Yamaha R N301 Firmware Download

1. Out of necessity, I have purchased a Yamaha R-N301 Network receiver from Crutchfield... a "scratch and dent" unit (without any scratches or dents) for about $250. The MSRP is about $350. The link below provides details, pictures, specs and more.

   http://www.crutchfield.com/p_022RN301/Yamaha-R-N301.html?showAll=N&search=yamaha_r-n301&skipvs=T

   The "necessity" part is because my vintage Sanyo DCX3300KA quadraphonic receiver began to have distortion issues. I may have it recapped by an electronics professional, but the cost may be prohibitive. So, in the meantime I researched network stereo receivers and chose this model. The only other serious contenders were the Onkyo TX-8050 and the Yamaha R-N500. (More about those below.)

   My criteria for a receiver were having:
   1. a network connection (ethernet cable since my router is less than two feet away from my living room setup),
   2. digital connections for my TV and blu-ray player,
   3. an Android app to control the receiver as well as support for Pandora and Spotify,
   4. two-channel audio,
   5. a good DAC for the possibility of streaming hi-res audio,
   6. a few other RCA inputs for CD player, etc.,
   7. enough power in terms of watts per channel,
   8. Cost.

   This Yamaha receiver meets all of those criteria.

   1. The ethernet connection is largely a "no-brainer." Just plug in the network cable to the router and the receiver and you're done. There may be a "firmware" update that needs to be done... and mine needed it, but it only took a minute or two at the most. I did have to do machine reset to factory settings to get the firmware, but after that, everything has worked smoothly. Crutchfield's tech support is a very nice thing to have... and they promise lifetime tech support as long as you own the unit. I've had to call them twice and both times they have provided solutions to my questions and operations of this unit.

   Wireless options, both wifi and bluetooth, are available at additional cost.

   2. Digital connectivity: there is one "coaxial" and one "optical" connection each... which is just what I needed. The coax connection is for blu-ray audio, and the optical connection is for TV audio. A second optical connection would have been nice since my CD player also has an optical connection, but since the blu-ray player will also play CDs, I can use the blu-ray player to play CD audio through the coax connection for somewhat better audio quality over the typical RCA connections. There are no HDMI inputs on this receiver.

   Oh, by the way, some readers may wonder why I didn't just go with an AV or home theater receiver. I've tried 3 different Yamaha AV receivers... and returned each one. The AV receivers have so many DSPs, surround modes, and more that it really just kinda turned me off... and besides, I thought that the audio quality (at least to my 61 year young ears) was better from my vintage receivers. Plus, the surround modes didn't match up to what I was hearing through my quad receiver. As is often said here on AK... YMMV.. or your mileage may vary. And since cost is an issue for me, the AV network receivers were just a bit too spendy for me.

   3. The Android app (and I assume the iPhone app) is great. This unit requires the Yamaha Network Player Controller app. I can turn the unit on/off, adjust volume, choose sources, stream Pandora and Spotify with thumbs up/down options. This is a critical feature for me because over 90% of my listening is thru these services.

   The Onkyo TX-8050 also has an Android/iPhone app. However, the Android app with Pandora does not allow one to give thumbs up/down. To not be able to tailor and customize your radio station... well, to me, that's one of the critical features of these services. This was a biggie for me.

   Additionally, the Yamaha R-N500 does not currently have support for Spotify Connect (that's their paid subscription service). However, there may be a "work around" on Spotify's webpage. Plus I would imagine that the next update of the Yamaha Network Player app will include support for Spotify.

   Interesting to me, is that the Yamaha app allows you to use the mobile native Spotify app to control Spotify... if that makes any sense. However, with Pandora, you control Pandora thru the Yamaha app. That seems weird to me... but what do I know about designing apps? (Nothing.)

   But I am very happy with how these two services are working with this receiver and its app.

   4. The two-channel audio from this unit sounds good to me. I have hearing loss enough to require a hearing aid, so I may not be the best one to comment on this. The lower frequency range given for this unit is 40Hz. Many receivers state frequencies down to 20Hz. I don't know why Yamaha went with 40Hz, but perhaps in my case it doesn't matter. I've listened to some of my music that has significantly lower bass frequencies and have not noticed any loss with this unit in how it sounds. So in terms of audio, I have no complaints.

   This unit does not have a "loudness" button or adjustment for listening at low volumes. The Yamaha R-N500 does have a variable loudness control, which would be very nice. But I have adjusted the Bass & Treble Tone controls to my liking, and so far am satisfied with it.

   5. The DAC (digital-to-analog converter) is said to be 24-bit/192kHz, for listening to/streaming hi-res music files. I tried to find out what the vendor/manufacturer of the DAC is, but have not been able to find that info. In case anyone reading this knows, please reply with your info and a link to it. I'd like to know. At this time, I don't stream hi-res files from any location, but it's nice to know that this receiver has that capability.

   6. There are four pairs of RCA inputs on the back of the receiver, one with an additional "REC OUT" pair. I use the "REC OUT" pair of RCA jacks to send audio from the Yamaha to a vintage receiver that powers a pair of speakers on the outside deck of my house. Works well for this, plus it also outputs the signals from the coax and optical connections... NICE. However, it does not output the "network" signal. What that means is that I can't stream Pandora outside through the network signal. However, if I stream Pandora thru the blu-ray player, I CAN send that signal out to the deck. I'll just have to have the TV on... no problem.

   The speaker connections are basic and work fine. There are connections for two pairs of speakers. Options are A, B, and A+B.

