Home > Consumer Reviews > Yamaha RX-397 100 Watt Natural Sound AM/FM Stereo Receiver

This is the second RX-937 I've purchased. Great sound quality, simple feature set. No problems. Its just a traditional stereo receiver, which is all I wanted.

I purchased my first Yamaha receiver in 1979, a CR-640 model. I spent the next 30 years with the best sound quality i have ever heard! It was still preforming like new except for a little static in the volume knob, until I lost my mind and hooked my new TV to it and forgot to turn the power off. OH NO! After checking on repairs, i discovered it would be far cheaper to buy new. UPGRADE, they call it. I had doubts that anything on the market today could compare with the quality of my old 640, and I was right. Although i can't say i regret the purchase, it just doesn't come close to the sound quality and richness of tone that my old model had. It is a excellent receiver at a good price, and anyone who had never heard a 1979 model 640 would be very pleased with the new model. Needless to say my old model will be going in for repairs, who knows it my last another 30 years! That says alot for Yamaha, I think. The old 640 would have probally lasted a life time, if not for my error! This new model is very simalier in design, and very easy to operate. It just goes to show they don't make quality like they use to. But never the less, I will always own a Yamaha!!

The Yamaha RX-397 wa exactly what I was looking for. I wanted and Tuner/amplifier to replace a very old one that died. Did not want all the video stuff that seems to be on most amplifiers today. Very happy with the purchase

I needed to replace a 25 year old Denon that had given up the ghost. I didn't want surround sound and didn't need a huge amount of power... I just wanted good sound, reliability, and stereo. This receiver provides all of the above and more at a very reasonable price. I'm happy.

First, the Amazon title is wrong: the Yamaha RX-397 is stereo, 50 watts per channel, not "100W".

I was sold on Yamaha's "Natural Sound" amps after buying the AX-497 for my livingroom system (see my review). So, when I started looking for a smaller bedroom system, they were at the top of my list. The price is persuasive too.
My bedroom is 10x16, and I use the RX-397 with a pair of Polk RTi4 bookshelf speakers. The sound is fantastic: tight low end, clear, natural presentation across the rest of the spectrum. Yamaha's power ratings are not inflated, so the 50 watts is real, and ample for my room+speakers. It's just a great combination that doesn't call attention to itself, ever, which is what I now consider to be "hi-fi".
"CD/DVD Direct" bypasses the useful tone and loudness controls. With the radio as source I don't notice much if any difference though.
FM sounds great, and it pulls in stations pretty well here in NYC (90% of the time it's on 96.3 classical).
Build quality is very nice. I recommend it highly.