimal internal dissipation, and spruce, the preferred material in the soundboards of grand pianos and chosen for its sound emanating qualities.
Yamaha has further utilised its musical instrument development to reinforce the cabinet’s cross piece to enhance the speakers’ bass performance and sound imaging. Its own Acoustic Absorber resonance tube works to eliminate standing waves inside the cabinet and minimise the need for absorption material inside it, while two more specially shaped tubes are mounted behind the driver diaphragms to cancel out resonance. Last but not least, the grand piano’s influence can be seen in the gloss finish.
Pricing for the Yamaha R-N2000A and NS-2000A is yet to be confirmed, but both products are due this autumn.
MORE:
High End Munich 2022 news: all the announcements from this week's show
Read our Yamaha reviews
The best speakers you can buy
