Yamaha R-S700 2 Channel Stereo Receiver

"Thanks Loomisjohnson. Well stated. I am a newbie with 2 channel stereo. Just trying to get educated and obtain the best sound possible."

The best way to learn is hands on. Do a lot of listening and try different setup options, like various speaker positions. Also, I see you are reading reviews. Keep in mind, they can hurt just as much as help; especially when you are new to audio. The less you have to rely on them, the better.

Here's something else you can try. Find reviews on products you can find in stores where you live. Demo the product first and write down some basic assessments. Then read the review and compare it to your notes. Trust me on this. It will be time well spent.

Great advice guys. Thanks. I was able to listen to various receivers including Marantz, NAD, even my friends Outlaw receiver. All wired with 12 gauge speaker wire, copper cables and various Bowers and Wilkins Speakers. Yamaha produced the purest, if I may, most honest sound production. Honestly I am very pleased with my purchase. I have played music from - Miles Davis- Kind of Blue to the Eagles- Remastered "Hotel California" and back to Norah Jones CD'S. All sound amazing to me and whoever happens to be listening with me.

I agree that Yamaha is way underrated. I do believe that magazines like TAS tout products that are paid advertisers first. Apparently Yamaha doesn't need to pay to PLAY- so to speak! This is just my opinion.

agree with all of the above regarding yamaha--i feel like even in the 80s and 90s, when their peers like sony were churning out junk, they were maintaining a higher standard. i've observed that the big mass market players like yam, hk and onkyo have made a renewed foray into higher-end 2ch of late and, from what i've heard, are producing very credible gear. if you think about it, because of their sheer scale (not to mention their long histories) these companies should be able to throw more into r&d, source better parts for less, and deliver a better product for less than say, a boutique manufacturer even if they lack the brand cachet.

Hello, I don't want to highjack this thread, but I do have a question about this Yamaha receiver.
I too have the Yamaha R-S700 Stereo Receiver. I am using B&W CM5-S2 Speakers with sub-woofer, a Denon 5 CD changer and Yamaha YDS-12 iPod Dock with iPod Nano.
I think the receiver sounds quite good, but perhaps a little "bright" for my tastes. It has a lot of useful features and appears to be built rock solid.
I do have one question which perhaps can be answered here;
I'm not sure that the "Main In" & "Pre Out" connections are of much use. I did connect a Behringer 31 Band EQ to the Main/Pre connections, it gave the system a wider sound stage and more volume. But other than that, I was not that impressed.
So, my question is; what else can these connections be used for? The manual dose not say too much regarding this.
Thanks for any replies.

Excellent product. I really enjoy mine. The Pre main out jumpers should be replace with a nice interconnect. I use a Transparent Music Wave. I also swapped out the stock power chord for a Shunyata Diamondback. This unit is a lot better than you can imagine.