   7. This unit has plenty of power for me. I have four 95+dB sensitive speakers connected at this time. Watts per channel for 8 ohm speakers is stated at about 100 watts. The Sanyo quad receiver put out 15 watts per channel (four channels driven), so I am awash in power comparatively. More about how I have the speakers connected below.

   8. As stated above, the MSRP for this unit is $350. Hunting around, it can be found for about $250. The Yamaha R-N500 costs $250 more than the R-N301, but less costly finds are possible. The lowest I've found for the R-N500 is $400... still $150 more than what I paid for the R-N301. The biggest differences between the two are the variable loudness control and the frequency range. The R-N500 goes down to 20Hz. At least for me, I cannot justify spending $150-250 for a variable loudness control and 20Hz lower frequency. Oh, and there's that Spotify Connect thing... the 500 doesn't have that capability at this time.

   Do I miss the "quad sound"? Yes I do. However, I have come up with a great solution. I purchased a vintage "Hafler box" called the Quadaptor. This Hafler circuit creates a "pseudo-quad" or "pseudo-surround" sound that is very pleasing. It's very close to the sound I got from my Sanyo. It is great for music, and is acceptable for movies (which are not my emphasis... I'm much more into audio quality than surround sound for movies). The Quadaptor does not add anything to the recording but rather creates ambience and spaciousness. If you are curious about this, it's worth a listen. The four speakers are connected to the Quadaptor. Speaker wires from the "A" speakers on the back of the Yamaha go to the Quadaptor. The Quadaptor then extracts the ambient sounds from Left & Right and places those into the rear speakers.

   The convenience, connectivity and cost of the Yamaha R-N301, plus the added Dynaco Quadaptor provides me with a modern sound system much to my liking. The digital connections are a real plus. I much prefer the simplicity of this 2-channel setup over the intimidating (to me) multi-channel receivers.

   Once the Spotify Connect thing is solved for the R-N500, AND I have an extra $150-250 burning a hole in my pocket, I might consider that receiver. A variable loudness control knob would be NICE. But until then, I'll be enjoying the sound, the convenience and flexibility the R-N301 provides.

   By the way, I think there is a silver-faced version of this receiver available, but I've only seen it for sale in Europe (I think). That would be oh so cool.

   Feel free to reply with any questions/comments on this review. I'll be checking it routinely. I hope that this helps anyone considering the purchase of a moderately priced 2-channel receiver.

   Best wishes,

   Hal Nash

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2. Thanks for the detailed review! The R-N301, has the same amplifier section as my R-S201 and all the specs are the same. I am happy with the sound.

   I think that the 40 Hz figure is related to distortion more than anything else. The receiver will stay within an acceptable limit of distortion to 40Hz, go below that and the distortion will be above the acceptable limit.
   I think that what we need to understand is that you will only hear that distortion if your speakers can reproduce frequencies below 40 Hz. My speakers low frequency limit is around 42 Hz, so they are a good match.

   I am interested in what device you would use to operate the receiver in WiFi mode. If we make that move to a condo we have been thinking about, space may become a real issue and having everything in one unit (am, fm and internet) might be a help.

   Again, thanks for the review, it is very well written!

3. Glad you found this helpful.

   By the way, you mentioned the Yamaha 201... is the DAC the same in the 301? Do you know the manufacturer of the DAC in the 201?

   http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-YWA-10...426347184&sr=1-1&keywords=yamaha+wifi+adapter

   The link above is to a Yamaha WiFi adapter that I think can be used with this receiver. The Amazon reviews are sketchy... hard to tell if the problems are with the device, or with the users. The wifi adapter can be plugged in to a USB (but the R-N301 doesn't have a USB port), or it can be powered using a DC out jack, which the 301 has. Check out Yamaha's product page at http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/accessories/ywa-10_w/ .

   That link doesn't mention the 301 as being compatible but it also says that the models listed may not be complete. I think that this wifi adapter will work. If not, you could return everything. My guess is that the Crutchfield personnel can tell you.

   Is there any chance you could put the receiver close by the router, connect via network cable, and then control the receiver using the smartphone app?

   The app is very good, in my opinion. I can power the unit on, change sources, control volume using the rocker switch on the phone.

   Depending on your budget, you could go with this receiver or the next one up, the R-N500, which I mentioned in the review. But there's the issue with Spotify on the R-N500... but I think there's a workaround on Spotify's website.

   Anyways, thanks for your comments. This subforum, Reviews & Opinions, is underutilized on AK. I'd love reading more reviews of equipment... but only if people's illogical biases (a.k.a. "my opinion") can be set aside and some objectivity retained. Your review of the Sherwood receiver was a good one.

   Hal

4. Thanks Hal,

   I really enjoy reading well balanced and informative reviews and yours was well written.

   I was looking around and found the Netgear WNCE2001, which looks promising. I was able to download the manual and check out the installation. I think this would work with the Yamaha R-N301. If we decide to go to a condo, it really depends on where the cable connection comes in. Right now the internet cable modem is in a different room, if things go right the ethernet connection could be where the TV and stereo would be. The final decision on a condo has not been made up yet, but the R-N301 would certainly be in the running.

   By the way, the R-S201 does not have the digital connectors that the R-N301 has. Although the amplifier section has the same specs as your R-N301 it does not have the same DAC capabilities. One nice thing about the R-S201 and the R-N301 is that they are much less deep than the rest of the line. My R-S201 fits beautifully in our living room credenza whereas the A-S500 would be jammed. When it comes to condos, size DOES matter!

   Last edited: Mar 14, 2015

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