**In my opinion...gee, I seem to be starting a lot of posts that way ;)
The only Yamaha musical piece I would consider is their Grand Piano.
This manufacturer slots below Onkyo and Denon, near JVC. They, as have all mass market manufacturers, have made better quality equipment over the past decade. This can be attributed to some of the designs and technologies becoming more cost effective, and in line with the target price point.
As I scan the spec/feature sheet, I am struck by the fact they choose to highlight things such as "Twin Heavy-Duty Aluminum-Extruded Heat Sinks for Efficient Heat Dissipation" and "Gold-Plated Input Terminals", these are not features, they are the minimum requirements for building ANY piece of stereo gear. If these are not present (heatsinks and gold plated terminals), the piece should be avoided. In better equipment, these are a given.
Regards,
BBIBH
