Yamaha CR-450

This is the Yamaha CR-450.  This little receiver was made from 1976-1978 and was listed at $390.00. It put out 32 watts per channel and had a rated total harmonic distortion of 0.1%. It has the late 1970’s iconic Yamaha look with a white dial face inset on a silver faceplate, big wafer switches, and a minimalist cabinet.

The CR-450 falls into the CR-200 through CR-1000 family. It is a contemporary of the Yamaha CR-400 and looks almost the same with the exception of an extra toggle switch on the front panel. The earlier CR-400 had some issues with 4 ohm speakers so Yamaha made some adjustments in the CR-450 to accommodate them, mainly by doubling the outputs to drive higher current.

Front Panel

The CR-450 has controls for Bass and Treble as well as Low and High filter switches. It also has a variable Loudness control. The speaker selector on the front panel has settings for A, B, and A+B. There is a Mode switch for changing between stereo and mono and a Tape switch for switching between Source and Monitor. Notice that it also has outputs for two headphones.

Loudness switch:

With the special continuous Loudness control on the CR-450 you can adjust the effect to match your personal listening preferences. First set the Loudness control to Flat. In this position the effect does not work at all. Next set the Volume control to the loudest level you expect to use. Now you can turn the volume down by turning the Loudness control to the left, and at the same time preserve the same acoustic balance. In this way you can tailor the Loudness control to the volume range that best suits your ear.

Filter switches:

To cut out low and high frequency distortion and noise the CR-450 incorporates a low and a high filter. The low filter is useful for cancelling record player motor rumble; it reduces all frequencies below 50Hz by 6dB/oct. The high filter works to reduce record scratch noise and radio hiss by cutting all frequencies above 8kHz by 6dB/oct. With either of these switches set to Off the filter is not operating.

Signal and Tuning Meters:

These meters are used to indicate when you have achieved perfect tuning for a particular radio station. Both meters are used for FM broadcasts, while the Signal meter alone is used for AM. If the signal meter needle does not swing past 20 this shows that the incoming signal for that station is probably not strong enough for top quality reception.

The CR-450 only uses two large bulbs inside. One for the meters and one for the dial indicator. This makes the lighting almost unnoticeable in daylight but gives the receiver a very nice glow in a low light environment. There are also two red LED indicators for Power and FM Stereo.

Specifications

• Power output: 32 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)
• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
• Total harmonic distortion: 0.1%
• Damping factor: 50
• Input sensitivity: 3mV (MM), 150mV (line)
• Signal to noise ratio: 75dB (MM), 90dB (line)
• Channel separation: 65dB (line)
• Output: 150mV (line), 30mV (DIN)
• Speaker load impedance: 4Ω to 16Ω
• Dimensions in Inches: 18.3 x 6.2 x 13.2
• Dimensions in mm: 465 x 157 x 335

Reviews

Small, hugely musical and beautiful receiver. Couldn’t wish for more.

Impressed by the clear and clean sound. Stereo separation is precise and easily hearable. The tuner is strong.

Rear Panel

The rear panel of the Yamaha CR-450 has inputs for a turntable, AUX, and tape deck. It has outputs for two sets of speakers as well as hookups for FM and AM antennas. The AM ferrite antenna bar is extendable for better reception.

There are two AC outlets on the back as well. One is switched and one is unswitched. On European versions of the CR-450 there is a voltage selector on the back panel as well.

The Yamaha CR-450 isn’t common but they do come up for sale occasionally. They are well built and perform well for a smaller receiver. They are far more reasonably priced than the bigger CR-600, CR-800, and CR-1000 of the same series and look just as cool. If you have a chance to get one you most likely won’t be disappointed.